Lived Experiences of Environmental Health Behavior among Pregnant Women: A Phenomenological Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to obtain insights into the meaning and nature of the lived experiences of environmental health behavior among pregnant women. Methods: The hermeneutic phenomenology framework developed by Max van Manen informed this study, which included 17 pregnant women as participants. Data were collected using in-depth interviews of the participants between July and September 2020. Results: The key themes identified were: “fear of health threats to the mother and baby”, “patience with inconveniences for fetal health”, “movement for the environment”, and “generativity embodied from pregnancy”. Participants expressed that they had deeper experiences with regard to their environmental health behavior during pregnancy than they did before, and recognized that communal environmental behaviors impact future environmental pollution. They had a negative perspective towards environmental pollution involving plastics and chemicals, and wanted to protect their children’s health by making the best possible behavioral choices. Conclusion: This study revealed the meanings of environmental health perceptions and behavioral experiences in the participants’ sociocultural context. These findings have implications for health care providers’ prenatal care practices that focus on environmental health from an ecological perspective.