Factors affecting pregnancy care and birth weight among pregnant women in Baluchestan, Iran: an application of the social cognitive theory

This study aimed to determine the effects of self-efficacy, social support, and health literacy on prenatal care and birth weight among pregnant women. This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 860 primiparous pregnant women who referred to health care centers for prenatal care in Iranshahr, Iran. Participants were selected through a two-stage cluster sampling. The data were collected from November 2016 to the end of January 2017 using a valid and reliable questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive tests, chi-square and hierarchical regression analyses in SPSS 20. The findings indicated that health literacy, self-efficacy, income, social support, and education level explained for 7.5%, 4.6%, 2.6%, 1%, and 0.6% of the variances in caring prenatal care, respectively. Moreover, income, prenatal care, insurance, health literacy, and social support were the most effective on birth weight outcome (OR = 2.21, OR = 2.12, OR = 2, OR = 0.66, OR = 0.17). The results of the current study indicated that a combination of health literacy, self-efficacy, and social support are necessary to improve prenatal care and birth weight for Iranian low-income pregnant women.