Determinants of preeclampsia among women who gave birth at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized University Hospital, Eastern Ethiopia: a case-control study

Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are the second leading causes of maternal mortality and morbidity. It also results in high perinatal mortality and morbidity. Since eclampsia is preceded by preeclampsia and shows the progression of the disease, they share the same pathogenesis and determining factors. The purpose of this study was to determine determinants of preeclampsia, since it is essential for its prevention and/or its associated consequences. An unmatched case-control study was conducted from September 1-30, 2023 among women who gave birth from June 1, 2020, to August 31, 2023, at Hiwot Fana Comprehensive Specialized University Hospital. Women who had preeclampsia were considered cases, while those without were controls. The sample size was calculated using EPI Info version 7 for a case-control study using the following assumptions: 95% confidence interval, power of 80%, case-to-control ratio of 1:2, and 5% non-response rate were 305. Data was collected using Google Form, and analyzed using SPSS version 26. Variables that had a p-value of < 0.05 on multivariable logistic regression were considered statistically significant, and their association was explained using an odds ratio at a 95% confidence interval. A total of 300 women (100 cases and 200 controls) with a mean age of 24.4 years were included in the study. Rural residence (AOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.10-3.76), age less than 20 years (AOR 3.04, 95% CI 1.58-5.85), history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (AOR 5.52, 95% CI 1.76-17.33), and no antenatal care (AOR 2.38, 95% CI 1.19-4.75) were found to be the determinants of preeclampsia. We found that living in a rural areas, previous history of preeclampsia, no antenatal care, and < 20 years of age were significantly associated with preeclampsia. In addition to previous preeclampsia, younger and rural resident pregnant women should be given attention in preeclampsia screening and prevention.