Investigating the Relationship between Maternal and Fetal Attachment and Spouses' Functional Health Literacy in Mothers

Kazemi, Maryam; Sadeghi, Narges; Mosavi, Mahsasadat

doi:10.32592/ajnmc.30.2.116

Volume 30, Issue 2 (Spring 2022) Avicenna J Nurs Midwifery Care 2022, 30(2): 116-123 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.32592/ajnmc.30.2.116

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Kazemi M, Sadeghi N, Mosavi M. Investigating the Relationship between Maternal and Fetal Attachment and Spouses' Functional Health Literacy in Mothers. Avicenna J Nurs Midwifery Care 2022; 30 (2) :116-123
URL: http://nmj.umsha.ac.ir/article-1-2431-en.html

Investigating the Relationship between Maternal and Fetal Attachment and Spouses' Functional Health Literacy in Mothers

Maryam Kazemi¹

, Narges Sadeghi ^*

², Mahsasadat Mosavi¹

1- Community Health Research Center, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
2- Community Health Research Center, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran , n45sadeghi@yahoo.com

Keywords: Functional Health Literacy, Maternal Attachment to the Fetus, Pregnant Mother, Spouse

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Background and Objective

Maternal-fetal attachment reflects the relationship between a pregnant woman and her fetus. Increasing maternal-fetal attachment encourages the mother to perform healthy behaviors during pregnancy which leads to a satisfactory outcome and promotes maternal and infant health. The positive relationship between parents increases the level of maternal-fetal attachment. Furthermore, men play a leading role in promoting women's health during pregnancy; however, this role is less considered in maternal and child health programs. Health literacy is a priority in increasing the quality of health services. Low literacy is directly or indirectly associated with a variety of health consequences. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal-fetal attachment and functional health literacy in spouses among mothers referred to Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran in 2021.

Materials and Methods

The present descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 127 pregnant women and their husbands in 2021. Inclusion criteria included gestational age 6 to 9 months, normal pregnancy, singleton pregnancy, no mental illness of the mother, Iranian citizenship, and literate spouse. The unwillingness of the person to continue cooperation was the exclusion criteria. Data collection tools included demographic survey questions, Health Literacy for Iranian Adults (HELIA) by Montazeri et al. (2014), and the Maternal-Fetal Attachment Scale by Cranley. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 12) at descriptive and inferential levels. Mean, standard deviation, percentage, and frequency were used at the descriptive level. Also, Spearman's correlation, Kruskal–Wallis test, and t-test were used at the inferential level.

Results

A significant correlation was observed between the variables of maternal-fetal attachment and functional health literacy of spouses. Also, the correlation coefficient is high (79.6%), and in a negative direction. Higher scores for the functional literacy of the spouses mean lower levels of health literacy; therefore, if the functional health literacy of the spouses of pregnant women increases, the attachment of the mother to the fetus will increase.

Conclusion

The present study aimed to determine the relationship between maternal-fetal attachment and functional health literacy in spouses among mothers referred to Ayatollah Taleghani Hospital, Ahvaz, Iran in 2021. Acceptance of the maternal role received the highest score among the subfactors of maternal-fetal attachment. The subfactors of differentiation of self and fetus and self-sacrifice were in the next stages, respectively. The two subfactors of maternal-fetal interaction and attribution of specific characteristics to the fetus received the lowest scores, which is consistent with the study of Delavari et al. which concluded that acceptance of the maternal role received the highest and maternal-fetal interaction received the lowest scores. Other possible subfactors may be the mother’s fear of intentional harm to the child or, in some cases, her embarrassment about doing these behaviors. In addition, the results of the present study are consistent with those of Levin et al. (2007). Another result of the study was that a difference is available between the maternal-fetal attachment and functional health literacy of spouses; however, no study, to the best of our knowledge, was conducted to confirm the consistency and inconsistency of the obtained results. The importance of functional health literacy of spouses should be considered in macro-economic policy and planning due to the relationship between maternal-fetal attachment and functional health literacy of spouses.

Type of Study: Original Research | Subject: Nursing
Received: 2022/03/1 | Accepted: 2022/04/8 | Published: 2022/05/31

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