Predictors of Prenatal Empowerment Among Iranian Pregnant Women
Keywords:
Empowerment, Pregnancy, HealthAbstract
Introduction: Considering that empowering expectant mothers is an important issue to maintain a healthy pregnancy, this study was conducted to evaluate the predictors of empowerment among Iranian pregnant women.
Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in Golestan, North of Iran in 2015. A total number of 161 pregnant women were selected through random cluster sampling from urban health centers, using PASS software. The socio-political, educational, and mental-financial predictors of empowerment were measured using a self-structured questionnaire during pregnancy and was analyzed by a linear regression model using SPSS version 16.
Results: The findings of linear regression showed that educational dimension of empowerment had the highest coefficient in the regression model, on total empowerment (βeta standardized coefficient [β]=0.696 with DW=1.830 and means error=0). The total empowerment score of pregnant women was controlled by individual factors such as the age of marriage (β-0.228), employment (β-0.210), and educational factors such as participation in prenatal education classes (β-0.246), and moral issues such as sense of spiritual support (β-0.217).
Conclusion: By recognizing and observing predictors of empowerment during pregnancy, health care providers can increase women's power over their pregnancy. Educational predictors of empowerment were the most important factors to empower women during pregnancy. The objective of childbirth education classes, therefore, should shift from simply giving information to women, towards giving them appropriate knowledge in order to provide them with empowerment during pregnancy.
References
Sipsma H, Ofori-Atta A, Canavan M, Udry C, Bradley E. Empowerment and use of antenatal care among
women in Ghana: a cross-sectional study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014; 14(1): 364. doi:
1186/s12884-014-0364-4.
Yazdkhasti M, Simbar M, Abdi F. Empowerment and Coping Strategies in Menopause Women: A Review.
Iran Red Crescent Med J Review Article. 2015; 17(3): e18944. doi: 10.5812/ircmj.18944. PMID:
, PMCID: PMC4441783.
Dumas L. Focus groups to reveal parents' needs for prenatal education. J Perinat Educ. 2002; 11(3): 1-9.
doi: 10.1624/105812402X88786. PMID: 17273303, PMCID: PMC1599796.
McIntosh CA, Finkle JL. The Cairo conference on population and development: A new paradigm?
Population and development review. 1995; 21(2): 223-60. doi: 10.2307/2137493.
Moss NE. Gender equity and socioeconomic inequality: a framework for the patterning of women's health.
Soc Sci Med. 2002; 54(5): 649-61. doi: 10.1016/S0277-9536(01)00115-0. PMID: 11999484.
Froozanfar S, Majlessi F, Rahimi Forroshani A, Pour Reza A. Assesment of the Relationship between
Empowerment and Reproductive Behavior. Daneshvar Medicine. 2012; 19(99): 39-46.
Jahdi F, Montazeri A, Balouchi M, Behboodi Moghadam Z. The impact of group prenatal care on pregnant
women empowerment. Journal of the Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research. 2014; 13(2): 229-34.
Renkert S, Nutbeam D. Opportunities to improve maternal health literacy through antenatal education: an
exploratory study. Health Promot Int. 2001; 16(4): 381-8. doi: 10.1093/heapro/16.4.381. PMID: 11733456.
Rahimi T. The basic strategies for improving health and reducing maternal mortality. National Congress of
strategies for improving health and reducing maternal mortality. IRAN. 2014; 27-28.
Gholipour A, Rahimian A. Economic, Cultural, and Educational Factors Related to Empowerment of Head- of-Household Women. Social Welfare Quarterly. 2011; 11(40): 29-62.
Shady Talab Z, Gheraee nejad A. Poverty in female-headed households. Women in Development &
Politics. 2003; 8: 49-70.
Jennings L, Na M, Cherewick M, Hindin M, Mullany B, Ahmed S. Women's empowerment and male
involvement in antenatal care: analyses of Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) in selected African
countries. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2014; 14: 297. doi: 10.1186/1471-2393-14-297.
Nigatu D, Gebremariam A, Abera M, Setegn T, Deribe K. Factors associated with women’s autonomy
regarding maternal and child health care utilization in Bale Zone: a community based cross-sectional study.
BMC women's health. 2014; 14(1): 79. doi:10.1186/472-6874-14-79.
Zimmerman MA. Psychological empowerment: issues and illustrations. Am J Community Psychol. 1995;
(5): 581-99. doi:10.1007/BF02506983. PMID: 8851341.
