Women’s Knowledge and Attitude regarding Teratogenic Medications and Practices toward Minor Discomfort: Impact of an Educational Program

Research Abstract

Background: Nurses play a crucial role in antenatal care by promoting healthy lifestyles, advocating for patients, and offering health education. They are often the first healthcare professional’s pregnant women meet, responsible for identifying patients at risk for congenital anomalies, ensuring appropriate treatments, and educating them on lifestyle and self-care modifications. Aim: The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of an educational program on women’s knowledge and attitude regarding teratogenic medications and practices toward minor discomfort. Subjects and methods: Design: A quasi-experimental design was used. Sample and Settings: A convenient sample of 358 pregnant women was used at outpatient clinics at Beba Hospital, affiliated with the Ministry of Health, Beni-Suef Governorate. Tools: Four data collection tools were used to carry out the current study: (I): Tool 1: A structured interview questionnaire, Tool 2: Women’s knowledge regarding the teratogenic medications questionnaire sheet; Tool 3: Women’s attitude regarding the teratogenic medications questionnaire sheet; Tool 4: Self-reported practices regarding the minor discomforts questionnaire sheet. Results: illustrated that 5.3% of the studied pregnant women had a satisfactory knowledge level during the pretest, which improved in the posttest to become 88.8% of women; 10.9% had a positive attitude regarding teratogenic medications during the pretest, which improved in the posttest to become 64.2%; and 3.4% had good practices regarding minor discomforts in the pretest, which improved in the posttest to become 76.5%. Additionally, 55.9% of women used to obtain drug information from themselves and 20.7% from any physician (not a specialist). Conclusion: The program was effective in improving women’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices. There was a positive correlation between total knowledge, attitude, and behavior of the studied pregnant women posttest. Recommendations: Implement continuous educational programs targeting pregnant women to improve their knowledge regarding the risks of teratogenic medications and how they affect fetal development.

Research Keywords

knowledge, attitude, teratogenic medications, practices, minor discomfort, educational program