An examination of the relationship between health literacy and awareness level of third-hand tobacco smoke among pregnant women

Objective: This study aims at determining pregnant women's health literacy level and awareness level of third-hand tobacco smoke as well as the relationship between them. Material and Methods: An analytical and cross-sectional study was designed. A total of 340 pregnant women who attended the obstetrics and gynecology polyclinic of a state hospital in Istanbul, Turkey participated in the study. The data were collected between June and November 2022 using a survey composed of a Personal Data Sheet, Health Literacy Scale, and Beliefs about Third-Hand Smoke (BATHS) Scale. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test, Paired Sample T Test, Independent Sample T Test, One Way ANOVA Test and Pearson Correlation Analysis were conducted. Results: The participant pregnant women were aged 28,46±5,36 years, 32,6% were high-school graduates, 51,2% had a monthly income less than monthly expenditure, 57,6% were in their 3rd trimester, and %29,1% were first‐time pregnant women. Furthermore, 11,2% were smokers and 84,4% lived in a home with at least on smoker. The most trusted health information sources of pregnant women were health professionals, family members, and the internet. The participants' Health Literacy Scale and Beliefs About Third-Hand Smoke Scale mean scores were calculated as 109,85±14,50 and 37,09±7,10, respectively. A positive and low correlation was observed between participants' health literacy and awareness level of third-hand tobacco smoke (r= 0,245, p= 0,001). Conclusion: The participants' health literacy and third-hand tobacco smoke awareness levels were found to be good. Furthermore, pregnant women's awareness of third-hand tobacco smoke increases as their health literacy increases. Keywords: Health literacy, Pregnancy, Third-hand tobacco smoke, Tobacco.