The relationship between health literacy and exercise self-efficacy in pregnant women: a cross-sectional study

Maternal health is intricately linked with health literacy, which significantly influences pregnant women's ability to access, comprehend, and utilize health-related information. Despite its critical role, a substantial proportion of pregnant women exhibit low health literacy, precipitating considerable challenges in health management and potentially compromising pregnancy outcomes. So, this study seeks to elucidate the relationship between health literacy and exercise self-efficacy among pregnant women, to inform evidence-based interventions aimed at enhancing maternal health outcomes.

This analytical, cross-sectional research was conducted on 301 pregnant women referred to healthcare centers in Mashhad, Iran, in 2023. A multistage cluster sampling method was used. Data were collected using a socio-demographic checklist and standardized questionnaires for health literacy and exercise self-efficacy in pregnant women, which the study participants completed. Data analysis was performed using independent t-tests, Mann-Whitney, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis, one-way ANOVA, Spearman correlation, and univariate and multiple linear regression analysis in SPSS version 23.

The mean and standard deviation of health literacy and exercise self-efficacy were 60.61 ± 17.81(0-100) and 56.09 ± 17.02(0-100), respectively. health literacy had a positive and significant relationship with exercise self-efficacy(r = 0.33, P < 0.05). Among the participants, 20.9% had good health literacy, 57.5% had moderate health literacy, and 21.6% had poor health literacy. Additionally, 16.6% of participants reported good exercise self-efficacy, 50.8% reported moderate exercise self-efficacy, and 32.6% reported poor exercise self-efficacy.

There is a significant positive relationship between health literacy and exercise self-efficacy among pregnant women. Therefore, enhancing mothers' health literacy can be an important step in promoting physical activity and healthy behaviors during pregnancy.