The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Road, London, E1 1FR, UK.
Department of Psychological Medicine, Kings College London, London, UK.
BMC Public Health. 2024 Nov 26;24(1):3287. doi: 10.1186/s12889-024-20747-8.
Low health literacy can present significant risks throughout pregnancy, impacting both maternal and fetal health outcomes. Those who do not speak the main language of their country of residence are more likely to have lower health literacy. Considering the heightened challenges faced by this demographic in accessing, understanding, and engaging with health information and services, designing and implementing tailored interventions is crucial to mitigate health disparities. This review aims to identify and examine health literacy interventions developed for pregnant women whose first language differs from the language predominantly spoken in their residing country.
Electronic databases of Embase and Medline were searched using relevant search terms from their inception to July 2023. Data were extracted and analysed using narrative synthesis.
Of the 1964 identified records, three were included. The studies were conducted in Australia and Denmark, and ranged in design, including: a cluster randomised controlled trial, mixed methods design; and qualitative design. Health literacy intervention modalities included midwifery education combined with a smartphone application and leaflet, culturally adapted group classes, and informative videos. The interventions were translated into various languages to cater to the target populations. Two studies used the Health Literacy Questionnaire to assess the intervention effectiveness, yielding contrasting results: one showed no improvement, while the other reported increased post-intervention health literacy scores. The third had not yet evaluated intervention effectiveness.
This review identifies a significant scarcity in health literacy interventions for pregnant women whose first language differs to the predominant language of the country they live in, despite their greater need for support. While few studies were found, their diversity suggests multiple strategies for enhancing health literacy. Bridging this health literacy gap for linguistically diverse pregnant populations could reduce disparities in maternal and fetal outcomes, underscoring the need for targeted, evaluated interventions that actively engage affected women and their support networks.
Registered with PROSPERO: CRD42023475511. Date of registration: 10.11.23.
低健康素养会在整个孕期带来重大风险，影响母婴健康结局。那些不以其居住国主要语言为母语的人更有可能健康素养较低。考虑到这部分人群在获取、理解和参与健康信息和服务方面面临的巨大挑战，设计和实施针对性干预措施对于减少健康差异至关重要。本综述旨在识别和评估针对母语与居住国主要语言不同的孕妇的健康素养干预措施。
使用 Embase 和 Medline 数据库中的相关检索词从其建立到 2023 年 7 月进行检索。使用叙述性综合方法提取和分析数据。
在 1964 条鉴定记录中，有 3 条符合纳入标准。这些研究分别在澳大利亚和丹麦进行，设计各异，包括：一项集群随机对照试验、混合方法设计；以及定性设计。健康素养干预措施包括助产士教育结合智能手机应用程序和传单、文化适应小组课程和信息视频。干预措施被翻译成多种语言，以满足目标人群的需求。有两项研究使用健康素养问卷评估干预效果，结果截然不同：一项显示没有改善，另一项则报告干预后健康素养得分增加。第三项研究尚未评估干预效果。
本综述发现，尽管母语与居住国主要语言不同的孕妇更需要支持，但针对这些孕妇的健康素养干预措施非常匮乏。尽管研究数量较少，但它们的多样性表明有多种策略可以提高健康素养。缩小语言多样化孕妇的健康素养差距可以减少母婴结局的差异，强调需要针对这一问题进行有针对性、经过评估的干预措施，并积极让受影响的妇女及其支持网络参与其中。
在 PROSPERO 注册：CRD42023475511。注册日期：2023 年 11 月 10 日。
