Availability and acceptance of health education among socially 'at risk' pregnant women attending health centres in Belfast.

This study highlights the large number of pregnant women in Belfast who fall into the 'at risk' category based on socioeconomic factors and suggests a need for greater emphasis on health education by professionals in both the fields of health and education in order to improve the knowledge and change the attitudes and behaviour of pregnant women; this could play an important part in reducing infant mortality and handicap in our society. The study showed that neither patients nor health care teams see health education as an integral part of antenatal and postnatal care and that little impact has been made in encouraging patients to plan their pregnancies, stop smoking and eat a more balanced diet.