Abstract:

Introduction: Health literature is defined as the ability of a person to access, acquire, understand and interpret health, health information, health care services and rehabilitating. It is known that there is a significant link between health outcomes and the level of health literature. Traditional health practices are practices they do with society's beliefs, traditions, values and cultures. Some of these practices related to behavior and beliefs during pregnancy, childbirth and late childbirth are beneficial to health, some are harmful, and some have no effect. This study aims to explore the relationship between health literature and traditional practices after birth in pregnant women. Method: This study, with a cutting-edge identification quality, was conducted with 303 women who were born in a female illness and a child hospital in a female birth service. In the research, the data collection tools were used, "Relevant Features Form", "Traditional Applications Assessment Form" and "Health Reading Scale". Results: The average age of women involved in the study is 29.19±6.94 and the average number of children is 3.48±2.14. As a traditional practice, the most common practice that women do to the baby is to cover the yellow text and wear the yellow (%72.8), while the most common practice to the mother in postpartum period is to not talk to anyone until the age of 40 (%63.5) and not get out of the room (%63.5). The total scale of women's health literature scale is 106.77±16.52. There has been a statistically meaningful relationship between women’s age groups, education levels, working conditions and birth numbers and the overall scale of health literature (p<0.05). A statistically meaningful relationship has been found between the total scores of women’s health literature scale and the frequency of applying to traditional practices (p<0.001). The result: women who apply to traditional practices in the postpartum period have been found to do negative practices. It is believed that increasing pregnancy health literacy levels could reduce the frequency of women in postpartum period to apply to negative traditional practices.

Keywords:

Abstract:

Introduction: Health literacy is defined as the capacity to reach, acquire, understand and interpret health information that protects, enhances, and rehabilitates the health of individuals. It is known that there is a significant relationship between health outcomes and health literacy level. Traditional health practices are the practices of the society applied with beliefs, traditions, values, and cultures. Some of these practices related to behaviors and beliefs in pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period are beneficial for health, some are harmful, and some do not affect. The aim of this study was to investigate health literacy and the applications of traditional practices of women in the postpartum period. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in an obstetrics and gynecology department of a women’s and children's health hospital with the 303 women who were delivered. Research data were collected with “Descriptive Prosperities Form”, “Traditional Applications Evaluation Form” and “Health Literacy Scale”. Results: The mean age of women was 29.19±6.94, and the mean number of childbirth was 3.48±2.14. As traditional practices, the most common practice of women for babies was to cover yellow writing and dress yellow to cure jaundice (72.8%), and the most common practice for the mother in the postpartum period was not to see anyone / not leave the room (63.5%) until postpartum forty days. Women's health literacy scale total mean score was 106.77 ± 16.52. A statistically significant relationship was found between the age groups, educational status employment status, and number of birth of women, and health literacy scale total scores (p<0.05). A statistically significant correlation was found between women's health literacy scale total scores and their frequency of using traditional practices (p <0.001). Conclusions: It was found that women who applied to traditional practices in the postpartum applied negative practices. It is thought that increasing the level of health literacy of pregnant women may decrease negative traditional applications in the postpartum period.