{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T08:26:16Z","timestamp":1781771176735,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,18]],"date-time":"2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742256000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosdigitalhealth.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLOS Digit Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Pregnancy-induced hypertension is the most prevalent medical problem associated with pregnancy. It has been reported to affect 6\u201310% of all pregnant women worldwide. Mothers\u2019 failure to seek information related to PIH increases the risk of death from the complication of pregnancy-induced hypertension. This study aimed to assess PIH information-seeking behaviour and its associated factors among pregnant women in rural Sekela Woreda. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 15 to June 15, 2022. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The sample size was 635. A cluster sampling technique was used to select the sampled kebeles. The study population included rural pregnant women. This study included pregnant women who were permanent residents of the study area, whereas this study excluded pregnant women who were admitted only for delivery services and temporary residents who visited the study area. The mean age of the participants was 31.8 \u00b1 6.09 years, with minimum and maximum ages of 20 and 45 years, respectively. We conducted descriptive analysis, bivariable analysis, and multivariable analysis to identify determinants of PIH information seeking. The proportion of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) information seeking among pregnant women was 214 (35.4%) out of 604. Pregnant mothers aged 35 years and above (AOR =0.67, 95% CI =0.46, 0.97), family resistance (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI =0.29, 0.69), health care satisfaction (AOR =1.7, 95% CI =1.1, 2.5), and perceived severity of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) (AOR =1.6, 95% CI =1.1, 2.4) were significantly associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension information seeking. According to our findings Information seeking related to pregnancy-induced hypertension is low. Aged mothers, family resistance, mothers\u2019 satisfaction with health care services, and perceived severity of PIH were found to be associated with pregnancy-induced hypertension information seeking. Expanding health education programs for pregnant women and providing awareness and training about PIH to participants and their husbands is the most effective way to reduce the prevalence of PIH complications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pdig.0000740","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,18]],"date-time":"2025-03-18T17:29:13Z","timestamp":1742318953000},"page":"e0000740","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pdig.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Maternal information-seeking on pregnancy-induced hypertension and associated factors among pregnant women, in low resource country, A cross-sectional study design"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"4","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2281-2053","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Ayana Alebachew","family":"Muluneh","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fekade Demeke","family":"Bayou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kegnie","family":"Shitu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ayenew Sisay","family":"Gebeyew","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sefefe Birhanu","family":"Tizie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mulugeta Desalegn","family":"Kasaye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Adamu Ambachew","family":"Shibabaw","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Agmasie Damtew","family":"Walle","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"79","DOI":"10.1016\/j.preghy.2019.03.007","article-title":"Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy prevalence and associated factors among pregnant women attending ante natal care at Gondar town health Institutions, North West Ethiopia 2017","volume":"16","author":"TA Walle","year":"2019","journal-title":"Pregnancy Hypertens"},{"issue":"1","key":"pdig.0000740.ref002","first-page":"3","article-title":"Outline of definition and classification of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH)","volume":"1","author":"K Watanabe","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of the Society for Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref003","first-page":"6947499","article-title":"Determinants of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension among Mothers Attending Public Hospitals in Wolaita Zone, South Ethiopia: Findings from Unmatched Case-Control Study","author":"Y Belayhun","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Hypertens"},{"issue":"2","key":"pdig.0000740.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1016\/S0929-6646(08)60126-6","article-title":"Maternal complications and perinatal outcomes associated with gestational hypertension and severe preeclampsia in Taiwanese women","volume":"107","author":"C-M Liu","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Formos Med Assoc"},{"issue":"4","key":"pdig.0000740.ref005","first-page":"25","article-title":"Health Information Seeking Behavior (HISB): A Study of a Developing CountryDeveloping Countr","volume":"19","author":"v. y. c. Vahideh Zarea GavganiTabriz University of Medical sciences, e. l. y. c. Elham Qeisari Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, and m. a. g. c. Mohammad Asghari JafarabadiTabriz University of Medical Sciences","year":"2022","journal-title":"Reproductive Health"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref006","volume-title":"Health Information Seeking Behavior (HISB): A Study of a Developing Country [Online]","author":"EQ Vahideh Zarea Gavgani"},{"issue":"8","key":"pdig.0000740.