Women's knowledge and use of prenatal screening tests

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Medical Genetics
• Public Health

Background:

• Prenatal genetic screening is an optional service to assess fetal risk for genetic conditions.
• Understanding the utilization and influencing factors of these tests is vital for reproductive healthcare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the rate of prenatal screening test usage in pregnant women in Turkey.
• To identify factors influencing the decision to undergo prenatal screening.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted.
• 274 pregnant women in Turkey completed researcher-developed questionnaires.
• Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Only 36.1% of pregnant women reported undergoing prenatal screening (double or triple test).
• Knowledge regarding prenatal screening was generally low (mean score 3.43/10).
• Factors positively correlated with test acceptance included consanguineous marriage, history of spontaneous abortion, having a child with a genetic disorder, multiparity, and longer marriage duration.

Conclusions:

• The study provides baseline data on prenatal screening uptake and acceptance factors in Turkish women.
• Enhanced education is needed to improve knowledge and facilitate informed consent.
• Perinatal nurses play a key role in informing women about prenatal screening tests to improve healthcare access and decision-making.