Effect of Pro-Environmental Prenatal Education Program on Pregnant Women’s Environmental Health Awareness and Behaviors based on the Protection Motivation Theory

This study aimed to verify whether a pro-environmental prenatal education program has an effect on pregnant women’s environmental health awareness and behaviors in Korea. This quasi-experimental study employed a nonequivalent control group and nonsynchronized design based on the protection motivation theory as a theoretical framework. In total, 96 pregnant women had their data collected and analyzed in Korea (40 in the experimental group; and 56 in the control group). Data collection through self-reported questionnaire was conducted between September 2017 and August 2018. The program consisted of lectures and group activities aimed at educating participants on environmental awareness and behaviors. The data were analyzed using t-test, chi square test, and ANCOVA using SPSS 24.0 program. After the intervention, the experimental group showed significantly higher sensitivity (54.78 ± 9.47 and 49.75 ± 5.42; F = 15.13, P < .001), susceptibility (26.30 ± 5.18 and 24.28 ± 4.53; F = 53.94, P < .001), response efficacy (27.40 ± 3.40 and 25.18 ± 4.23; F = 39.42, P < .001), self-efficacy (22.43 ± 4.15 and 21.35 ± 4.25; F = 41.13, P < .001), individual environmental behavior (58.59 ± 12.25 and 51.93 ± 12.64; F = 172.75, P < .001), and communal environmental behavior (18.45 ± 9.68 and 13.13 ± 8.24; F = 126.26, P < .001) than the control group. The developed pro-environmental prenatal education program contained content on the environment and pregnancy, environmental toxin, effects of endocrine disruptors, airborne pollutants, water pollutant, soil pollutant, radio-electronic exposure, and pro-environmental health behaviors during pregnancy. Pregnant women who participated in the pro-environmental prenatal education program had positive changes in environmental health perceptions and behaviors. As environmental hazards continue to increase, pregnant women should receive effective motivational education on eco-environmental protection to increase their sensitivity to environmental risk factors and to encourage active environmental health behaviors.