Determination of Prenatal Distress Levels of Pregnant Women with Gestational Hypertension

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to determine the prenatal distress levels of pregnant women with gestational hypertension.
METHODS: This descriptive study was conducted in 70 pregnant women with gestational hypertension, whose gestational week is at least 20 weeks, at Ankara University Prenatal Outpatient Clinic in Ankara between April 15 and May 24, 2019. A questionnaire form and the Revised Prenatal Distress Questionnaire were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, the independent samples t-test, ANOVA, the Mann–Whitney U-test, and the Kruskal–Wallis test were used for data analysis.
RESULTS: The pregnant women’s mean prenatal distress mean scores were 13.80 ± 4.74. As their age and number of living children increased, their prenatal distress mean scores increased. On the other hand, as their husbands’ education levels increased, their prenatal distress mean scores decreased (P >.05). The prenatal distress mean scores of the women being primigravid, unplanned pregnancies, and smoked were high (P >.05). The prenatal distress mean scores of the women whose fetuses had health problems were higher than those of the women whose fetuses were healthy (P <.001). Of the women, 84.3% said not to receive information about gestational hypertension from the nurse.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The pregnant women’s distress levels were moderate. It is important for the nurses to evaluate for the prenatal distress of pregnant women with gestational hypertension. To reduce pregnant women’s prenatal distress levels, they should be informed about gestational hypertension through educational programs.