Hygiena 2008, 53(Suppl.):S48-S51

Comprehensive Intervention in Pregnancy

Hana Janatová, Darja Štundlová, Miroslava Skývová, Eva Uličná

Státní zdravotní ústav, Praha

The project was aimed at improving health education amongst pregnant women to improve their own health and that of their offsprings. Intervention was targeted on improving housing with the aim of decreasing the amount of indoor allergens, promoting a healthy diet and supporting smoking cessation amongst pregnant women and members of their households.

Methods: Individual interventions were based on a questionnaire survey: Intervention for all who completed questionnaires evaluated probability of atopy for expected children, indoor allergen risk assessment in dwellings (equipment and housekeeping) and included recommendations for improvement. Selective intervention being the further step of the project covered home dust analysis, smoking cessation consultation and computer analysis of diet. Group intervention included the handing out of health promotion publications.

Results: Data from 169 women were analysed. The most frequent risk factors for indoor allergens were: upholstery furnishing, low ventilation rate, feather beddings and local gas heating. Eleven percent of women reported food allergy. One third of expected children were in high risk of allergy according to data from family history. Eleven percent of the pregnant women reported active smoking and 12% lived in smoking households.

Conclusion: Pregnant women acquired information on healthy diet mostly from food and pharmaceutical companies but less commonly from their physicians. Despite the knowledge that smoking is dangerous, it still persists amongst pregnant women. Description of living conditions, eating habits and frequency of smoking amongst pregnant women could be used in future intervention projects. Housing appears to be more healthy - more indoor-allergen free, in comparison to the results of our study conducted 10 years ago.

Keywords: pregnancy, housing, allergens, diet, smoking, intervention

Published: December 2008  Show citation