Knowledge of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy among women attending antenatal care in Soroti Regional Referral Hospital

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are among the leading causes of perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality globally. The knowledge of HDP among pregnant women is vital in the prevention of complications to the mothers, since adequate knowledge of HDP, influences better health-seeking behavior. Globally, HDP affects about 3 – 10 % population of pregnant women and contributes 15 – 22.1 % of maternal mortality and 15% of neonatal mortality. In Sub-Saharan Africa, HDP caused up to 14% maternal mortality, and it’s the second leading cause of maternal deaths after hemorrhage. In Uganda, the prevalence of HDP is at 5.5% and it causes 13% of maternal mortality. Purpose of the study: To determine the level of knowledge on hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and factors associated with low knowledge among pregnant women attending antenatal care at SRRH. Method: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study which involved 347 pregnant ANC women of SRRH. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire with closed-ended questions was used. A sampling interval of four using the systematic random sampling technique was used. Level of knowledge of HDP was: <60% inadequate knowledge and ≥60 adequate knowledge, respectively, as stated in a Ghanaian study. Data analysis was done using the statistical packed for social sciences (SPSS) version 23, and descriptive statistics were computed for the patient’s dependent and independent variables. Bivariate and logistic regression tests were run to determine the association between the dependent variable (knowledge on HDP) and the independent variables. Results: The study on 347 participants with a response rate of 100% and a mean age of 26.9 SD ±5.7, found that 87.9% of participants had adequate knowledge of HDP, and 65.1% of participants had secondary education and above. No factor was found to be associated with a low level of knowledge. Conclusion: The study found an adequate level of knowledge of HDP, and no factor was associated with a low level of knowledge on HDP among ANC women of SRRH.