Background: Health practices during pregnancy are defined as activities that affect the course of pregnancy and
its results; these activities extend to monitoring the health of the pregnant woman, the fetus, and the newborn.
Aims: The purpose of this study; assessing the effects wanting a pregnancy has on health practices carried out by
pregnant women.
Methodology: A comparative descriptive type research. A questionnaire was used to determine the sociodemographic
and obstetric characteristics, and a Health Practices in Pregnancy Questionnaire (HPQ) was used to
determine the health practices during pregnancy. This study was conducted in a government hospital in Erzurum,
Turkey. The sample group of the research consists of 270 pregnant women (146 wanted pregnancies, 124
unwanted pregnancies) registered at the polyclinics for prenatal controls. The data were evaluated with SPSS
program.
Results: Average age of pregnant women who participated in the study is 27.53+5.49. 56.3% of pregnant
women are primary school graduates, 90% are unemployed and 77% live in the city center. The mean score of
health practices in pregnancy is determined to be higher in intended pregnancies. Educational status, working
status, education of the husband, residence, and monthly income of the family affect the mean score of health
practices in pregnancy in both intended and unintended pregnancies. While age and number of living children
affect the mean score of health practices in pregnancy in unintended pregnancies, they do not have an effect on
said practices in intended pregnancies.
Conclusion: Women who want the pregnancy have more positive health practices in pregnancy and the health
practices performed throughout pregnancy in both intended and unintended pregnancies are affected by a
number of demographic and obstetrical factors.