Awareness of Pre-eclampsia and Measurement of Risk Factors in Women from the Western Region of Saudi Arabia: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the awareness of and risk factors for developing preeclampsia among women in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, women from the western region of Saudi Arabia were investigated from September, 2022 to December, 2022. To this end, the data were collected using a validated and reliable questionnaire. The survey was distributed to the general population via social media, shopping centers, outpatient clinics, and inpatient wards of King Abdulaziz University Hospital. Results: The study sample consisted of 541 women ages 18–50, who were not involved in the medical field. Only 11.7% of the participants had risk factors for pre-eclampsia, whereas the rest did not have any risk factors. These findings indicated that the participants were at low risk of developing preeclampsia, but they had poor knowledge of and limited general information about this disorder (e.g., its signs and symptoms, risk factors, and complications). Conclusions: Women in the western region of Saudi Arabia faced lower risk of developing preeclampsia. However, they had poor knowledge of preeclampsia, which highlighted the need to increase their awareness of it.