Assessment of health literacy and use of contraceptive methods in married women aged 18 to 49 years

Abstract

Objective: To determine the level of health literacy and assess contraceptive use in married women. Methods: From August 2020 to October 2020, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among married women aged 18 years and older residing in various regions across Turkey. The survey targeted this demographic via an online questionnaire, carefully crafted by existing literature and aligned with the study's aims. The study cohort consisted of 1024 married women who voluntarily participated in the research. Results: The study group included women between the ages of 18 and 49, with a mean age of 32.74 years and a standard deviation of 6.85. Scores on the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire spanned from 1.11 to 50.0, with a central score at the median of 34.38. Health literacy was found to be lower in those aged 35 years and above, those who graduated from primary school, those who have been married for 20 years or more, those who had given birth 3 times or more, those with 2 and more living children and those with a history of stillbirth. While no significant relationship was found between the use of contraceptive methods and health literacy, health literacy was determined to be higher among women who stated that they would prefer a modern method if they had to use a contraceptive method again. Conclusion: It can be suggested that married women had moderate health literacy. Preference for modern contraceptive methods can be encouraged through informative activities to improve the health literacy of women.