Current Knowledge and Practice of Pregnant Women Towards Gestational Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nsukka Women

Current Knowledge and Practice of Pregnant Women Towards Gestational Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nsukka Women | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Current Knowledge and Practice of Pregnant Women Towards Gestational Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nsukka Women Obinna Felix Dim, Ekwuofu Azubuike, OGECHI ONYEOJI, Cynthia Omeye, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4537371/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Gestational hypertension is a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality. Knowledge plays an essential role in decreasing the risk or threat of diseases; hence, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of pregnant women toward gestational hypertension (GH) in Nsukka, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 266 eligible pregnant women in two randomly selected hospitals in Nsukka using a well-structured and validated questionnaire. The questionnaire was self-administered. The data collected from the questionnaire were coded and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the findings, while inferential statistics such as correlations and chi-square tests were used to determine the relationships between variables. For all the statistical analyses, p values < 0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. Results Of the 266 expectant mothers who participated in the study, 170 (63.9%) were aged 20 to 30 years. More than half of the participants (150, 56.4%) had a tertiary degree. The majority of the participants, 250 (94%), were married, and approximately half, 127 (47.7%), were in the third trimester. Only a handful of the participants (19%) were aware of GH. More than half of the participants, 161 (60.5%), strongly felt that gestational hypertension was preventable, and the majority, 180 (67.7%), preferred to visit the hospital if any unusual signs or symptoms were observed. Participants demonstrated low practice levels (20.28 ± 3.19). The level of education was the only sociodemographic component that was linked with mothers' practices toward GH (5.26( 2 )) (P = 0.04). The higher the mothers’ education level was, the better the mothers’ practices toward GH were. Conclusion The majority of participants had poor understanding and practice with GH. Only education level had an effect on pregnant women's attitudes toward GH. Gestational hypertension pregnancy women knowledge practice Figures Figure 1 Introduction Hypertension is the most common medical complication of pregnancy, affecting 10–15% of all pregnancies in the developed world. 1 In addition to increasing the risk of preterm delivery, intrauterine growth restriction, placental abruption, and prenatal mortality, it is the second most common cause of maternal death. Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or underlying chronic essential or secondary hypertension are all possible causes of hypertension during pregnancy. This hypertensive disorder encompasses a spectrum of complications, including preeclampsia and eclampsia, and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and intrauterine growth restriction. 2 The prevention and effective management of gestational hypertension are contingent upon the awareness and practices of pregnant women, underscoring the importance of health education and adherence to medical guidelines. 3 The challenge of managing gestational hypertension in countries such as Nigeria is made more difficult by inadequate healthcare infrastructure, lack of adequate prenatal care and a low rate of health education. 4 This condition has been well demonstrated in the Nsukka area of southeastern Nigeria, where there are high rates of hypertensive disorders and related complications during pregnancy. 5 Therefore, it is important to determine knowledge and practices among pregnant women in this region as a basis for developing interventions that can improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Other studies have shown that pregnant women have low awareness of gestational hypertension, which hinders them from engaging in preventive measures and management practices. 6 Additionally, rural areas such as Nsukka have health behaviors shaped by socioeconomic factors and sociocultural beliefs. 7 In turn, influencing public health strategies or educational initiatives regarding gestational hypertension will require an assessment of current knowledge, attitudes and practices about the condition among pregnant women in Nsukka. Accordingly, this study used a cross-sectional research design to systematically evaluate the level of knowledge about gestational hypertension held by pregnant women in Nsukka as well as their practices toward it. Study design This descriptive, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among eligible pregnant women in selected major hospitals in Nsukka. Study location This study was carried out in two secondary hospitals in Nsukka. Nsukka is a town and a local government area in Enugu State, Nigeria. Nsukka was chosen for this study because it has a diverse range of primary health care centers and hospitals. The hospitals where this study was conducted included Bishop Shanahan Memorial Hospital Nsukka and Faith foundation Nsukka, which were selected because they are the two major secondary hospitals serving the local government area. Study population All pregnant women who received antenatal care in the hospitals within the period during which the study was carried out were selected for the study. Study Setting The study sample was obtained from a population of pregnant women in 2 selected secondary hospitals in Nsukka. Study sample size All pregnant women willing to participate in the study were included. Sampling method The sampling technique that was used for the study was simple random sampling. The study participants were selected at random, which allowed for statistical inference to be made among pregnant women in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. Eligibility criteria. The inclusion criteria were as follows: All participants were expectant mothers at the time of the study. All pregnant women between 18 and 50 years of age who attended antenatal clinics during the period of study were eligible to participate. All participants were required to dwell in Nsukka. The women agreed to participate in this survey after reading all the necessary information and providing consent. Women can enter this study at any gestation period, which includes the first, second and third trimesters. Exclusion criteria: All pregnant women who did not reside in Nsukka were excluded. Pregnant women who did not provide informed consent or who withdrew consent at any point during the study were excluded. Women with preexisting chronic hypertension or other chronic diseases unrelated to pregnancy that could confound the study results were excluded. Women who cannot comprehend or communicate effectively in the local language or English, making it difficult to participate in interviews or complete questionnaires. Women with incomplete medical or antenatal care records that were necessary for the study analysis were excluded from participation in the study. Data collection Data were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire that was divided into sections that helped to meet the objectives of the study. The questionnaire has four sections. In section A, demographic data such as age, education level, marital status, occupation, income, gestational age, parity, antenatal visits, previous diagnosis of gestational hypertension, and religion were collected. Section B evaluates knowledge about gestational hypertension, including awareness, sources of information, understanding of the condition, its occurrence, consequences, signs, and common misconceptions. Section C assessed the practice level of mothers toward prevention, examining beliefs about the preventability of gestational hypertension, preferences for self-medication or traditional healers, willingness to seek medical help, and perceptions of susceptibility. Section D explores practices related to prevention, focusing on beliefs about preventative measures, the importance of monitoring and antenatal checkups, early detection and management, and maintaining an ideal weight. Responses are recorded using tick boxes and Likert scales, providing a comprehensive understanding of the participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding gestation. Data analysis The data collected from the questionnaire were coded and cleaned of all errors and finally analyzed using IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) statistical software version 27. Chi-square tests were used to determine the associations between sociodemographics and knowledge of the participants. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the findings, while inferential statistics such as correlations and chi-square tests were used to determine the relationships between variables. For all the inferential analyses, p values < 0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance. Ethical considerations Ethical approval was obtained from the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) at Bishop Shanahan Hospital Nsukka, Enugu State. NHREC/05/01/2023B-FWA00002458-1RB00002323, before the commencement of the study. The data collected were handled with ultimate confidentiality as promised to the respondents. Results Sociodemographic characteristics of the participants (n = 266) Table 1 shows the demographic characteristics of the pregnant women. A total of 201 (87%) of the participants were between the ages of 20 and 40, and 229 (86%) of the pregnant women with gestational ages between the second and third trimesters were among them. There were more pregnant women with 2–4 children (138, 51.9%), followed by those with a first pregnancy (108, 40.6%) and those with more than four children (20, 7.5%). A total of 241 (90%) of the 266 respondents had not been diagnosed with gestational hypertension. Figure 1 shows that approximately 80% of the 266 respondents, according to the pregnant women’s knowledge of gestational hypertension, did not know the correct or sufficient definition of gestational hypertension. Other questions, such as questions about gestational hypertension, were answered correctly by the participants at a rate of approximately 70%. Furthermore, the rates of gestational hypertension and the causes of gestational hypertension were approximately 70% and 50%, respectively. Table 2 shows the gestational hypertension practices of pregnant women. Using the Likert scale as the rating scale, it was observed that more than 50% of the pregnant women disagreed with resorting to