Published date: Sep 30 2022

Journal Title: Sudan Journal of Medical Sciences

Issue title: Sudan JMS: Volume 17 (2022), Issue No. 3

Pages: 292–302

DOI: 10.18502/sjms.v17i3.12079

Faiza Tahafanasr@uofk.eduDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nursing Faculty of Nursing Sciences, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan

Background: Pregnancy predisposes women to developing constipation, and hormonal and mechanical factors, sedentary lifestyle, and alteration of diet augments the condition, leading to discomforts experienced by pregnant women. However, this can be controlled through proper education and lifestyle modification. The present study aims to check the effect of health awareness education module on the reduction of constipation among pregnant women.

Methods: A quasi-experimental study design was used. One hundred and twentyfive pregnant women were randomly selected from Saad Abu Alela Hospital between January and March 2017), and based on the ROME II criteria, 59 of them were found to have constipation. After obtaining consent from the women, health awareness module (information about constipation, dietary measures, increased fluid intake, and exercise) was offered to them. Data were collected by structured close-ended questionnaire for the knowledge, pre- and post-intervention, and checklists for the practice and follow-up of the weekly outcome over two months. Data were analyzed, and suitable statistical methods was used. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.

Results: The overall prevalence of constipation was 47.2% with a prevalence of 4%, 6.4%, and 36.8% in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy, respectively. Pregnant women’s knowledge about constipation increased significantly from 16.9% pre- to 92.9 post-intervention with P = 0.000. The fiber diet intake, fluid intake, and exercise by pregnant women increased from 37.3%, 39%, and 13.6% pre- to 72.9%, 88.1%, and 49.1% post-intervention, respectively) with P = 0.001. Moreover, 46 (78%) women were relieved of constipation post-intervention.

Conclusion: The health awareness module was very effective and significantly increased the level of knowledge, practice, and outcomes with respect to constipation in pregnant women.

Keywords: constipation, health awareness, pregnancy

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