Empowerment Status of Pregnant Women in an Iranian Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Pregnancy is a crucial period in a woman's life, as the level of empowerment of pregnant women directly affects the health of mothers, children and families. The aim of this study was to determine the empowerment status of pregnant women in an Iranian setting. Methods: This analytic cross-sectional study was carried out on 200 eligible pregnant women attending Ardabil health centers in 2023, selected through random cluster sampling. Data was collected using a demographic questionnaire and a Persian version of the Kameda questionnaire on empowerment of pregnant women, which was completed through interviews. The overall empowerment score ranged from 27 to 108, and is classified as poor to excellent. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, Pearson's correlation and t-tests were utilized for data analysis using SPSS version 17. Results: The mean age of the pregnant women was 26.8± 4.67 years, with the majority having a college education (60%) and being housewives (76%). The overall empowerment score of the pregnant women was 54.58, which indicates a moderate level of empowerment. Among the subscales of empowerment, the highest mean score (64) was related to the joy of adding a person to the family, and the lowest score (49) was related to the subscale of self-esteem. There was a significant inverse correlation between the age of pregnant women and their future image (P=0.019). Higher education and employment were linked to higher self-esteem. There were no statistically significant relationships between empowerment status in pregnant women and housing type, income, husband's education, gravida, parity, number of abortions or number of living children. Conclusion: The results of this study could be used in conducting effective interventions for maternal health and promoting the empowerment of pregnant women.