self-medication if any signs or symptoms were noticed. Furthermore, more than 50% disagreed that multiple pregnancies can cause gestational hypertension. Ninety-six percent of the participants agreed that they would visit the hospital if any signs or symptoms were noticed, as was their belief in the prevention of gestational hypertension. Additionally, 42% of the respondents reported that they cannot have gestational hypertension, while approximately 57.9% reported that they can possibly have gestational hypertension. Table 3 shows the pregnant women’s perceptions of gestational hypertension. Using the Likert scale as the rating scale, more than 85% of the respondents agreed with the following questions: I believe that gestational hypertension can be prevented, continuous monitoring of mothers and children can prevent gestational hypertension, regular antenatal checks can prevent gestational hypertension, regular antenatal care aids early detection and prompt management, and maintaining an ideal weight can reduce my risk for gestational hypertension. Table 4 illustrates the relationship between mothers’ practices related to gestational hypertension and the demographic characteristics of the respondents. The results showed a significant association between mothers’ preference for gestational hypertension and their level of education ( X 2 = 5.266, P = 0.045). Table 5 illustrates the relationship between mothers’ perceptions of gestational hypertension and the demographic characteristics of the respondents. The results showed a significant association between mothers’ perceptions of gestational hypertension and their level of education ( X 2 = 9.458, P = 0.009), occupation ( X 2 = 12.933, P = 0.005), gestational age ( X 2 = 6.325, P = 0.042), and parity ( X 2 = 6.319, P = 0.042). Discussion The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, perceptions and practices of pregnant women regarding gestational hypertension. Summary of Findings The majority of the 266 participants were within the 20- to 30-year age range, had a tertiary education, were married, self-employed, earned a monthly income between 20,000 and 50,000 Naira, were primarily in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, had 2–4 parities, attended 1–3 antenatal care visits, and had not been previously diagnosed with GH. Tables 2 and 3 present a diverse spectrum of practices and perceptions of GH. While a notable proportion acknowledged the prevention of GH and endorsed preventative measures, there were disconcerting trends, such as resorting to self-medication and consulting traditional healers. Participants reported high blood pressure, headaches, reduced fetal movement and blurred vision as the main signs of gestational hypertension. Most of the participants preferred to go to hospitals/clinics whenever they experienced various symptoms, such as headaches and abdominal pain. This good practice of going to the hospital first could be related to the participants’ basic knowledge of gestational hypertension and positive perceptions of gestational hypertension. Most of the women included in the present study had regular antenatal care visits. They ensured that they visited the hospital on their booked dates and whenever they experienced any form of discomfort. Antenatal care services provide the opportunity to educate pregnant women on pregnancy complications. Inadequate knowledge and negative perceptions and a lack of preventive practices for pregnant women who have strong traditional beliefs are major hindrances to efforts at reducing maternal mortality. 8 These findings resonate with the literature, suggesting that younger pregnant women and those with higher education levels often have more positive perceptions of GH prevention. 7 However, the prevalence of self-medication and traditional healers observed in this study exceeds findings reported by Johnson et al. (2017), underscoring the urgency for targeted interventions to cultivate healthcare-seeking behaviors among pregnant women within this demographic. 9 A striking feature common to pregnant women is the belief that gestational hypertension can be prevented, and a greater number of them agreed that they could have gestational hypertension. With regard to multiple pregnancies causing gestational hypertension, more than half of the pregnant women disagreed that it was able to cause gestational hypertension. The majority of the pregnant women agreed strongly that gestational hypertension can be prevented. They also believe that continuous monitoring of mothers and children can prevent gestational hypertension, regular antenatal checks can prevent gestational hypertension, regular antenatal care aids early detection and prompt management, and maintaining an ideal weight can reduce the risk for gestational hypertension. 10 The relationship between mothers’ gestational hypertension practices and the demographic characteristics of the respondents showed a significant association between mothers’ gestational hypertension practices and their level of education. This finding implies that the more educated (tertiary education) a person is, the more poor the practice, which is the same for secondary education and the least education (primary education). Gestational hypertension constitutes 14% of maternal mortality in developing countries because in its early stage, a woman may be unaware of its presence, and maternal mortality rates have been associated with poor pregnancy-related hypertension knowledge, such as gestational hypertension, poor perception, and a lack of preventative practices among pregnant women burdened by traditional and cultural beliefs. 11,12 This particular study revealed that there is poor knowledge, a lack of good practices and a positive perception of pregnant women toward gestational hypertension in Nsukka, Enugu State. This relatively high percentage of poor knowledge might be due to Nsukka being considered a semiurban community with little understanding of this condition of gestational hypertension among pregnant women attending antenatal care visits; this percentage could also be due to their educational background. Contrary to a previous study, the level of good knowledge on gestational hypertension among women in selected hospitals in Ghana was 118 (28.8%). Our findings are lower than those of a study conducted in Ghana. 12 The discrepancy might be related to the variations between the scopes of the studies of preeclampsia in general and our study of gestational hypertension. Similarly, the variation in the measurement of the outcome variable might be the reason for the discrepancy. However, for people with a high level of education who are tertiary and have poor practices, having adequate knowledge does not mean having good practices or practicing the right thing. 8,11 With regard to the practice of treating gestational hypertension, most of the study participants reported poor practices in terms of risk factors, prevention, signs, and symptoms of gestational hypertension. A similar finding was reported in a study conducted in Naples, Italy, which reported that only 21.7% of the study participants were worried about pregnancy risk factors. 12 In this study, the majority of the participants had a positive perception of gestational hypertension. The relationship between mothers’ practices related to gestational hypertension and the demographic characteristics of the respondents showed a significant association between mothers’ practices related to gestational hypertension and their level of education. The relationship between mothers’ perceptions of gestational hypertension and the demographic characteristics of the respondents showed a significant association between mothers’ perceptions of gestational hypertension and their level of education, occupation, gestational age, and parity. There are still many gaps in the knowledge of gestational hypertension. Gestational hypertension should be treated not only as a maternal and perinatal health problem but also as a health problem affecting later life. Early prediction using various risk factors, prevention through appropriate interventions and long follow-up for women with a history of HDP are important. 13 , 14 Limitations of the study This study had some limitations that should be considered when interpreting its findings. A major limitation of a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study such as this one is that the respondents’ answers may not be a true reflection of what they have in mind or what they want because some of them cannot read and write, and for some who can read and write, they do not have the strength to do that at the moment. Therefore, some of them answered questionnaires such as an interview question. The study, which was also carried out only in Nsukka, does not provide enough representation of the views of pregnant women in Enugu State or Nigeria as a whole, although the Nsukka community is a metropolis with a mixed population of pregnant women from various educational backgrounds, social statuses, and ethnic groups. Conclusion Overall, more than half of the pregnant women receiving antenatal care in the Nsukka metropolis had poor knowledge, fair practices and positive perceptions of gestational hypertension. For all sociodemographic characteristics, only the level of education had an effect on pregnant women’s gestational hypertension. The level of education, occupation, gestational age and parity all affected the perception of pregnant women in Nsukka of gestational hypertension. Gestational hypertension should be treated not only as a maternal and perinatal health problem but also as a health problem affecting later life. Early prediction using various risk factors, prevention through appropriate interventions and long follow-up for women with a history of pregnancy-induced hypertension are important Implications and Recommendations The differences between knowledge and practices underscore the need for multifaceted interventions tailored to the specific sociodemographic profiles of pregnant women in Nsukka. First, enhancing health literacy through community-based educational campaigns could mitigate misconceptions and foster a deeper understanding of the prevention and management of GH. Moreover, strengthening antenatal care services by integrating GH screening protocols and facilitating early detection could significantly impact maternal and fetal outcomes. Culturally sensitive interventions, including the incorporation of traditional birth attendants into healthcare systems, may bridge gaps in healthcare access and engender trust within the community. Declarations Consent for Publication: All authors gave their consent before the article was sent out for publication. Availability of Date: All data are in the institutional repository and will be made available on request. Conflict of interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Funding There was no funding for this study Authors Contribution DO, EA and OO were actively involved in acquisition and analysis of the responses. CU interpreted the results of the data analysis. DO and EA drafted and revised the manuscript. All the authors contributed to the conception and design of the study, gave approval for the submission of the manuscript for publication and take responsibility for all the contents. Acknowledgment The authors appreciate the final-year students of the Clinical Pharmacy Department who participated in the study. Authors Information Obinna Felix Dim (M. Pharm); Email: [email protected] ; Phone number: +234-8060575756. Ekwuofu Amos Azubuike: Email: [email protected] ; Phone number: +2347038063195 Onyeoji Ogechi Sandra (BPharm): Email: [email protected] ; Phone number: +234803226510 Omeye Chisom Celestina (B. Pharm); Email: [email protected] ; Phone number: +234- 8054521519. Professor Chinwe Victoria Ukwe; Email: [email protected] ; Phone number: 08144331655 All the authors are of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Nigeria, Nsukka, PMB 41001 Enugu State, Nigeria. *Corresponding Author: Obinna Felix Dim; Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka, PMB 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria Phone Number: +2348060575756 ; Email Address: [email protected] . References Ryan RM, McCarthy FP. Hypertension in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol Reproductive Med. 2018;28(5):141–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogrm.2018.03.003 . Duley L. The global impact of preeclampsia and eclampsia. Semin Perinatol. 2009;33(3):130–7. Ekwempu CC. Sociocultural factors affecting the use of maternal healthcare services in rural Nigeria. Niger J Med. 2017;26(4):344–50. Onyema CE, Agwu UE, Chukwu JN. Maternal mortality and morbidity associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. J Women’s Health Care. 2018;7(2):421–6. Poon LC, Kametas NA, Chelemen T, Leal A, Nicolaides KH. Maternal risk factors for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: a multivariate approach. J Hum Hypertens. 2011;25(2):104–10. Say L, Chou D, Gemmill A, Tunçalp Ö, Moller AB, Daniels J, Alkema L. Global causes of maternal death: a WHO systematic analysis. Lancet Global Health. 2014;2(6):e323–33. Steegers EAP, von Dadelszen P, Duvekot JJ, Pijnenborg R. Preeclampsia. Lancet. 2010;376(9741):631–44. Ugwu EO, Dim CC, Okonkwo CD, Nwankwo TO. Maternal and perinatal outcome of severe preeclampsia in Enugu, Nigeria after introduction of magnesium sulfate. Niger J Clin Pract. 2015;18(2):195–9. Smith AB, et al. Understanding pregnant women's perceptions and factors influencing seeking medical attention for hypertension in rural communities. J Maternal Health. 2018;10(2):123–35. Johnson CD, et al. Healthcare-seeking behavior among pregnant women in urban and rural areas: a comparative study. J Pregnancy Child Health. 2017;5(3):281. Soni JS, Oparah AC, Oseji FO, Yakubu VO, Aghahowa MA. (2018). Awareness and attitudes of pregnant women toward hypertension in pregnancy . 5 (June), 214–215. http://www.jsppharm.org . Mekie M, Addisu D, Bezie M, Melkie A, Getaneh D, Bayih WA, Taklual W. Knowledge and attitude of pregnant women toward preeclampsia and its associated factors in South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: a multi-center facility‐based cross‐sectional study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021;21(1):1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03647-2 . Brown LK, et al. The influence of occupation on pregnant women's perceptions and practices toward gestational hypertension. J Occup Health. 2019;21(4):67–78. Msughter AE. Pregnancy Induced Hypertension in Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria. 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Tables Table 1 Sociodemographic characteristics of the participants Variables n = 266 Frequency(n) Percentage (%) Age < 20 31 11.7 20–30 170 63.9 31–40 62 23.3 41–50 3 1.1 Level of Education Primary 2 0.8 Secondary 114 42.9 Tertiary 150 56.4 Marital Status Single 4 1.5 Married 250 94.0 Divorced 11 4.1 Widowed 1 .4 Occupation Self-Employed 132 49.6 Private Employee 34 12.8 Public/Civil Servant 56 21.1 Unemployed 44 16.5 Monthly Income 50,000 76 28.6 Gestational Age 1st Trimester 37 13.9 2nd Trimester 102 38.3 3rd Trimester 127 47.7 Parity 1 108 40.6 2–4 138 51.9 > 4 20 7.5 Number of Antenatal care Visits 1–3 127 47.7 4–6 94 35.3 > 6 45 16.9 Previous Diagnosis Yes 25 9.4 No 241 90.6 N = 266 Table 2 Practice of Pregnant Women toward Gestational Hypertension Vairiable SD (%) D(%) A (%) SA(%) X ± SD I believe that G.H is preventable 5(1.9) 14(5.3) 86(32.3) 161(60.5) I would rather resort to self-medication if I noticed any signs and symptoms 99(37.2) 82(30.8) 58(21.8) 27(10.2) I would rather visit traditional healers 116(43.6) 101(38.0) 38(14.3) 11(4.1) I would rather use traditional herbs for medication 115(43.2) 97(36.5) 41(15.4) 13(4.9) I would visit the hospital if any signs and symptoms are noticed 2(0.8) 8( 3 ) 76(28.6) 180(67.7) I believe multiple pregnancies can cause G.H 35(13.2) 104(39.1) 93(35) 34(12.8) I would visit the church for healing 56(21.1) 79(29.7) 95(35.7) 36(13.5) I believe I cannot have G.H 42(15.8) 70(26.3) 110(41.4) 44(16.5) 20.28 ± 3.19 SD- Strongly Disagree D -Disagree A -Agree SA- Strongly Agree Table 3 Perception of Gestational Hypertension among Pregnant Women Questions SD(%) D(%) A(%) SA(%) X ± SD I believe that G.H can be prevented 2(0.8) 11(4.1) 103(38.7) 150(56.4) Continuous monitoring of mother and child can prevent G.H 11(4.1) 15(5.6) 110(41.4) 130(48.9) Regular antenatal checkup can prevent G.H 1(0.4) 12(4.5) 120(45.1) 133(50.0) Regular antenatal care aids early detection and prompt management 1(0.4) 9(3.4) 127(47.7) 129(48.5) Maintaining an ideal weight can reduce my risk for G.H 8(3.0) 24(9.0) 143(53.8) 91(34.2) 16.93 ± 2.38 SD- Strongly Disagree D -Disagree A -Agree SA- Strongly Agree Table 4 Association between sociodemographic and mothers’ practices related to GH Poor Practice n(%) Good Practice n(%) X 2 (DF) P Value Age 3.77 ( 3 ) 0.288 < 20 14(45.2) 17(54.8) 20–30 95(55.9) 75(44.1) 31–40 33(53.2) 29 (46.8) 41–50 3(100) 0(0) Level of Education 5.266( 2 ) 0.045 Primary 1(50) 1(50) Secondary 53(46.5) 61(53.5) Tertiary 91(60.7) 59(39.3) Marital Status 0.869( 3 ) 0.833 Single 2(50) 2(50) Married 136(54.4) 114(45.6) Divorced 6(54.5) 5(45.5) Widowed 1(100) 0(0) Occupation 3.478( 3 ) 0.324 Self-Employed 67(50.8) 65(49.2) Private Employee 20(58.8) 14(41.2) Public/Civil Servant 29(51.8) 27(48.2) Unemployed 29(65.9) 15(34.1) Monthly Income 1.695( 2 ) 0.429 50,000 43(56.6) 33(43.4) Gestational Age 0.011( 2 ) 0.994 1st Trimester 20(54.1) 17(45.9) 2nd Trimester 56(54.9) 46(45.1) 3rd Trimester 69(54.3) 58(45.7) Parity 0.960( 2 ) 0.619 1 58(53.7) 50(46.3) 2–4 74(53.6) 64(46.4) > 4 13(65) 7(35) Number of Antenatal care Visits 3.552( 2 ) 0.169 1–3 64(50.4) 63(49.6) 4–6 51(54.3) 43(45.7) > 6 30(66.7) 15(33.3) Previous Diagnosis 1.002( 1 ) 0.317 Yes 16(64) 9(36) No 129(53.5) 112(46.5) P values are from the chi-square test for categorical variables only. The mean practice score was 20.28 ± 3.190 P < 0.05 was assumed to indicate statistical significance. Table 5 Association between sociodemographics and pregnant women’s perceptions of GH Negative Perception Positive Perception X 2 (DF) P Value n(%) n(%) Age 1.025 ( 3 ) 0.795 < 20 15(48.4) 16(51.6) 20–30 87(51.2) 83(48.8) 31–40 28(45.2) 34 (54.8) 41–50 2(66.7) 1(33.3) Level of Education 9.458( 2 ) 0.009 Primary 0(0) 2(100) Secondary 68(59.6) 46(40.4) Tertiary 64(42.7) 86(57.3) Marital Status Single 2(50) 2(50) 1.819( 3 ) 0.611 Married 126(50.4) 124(49.6) Divorced 4(36.4) 7(63.6) Widowed 0(0) 1(100) Occupation 12.933( 3 ) 0.005 Self-Employed 79(59.8) 53(40.2) Private Employee 11(32.4) 35(67.6) Public/Civil Servant 21(47.7) 23(52.3) Unemployed 21(47.7) 23(52.3) Monthly Income 50,000 39(51.3) 37(48.7) Gestational Age 6.325( 2 ) 0.042 1st Trimester 25(67.6) 12(32.4) 2nd Trimester 51(50) 51(50) 3rd Trimester 56(44.1) 71(55.9) Parity 6.319( 2 ) 0.042 1 48(44.4) 60(55.6) 2–4 69(50) 69(50) > 4 15(75) 5(25) Number of Antenatal care Visits 3.552( 2 ) 0.169 1–3 64(50.4) 63(49.6) 4–6 51(54.3) 43(45.7) > 6 30(66.7) 15(33.3) Previous Diagnosis 0.349( 1 ) 0.555 Yes 11(44) 14(56) No 121(50.2) 120(49.8) P values are from the chi-square test for categorical variables only. The mean perception score was 16.93 ± 2.383 P < 0.05 was assumed to indicate statistical significance. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4537371","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":324840017,"identity":"7181b009-0ea5-49c5-a23f-712211868526","order_by":0,"name":"Obinna Felix Dim","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA20lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCcYGEMXYxsB8ACJygHgtbAnEaoFQQI08BsRp4ZdubntcUMMg2yd25pt04Q4GOb4bCWwPv+DRIjnnYLvxjGMMxm3SudukZ55hMJa8kcBuLINHi8GNxDZpHjaGRLAW3jaGxA1AW6QlCGr5B9KS8wykpZ44LSDDgVrYQIwEA6AWyQ/4/QLU0icB9EuasTVvm4ThzDMP26Tx6ACGWPszaZ5vNrLzZyc/vM3bZiPPdzz5mOQPfHogQAKZwdjAzENYCxpgJMKWUTAKRsEoGDkAAG/2RXQgFBAGAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria Nsukka","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Obinna","middleName":"Felix","lastName":"Dim","suffix":""},{"id":324840018,"identity":"ec26beb7-9a63-4afe-be9f-eddef4a0c50a","order_by":1,"name":"Ekwuofu Azubuike","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria Nsukka","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ekwuofu","middleName":"","lastName":"Azubuike","suffix":""},{"id":324840019,"identity":"55383f6d-d9c2-46c0-b51f-1f5f35d3a255","order_by":2,"name":"OGECHI ONYEOJI","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria Nsukka","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"OGECHI","middleName":"","lastName":"ONYEOJI","suffix":""},{"id":324840020,"identity":"a099e7b9-662e-4a69-ac67-4245064bb763","order_by":3,"name":"Cynthia Omeye","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria Nsukka","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Cynthia","middleName":"","lastName":"Omeye","suffix":""},{"id":324840021,"identity":"6dca6484-0d2c-4cd8-a41c-b3a152141c7c","order_by":4,"name":"Chinwe Ukwe","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Nigeria Nsukka","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chinwe","middleName":"","lastName":"Ukwe","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-06-06 05:09:54","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4537371/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4537371/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":60171727,"identity":"185727fc-e6e4-4d30-b6cd-287db9be4f59","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-12 15:12:27","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":67498,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eLegend not included with this version.