Self-care agency in pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the self-care agency of women during pregnancy. Methods: A descriptive and cross-sectional design was used in the study. The population of the study consisted of women with pregnancy who presented to obstetrics outpatient clinics in Gumushane public hospital between January 30, 2018 and June 20, 2018, and the sample included women who accepted to voluntarily participate in the study (n=201). Data collection tools included a personal information form and the SelfCare Agency Scale. The data were analyzed on a statistical software package, and the level of significance was determined as p<0.05. Results: The mean age of the pregnant women who participated in the study was 27.50±4.84 (min.-max.=18-41), 72.5% of them had high school and higher education, and 54.8% was housewives. Profession, adequate and balanced nutrition, participation in social activities, and getting social support were found to create statistically significant differences in self-care agency scale scores (p<0,05). It was determined that more than half of the women with pregnancy had a very good level of self-care agency. Conclusion: Many factors (increasing number of curettage, occupational groups, participation in social activities, adequate and balanced nutrition, and support from the family) affect the self-care agency of women during pregnancy. It is recommended that health professionals discuss and evaluate self-care issues in pregnancy in their in-service education programs.