The Relationship Between Health Literacy and Spiritual Well-Being With Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Pregnant Women: A Descriptive-Analytical Research.
Shahnaz Barat, Nazanin Teymourirad, Mohammad Hadi Yadollahpour and 3 others
PMID 42234510WHAT IT FOUND
In 200 Iranian pregnant women, higher health literacy and spiritual well-being were linked to fewer depression and anxiety symptoms.
These are associations, not proof that improving either helps mental health.
Key findings
01Higher health literacy and good spiritual well-being were significantly associated with lower likelihood of anxiety symptoms.
02Good spiritual well-being was associated with a 67% lower likelihood of depressive symptoms compared with moderate spiritual well-being.
03Sufficient and excellent health literacy were significantly associated with reduced odds of depression compared with not very sufficient health literacy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that health literacy or spiritual well-being caused fewer depression or anxiety symptoms. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling from prenatal clinics in one Iranian city, so the findings may not apply to other settings or groups. The study excluded women with education below grade five, severe pregnancy complications, unstable chronic conditions, severe psychiatric history, or incomplete questionnaires, so it does not represent all pregnant women. Symptoms and exposures were self-reported, which can introduce response bias. The sample of 200 was adequate for the main regression models but small for detailed subgroup analyses. Women were assessed only in the third trimester, so the results may not apply to earlier pregnancy or after birth.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by Babol University of Medical Sciences. The funder reviewed the project plan and awarded a small grant for implementation. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that improving health literacy or spiritual well-being will reduce anxiety or depression. The study measured women at one time point and found associations only.