Pregnant women beliefs and perception about medicines in Tabuk area, Saudi Arabia
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Keywords
Pregnant, women, beliefs, perceptions, medications.
Abstract
Prior studies have investigated the quantity and scope of medication use in pregnant women, but have not explored their beliefs and perception of the risks associated with the use of these medications.
Aim: To investigate women's perceptions of medication use during pregnancy and breastfeeding in Tabuk area, North West Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey conducted between January and April 2020, a semi-structured self-report questionnaire was distributed to 615 pregnant women visiting two tertiary care hospitals (King Fahd and King Khalid hospitals) in Tabuk city, KSA. The pregnant women received a semi-structured questionnaire composed of 22 +16-item developed in Arabic language. All analyses were carried out using STATA SE V.11 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA). The responses of pregnant women to the questionnaire were expressed in frequency and percentages.
Results: A study of 615 pregnant women found that most lived in urban areas, completed university education, and were housewives. The majority used at least one class of medication during pregnancy, with 77.6% using vitamins and 13.5% using nausea and vomiting medication. Most believed the first trimester was the critical time to use medication, and 95.9% preferred to avoid all types. Most maintained regular doctor visits and received counseling. More than one-third believed doctors overprescribe medicines, with 40% believing natural remedies are more safe. Despite uncertainty about fetal safety and stopping medication, 75.9% of pregnant women used medicines more carefully.
Conclusion: Pregnant women in Saudi Arabia are consuming a significant amount of medication, but many have a negative perception of it. This negative perception can affect their adherence to medication. To improve health literacy, it is crucial to educate and motivate pregnant women to seek information about their medications from reliable sources like doctors, pharmacists, and other healthcare providers. This will ensure efficient management of pregnancy-related diseases and reduce avoidable hazards.
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