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4537371/v1/72f0db0596fa9f03f4f31494.png"},{"id":60171764,"identity":"126f3945-943a-4fe4-a98c-3301a78e7481","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-12 15:12:50","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1068872,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4537371/v1/80caf422-8319-45db-8dcc-a76d58b93f3b.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eCurrent Knowledge and Practice of Pregnant Women Towards Gestational Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nsukka Women\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eHypertension is the most common medical complication of pregnancy, affecting 10\u0026ndash;15% of all pregnancies in the developed world.\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e In addition to increasing the risk of preterm delivery, intrauterine growth restriction, placental abruption, and prenatal mortality, it is the second most common cause of maternal death. Gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or underlying chronic essential or secondary hypertension are all possible causes of hypertension during pregnancy. This hypertensive disorder encompasses a spectrum of complications, including preeclampsia and eclampsia, and is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm birth, low birth weight, and intrauterine growth restriction.\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e The prevention and effective management of gestational hypertension are contingent upon the awareness and practices of pregnant women, underscoring the importance of health education and adherence to medical guidelines.\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe challenge of managing gestational hypertension in countries such as Nigeria is made more difficult by inadequate healthcare infrastructure, lack of adequate prenatal care and a low rate of health education.\u003csup\u003e4\u003c/sup\u003e This condition has been well demonstrated in the Nsukka area of southeastern Nigeria, where there are high rates of hypertensive disorders and related complications during pregnancy.\u003csup\u003e5\u003c/sup\u003e Therefore, it is important to determine knowledge and practices among pregnant women in this region as a basis for developing interventions that can improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eOther studies have shown that pregnant women have low awareness of gestational hypertension, which hinders them from engaging in preventive measures and management practices.\u003csup\u003e6\u003c/sup\u003e Additionally, rural areas such as Nsukka have health behaviors shaped by socioeconomic factors and sociocultural beliefs.\u003csup\u003e7\u003c/sup\u003e In turn, influencing public health strategies or educational initiatives regarding gestational hypertension will require an assessment of current knowledge, attitudes and practices about the condition among pregnant women in Nsukka. Accordingly, this study used a cross-sectional research design to systematically evaluate the level of knowledge about gestational hypertension held by pregnant women in Nsukka as well as their practices toward it.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Study design","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis descriptive, cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among eligible pregnant women in selected major hospitals in Nsukka.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy location\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study was carried out in two secondary hospitals in Nsukka. Nsukka is a town and a local government area in Enugu State, Nigeria. Nsukka was chosen for this study because it has a diverse range of primary health care centers and hospitals. The hospitals where this study was conducted included Bishop Shanahan Memorial Hospital Nsukka and Faith foundation Nsukka, which were selected because they are the two major secondary hospitals serving the local government area.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy population\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll pregnant women who received antenatal care in the hospitals within the period during which the study was carried out were selected for the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy Setting\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study sample was obtained from a population of pregnant women in 2 selected secondary hospitals in Nsukka.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy sample size\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAll pregnant women willing to participate in the study were included.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSampling method\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe sampling technique that was used for the study was simple random sampling. The study participants were selected at random, which allowed for statistical inference to be made among pregnant women in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eEligibility criteria.\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe inclusion criteria were as follows: All participants were expectant mothers at the time of the study. All pregnant women between 18 and 50 years of age who attended antenatal clinics during the period of study were eligible to participate. All participants were required to dwell in Nsukka. The women agreed to participate in this survey after reading all the necessary information and providing consent. Women can enter this study at any gestation period, which includes the first, second and third trimesters.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eExclusion criteria: All pregnant women who did not reside in Nsukka were excluded. Pregnant women who did not provide informed consent or who withdrew consent at any point during the study were excluded. Women with preexisting chronic hypertension or other chronic diseases unrelated to pregnancy that could confound the study results were excluded. Women who cannot comprehend or communicate effectively in the local language or English, making it difficult to participate in interviews or complete questionnaires. Women with incomplete medical or antenatal care records that were necessary for the study analysis were excluded from participation in the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData collection\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eData were gathered using a self-administered questionnaire that was divided into sections that helped to meet the objectives of the study. The questionnaire has four sections. In section A, demographic data such as age, education level, marital status, occupation, income, gestational age, parity, antenatal visits, previous diagnosis of gestational hypertension, and religion were collected. Section B evaluates knowledge about gestational hypertension, including awareness, sources of information, understanding of the condition, its occurrence, consequences, signs, and common misconceptions. Section C assessed the practice level of mothers toward prevention, examining beliefs about the preventability of gestational hypertension, preferences for self-medication or traditional healers, willingness to seek medical help, and perceptions of susceptibility. Section D explores practices related to prevention, focusing on beliefs about preventative measures, the importance of monitoring and antenatal checkups, early detection and management, and maintaining an ideal weight. Responses are recorded using tick boxes and Likert scales, providing a comprehensive understanding of the participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding gestation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe data collected from the questionnaire were coded and cleaned of all errors and finally analyzed using IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) statistical software version 27. Chi-square tests were used to determine the associations between sociodemographics and knowledge of the participants. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the findings, while inferential statistics such as correlations and chi-square tests were used to determine the relationships between variables. For all the inferential analyses, p values\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eEthical considerations\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e Ethical approval was obtained from the National Health Research Ethics Committee (NHREC) at Bishop Shanahan Hospital Nsukka, Enugu State. NHREC/05/01/2023B-FWA00002458-1RB00002323, before the commencement of the study. The data collected were handled with ultimate confidentiality as promised to the respondents.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSociodemographic characteristics of the participants (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;266)\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e shows the demographic characteristics of the pregnant women. A total of 201 (87%) of the participants were between the ages of 20 and 40, and 229 (86%) of the pregnant women with gestational ages between the second and third trimesters were among them. There were more pregnant women with 2\u0026ndash;4 children (138, 51.9%), followed by those with a first pregnancy (108, 40.6%) and those with more than four children (20, 7.5%). A total of 241 (90%) of the 266 respondents had not been diagnosed with gestational hypertension.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eFigure \u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e shows that approximately 80% of the 266 respondents, according to the pregnant women\u0026rsquo;s knowledge of gestational hypertension, did not know the correct or sufficient definition of gestational hypertension. Other questions, such as questions about gestational hypertension, were answered correctly by the participants at a rate of approximately 70%. Furthermore, the rates of gestational hypertension and the causes of gestational hypertension were approximately 70% and 50%, respectively.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e shows the gestational hypertension practices of pregnant women. Using the Likert scale as the rating scale, it was observed that more than 50% of the pregnant women disagreed with resorting to self-medication if any signs or symptoms were noticed. Furthermore, more than 50% disagreed that multiple pregnancies can cause gestational hypertension. Ninety-six percent of the participants agreed that they would visit the hospital if any signs or symptoms were noticed, as was their belief in the prevention of gestational hypertension. Additionally, 42% of the respondents reported that they cannot have gestational hypertension, while approximately 57.9% reported that they can possibly have gestational hypertension.