Health Literacy and Pre-Eclampsia Knowledge of Pregnant Mothers Attending Primary Health Care Centers in Ikenne Local Government, Ogun State

Abstract

Background: Pre-eclampsia continues to be a major public health issue of concern in both developed and developing countries, contributing to maternal and neonatal morbidity and death globally. This study examined the health literacy and preeclampsia knowledge of pregnant mothers attending primary health care centers in Ikenne Local government, Ogun State. Methodology: A cross-sectional research design was conducted among pregnant women attending selected health facilities in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State, using an interview-administered semi-structured questionnaire, validated with Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency coefficients ranging from 0.76-0.90. The computed sample size for this study was 380 in which there was a 90% response rate. Data was analyzed with IBM Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) version 23. Results: The mean age (SE) of the women in the study was 28.21 years. Majority of the participants (75.4%) had a high literacy level. Majority of the participants (65.1%) had a low knowledge score (12.34 ± 3.27). There was a significant relationship between health literacy and knowledge of pre-eclampsia (r = 0.175; r2 = 0.350; p = 0.01) among the participants of this study, and health-seeking behaviors to pre-eclampsia has a statistically significant relationship with health literacy of the women (r = 0.182; r2 = 0.033; p = 0.0001). Conclusion: Findings of the study highlight important predictors of health-seeking behaviors among pregnant women. Health seeking behaviors are predicted by knowledge, health literacy and diagnosis of pre-eclampsia. As a result, it is critical for healthcare providers to ensure that women understand the information they are provided about their health.