Analysis of Health Behaviors and Personal Values of Childless Women, Pregnant Women and Women Who Recently Delivered

Grzegorz Józef Nowicki, Patrycja Misztal-Okońska, Barbara Ślusarska, Ewa Rudnicka-Drożak, Magdalena Młynarska and Artur Czekierdowski
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Grzegorz Józef Nowicki: Department of Family Medicine and Community Nursing, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 6 Str., PL-20-081 Lublin, Poland
Patrycja Misztal-Okońska: Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 6 Str., PL-20-081 Lublin, Poland
Barbara Ślusarska: Department of Family Medicine and Community Nursing, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 6 Str., PL-20-081 Lublin, Poland
Ewa Rudnicka-Drożak: Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Langiewicza 6A Str., PL-20-032 Lublin, Poland
Magdalena Młynarska: Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 6 Str., PL-20-081 Lublin, Poland
Artur Czekierdowski: Department of Gynecological Oncology and Gynecology, Medical University of Lublin, Staszica 16 Str., PL-20-081 Lublin, Poland

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-17

Abstract: Preconception lifestyle modifications and reduction of several known risk factors may have an influence on future pregnancy outcomes. The aim of the study was to analyze health behaviors and personal values as well as to assess the relationship between these factors in women without children, in pregnant women and in women who had already delivered babies. The questionnaire survey included the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI), the Personal Value List (PVL) and sociodemographic data and was conducted in 538 women. These women were divided into three groups: women who had recently delivered ( n = 235), pregnant women ( n = 121) and childless women ( n = 182). Pregnant women demonstrated a significantly higher level of declared health behaviors, and also, they rated higher on the subscales values “positive mental attitude” and “health practices”, in comparison to women who had recently delivered and to childless women. In all tested groups, the highest rated personal value was “a successful family life”, while the most appreciated symbol of happiness was “love and friendship”. Our results suggest that the system of values and the perception of happiness symbols may influence women’s health behaviors. Positioning “health” in the hierarchy of personal values as the most important one may facilitate the introduction of healthy behaviors. This, in turn, could reduce several adverse pregnancy outcomes that are potentially modifiable with changing preconception health attitudes. Our results also identify several unanswered questions and highlight areas where new research is needed.

Keywords: pregnancy and preconception; health behaviors; preconceptional lifestyle; personal values; symbols of happiness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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