Abstract

Hypertension in pregnancy is a significant public health issue affecting a large number of pregnant women
worldwide. In Uganda, the prevalence of hypertension in pregnancy is not well understood, and little is known about
the factors associated with hypertension in pregnancy among pregnant women attending regional referral hospitals.
To determine the prevalence of hypertension in pregnancy and to identify the socio-demographic and obstetric
factors associated with hypertension in pregnancy among pregnant women attending Fort Portal Regional Referral
Hospital in Uganda. A hospital based retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 100
pregnant women who attended Fort Portal regional referral hospital between April 2022 to July 2022. Systematic
random sampling was employed. Data on demographic and obstetrical history, and blood pressure measurements
was collected using a pretested questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors
associated with hypertension in pregnancy using SPSS Version 25. Prevalence of hypertension in pregnancy in this
study was found to be 7.0%. Maternal age between 21-29 years was statistically significant and pregnant women
between these years were less likely to develop hypertension in pregnancy. On the other hand, family history of
hypertension was statistically significant and pregnant women who had it positive were more likely to develop
hypertension in pregnancy. The prevalence of hypertension in pregnancy was low. Statistically significant
association was found between hypertension in pregnancy and family history of hypertension and age. Hence, this study recommends that early detection and management of pregnant mothers with hypertension in pregnancy be mandatory as part of antenatal care so as to improve maternal and fetal outcomes