DOI: 10.4103/jmr.jmr_30_26 ISSN: 3051-0546

Knowledge of Preeclampsia and Its Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women at a Tertiary Care Hospital of Odisha

Rohan Kumar Nayak, Subrat Kumar Pradhan, Pranati Pradhan, Somyashree Pradhan, Sipan Kumar Nayak, Sanjeeb Kumar Mishra
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Abstract

Background:

Preeclampsia (PE) is a major pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder associated with significant maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study assessed the knowledge regarding PE and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at a tertiary care hospital in Western Odisha, India.

Materials and Methods:

A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 pregnant women attending the Antenatal Clinic at Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Burla. Knowledge was assessed using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire and categorized as adequate (≥60% score) or inadequate (<60% score). Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25, and associations were tested using chi-square and multivariable logistic regression, with significance set at P  < 0.05.

Results:

The results showed that 80% of participants had inadequate knowledge, while 20% had adequate knowledge. Education and employment status were significantly associated with adequate knowledge in multivariable analysis; women with primary or higher education had nearly threefold higher odds (adjusted odds ratio [AoR] = 2.97), and employed women also had higher odds (AoR = 2.62) of adequate knowledge. Other sociodemographic variables such as age, gestational age, parity, and residence were not significantly associated with knowledge levels in adjusted analysis.

Conclusion:

The findings highlight the low awareness of PE among pregnant women and emphasize the need for strengthened antenatal health education, particularly targeting women with lower education and unemployment, to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. This underscores the importance of integrating structured health education and counseling into routine antenatal services in resource-limited settings. Early identification of knowledge gaps may help reduce adverse maternal and fetal outcomes associated with PE in similar tertiary care settings in India and beyond context.

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