Health-Related Behaviors of Pregnant Women Residing in Urban and Rural Areas in Poland

• Main Authors: Maria Szubert, Malwina Ilowiecka, Jacek Wilczynski, Przemyslaw Bilinski, Cezary Wojtyla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-06-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: health behaviors; pregnancy; rural area; urban area
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/12/4395

<b> </b>The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge regarding a healthy lifestyle and prophylaxis during pregnancy among women from rural and urban areas and how this changed within a 5-year period. Analyses of the population of pregnant women in Poland were made using a questionnaire survey. The survey was conducted in the years 2010–2012 and 2017. Questionnaires from 6128 pregnant women were collected. The statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS. The examined population was comprised of 41% women from rural areas and 59% women from urban areas. Alcohol consumption was lower among women from rural areas than among urban inhabitants in 2010–2012; in 2017 a trend of even lower consumption was observed. Folic acid supplementation was more broadly developed in the urban population; however, in 2017, higher percentage rates of both populations admitted taking folates before pregnancy. More women in urban than in rural areas performed physical activity during pregnancy, but the differences decreased in 2017. Knowledge of a healthy lifestyle and prophylaxis during pregnancy increased regardless of place of residence; however, the most evident change could be observed among women from rural areas.