Socio-demographic predictors of perinatal outcomes among women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy at selected health facilities in Kenya

Pregnancy outcomes are dependent on many factors. The leading adverse perinatal outcomes in low and middle-income countries are preterm births, stillbirths and low birth weight. There is a dearth of locally published data on hypertensive disorders and associated perinatal outcomes. The study aimed to identify the influence of socio-demographic factors on perinatal outcomes of women with hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. We recruited one hundred twenty-six pregnant women with hypertensive disorders into this longitudinal panel study. Data was collected at baseline, antenatal follow-up(s), labour and postnatal using structured questionnaires from October 2021 to January 2023. We followed up with the study participants every 4-6 weeks, depending on clinic appointments and up to six weeks after birth. Descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Majority (32%) were aged 35-39 years and 60% resided in rural areas. At the first follow-up, 6% did not show an increase in fundal height. At labour and delivery, 70% had preterm gestation, 9% had an absent fetal heart and 13.0% had stillbirths. Residing in the rural area was associated with higher likelihood (OR=0.2) of having IUGR. Households with a monthly income of