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e shows the pregnant women\u0026rsquo;s perceptions of gestational hypertension. Using the Likert scale as the rating scale, more than 85% of the respondents agreed with the following questions: I believe that gestational hypertension can be prevented, continuous monitoring of mothers and children can prevent gestational hypertension, regular antenatal checks can prevent gestational hypertension, regular antenatal care aids early detection and prompt management, and maintaining an ideal weight can reduce my risk for gestational hypertension.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e illustrates the relationship between mothers\u0026rsquo; practices related to gestational hypertension and the demographic characteristics of the respondents. The results showed a significant association between mothers\u0026rsquo; preference for gestational hypertension and their level of education (\u003cem\u003eX\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.266, P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.045).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e illustrates the relationship between mothers\u0026rsquo; perceptions of gestational hypertension and the demographic characteristics of the respondents. The results showed a significant association between mothers\u0026rsquo; perceptions of gestational hypertension and their level of education (\u003cem\u003eX\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;9.458, P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.009), occupation (\u003cem\u003eX\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;12.933, P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.005), gestational age (\u003cem\u003eX\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6.325, P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.042), and parity (\u003cem\u003eX\u003c/em\u003e\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;6.319, P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.042).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, perceptions and practices of pregnant women regarding gestational hypertension.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSummary of Findings\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe majority of the 266 participants were within the 20- to 30-year age range, had a tertiary education, were married, self-employed, earned a monthly income between 20,000 and 50,000 Naira, were primarily in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, had 2\u0026ndash;4 parities, attended 1\u0026ndash;3 antenatal care visits, and had not been previously diagnosed with GH. Tables\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e and \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e present a diverse spectrum of practices and perceptions of GH. While a notable proportion acknowledged the prevention of GH and endorsed preventative measures, there were disconcerting trends, such as resorting to self-medication and consulting traditional healers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eParticipants reported high blood pressure, headaches, reduced fetal movement and blurred vision as the main signs of gestational hypertension. Most of the participants preferred to go to hospitals/clinics whenever they experienced various symptoms, such as headaches and abdominal pain. This good practice of going to the hospital first could be related to the participants\u0026rsquo; basic knowledge of gestational hypertension and positive perceptions of gestational hypertension. Most of the women included in the present study had regular antenatal care visits. They ensured that they visited the hospital on their booked dates and whenever they experienced any form of discomfort. Antenatal care services provide the opportunity to educate pregnant women on pregnancy complications. Inadequate knowledge and negative perceptions and a lack of preventive practices for pregnant women who have strong traditional beliefs are major hindrances to efforts at reducing maternal mortality.\u003csup\u003e8\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThese findings resonate with the literature, suggesting that younger pregnant women and those with higher education levels often have more positive perceptions of GH prevention.\u003csup\u003e7\u003c/sup\u003e However, the prevalence of self-medication and traditional healers observed in this study exceeds findings reported by Johnson et al. (2017), underscoring the urgency for targeted interventions to cultivate healthcare-seeking behaviors among pregnant women within this demographic.\u003csup\u003e9\u003c/sup\u003e A striking feature common to pregnant women is the belief that gestational hypertension can be prevented, and a greater number of them agreed that they could have gestational hypertension. With regard to multiple pregnancies causing gestational hypertension, more than half of the pregnant women disagreed that it was able to cause gestational hypertension. The majority of the pregnant women agreed strongly that gestational hypertension can be prevented. They also believe that continuous monitoring of mothers and children can prevent gestational hypertension, regular antenatal checks can prevent gestational hypertension, regular antenatal care aids early detection and prompt management, and maintaining an ideal weight can reduce the risk for gestational hypertension.\u003csup\u003e10\u003c/sup\u003e The relationship between mothers\u0026rsquo; gestational hypertension \u003cb\u003epractices\u003c/b\u003e and the demographic characteristics of the respondents showed a significant association between mothers\u0026rsquo; gestational hypertension practices and their level of education. This finding implies that the more educated (tertiary education) a person is, the more poor the practice, which is the same for secondary education and the least education (primary education).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGestational hypertension constitutes 14% of maternal mortality in developing countries because in its early stage, a woman may be unaware of its presence, and maternal mortality rates have been associated with poor pregnancy-related hypertension knowledge, such as gestational hypertension, poor perception, and a lack of preventative practices among pregnant women burdened by traditional and cultural beliefs.\u003csup\u003e11,12\u003c/sup\u003e This particular study revealed that there is poor knowledge, a lack of good practices and a positive perception of pregnant women toward gestational hypertension in Nsukka, Enugu State. This relatively high percentage of poor knowledge might be due to Nsukka being considered a semiurban community with little understanding of this condition of gestational hypertension among pregnant women attending antenatal care visits; this percentage could also be due to their educational background. Contrary to a previous study, the level of good knowledge on gestational hypertension among women in selected hospitals in Ghana was 118 (28.8%). Our findings are lower than those of a study conducted in Ghana.\u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003e The discrepancy might be related to the variations between the scopes of the studies of preeclampsia in general and our study of gestational hypertension. Similarly, the variation in the measurement of the outcome variable might be the reason for the discrepancy. However, for people with a high level of education who are tertiary and have poor practices, having adequate knowledge does not mean having good practices or practicing the right thing.\u003csup\u003e8,11\u003c/sup\u003e With regard to the practice of treating gestational hypertension, most of the study participants reported poor practices in terms of risk factors, prevention, signs, and symptoms of gestational hypertension. A similar finding was reported in a study conducted in Naples, Italy, which reported that only 21.7% of the study participants were worried about pregnancy risk factors.\u003csup\u003e12\u003c/sup\u003e In this study, the majority of the participants had a positive perception of gestational hypertension.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe relationship between mothers\u0026rsquo; practices related to gestational hypertension and the demographic characteristics of the respondents showed a significant association between mothers\u0026rsquo; practices related to gestational hypertension and their level of education. The relationship between mothers\u0026rsquo; perceptions of gestational hypertension and the demographic characteristics of the respondents showed a significant association between mothers\u0026rsquo; perceptions of gestational hypertension and their level of education, occupation, gestational age, and parity. There are still many gaps in the knowledge of gestational hypertension. Gestational hypertension should be treated not only as a maternal and perinatal health problem but also as a health problem affecting later life. Early prediction using various risk factors, prevention through appropriate interventions and long follow-up for women with a history of HDP are important.\u003csup\u003e13\u003c/sup\u003e,\u003csup\u003e14\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec22\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eLimitations of the study\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study had some limitations that should be considered when interpreting its findings. A major limitation of a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study such as this one is that the respondents\u0026rsquo; answers may not be a true reflection of what they have in mind or what they want because some of them cannot read and write, and for some who can read and write, they do not have the strength to do that at the moment. Therefore, some of them answered questionnaires such as an interview question.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study, which was also carried out only in Nsukka, does not provide enough representation of the views of pregnant women in Enugu State or Nigeria as a whole, although the Nsukka community is a metropolis with a mixed population of pregnant women from various educational backgrounds, social statuses, and ethnic groups.