This study was conducted with the aim of improving self-care skills among pregnant women in the city of Estahban. The lack of differences between the studied groups in terms of demographic variables shows that this study includes steps that are carried out with high precision and properly.
Fertility empowerment and increasing people's ability to achieve their fertility goals are known to be the most important components of self-care (21). In the present study, the constructs of the Pender's health promotion model and empowerment subscales were in a more favorable state in the intervention group after the educational intervention than in the control group. Similar studies have shown that self-care during pregnancy can be effective in reducing unfavorable pregnancy outcomes and improving pregnancy and birth outcomes, which can be achieved through educational interventions (22).
The significant difference between the two intervention groups and the control group after the educational intervention may be good evidence of the effect of the educational intervention on the perceived benefits of pregnant women's self-care practices and the direct relationship between the perceived benefits and self-care practices in the intervention group. The results of this study show that pregnancy planning, which depends on the type of pregnancy (intended or unintended), is one of the factors influencing self-care aimed at providing regular prenatal care. During these consultations, pregnant women receive information about vaccinations, underlying diseases related to pregnancy, pregnancy risk factors, personal hygiene, diet and nutrition, activity and exercise, the importance of adequate sleep and rest and ways to maintain mental and emotional peace in times of stress and anxiety. Effective communication between health care providers, doctors and pregnant women was also one of the points that led to a reduction in mothers’ anxiety and an increase in self-care behaviors. For example, according to several participants, midwives used to remind them of the time of care, which promoted the responsibility of pregnant women. Some mothers said that the knowledge and calmness of the doctor and health care provider makes them calm and full of energy. For example, according to their statements, some doctors scare people and stress them, which makes pregnant women anxious. The findings of Vasegh Rahi Rahim Parvar et al. in 2021 are consistent with those of this study (8). Research has shown significant differences in the scores of perceived barriers between the intervention group and the control group. On the basis of these findings, impatience and fatigue during pregnancy and a lack of family support in performing housework were presented as barriers in this study. This finding is consistent with Bashirian et al.'s research in 2023 (23). According to this study, several reasons for not providing self-care were proposed; for example, they did not receive relevant information from health professionals or received less information in general. In general, insufficient information and low awareness regarding self-care and its importance were summarized as the main barriers in the findings of the interviews, which may be due to the lack of reliable evidence about participation in self-care training and the relationship between participation and pregnancy outcomes. It also sometimes happens, that they do not understand the meaning or do not trust the correctness and accuracy of self-care. These findings are in line with the findings of the study by Giacco et al. in 2020 (24). Unknown terms used during counseling and low levels of education were also other barriers to accepting the principle of self-care. The results of the present research are consistent with the results of previous studies (25, 26). Another barrier to self-care for pregnant women is economic barriers. In terms of the number of participants, many pregnant women cannot even perform a series of tests and care due to economic problems. Some described accessing appropriate care issues on the basis of their public insurance. Some stated that they were not aware of the type of insurance accepted by the clinic, which caused them to pay high fees without insurance. Others expressed frustration with calling multiple clinics to determine whether their insurance would be accepted or not, or which facility would accept which insurance for what type of care. Additionally, many mothers felt that they had access to fewer providers and services than women with private insurance. These results are in line with the results of previous studies (8, 27). The lack of a specific plan for self-care and adequate training and educational resources, such as self-care educational materials and adequate facilities and services from health centers for pregnant women, are among the barriers related to the health system and the health team; the results of the study by Rahim Parvar et al. in 2021 confirmed this importance (8).
A lack of privacy during prenatal visits to health services at health centers is a serious barrier to health information exchange between clients and health care providers and affects pregnant women's trust in providers, which is in line with the findings of a comparative study by colleagues in 2020 (28). Poor counseling by health care professionals about the importance of regular medical visits, followed by delays and irregular access to health care services, were other major barriers to self-care. Another major obstacle in self-care is the adoption of healthy eating habits. The desire for certain foods, along with their lack of affordability, is among the serious challenges that make it difficult to adjust the diet for pregnant women with low socioeconomic status, which is consistent with the results of previous studies (26).
One of the main barriers to accessing information from healthcare providers was feeling embarrassed or ashamed about talking about pregnancy-related issues and asking pertinent questions. The 2020 study by Verdzotto et al. confirms these findings (29). In line with the results of the study by Ghiasi et al. from 2021, unpredictably long waiting times at the clinic and lack of time due to household responsibilities were also cited as further barriers (6). In line with the findings of studies conducted with working pregnant women, some barriers included paid or unpaid maternity leave and flexible working hours. The working participants were annoyed by the lack of cooperation from their colleagues and officials in taking hourly and daily leave due to the physical limitations caused by pregnancy. In the current situation where women constitute a significant percentage of the workforce, proper policies and laws regarding the employment of pregnant women are necessary (30, 31).
