Knowledge of Preeclampsia Among Pregnant Women

Introduction: Preeclampsia (P.E) has remained a public health threat to both developed and developing countries. The incidence of preeclampsia in Lebanon is high at 2.84%. Awareness of P.E among pregnant females is crucial to reduce morbidity and mortality for both fetus and mother. Objective: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to analyze data from Lebanese's pregnant women. This study aims to assess the level of knowledge of PE among pregnant women in the Lebanese population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between September and December 2020 in obstetricians' clinics of different health care institutions in five governorates in Lebanon. A closed-ended questionnaire was distributed to 400 pregnant females. The first part of the questionnaire aimed to collect socio-demographic information about the participants. The second part was specified to assess knowledge on PE. Signs and symptoms, risk factors, and consequences were among the twenty-three knowledge items assessed. The last part addressed some attitudes about dealing with this disorder. Responses were scored percentage-wise and grouped into low <60%, moderate (60-80%), and high (80-100%). Results: There is inadequate knowledge of P.E among the Lebanese population. In total, 15.3% had adequate knowledge of P.E. A linear regression showed that the knowledge score increased in working pregnant women (p=0.04), who lived in Bekaa (p<0.001), who had a vocational (p=0.01) or university education (p=0.001) and who had any relative, who developed preeclampsia (p=0.03) or was suffering from diabetes (p=0.03). Furthermore, knowing when blood pressure is considered high ( p<0.001) and hearing about preeclampsia (p<0.001) also increased the preeclampsia knowledge score. Conclusion: The knowledge of PE among pregnant women in Lebanon is low.