Medical activity of mothers and neonatal health in the context of the influence of sociomedical factors

Background. To increase mothers’ medical activity and literacy in relation to the preservation, promotion, and restoration of the health in children at the early stage of their development contributes to the formation of health-promoting behavior in the family. Objective. To assess the influence of sociomedical factors and personality traits on the proclivity of mothers for taking actions to preserve, promote, and restore the health of their newborn infants. Subjects and methods. An anonymous survey was conducted in 367 puerperas. The questionnaire consisted of questions to explore the medical activity of a woman, such as medical advice for neonatal care; that for complaints about the health of her newborn infants; breastfeeding; neonatal immunization; implementation of her doctor’s recommendations; choice of a medical organization and a doctor for her child. Homogeneous groups were identified using an algorithm for the hierarchical clustering of objects. Results. According to the results of cluster analysis, all the study participants were divided into three groups (clusters). Within each group, the respondents had a similar set of medical activity parameters. Cluster 1 included 53 (14.5%) women. This group was characterized by an orientation on medical advice for newborn care and complaints, as well as an indifferent attitude to breastfeeding. Cluster 2 that comprised the largest number of puerperas (n = 262 (71.4%)) was willing to visit a doctor and, if there were complaints about their newborn infant’s health status, to breastfeed, and to choose a medical organization and a doctor for their child. Cluster 3 consisted of 52 (14.1%) women who were convinced of the importance of seeking medical advice for complaints and of the necessity of breastfeeding; the respondents showed their indifference to the choice of a medical organization and a doctor. Conclusion. The vast majority of puerperas have no formed aims to ensure the maximum medical activity in preserving, promoting, and restoring the health of their newborn infant. The high communicativeness of a woman and the priority of family values have a positive impact on the level of medical activity in mothers.

medical activity, neonatal health, sociomedical factors, personality traits, value judgments, cluster analysis, health promotion, puerpera, health-promoting conditions