DETERMINANTS OF PREECLAMPSIA AMONG WOMEN ATTENDING DELIVERY SERVICES IN PUBLIC HOSPITALS IN CENTRAL ZONE, TIGRAY, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific hypertensive disorder which usually occurs after 20 weeks of gestation and affects both mother and fetus. In Ethiopia, preeclampsia is one of the five major obstetric causes of maternal mortality, and the proportion of maternal mortality from severe preeclampsia or eclampsia shows an increasing trend. As far as my knowledge there is no study done in the actual study area and there are also limited studies which done in Tigray, Ethiopia regarding determinants of preeclampsia. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess determinants of preeclampsia among women attending delivery services in public hospitals in central zone, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, March 01 to 30/2019. Methods: Hospital based case control study design was employed. Women diagnosed with preeclampsia were cases and women who had no diagnosed for preeclampsia were controls admitted to the same hospitals. The case to control ratio was 1:3. Convenient sampling technique was used to select the study participants for both cases and controls. Interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The data were entered in EPI data 3.1 statistical software, and then exported to SPSS Version 22 for cleaning and analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the data in relation to relevant variables. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression model was used for analysis. Results: Family history of hypertension (AOR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.15, 5.92), family history of preeclampsia (AOR: 5.24; 95% CI: 1.85, 14.80), history of diabetes mellitus (AOR: 4.31; 95% CI: 1.66, 11.21), anemia (AOR: 3.23; 95% CI: 1.18, 8.86), history of preeclampsia on prior pregnancy (AOR: 5.55; 95% CI: 1.80, 17.10), primigravida (AOR: 5.41; 95% CI: 2.85, 10.29), drinking alcohol during pregnancy (AOR: 4.06; 95% CI: 2.20, 7.52) and vegetable intake during pregnancy (AOR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.21, 0.74) were significantly associated with preeclampsia. Conclusion: Family history of hypertension, family history of preeclampsia, history of diabetes mellitus, anemia, history of preeclampsia on prior pregnancy, primigravida, drinking alcohol during pregnancy were found to be risk factors for preeclampsia. However, vegetable intake during pregnancy was found to be a protective factor for the development of preeclampsia