Assessing Knowledge About Pregnancy Induced Hypertension Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care at Makole Health Center

Aim: To assess the knowledge regarding pregnancy induced hypertension among pregnant mothers attending antenatal care at Makole health center. Methods: Analytical cross-section study design involving 160 participants was conducted at Makole health center. Interviewer and self-administered structured questionnaire was used to assess the objectives of the study. coded, checked and then analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 so as to develop descriptive statistical information presented inform of table, pie chart, histogram, and bar charts. Results: Among 160 participants who were recruited in the study pregnant women aged 25 years or less constituted the majority 53(33.2%) with participants mean age of 22.61 with interquartile range of 18 to 43 years. Majority of the respondents had secondary education level 81 (50.6), while majority of the participants 111 (69.4%) were married. A greater proportion 101 (63.1%) of the pregnant women were Christians. With regard to occupational status, majority were self-employed 74(46.2%). While the majority of the respondents 126(78.8%) had low level of knowledge, 12(7.5%) had moderate level of knowledge and 22(13.8%) had high knowledge of pregnancy induced hypertension. The study found that the prevalence of PIH among pregnant women attending at Makole health center to be 8.1%. Conclusion: Though the prevalence of pregnancy induced hypertension was low, a bigger proportion of these women did not have good knowledge of the disease and its complications. From the study findings the majority of the participants who were found to have experienced PIH had low level of knowledge. However, older pregnant women were ranging from moderate level of knowledge to high level of knowledge compared to the younger pregnant women whom majority of them had low level of knowledge. Also, health care providers should strengthen the awareness of pregnant women about pregnancy-induced hypertension in antenatal care clinics.