Relationship Between Women's Cultural Practices and Spirituality Levels in Prenatal, Childbirth, and Postpartum Periods

Background: A healthy mother and thus a healthy baby is the prerequisite for a healthy family and society. Therefore, it is important to evaluate the interventions applied in the antenatal, innatal, and postnatal periods, where traditional practices are used frequently. Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between women's cultural practices and spirituality levels in prenatal, childbirth, and postnatal periods. Methodology: This descriptive study was carried out with 1100 women who resided in east, middle and west region of Turkey and had a live birth within the past year. Data were collected through the "Personal Information Form", the "Cultural Practices Questionnaire" and the "Spirituality Scale". Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and percentage distribution, t-test, and ANOVA. Results: The results show that cultural practices are frequently performed in Turkey, and they are preferred more by women who have high spirituality. Conclusion: Cultural practices are known to be high in number and applied frequently, during pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal period. In this regard, it is important to plan care, education, and counseling interventions and to implement them starting from the preconception period.