Abstract |
Introduction: Educating pregnant women on preventing congenital infections reduces
their risk behavior for infections. However, they are not always sufficiently educated.
There is a lack of data on the adequacy of pregnant women's education and risk
behavior in Greece. This study aimed to assess pregnant women's knowledge towards
preventing CMV infection, listeriosis, toxoplasmosis, and syphilis, and adherence to
preventive measures during pregnancy.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between September and November
2020, and included women in pregnancy or in the immediate postpartum period of the
two public hospitals in Heraklion Crete . Data were collected after informed consent
through a questionnaire, with questions about demographic characteristics, knowledge
of preventive measures, pregnancy habits, and information source.
Results: Of the 355 participants 78.1% had been informed about congenital infections,
mainly by their obstetrician. Awareness was 82.5% for toxoplasmosis, 65.9% for
syphilis, 42.8% for CMV, and 24.5% for listeriosis. The majority (75.2%) were
informed on precautionary measures for toxoplasmosis, but only 19.4% for CMV
infection and 14.1% for listeriosis. Higher education, Greek nationality, and age 26-35
years were associated with higher knowledge scores. Regarding syphilis, only 10.5%
were aware of the possibility for therapeutic intervention during pregnancy to prevent
transmission to the newborn. Adherence to all precautionary measures was suboptimal
(23.4% for toxoplasmosis, 5.4% for listeriosis, 47.3% for CMV infection). Women
that lived in rural or semi-rural areas or had at least 1 child were more prone to CMV
infection based on their behaviour. Respectively, for toxoplasma infection, more
dangerous behaviors were adopted by women living in rural areas or being of age
under 25 . Last, risk behavior towards listeriosis was more prevalent among those who
lived in rural or semi-rural areas, had at least 2 children or were under 25 years old. Conclusion: Among pregnant women, knowledge about prevention and adherence to
preventive measures were insufficient to prevent exposure to CMV, listeria, and
toxoplasma. Information about syphilis was also limited. Targeted interventions are
needed to educate pregnant women and women of reproductive age on prevention of
congenital infections.
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