The evaluation of primary health-care professionals' knowledge level and attitudes about pregnancy follow-up

Introduction and Aim: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge level of primary healthcare workers in Diyarbakır regarding pregnancy follow-up. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire developed in accordance with the Prenatal Care Guidelines of the Turkish Ministry of Health. Data were analyzed using the SPSS version 27.0 software. Results: A total of 468 healthcare professionals participated in the study. Of the participants, 75% were physicians and 25% were family health workers (FHWs); 69.7% of pregnancy follow-ups were reported to be conducted by FHWs. High correct response rates were observed for "last menstrual period" (82.9%) and "number of pregnancy follow-ups" (85.3%), whereas the rate for "timing of the first visit" was low (29.3%). Awareness of Rh incompatibility (96.6%) and correct timing for Rhogam administration (72.2%) was relatively high. Knowledge levels regarding the timing of gestational diabetes screening (67.3%), first trimester screening (71.2%), and triple/quadruple screening tests (63.0%) were moderate. For folic acid supplementation, the correct response rates for initiation time (71.2%) and duration (70.1%) were high, while the dosage knowledge was notably lower (43.2%). For iron supplementation, initiation timing was correctly known by 31.6% and dosage by 38.9% of participants; for vitamin D, these rates were 51.7% and 40.4%, respectively. Among first-trimester laboratory tests, hemogram (99.8%), TSH (90.4%), and glucose (90.2%) were widely recognized. The mean total knowledge score was 22.33±5.72 and the mean laboratory knowledge score was 10.53±2.82. The highest knowledge scores were observed among SAHU, while the lowest were among general practitioners. No significant associations were found between knowledge scores and variables such as gender, age, marital status, or years of professional experience. Conclusion: The knowledge levels of primary healthcare workers regarding pregnancy follow-up were found to be inadequate in several key areas. These findings highlight the need to enhance guideline-based training programs. Keywords: Prenatal Care, Primary Health Care, Family Health Worker, Knowledge, Family Physician