Knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women regarding urinary tract infections living in peripheral areas of Pakistan: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study

Background Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are some of the most common infections affecting women during pregnancy, which – if left untreated – may lead to severe consequences for both mother and infant health. Low socio-economic status and educational attainment levels, inappropriate personal hygiene practices – especially in rural women – may lead to an increased risk of developing UTIs. The present study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of pregnant women – who are living in peripheral areas of the Chakwal district, Punjab, Pakistan – regarding UTIs, according to the Health Belief Model (HBM). Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out using a 91-item questionnaire, including six HBM domains. Data collection was performed with convenience sampling among pregnant women in hospitals between July and September 2021. Statistical analyses (descriptive statistics, χ2-tests) were carried out using IBM SPSS 25.0. Results 98.4% (n = 243) of the respondents were married, 77.7% (n = 192) were housewives, 41.7% (n = 103) attended up to an intermediate college education, while 43.7% (n = 108) were in their first trimester. Majority of women (81.8%) had positive attitudes towards UTI-related knowledge-acquisition, and most of them (94.7%) had good hygiene practices; on the other hand, only around half of the participants (55.5%) had acceptable knowledge levels. Advanced age (p = 0.005) and higher educational attainment levels (p = 0.025) were associated with better attitudes, while higher income levels were associated with better knowledge (p < 0.001). In the HBM domains, major obstacles noted by the respondents’ were finding it difficult to go for a urine/laboratory test and feelings of hesitation to refuse intimacy with their husband while having a UTI; on the other hand, good hygiene practices were not denoted as a barrier to prevent UTI occurrence. Participant age and the responses in the perceived benefits domain showed significant associations (p < 0.05). Conclusion As attitudes towards learning were overwhelmingly positive, our results suggest that educational interventions may enhance rural women's knowledge regarding UTIs, which may helpful in the prevention of recurrent infections and the associated health risks for the mother and fetus.