OBJECTIVES: This study provides a data which can be used as a baseline for the development of educational interventions in accordance of the health beliefs of rural women regarding UTI and its sensitivity.

METHODS: To assess the perception of rural women regarding urinary tract infections during pregnancy based on health belief model constructs which are perceived sensitivity, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action and self-efficacy. This study used an analytic, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study design from the hospitals of 4 Tehsils of district Chakwal, Punjab. We distributed 350 questionnaires by convenient sampling out of which 247 pregnant women responded showing response rate 70.5%.

RESULTS: Majority of respondents were n=243 (98.4%) married women and housewives n=192 (77.7%) attended up to intermediate college n=103 (41.7), were in their first trimester n=108 (43.7%) with more than one parity n=163 (66%). Positive perceived susceptibility with highest mean (3.25), positive perceived severity with highest mean (3.43), and strongest believe of benefit with highest mean (3.51), negative perceived barrier with the least weighted mean of (2.23), highest weighted mean of 3.16 suggesting positive cues to actions and greatest mean of 3.26, indicating positive attitude towards self-efficacy. The majority of respondents believe that having a UTI is terrible. The weighted mean shows that majority of the respondents perceived that they can avoid having UTI by prenatal checkups (3.39), drinking 2-3 liters of water (3.49), washing the sexual organ before (3.43) and after (3.51) intercourse and by eating fruits rich in vitamin C they can recover quickly from having UTI (3.47).

CONCLUSIONS:

The study concludes that rural women perception regarding infection susceptibility due to pregnancy and severity is found to be positive showing their concern regarding healthy life. Rural women perceive strong beliefs regarding benefits of hygiene practices and good diet to combat the infection and an optimistic behavior towards self-efficacy.