Knowledge and attitudes towards pre-eclampsia care among nurses and midwives In Khammouane Province, Lao PDR
Keywords:
knowledge, attitude, nurse and midwives, pre-eclampsia, Lao PDRAbstract
Pre-eclampsia remains a leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, including in the Lao PDR. This descriptive survey study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding pre-eclampsia care among nurses and midwives in Khammouane Province, Lao PDR. A total of 117 nurses and midwives working in hospitals at Khammouane Province were recruited. Data were collected using a questionnaire assessing knowledge and attitudes towards pre-eclampsia care. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, were used for data analysis.
The results indicated that the overall knowledge regarding pre-eclampsia care was at high level (Mean=16.59, SD=3.92). When considering individual aspects, the aspects with the highest mean scores were: risk screening and detection of hypertensive disorders (Mean=6.70, SD=1.39), referral management for appropriate care (Mean=2.45, SD=0.60), and managing severe preeclampsia according to treatment guidelines (Mean=6.70, SD=1.35). However, the knowledge aspect on care of women with pre-eclampsia without severe features were at moderate level (Mean=0.86, SD=0.58). In terms of attitudes, nurses and midwives also showed an overall high-level attitudes towards pre-eclampsia care (Mean=30.18, SD=5.04). The aspects with high mean scores were found to be: risk screening and detection of hypertensive disorders (Mean=16.33, SD=1.47), referral management for appropriate care (Mean=2.70, SD=0.69), and management of pre-eclampsia with severe features (Mean=8.05, SD=1.64). In contrast, attitudes towards caring for women with pre-eclampsia without severe features were relatively low (Mean=3.10, SD=1.24).
The findings highlight gaps in specific areas of knowledge and attitudes that may compromise the quality of care and pregnancy outcomes. Nurses and midwives should receive ongoing training on preeclampsia care, especially those without experience. Furthermore, refinement of the measurement tools is recommended to ensure comprehensive coverage of critical aspects and clarity of questionnaire items. Designing a context-specific Likert scale for assessing attitudes is also suggested to improve validity and applicability in future research.
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