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eOverall, more than half of the pregnant women receiving antenatal care in the Nsukka metropolis had poor knowledge, fair practices and positive perceptions of gestational hypertension. For all sociodemographic characteristics, only the level of education had an effect on pregnant women\u0026rsquo;s gestational hypertension. The level of education, occupation, gestational age and parity all affected the perception of pregnant women in Nsukka of gestational hypertension. Gestational hypertension should be treated not only as a maternal and perinatal health problem but also as a health problem affecting later life. Early prediction using various risk factors, prevention through appropriate interventions and long follow-up for women with a history of pregnancy-induced hypertension are important\u003c/p\u003e \n\u003ch3\u003eImplications and Recommendations\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec24\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe differences between knowledge and practices underscore the need for multifaceted interventions tailored to the specific sociodemographic profiles of pregnant women in Nsukka. First, enhancing health literacy through community-based educational campaigns could mitigate misconceptions and foster a deeper understanding of the prevention and management of GH. Moreover, strengthening antenatal care services by integrating GH screening protocols and facilitating early detection could significantly impact maternal and fetal outcomes. Culturally sensitive interventions, including the incorporation of traditional birth attendants into healthcare systems, may bridge gaps in healthcare access and engender trust within the community.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for Publication:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eAll authors gave their consent before the article was sent out for publication.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of Date:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eAll data are in the institutional repository and will be made available on request.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of interest\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare no\u0026nbsp;conflicts\u0026nbsp;of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere was no funding for this study\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors Contribution\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDO, EA and OO were actively involved in acquisition and analysis of the responses. CU interpreted the results of the data analysis. DO and EA drafted and revised the manuscript. All the authors contributed to the conception and design of the study, gave approval for the submission of the manuscript for publication and take responsibility for all the contents.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgment\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors appreciate the final-year students of\u0026nbsp;the\u0026nbsp;Clinical Pharmacy Department who participated in the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors Information\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eObinna Felix Dim (M. Pharm); Email: \u003cu\[email protected]\u003c/u\u003e ; Phone number: +234-8060575756.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eEkwuofu Amos Azubuike: Email: [email protected]; Phone number: +2347038063195\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOnyeoji Ogechi Sandra (BPharm): Email: [email protected]; Phone number: +234803226510\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eOmeye Chisom Celestina (B. Pharm);\u0026nbsp;Email:[email protected]\u0026nbsp;;\u0026nbsp;Phone\u0026nbsp;number:\u0026nbsp;+234-\u0026nbsp;8054521519.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eProfessor Chinwe Victoria Ukwe; Email: \u003cu\[email protected];\u003c/u\u003e Phone number: 08144331655\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAll the authors are of the\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Nigeria, Nsukka, PMB 41001 Enugu State, Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e*Corresponding Author: Obinna Felix Dim;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Management,\u0026nbsp;Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria Nsukka, PMB 410001, Enugu State, Nigeria Phone\u0026nbsp;Number:\u0026nbsp;+2348060575756\u003cstrong\u003e;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eEmail Address: \u003cu\[email protected]\u003c/u\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRyan RM, McCarthy FP. Hypertension in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol Reproductive Med. 2018;28(5):141\u0026ndash;7. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogrm.2018.03.003\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.ogrm.2018.03.003\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuley L. The global impact of preeclampsia and eclampsia. Semin Perinatol. 2009;33(3):130\u0026ndash;7.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEkwempu CC. Sociocultural factors affecting the use of maternal healthcare services in rural Nigeria. Niger J Med. 2017;26(4):344\u0026ndash;50.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOnyema CE, Agwu UE, Chukwu JN. Maternal mortality and morbidity associated with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. J Women\u0026rsquo;s Health Care. 2018;7(2):421\u0026ndash;6.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePoon LC, Kametas NA, Chelemen T, Leal A, Nicolaides KH. Maternal risk factors for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy: a multivariate approach. J Hum Hypertens. 2011;25(2):104\u0026ndash;10.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSay L, Chou D, Gemmill A, Tun\u0026ccedil;alp \u0026Ouml;, Moller AB, Daniels J, Alkema L. Global causes of maternal death: a WHO systematic analysis. Lancet Global Health. 2014;2(6):e323\u0026ndash;33.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteegers EAP, von Dadelszen P, Duvekot JJ, Pijnenborg R. Preeclampsia. Lancet. 2010;376(9741):631\u0026ndash;44.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUgwu EO, Dim CC, Okonkwo CD, Nwankwo TO. Maternal and perinatal outcome of severe preeclampsia in Enugu, Nigeria after introduction of magnesium sulfate. Niger J Clin Pract. 2015;18(2):195\u0026ndash;9.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSmith AB, et al. Understanding pregnant women's perceptions and factors influencing seeking medical attention for hypertension in rural communities. J Maternal Health. 2018;10(2):123\u0026ndash;35.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohnson CD, et al. Healthcare-seeking behavior among pregnant women in urban and rural areas: a comparative study. J Pregnancy Child Health. 2017;5(3):281.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSoni JS, Oparah AC, Oseji FO, Yakubu VO, Aghahowa MA. (2018). \u003cem\u003eAwareness and attitudes of pregnant women toward hypertension in pregnancy\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003e5\u003c/em\u003e(June), 214\u0026ndash;215. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttp://www.jsppharm.org\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"http://www.jsppharm.org\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMekie M, Addisu D, Bezie M, Melkie A, Getaneh D, Bayih WA, Taklual W. Knowledge and attitude of pregnant women toward preeclampsia and its associated factors in South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia: a multi-center facility‐based cross‐sectional study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021;21(1):1\u0026ndash;9. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03647-2\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1186/s12884-021-03647-2\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBrown LK, et al. The influence of occupation on pregnant women's perceptions and practices toward gestational hypertension. J Occup Health. 2019;21(4):67\u0026ndash;78.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMsughter AE. Pregnancy Induced Hypertension in Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State, Nigeria. Biomedical J Sci Tech Res. 2021;39(4):31458\u0026ndash;66. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.26717/bjstr.2021.39.006321\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.26717/bjstr.2021.39.006321\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"},{"header":"Tables","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSociodemographic characteristics of the participants\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e 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colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;20,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20,000\u0026ndash;50,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e123\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;50,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGestational Age\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1st Trimester\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2nd Trimester\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3rd Trimester\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e127\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eParity\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e108\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u0026ndash;4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e138\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNumber of Antenatal care Visits\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u0026ndash;3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e127\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u0026ndash;6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.9\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrevious Diagnosis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e241\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90.6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;266\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePractice of Pregnant Women toward Gestational Hypertension\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVairiable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSD (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eD(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eA (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSA(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI believe that G.H is preventable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5(1.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14(5.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86(32.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e161(60.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would rather resort to self-medication if I noticed any signs and symptoms\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e99(37.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e82(30.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58(21.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27(10.