Table 2.
Baseline characteristics of study participants according to ACC/AHA BP categories (N = 2,232)
| Normotension n (%) 1,000 (44.8) | Elevated BP n (%) 334 (14.9) | Stage1 Htn n (%) 759 (34.0) | Stage 2 Htn n (%) 139 (6.2) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maternal age (mean ± sd) | 28.6 ± 6.8 | 26.9 ± 7.1 | 27.9 ± 7.6 | 29.3 ± 8.2 |
| Maternal age | ||||
| 13- 19 years | 71 (7.1) | 41(12.3) | 82 (10.8) | 13 (9.4) |
| 20–35 years | 745 (74.5) | 246 (73.7) | 553 (72.9) | 93 (66.9) |
| > 35 years | 184 (18.4) | 47 (14.1) | 124 (16.3) | 33 (23.7) |
| Wealth index | ||||
| Very poor | 139 (13.9) | 49 (14.7) | 119 (15.7) | 9 (6.5) |
| Poor | 210 (21.0) | 69 (20.7) | 130 (17.1) | 31 (22.3) |
| Middle | 238 (23.8) | 80 (23.9) | 170 (22.4) | 33 (23.7) |
| Rich | 193 (19.3) | 70 (21.0) | 165 (21.7) | 29 (20.9) |
| Very rich | 220 (22.0) | 66 (19.8) | 175 (23.1) | 37 (26.6) |
| Place or residence | ||||
| Urban | 538 (53.8) | 194 (58.1) | 448 (59.1) | 98 (70.5) |
| Rural | 462 (46.2) | 140 (41.9) | 311 (40.1) | 41 (29.5) |
| Level of education | ||||
| None | 708 (70.1) | 220 (65.8) | 504 (66.4) | 87 (62.4) |
| At least primary | 293 (29.9) | 114 (34.2) | 255 (33.6) | 52 (37.6) |
| Parity | ||||
| Nulliparous | 765 (76.5) | 212 (63.5) | 493 (64.9) | 99 (71.2) |
| Multiparous | 235 (23.5) | 122 (36.5) | 266 (35.1) | 40 (28.8) |
| Antenatal consultations | ||||
| [1-3] | 378 (37.8) | 127 (38.0) | 203 (26.7) | 27 (19.4) |
| [4-8] | 622 (62.2) | 207 (62.0) | 556 (73.3) | 112 (80.6) |
| Home deliveries | ||||
| Yes | 5 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | 3 (0.4) | 0 (0.0) |
| No | 995 (99.5) | 334 (100.0) | 759 (99.6) | 139 (100.0) |
If the stage 1 hypertension category cutoffs were used as the new threshold for diagnosing hypertension in pregnancy, an additional 759 (34%) out of the 2,232 women would be diagnosed. Similarly, if the elevated BP cutoffs were applied, an additional 334 (15%) women would be diagnosed
ACC/AHA American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association, BP blood pressure, Htn hypertension