Ahmed S, Creanga AA, Gillespie DG, Tsui AO. Economic status, education and empowerment:
implications for maternal health service utilization in developing countries. PLoS One. 2010; 5(6): e11190.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0011190.
Abrejo FG, Shaikh BT, Saleem S. ICPD to MDGs: Missing links and common grounds. Reproductive
Health. 2008; 5(4): 1-8. doi: 10.1186/742-4755-5-4.
WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and United Nations Population Division. Maternal mortality
in 1990-2015, IRAN (ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF). Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group.
Available from: www.who.int/gho/maternal_health/countries/irn.
Tajik P, Nedjat S, Afshar NE, Changizi N, Yazdizadeh B, Azemikhah A, et al. Inequality in maternal
mortality in Iran: an ecologic study. Int J Prev Med. 2012; 3(2): 116-21. PMID: 22347608, PMCID:
PMC3278876.
Rahimian S. Relationship of maternal mortality by ethnicity in Golestan Province. National Congress of
strategies for improving health and reducing maternal mortality. 2014; 27-8.
Dah Mardehei M, Hormozy F, Hagh parast H. The impact of socio-economic factors, especially poverty on
maternal mortality and reduction of its effect National Congress of strategies for improving health and
reducing maternal mortality. 2014; 27-28.
Borghei NS, Taghipour A, Roudsari RL, Keramat A. Development and Validation of a new tool to measure
Iranian pregnant Women’s empowerment. EMHJ. 2015; 21(12): 897-905.
Niromand H. Linear regression analysis. A Tool for Research. Iran: Arsalan. 2009.
Ketabi M, Yazdkhasti B, Rastaee F. Preconditions and obstacles to women's empowerment: Women of
Isfahan Case Study. The Quarterly Journal of Human Sciences University of Isfahan. 2005; 19(2): 1-20.
Bloom SS, Wypij D, Das Gupta M. Dimensions of women's autonomy and the influence on maternal health
care utilization in a north Indian city. Demography. 2001; 38(1): 67-78. doi: 10.1353/dem.2001.0001.
Kimiaee S. Methods Used for Empowering Head-of-Household Women. Social Welfare Quarterly. 2011;
(40): 63-92.
Frankenberg E, Thomas D. Women's Health and Pregnancy Outcomes: Do Services Make a Difference?
Demography. 2001; 38(2): 253-65. doi: 10.1353/dem.2001.0014. PMID: 11392911.
Jejeebhoy SJ. Women's autonomy in rural India: Its dimensions, determinants, and the influence of context.
New York: Oxford University Press. 2000.
Woldemicael G. Do women with higher autonomy seek more maternal health care? Evidence from Eritrea
and Ethiopia. Health Care Women Int. 2010; 31(7): 599-620. doi: 10.1080/07399331003599555. PMID:
Santos I, Barroca I, Ferreira M, Pereira D. Pregnant women’s empowerment during pregnancy surveillance
[Research project]. Oxford, England: Oxford University. 2011.
Kidwai R, Mancha BE, Brown QL, Eaton WW. The effect of spirituality and religious attendance on the
relationship between psychological distress and negative life events. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol.
; 49(3): 487-97. doi: 10.1007/s00127-013-0723-x. PMID: 23732707, PMCID: PMC4157065.
Ano GG, Vasconcelles EB. Religious coping and psychological adjustment to stress: a meta-analysis. J
Clin Psychol. 2005; 61(4): 461-80. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20049. PMID: 15503316.
Pargament KI, Koenig HG, Perez LM. The many methods of religious coping: development and initial
validation of the RCOPE. J Clin Psychol. 2000; 56(4): 519-43. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)97. PMID: 10775045.
Pargament KI, Smith BW, Koenig HG, Perez L. Patterns of positive and negative religious coping with
major life stressors. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 1998; 37(4): 710-24. doi:
2307/1388152.
Schieman S, Pudrovska T, Milkie MA. The sense of divine control and the self-concept a study of race
differences in late life. Research on Aging. 2005; 27(2): 165-96. doi: 10.1177/0164027504270489.
Schieman S, Pudrovska T, Pearlin LI, Ellison CG. The Sense of Divine Control and Psychological Distress:
Variations Across Race and Socioeconomic Status. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 2006;
(4): 529-49. doi: 10.1111/j.468-5906.2006.00326.x.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 KNOWLEDGE KINGDOM PUBLISHING
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
