Knowledge and Awareness of Inherited Metabolic Disorders and The Newborn Screening Program Among Pregnant Women: A Health Literacy Perspective
Öz
Newborn screening is a cornerstone of preventive child health, and understanding its rationale is one of the most important factors for its effectiveness. This study aimed to evaluate pregnant women’s attitudes and opinions regarding the newborn heel-prick screening program and to examine the relationship between these attitudes and opinions and maternal health literacy. Pregnant women aged ≥18 years who did not require emergency intervention were included. Participants’ sociodemographic and pregnancy-related characteristics and awareness of inherited metabolic diseases (IMDs) were assessed using a questionnaire, and the Maternal Health Literacy Inventory in Pregnancy was used to assess health literacy. 127 pregnant women with a mean age of 28.9 ± 5.1 years were included. 29.1% of participants rated their knowledge of the NBS as adequate, and 23.6% rated their knowledge of IMDs as adequate. Participants most often described the main purpose of NBS as early disease diagnosis. The total MHELIP score ranged from 44.7 to 100.0, with a median of 77.6, and 107 were considered to have desired health literacy. Participants with desired health literacy reported family physicians and nurses as sources of information and were more likely to identify the NBS’s main purpose. Support for expanding NBS was reported by 89 participants. Higher maternal health literacy was associated with more frequent reliance on healthcare professionals as sources of information and more accurate identification of the main purpose of NBS. The findings cannot be generalized to the overall population and were not associated with an understanding of IMDs.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Kaynakça
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Ayrıntılar
Birincil Dil
İngilizce
Konular
Çocuk Metabolizma Hastalıkları
Bölüm
Araştırma Makalesi
Yazarlar
Ayşe Gizem Yıldız
0009-0001-6332-6724
Türkiye
Ali Kansu Tehçi
0000-0002-9914-3321
Türkiye
Emine Polat
0000-0003-3034-5037
Türkiye
Yayımlanma Tarihi
22 Eylül 2026
Gönderilme Tarihi
1 Temmuz 2026
Kabul Tarihi
7 Ağustos 2026
Yayımlandığı Sayı
Yıl 2026 Cilt: 48 Sayı: 6