Falls in Turkish Women During Pregnancy: Prevalence, Affecting Factors and Treatment-seeking Behavior

Background & aim: Physiological, anatomical and hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy could increase pregnant women’s risk of falling, which could lead to negative outcomes for both women and fetuses. This study aims was to identify the prevalence and influencing factors of falls in Turkish women during pregnancy as well as these women’s treatment-seeking behavior. Methods: This retrospective and descriptive study was conducted with ۶۲۲ pregnant women who presented for prenatal follow-up at Niğde Training and Research Hospital in Turkey using the convenience sampling method. The data were collected with the “Structured Questionnaire Form” and “Trait Anxiety Inventory”, and analyzed using SPSS ۲۴.۰ software using descriptive statistics, Chi-squared and Student's t-tests and logistic regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of falls in pregnant women at term was found as ۱۷.۷%. The falls most commonly occurred at home (۶۲.۳%), on stairs (۱۶.۸%), and on wet (۱۶.۸%) or uneven ground (۱۳.۹%). The rates of injury and going to a hospital after such a fall were ۶۳.۶% and ۱۴.۲%, respectively. Trait anxiety mean scores did not show a significant difference in terms of pregnancy fall history (p>۰.۰۵).Regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between a fall history during pregnancy and medication use (OR=۱.۶۸۰; p=۰.۰۲۵) and clothing style (OR=۱.۸۳۶; p=۰.۰۲۵). Conclusion: Approximately two out of ten pregnant women have a history of falling, with the falls usually being associated with preventable causes. It is recommended that pregnant women be informed by midwives and other healthcare professionals about falls, avoiding risk factors and seeking medical treatment.

Keywords:

Falling , pregnancy , Prevalence , Risk factors , Treatment-seeking Behavior