Although pregnancy-related health information is free at health centers, the long distance to the centers and transportation problems are serious barriers that result in the inability or unwillingness of some participants to use the available service (28). Some reported that poor road access and a lack of public transport made it difficult to attend self-care educational interventions and subsequently practice self-care (29). The stronger role of the wife in making decisions even about pregnancy issues was one of the other barriers, such that women with greater independence in household decision-making were more likely to participate in these educational interventions and consequently had better self-care performance (28). Several participants commented on their husbands' thoughts and performances, which were influenced by traditional gender structures in their native communities, and what often deterred them from using antenatal care services was their husbands' decision and permission (29). Some of them complained about their husband's misbehavior, which was rooted mainly in their different cultural backgrounds and led to a decrease in self-care performance (32). Like the results of the studies, the type of pregnancy (intended or unintended) was also an effective factor. In unintended pregnancies, the probability of missing prenatal care during the first trimester is high. According to the results of this study, the capacity of the clinic was considered limited, so having more providers in a clinic can probably be helpful (27).
A common reason for nonparticipation for several participants was fear of disclosing the pregnancy and being judged by others. A negative perception of healthcare professionals and an unpleasant experience also influence health-seeking behavior (33). Poor communication between doctors, midwives and pregnant women (8) and ineffective communication during antenatal visits are other barriers (28). On the other hand, some pregnant mothers said that they enjoyed interacting with other experienced mothers and felt constantly supported (34).
Furthermore, the results of the present study revealed a significant difference in the mean values of the interpersonal effects before the intervention compared with those after the intervention in the intervention group. People with strong intentions can act faster than people with weak intentions (5). Consistent with the results of previous studies, excellent personal qualities such as independence, courage and flexibility, as well as a logical and calm attitude toward life, played a positive role in promoting self-care. However, most of the participants reported that although they were aware of the importance of self-care, participated in the training and had some prerequisites, they still found it difficult to continue due to their laziness (35). One group of mothers reported that their unpleasant feelings, such as sadness, anger, anxiety, fear, disgust and loneliness, personal interests/hobbies, workload and responsibilities, influenced their lifestyle and thus their self-care during pregnancy. These findings are consistent with the results of previous studies (5, 36).
The mean scores of the empowerment and its subscales (self-efficacy, future image, self-esteem, perceived social support, and happiness about the addition to the family) in the present study showed that mothers had lower empowerment before the intervention, whereas after the intervention, the mean scores of the empowerment and its subscales increased significantly. These results are consistent with those of related studies. The construct of self-efficacy is an important predictor of behavior change (37). A sense of self-efficacy is an important and effective prerequisite for successful self-care behavior (38). This study revealed a negative relationship between self-efficacy and maternal stress (39). The results also revealed that people with high self-efficacy demonstrate a greater desire to engage in challenging behaviors, interpret health and hygiene behaviors better, and can easily control their behaviors. Additionally, self-efficacy plays an important role in adjusting the relationship between people's knowledge and behavior (15). In one study, Badaghi et al. mentioned social support as an important protective factor against depression and anxiety in pregnant women (3). In addition, higher levels of self-care improve family relationships and self-esteem, self-confidence and maternal worth. The 2021 study by Samira Khayat et al. confirms this finding (40).
Among the many strengths of the current study was that it was a theory-based study, a randomized controlled trial that comprehensively taught common problems during pregnancy and strategies to address them in the form of self-care activities in an educational intervention, whereas other studies have included only some of these, such as changes in diet and physical activity. Another strength of this study was that it identified barriers to and facilitators of health behaviors on the basis of pregnant women's experiences and health professionals' perspectives (8). However, this study also has certain limitations. Considering that the target population in this intervention is limited to primigravida. The effects of educational intervention based on the integration of Pender's health promotion model and empowerment on self-care behaviors during pregnancy in pregnant women with a history of pregnancy and high-risk pregnant women in need of special care should be investigated in future studies. It has also been proposed to investigate the efficiency and effectiveness of this model in comparison with the efficiency of other models and theories (10). Knowledge of the various dimensions and aspects of pregnant women's self-care behaviors can help strengthen pregnant women's self-care behaviors and lifestyles by formulating policies and planning necessary interventions, and healthcare providers can use health education and programs and effective communication with pregnant women to increase their self-care behaviors. The results of this study could be used as a guide for appropriate policy and planning to remove barriers to and promote pregnant women's self-care (8).