Predictors of Health-Promoting Lifestyle Behaviors Among Pregnant Women of Siyari Rural Municipality, Rupandehi, Nepal

Abstract Background: Health-promoting lifestyle behaviors are self-initiated behaviors that focus on life promotion through lifestyle which consists of different aspects to enhance the level of well-being. The lifestyle adopted during pregnancy has a long-term effect on the health and life quality of both mother and child. Purpose: This study aimed to assess predictors of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors among pregnant women of Siyari Rural Municipality, Rupandehi. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional analytical design was carried out in Siyari Rural Municipality, Rupandehi, Nepal. Data was collected from 15th June to 15th July 2023, among 229 pregnant women. A probability proportionate sampling technique was implemented to select total participants and a pregnant was selected randomly. With ethical approval from Pokhara University, the IRC, and maintaining all ethics face-to-face interviews were conducted using a pretested structured questionnaire. Data was 3.1 entered into Epi-Data and analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics 26. Results: The mean score of health-promoting behavior was 123.09 ± 13.34, and 72.9% of participants had a moderate level of health-promoting lifestyle behavior. Subscale scores showed low scores in physical activity 8.79 ± 1.66 and stress management 15.13 ± 2.09. Ethnicity (Exp B=10.98, 95% CI=3.762-32.074), education level of the participant (Exp B=13.943, 95% CI=2.655-73214), and number of antenatal checkup visits during last pregnancy (Exp B=3.815, 95% CI=1.102-13.207) were the greatest predictors of health-promoting lifestyle behavior among pregnant women. Conclusion: Pregnant women had moderate levels of health-promoting behavior however, there were low scores in physical activity and stress management. Ethnicity, education of the participant, and number of ANC visits during the last pregnancy were the greatest predictors of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors during pregnancy. They need to pay proper attention to predictors of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors to improve their behaviors during pregnancy.