TITLE:
Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension at Tamale Teaching Hospital, Northern Region
AUTHORS:
Ana Maria Simono Charadan, Kojo Opoku Boamah, Sasha Hernandez
KEYWORDS:
Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension (PIH), Proteinuria, Gestational Hypertension, HELLP Syndrome
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.6,
June
6,
2025
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among expectant mothers. While some women may be unaware of its existence, others hold misconceptions about its nature or attribute symptoms to superstitions. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, risk factors, and complications of pregnancy-related hypertension among women at Tamale Teaching Hospital. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized hospital record data from pregnant women at Tamale Teaching Hospital. A simple random sample of 115 women was selected for analysis. Data was gathered through a pretested questionnaire addressing background information, risk factors, and complications of pregnancy hypertension.. Means and standard deviations were calculated for continuous variables, while Pearson’s chi-square test assessed associations between variables. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to evaluate the strength of associations with PIH, using two-sided p values at a significance level of 0.05. Results: In a study of 115 women over 20 weeks pregnant, the prevalence of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension (PIH) was 7.8%. Strong correlations were observed with factors such as a family history of PIH and previous PIH in pregnancies. Among those with PIH, 77.78% underwent Caesarean sections. Birth outcomes indicated that 55. 56% resulted in live births, while 44.44% were stillbirths. Additionally, 22.22% of births were preterm, and 11.11% were complicated by spontaneous abortions, highlighting the serious impact of PIH on maternal and fetal health. Conclusion: Pregnancy-induced hypertension was less common than at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, with key risk factors being parity, family history, and previous PIH. Caesarean sections were the most significant delivery outcome, with complications including preterm birth and spontaneous abortion.