Pregnant Women's Health Literacy Promotion Strategies: A Review

Background: Given the importance maternal health literacy (MHL) level in pregnancy outcome and maternal-child health, Investigating MHL promotion strategies is essential. To this end, the present study aimed to identify and report those interventions that conducted for improving MHL.

Methods: A scoping literature search using PubMed, Web of Science, Social Science Research Network, CINAHL, Psych INFO, Magiran, Iran Medex, Iran Doc, SID and Google Scholar. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram. Eligible studies were identified from English and Persian databases, published between 1990 and 2018. Studies were screened independently by two researchers who performed the data extraction.

Results: On the basis of the studies’s intervention technique, 2 major health themes emerged:

Group-based interventions (Antenatal classes, Small group teaching, The centering pregnancy model, Web-based discussion forums) and individual -based interventions (Counseling intervention, Web-based educations, The workbook and booklet, Multimedia approaches, Graphics-based tool, A theory-based training program).

Conclusion: This review provides insights into existing strategies for MHL promotion. Health policy leaders and health system planners, should support the uptake of these approaches into usual prenatal care.