Self-Care Practices of Pregnant Women for Alleviating Early Pregnancy Minor Discomforts in El-Beheira Governorate
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: Most pregnant women experience mild discomforts such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, increased urination, and exhaustion due to hormonal changes associated with pregnancy. Even though these discomforts are not medically significant, if left untreated, they may have an impact on women’s daily lives and overall well-being. Women can control these symptoms and enhance their pregnancy experience by practicing self-care measures. Aim of the study: Identify self-care practices of pregnant women for alleviating early pregnancy minor discomforts in El-Beheira Governorate. Design: A cross-sectional descriptive methodology guided the research process. Setting: The study setting comprised at eight governmental healthcare facilities operating under the authority of the Ministry of Health and Population in El Beheira Governorate, Egypt (four facilities providing maternal and child health (MCH) services, together with four outpatient clinics from 4 hospitals) in 4 directorates namely: Abu Hummus, Etay El Baroud, Kom Hamada and Shubrakhit. Subjects: The study included 360 pregnant women recruited through a convenience-based sampling method from each hospital and health center. Tools: Data collection was conducted using three research tools. Tool (I): a structured interview schedule developed to obtain the participants’ basic demographic and personal information. which entailed two parts assessed women's demographic data and reproductive history and current pregnancy; Tool (II): Women’s knowledge regarding minor discomforts during early pregnancy structured interview schedule and Tool (III): Women's self-care reported practices structured questionnaire which entailed two parts: self-care practices to meet pregnant women’s universal requisites and self-care practices for alleviating minor discomforts. Results: Approximately two thirds (65.3%) of the participants fell within the fair category for overall knowledge, whereas (27.5%) were classified as having poor knowledge. In terms of self-care behavior, (61.1%) of the women reported practices considered unsatisfactory, while (38.4%) achieved a satisfactory level. The statistical analysis further demonstrated a significant direct association between the women’s total knowledge scores and their total self-care scores concerning minor discomforts encountered during early pregnancy (rs = 0.123, p = 0.019). Conclusion: pregnant women demonstrated fair knowledge regarding early pregnancy minor discomforts, and unsatisfactory self-care practices for alleviating early pregnancy minor discomforts. Recommendations: Pregnant women should be encouraged to seek accurate information for managing early pregnancy minor discomforts through antenatal care services and reliable educational resources.
Source: Egyptian Journal of Health Care
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7222901274