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would rather visit traditional healers\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e116(43.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e101(38.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38(14.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11(4.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would rather use traditional herbs for medication\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e115(43.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97(36.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41(15.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13(4.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would visit the hospital if any signs and symptoms are noticed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(0.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76(28.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e180(67.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI believe multiple pregnancies can cause G.H\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35(13.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e104(39.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e93(35)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34(12.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI would visit the church for healing\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56(21.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79(29.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95(35.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36(13.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eI believe I cannot have G.H\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42(15.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70(26.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e110(41.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e44(16.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.28\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.19\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSD- Strongly Disagree\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eD -Disagree\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eA -Agree\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eSA- Strongly Agree\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePerception of Gestational Hypertension among Pregnant Women\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eQuestions\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSD(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eD(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eA(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSA(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;SD\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eI believe that G.H can be prevented\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(0.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11(4.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e103(38.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e150(56.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eContinuous monitoring of mother and child can prevent G.H\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11(4.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15(5.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e110(41.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e130(48.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRegular antenatal checkup can prevent G.H\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1(0.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12(4.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e120(45.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e133(50.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRegular antenatal care aids early detection and prompt management\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1(0.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9(3.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e127(47.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e129(48.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMaintaining an ideal weight can reduce my risk for G.H\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8(3.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24(9.0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e143(53.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91(34.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\"\u0026plusmn;\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.93\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSD- Strongly Disagree\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eD -Disagree\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eA -Agree\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eSA- Strongly Agree\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssociation between sociodemographic and mothers\u0026rsquo; practices related to GH\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePoor Practice n(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGood Practice n(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e(DF)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP Value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.77 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.288\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14(45.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17(54.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u0026ndash;30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e95(55.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75(44.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33(53.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29 (46.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u0026ndash;50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3(100)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0(0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLevel of Education\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.266(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.045\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53(46.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61(53.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTertiary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91(60.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59(39.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarital Status\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.869(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.833\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e136(54.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e114(45.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDivorced\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6(54.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5(45.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWidowed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1(100)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0(0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccupation\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.478(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.324\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-Employed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67(50.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65(49.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivate Employee\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20(58.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14(41.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePublic/Civil Servant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29(51.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27(48.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnemployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29(65.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15(34.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMonthly Income\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.695(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.429\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;20,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40(59.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27(40.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20,000\u0026ndash;50,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62(50.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61(49.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;50,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43(56.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33(43.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGestational Age\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.011(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.994\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1st Trimester\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20(54.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17(45.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2nd Trimester\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56(54.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46(45.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3rd Trimester\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69(54.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58(45.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eParity\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.960(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.619\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58(53.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50(46.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u0026ndash;4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74(53.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64(46.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13(65)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7(35)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNumber of Antenatal care Visits\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.552(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.169\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u0026ndash;3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64(50.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63(49.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u0026ndash;6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(54.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43(45.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30(66.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15(33.