The effects of an educational programme about preeclampsia on women's awareness: a randomised control trial

Aim To examine the effects of an interventional programme about preeclampsia on high-risk preeclampsia Jordanian women's awareness and pregnancy outcomes. Background Preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal death and illness globally, and has a high rate in Jordan compared to other countries. Increasing preeclampsia awareness is recommended to prevent its serious complications. Methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted at a public hospital in Jordan. A consecutive sample of 113 pregnant high-risk preeclampsia women was recruited and divided randomly into interventional and control groups. A questionnaire comprising seven terms on demographics and 51 questions assessing women's awareness on preeclampsia was used. The intervention group received a 2-h educational programme about preeclampsia with self-monitoring of blood pressure and urine protein and routine care, while the control group received a 2-h educational programme relevant to urinary tract infection and received routine care. A pretest was carried out at baseline and 2 weeks after the intervention, a post-test was performed for the two groups. Results The results revealed a significant difference in mean scores for awareness of preeclampsia in the interventional group compared to the control group after conducting the education programme. A significant difference was also found between both groups in terms of Apgar scores at 1st min and 5th min and mean diastolic BP. Conclusion and implications for nursing, health and education policy Preeclampsia educational programme is effective in improving preeclampsia awareness and some pregnancy outcomes. Midwifery and nursing educators are highly encouraged to train midwives and nurses to be effective health professionals. Health educational programmes need to be designed by professionals based on an updated evidence and women's needs. It is of importance that these programmes focus on involving women in their health care by self-monitoring and providing women with the necessary resources to improve pregnancy outcomes.