Highlights Regarding the high importance of health literacy of pregnant women and the ability of apps with data transfer as well as ease of access to training materials at any time of the day and night, we investigate a new way to educate pregnant women. For the first time we used mobile app-based training and results showed that it is effective in the health literacy of pregnant women especially in situations like the Corona Virus pandemic. Therefore, it is suggested that health care providers, especially midwives, use this training method to promote the health literacy of pregnant women.

Background: Given the importance maternal health literacy (MHL) level in pregnancy         outcome and maternal-child health, Investigating MHL promotion strategies is essential. To this end, the present study aimed to identify and report those interventions that conducted for improving MHL. Methods: A scoping literature search using PubMed, Web of Science, Social Science Research Network, CINAHL, Psych INFO, Magiran, Iran Medex, Iran Doc, SID and Google Scholar. This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) flow diagram. Eligible studies were identified from English and Persian databases, published between 1990 and 2018. Studies were screened independently by two researchers who performed the data extraction. Results: On the basis of the studies’s intervention technique, 2 major health themes emerged: Group-based interventions (Antenatal classes, Small group teaching, The centering pregnancy model, Web-based discussion forums) and individual -based interventions (Counseling intervention, Web-based educations, The workbook and booklet, Multimedia approaches, Graphics-based tool, A theory-based training program). Conclusion: This review provides insights into existing strategies for MHL promotion. Health policy leaders and health system planners, should support the uptake of these approaches into usual prenatal care.

Background: Health literacy of mothers during pregnancy shows social and cognitive skills indicating the motivation and ability of mothers to receive and use useful knowledge to maintain and promote the health of themselves and their children. The present study was conducted aimed to determine the effect of mobile app-based training on health literacy among pregnant women. Methods: This randomized controlled trial (RCT) study Among 500 eligible pregnant women who attended al-Zahra hospital (Rasht, Iran) between 2019 to 2020 years, was conducted on 140 pregnant women by random sampling method. They were divided into experimental and control groups. Data collection tools included personal information and maternal health literacy questionnaires. The questionnaires were completed and then a mobile app-based training intervention was performed for the experimental group. The participants of the experimental group were asked to read the contents of the software once a week for 8 weeks. The questionnaires were completed again after 8 weeks of the training intervention. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 21. Independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U, Wilcoxon, Fisher, Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and one-way analysis of variance was used for this purpose. Results: The subjects showed no statistically significant difference in terms of demographic-social information (p> 0.05). The mean change in health literacy scores after the intervention was statistically significant between the experimental and control groups (p <0.001). Also, the mean change in health literacy scores before and after the intervention in the experimental group was statistically significant (p <0.001). But this change in the control group was not statistically significant (p = 0.609).Conclusions: For the first time we used mobile app-based training and results showed that it is effective in the health literacy of pregnant women especially in situations like the Corona Virus pandemic. Therefore, it is suggested that health care providers, especially midwives, use this training method to promote the health literacy of pregnant women.Trial registrationThis paper is taken from the master thesis student of midwifery training with ethics code IR.GUMS.REC.1397.490. This is a RCT study (clinical trial code IRCT20180707040364N1: https://www.irct.ir/search/result?query=IRCT20180707040364N1- 2019-03-27).