Socio-Demographic Predictors to Health Promotion among Pregnant Women in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State Nigieria

This study examines the predictors to health promotion among pregnant women in Okrika Local Government Area, Rivers State, Nigeria based on employment status and level of income earned. The population in this study comprised of all registered pregnant women attending antenatal care in the 15 selected Primary Health Care centers in Okrika Local Government Area. A sample of 800 respondents was selected using Taro Yamen Formula out of the population of 1500. The study adopted a multi-stage sampling procedure: at stage 1, simple random sampling was used to select 15 primary health centers; at stage 2, purposive sample was adopted to select the respondents from each health center. The research instrument was a validated self-structured questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Two null hypotheses were tested using inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed that there is high level of health promotion among pregnant women in Okrika Local Government Area with the grand mean based on employment status and level of income earned 3.37± .69, the findings revealed that employment status with 3.4 ± .64 is a predictor to health promotion among pregnant women in the area under study. Income status with the grand mean =3.4 ± .69 is not a predictor to health promotion among pregnant women in Okrika Local government area. The study concludes that pregnant women in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State, Nigeria have a high level of health promotion; level of income earned is not a predictor to health promotion among pregnant women in Okrika Local Government Area. The study recommends that the ministry of health should enact policies and improve basic education for all women of childbearing age both at the pre (before pregnancy), during and post pregnancy (after birth), on the need for healthy practices expected of pregnant women and not just focusing on the sensitizations and cancelling services rendered only during Antenatal and/or postnatal care which is centered towards the pregnant mothers only.