Selected health parameters and health behaviors of women residing in single mother homes compared to women in a traditional home environment

Abstract

Introduction: A woman’s health and well-being during the perinatal period significantly influence the course of pregnancy and childbirth, impacting not only the family’s health but also the well-being of the next generation. Modern societies prioritize special care for women in challenging life situations during this period. Women residing in Single Mother’s Homes (SMH) encounter various issues such as loneliness, homelessness, lack of livelihood, and insufficient support from loved ones. Despite these challenges, there is currently no research on how this particular group of women presents itself in terms of health behaviors, selected health parameters, utilization of perinatal care, as well as self-esteem, and a sense of meaning in life.
Materials and methods: The study spanned from August 1, 2019, to September 30, 2021, involving 67 women living in SMH as the control group and 73 women attending obstetrics-gynecology clinics for follow-up. It constituted a retrospective analysis of medical records, employing diagnostic surveys with standardized research tools, including the positive health behavior scale (PHBS) for women, multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ), Rosenberg self-assessment scale, self-report survey questionnaire, and face-to-face interviews.
Results: There were no differences in the analyzed parameters of the health status of the women studied. Among SMH and home environment women, the most common cause of abnormal morphology results was anemia, occurring in 26.9% of SMH women and 11.0% of home environment women. Self-assessment of one’s health was better among women in the control group, although the difference was close to the threshold of statistical significance. Health behaviors examined with the PHBS showed better results for women in the control group in the categories of nutrition, body care, safety behavior, and psychosocial health; only in the category of physical activity did women from both groups have similar results (p = 0.162). Women in the SMH were more likely to exhibit negative health behaviors, with 6% admitting to drinking alcohol before pregnancy and 3% of the study group and no women in the control group using drugs. There were no differences between the groups when it came to addictions during pregnancy, but not all women surveyed were willing to answer the question about addictions. Women in the SMH were later to receive perinatal care, averaging 10.84 weeks of pregnancy (hbd. grav.) compared to women in the home environment, averaging 8.25 WG. The study confirmed the lower self-esteem of women in the SMH, with a mean score of 27.73 compared to 31.23 of women in the control group. Sense of life concerning the present (MLQ-P) was lower in women in SMH, while the sense of life concerning the future was close to the threshold of significance. No correlation was confirmed between the subjects’ health behaviors and their health status parameters, as well as neonatal weight and Apgar scale scores.