Assessing Pregnant Women's Readiness for Pregnancy-Healthy Nutrition: A Trans-theoretical Model Approach
Abstract
Background: Pregnant women undergo significant physiological changes, requiring careful nutrition and lifestyle attention. This study explores the readiness of primiparous women to adhere to healthy nutrition during pregnancy, utilizing the Trans-Theoretical Model of Change (TTM) as a theoretical framework. Understanding the various stages of readiness can inform tailored interventions to support pregnant women in adopting and maintaining healthy behavior.Methods: This Study, conducted over a month in Maternity Hospitals in Mosul City, used a descriptive, predictive correlational design. The sample included 300 primiparous women selected from the Al-Salam Teaching Hospital, El-Khansa Teaching Hospital, and Al-Batul Maternity Hospital. The inclusion criteria covered primiparity and gestational age between 13 and 35 weeks. Various instruments were used, including sociodemographic sheets and scales for socioeconomic status, change stages, change processes, decisional balance, and self-efficacy. The ethical considerations included the written and verbal consent of the participants, ensuring the study's adherence to ethical standards.Results: The Study's findings are significant, as they identified different phases of readiness among pregnant women according to the TTM: pre-contemplation (15%), contemplation (22%), preparation (32%), action (28%), and maintenance (3.3%). The key constructs varied significantly between these phases, with decisional balance scores peaking in the preparation phase, perceived benefits highest in maintenance, and perceived barriers most significant during contemplation. Self-efficacy showed the highest levels in the maintenance phase. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring interventions to specific TTM phases to promote healthy behaviors and enhance self-efficacy during pregnancy, providing valuable insights for healthcare providers.Conclusions: The Study highlights the relevance of TTM in understanding pregnant women's readiness to adopt healthy nutrition. Tailored interventions corresponding to each TTM phase are crucial to promoting positive behaviors and enhancing self-efficacy during pregnancy. Healthcare providers should consider these insights to develop targeted strategies to help pregnant women adhere to pregnancy-healthy nutrition guidelines.
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