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrevious Diagnosis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.002(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.317\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16(64)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9(36)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e129(53.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e112(46.5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eP values are from the chi-square test for categorical variables only. The mean practice score was 20.28\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.190\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eP\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 was assumed to indicate statistical significance.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssociation between sociodemographics and pregnant women\u0026rsquo;s perceptions of GH\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNegative Perception\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePositive Perception\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eX\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e(DF)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eP Value\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en(%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.025 (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.795\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15(48.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16(51.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u0026ndash;30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e87(51.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83(48.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28(45.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34 (54.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u0026ndash;50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(66.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1(33.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eLevel of Education\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.458(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.009\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0(0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(100)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68(59.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46(40.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTertiary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64(42.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86(57.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMarital Status\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.819(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.611\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e126(50.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e124(49.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDivorced\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4(36.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7(63.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWidowed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0(0)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1(100)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOccupation\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.933(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.005\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-Employed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e79(59.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e53(40.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivate Employee\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11(32.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35(67.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePublic/Civil Servant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21(47.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23(52.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUnemployed\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21(47.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23(52.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMonthly Income\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;20,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35(52.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32(47.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.570(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.752\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20,000\u0026ndash;50,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e58(47.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65(52.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;50,000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39(51.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e37(48.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGestational Age\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.325(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.042\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1st Trimester\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25(67.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12(32.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2nd Trimester\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3rd Trimester\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56(44.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e71(55.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eParity\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.319(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.042\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e48(44.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60(55.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u0026ndash;4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69(50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15(75)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5(25)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNumber of Antenatal care Visits\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.552(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.169\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u0026ndash;3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64(50.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63(49.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u0026ndash;6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51(54.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43(45.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30(66.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15(33.3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrevious Diagnosis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.349(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.555\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11(44)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14(56)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e121(50.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e120(49.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eP values are from the chi-square test for categorical variables only. The mean perception score was 16.93\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;2.383\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003eP\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 was assumed to indicate statistical significance.\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Gestational hypertension, pregnancy, women, knowledge, practice","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4537371/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4537371/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eGestational hypertension is a major cause of maternal and perinatal mortality. Knowledge plays an essential role in decreasing the risk or threat of diseases; hence, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and practices of pregnant women toward gestational hypertension (GH) in Nsukka, Nigeria.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA descriptive, cross-sectional survey was conducted among 266 eligible pregnant women in two randomly selected hospitals in Nsukka using a well-structured and validated questionnaire. The questionnaire was self-administered. The data collected from the questionnaire were coded and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 27. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were used to summarize the findings, while inferential statistics such as correlations and chi-square tests were used to determine the relationships between variables. For all the statistical analyses, p values\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05 were considered to indicate statistical significance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eOf the 266 expectant mothers who participated in the study, 170 (63.9%) were aged 20 to 30 years. More than half of the participants (150, 56.4%) had a tertiary degree. The majority of the participants, 250 (94%), were married, and approximately half, 127 (47.7%), were in the third trimester. Only a handful of the participants (19%) were aware of GH. More than half of the participants, 161 (60.5%), strongly felt that gestational hypertension was preventable, and the majority, 180 (67.7%), preferred to visit the hospital if any unusual signs or symptoms were observed. Participants demonstrated low practice levels (20.28\u0026thinsp;\u0026plusmn;\u0026thinsp;3.19). The level of education was the only sociodemographic component that was linked with mothers' practices toward GH (5.26(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e)) (P\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.04). The higher the mothers\u0026rsquo; education level was, the better the mothers\u0026rsquo; practices toward GH were.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe majority of participants had poor understanding and practice with GH. Only education level had an effect on pregnant women's attitudes toward GH.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Current Knowledge and Practice of Pregnant Women Towards Gestational Hypertension: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nsukka Women","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-07-12 15:11:48","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4537371/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"250d208b-7b45-4ffe-9e34-f47da9e82ff5","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 12th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-07-31T09:46:58+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-07-12 15:11:48","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4537371","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4537371","identity":"rs-4537371","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}