Merve Mert KARADAŞ, Cansu AKDAĞ TOPAL, Ezgi Kübra TEKMEN
Turkish Journal of Public Health - 2026;24(1):309-319
Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between maternal health literacy and fatalism tendency among pregnant women and to identify the predictors of fatalistic beliefs. Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between April and September 2025 in the obstetrics outpatient clinic of a hospital in Türkiye. The sample consisted of 180 pregnant women aged 18-45 years with gestational ages between 14 and 37 weeks. Data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, the Maternal Health Literacy Inventory in Pregnancy, and the Fatalism Tendency Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and two-step hierarchical regression were used for data analysis. Results: A significant moderate negative correlation was found between maternal health literacy and fatalism tendency (r=-0.381, p<0.001). Variables included in Model 1 explained 30% of the variance in fatalism, whereas adding maternal health literacy in Model 2 increased the explained variance to 36%. Conclusion: Maternal health literacy is an independent protective factor against fatalism among pregnant women. Enhancing literacy within antenatal care may strengthen women's sense of control and promote healthier pregnancy-related behaviors. Development of comprehensive antenatal education models is recommended to reduce fatalistic attitudes.
