Abstract
Background and Aim: Lifestyle during pregnancy has long-lasting effects on the health of both mother and child. Health Locus of Control predicts health behaviors, while Higher levels of mental health literacy facilitate early recognition, which is associated with greater well-being and may also influence quality of life of pregnant women. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between mental health literacy, health locus of control and lifestyle in pregnant women in Gonabad, Iran, in 2024. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 220 pregnant women visiting urban and rural health centers in Gonabad, Iran. Demographics, mental health literacy, health locus of control and lifestyle were assessed via questionnaires after informed consent. Pearson correlation, ANOVA and t-test were used. Data were analyzed in R 4.5.0 at 95% significance. Results: The mean age of participants was 29.83 ± 6.39 years and most mothers had a planned pregnancy. the powerful others subscale of Health Locus of Control was positively associated with physical activity dimension (p-value = 0.010) and negatively with eating habits dimension of lifestyle questionnaire (p-value = 0.050). A negative relationship existed between chance subscale of Health Locus of Control and substance use dimension (tobacco, alcohol, and drugs) of lifestyle questionnaire (p-value = 0.033). Age significantly affected relationship between mental health literacy and lifestyle, being negative in mothers under 24 and positive in those over 24) p-value = 0.010). Analysis of demographic variables showed that mental health literacy was positively associated with overall lifestyle at all income levels (p-value = 0.010). Conclusion: Mental Health Literacy was positively associated with Health Locus of Control and lifestyle in pregnant mothers. These factors play significant role in shaping lifestyle, and the strength of their relationship may vary when demographic variables are considered. These findings highlight importance of addressing these interactively, considering social and demographic characteristics.