A Qualitative Study on Health Literacy and Women’s Reproductive Health

Abstract

A comprehensive systematic review of health literacy has not been conducted on the topic of women’s reproductive health. Our objective was to systematically identify, investigate, and summarize research on the relationship between health literacy and women’s reproductive health knowledge, behaviors, and outcomes. Our search focused on peer-reviewed studies that were published in science journals between 2015 - 2023 and indexed in PubMed. Original data-driven research published in a peer-reviewed journal conducted in developed countries was considered for inclusion. Studies of reproductive health literacy which used a validated assessment, reported on the relationship between health literacy and reproductive health outcomes, related knowledge, or behaviors, and included women of reproductive age. There were 66 articles included in this review that met the eligibility criteria. An abstracting form was used by two authors to abstract data from articles. An analysis of the abstracted data was then conducted, and the results were summarized. An overall correlation was found between health literacy and reproductive health knowledge. Prenatal vitamin use and breastfeeding were also associated with it. It is unclear how it is related to other reproductive behaviors and outcomes. In addition to influencing reproductive knowledge, health literacy can also impact behaviors. Health literacy best practices should be utilized by healthcare providers now rather than waiting for further research to prove their effectiveness.