The Prevalence of Pregnancy Hypertensive Disorders and Their Related Factors in the Second and Third Level Hospitals Affiliated to Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran

Gestational hypertension is the leading cause of maternal mortality. The most effective ways to prevent this complication are the prediction and prevention of the factors accounting for the incidence of this condition. Regarding this, the present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of gestational hypertension and its associated factors.

This comparative descriptive study was performed on 2,477 pregnant women referred to four secondary and tertiary care hospitals in Isfahan, Iran in 2016 using the census method. Out of 2,477 referral cases, 148 cases were found to be suffering from various types of gestational hypertensive disorders. 200 mothers who had no pregnancy complication were also randomly selected from the 2,477 referral cases. The demographic, clinical, and therapeutic data of these mothers were collected using self-structured questionnaires through making regular visits to the maternity and obstetrics wards of the hospitals under study. Data analysis was performed in SPSS (version 18) using inferential statistical methods, including Chi-square test and independent t-test.

The prevalence of hypertension was obtained as 6%, with preeclampsia as the most prevalent type (4.2%). The incidence of gestational hypertension showed a significant relationship with the mean number of prenatal care visits (P=0.01), type of care providers delivering preconception and prenatal care (P=0.01 and P<0.001), underlying diseases (P<0.001), and number of previous abortions (P=0.01). However, there was no significant relationship between the frequency of preconception care visits and this complication (P=0.42).

Despite the current policies targeted toward the promotion of maternal health, in the present study, the prevalence of gestational hypertension was notably higher than the rates reported in the literature. Therefore, it is highly recommended to plan for the standardization of referral hospitals and enhancement of care services to prevent this complication.