Abstract:
Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a major health burden in the obstetric
population as it is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. It
ranges from preeclampsia/eclampsia, gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension and
superimposed preeclampsia. World Health Organization estimates that at least one woman dies
every seven minutes from complications of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
Objective: To assess prevalence of pregnancy induced hypertension and associated factors among
pregnant women attending antenatal service at Jimma town public health facilities, South West
Ethiopia.
Methods: Health facility based cross-sectional study design with quantitative method of data
collection was carried out from March 01-30, 2015. The study was used a total sample size of 356
pregnant women who were proportionally allocated to the hospitals and health centers in the town
according to the number of the pregnant women attending antenatal care in the respective health
facilities. Then the study participants were systematically selected from each health facility. Prior
to analysis data was entered and checked using Epi data and exported in to SPSS version 20.00.
Descriptive statistics was computed to determine the proportions of pregnancy induced
hypertension (PIH) and its associated factors. Bivariate analysis was carried out between the
dependent and independent variables to determine the relation of pregnancy induced hypertension
and independent variables. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was made to obtain odds
ratio and the CI of statistical associations between PIH and its associated factors.
Result: Prevalence of pregnancy induced hypertension was 10.3% and among PIH, preeclamsia
23(63.9%) was the most common type. This study also showed that rural residence (AOR=5.310,
95%CI=1.518-18.574), positive family history of chronic hypertension (AOR=9.90,
95%CI=2.31-42.44), Positive family history of pregnancy induced hypertension
(AOR=9.13(2.33-35.78)), kidney diseases (AOR=3.97, 95%CI=1.36-11.56) and psychological
stress (AOR=5.79, 95%CI=1.66-20.25) were statistically significant association with pregnancy
induced hypertension.
Conclusion: According to this study, the prevalence of pregnancy induced hypertension was
10.3% and address, family history of chronic hypertension and family history of PIH, kidney
diseases, psychological stress during pregnancy were contributing factors of PIH.
Recommendations: The town health office and health institutions should focus on early detection
and prevention of PIH after detection of predisposing factors like kidney diseases, family history of
chronic hypertension, family history PIH and psychological stress.