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1520","DOI":"10.2105\/AJPH.2009.180521","article-title":"Health information-seeking behaviors, health indicators, and health risks","volume":"100","author":"3rd Weaver JB","year":"2010","journal-title":"Am J Public Health"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref008","unstructured":"Bakar AB. Information seeking behaviours of rural women in Malaysia. 2011."},{"issue":"3","key":"pdig.0000740.ref009","first-page":"251","article-title":"Pregnancy-related health information-seeking behaviors among rural pregnant women in India: Validating the Wilson model in the Indian context","volume":"87","author":"P Ashavaree Das","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Behavioral Medicine"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2013.10.004","article-title":"Perfluoroalkyl substances and lipid concentrations in plasma during pregnancy among women in the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study","volume":"62","author":"AP Starling","year":"2014","journal-title":"Environ Int"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref011","volume-title":"Pregnancy-Related Health Information-Seeking Behaviors Among Rural Pregnant Women in India: Validating the Wilson Model in the Indian Context","author":"P Ashavaree Das"},{"issue":"1","key":"pdig.0000740.ref012","article-title":"Maternal health information needs of women: A survey of literature","volume":"2","author":"FM Daka","year":"2018","journal-title":"The Journal of Lexicography and Terminology"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref013","article-title":"Awareness and health seeking behaviour of pregnant women about pregnancy induced hypertension in the tamale metropolis.","author":"WDS Imoro","year":"2018","journal-title":"Journal Name or Book Title"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref014","article-title":"Appraisal On Information\u2013Seeking Behaviour Of Rural Women Farmers In Jos South Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria","author":"N Amah","year":"2023","journal-title":"International Journal of Social and Agricultural Research"},{"issue":"11","key":"pdig.0000740.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"971","DOI":"10.1080\/07399330903052152","article-title":"Health literacy and its association with the use of information sources and with barriers to information seeking in clinic-based pregnant women","volume":"30","author":"C Shieh","year":"2009","journal-title":"Health Care Women Int"},{"issue":"3","key":"pdig.0000740.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0244181","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0244181","article-title":"Maternal health literacy on mother and child health care: A community cluster survey in two southern provinces in Laos","volume":"16","author":"S Phommachanh","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"issue":"16","key":"pdig.0000740.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6499","DOI":"10.7314\/APJCP.2014.15.16.6499","article-title":"Determinants of Health Information-Seeking Behavior: Implications for Post-Treatment Cancer Patients","volume":"15","author":"M Jung","year":"2014","journal-title":"Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111","DOI":"10.1186\/s12872-015-0110-5","article-title":"Prevalence of pregnancy induced hypertension and pregnancy outcomes among women seeking maternity services in Harare, Zimbabwe","volume":"15","author":"M Muti","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMC Cardiovasc Disord"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"71","DOI":"10.11604\/pamj.2020.35.71.19351","article-title":"Awareness of pregnancy induced hypertension among pregnant women in Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia","volume":"35","author":"AK Berhe","year":"2020","journal-title":"Pan Afr Med J"},{"issue":"3","key":"pdig.0000740.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"229","DOI":"10.1053\/j.ackd.2013.01.014","article-title":"The management of hypertension in pregnancy","volume":"20","author":"AG Kattah","year":"2013","journal-title":"Adv Chronic Kidney Dis"},{"issue":"12","key":"pdig.0000740.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1499","DOI":"10.1136\/hrt.2004.035444","article-title":"Management of hypertension before, during, and after pregnancy","volume":"90","author":"PR James","year":"2004","journal-title":"Heart"},{"issue":"3","key":"pdig.0000740.ref022","first-page":"251","article-title":"Pregnancy-related health information-seeking behaviors among rural pregnant women in India","volume":"87","author":"PA Das","year":"2015","journal-title":"Journal of Biosocial Science"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1065","DOI":"10.2147\/IJWH.S326293","article-title":"Why Women in Ethiopia Give Birth at Home? A Systematic Review of Literature","volume":"13","author":"SK Weldegiorgis","year":"2021","journal-title":"Int J Womens Health"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17455065211038442","DOI":"10.1177\/17455065211038442","article-title":"Maternal knowledge-seeking behavior among pregnant women in Tanzania","volume":"17","author":"ES Kaaya","year":"2021","journal-title":"Womens Health (Lond)"},{"issue":"1","key":"pdig.0000740.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.12968\/bjom.2002.10.1.10054","article-title":"The information needs of first-time pregnant mothers","volume":"10","author":"D Singh","year":"2002","journal-title":"British Journal of Midwifery"},{"issue":"1","key":"pdig.0000740.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"166","DOI":"10.1186\/s12884-021-03627-6","article-title":"Physical activity and sedentary time during pregnancy and associations with maternal and fetal health outcomes: an epidemiological study","volume":"21","author":"L Meander","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Pregnancy Childbirth"},{"issue":"6","key":"pdig.0000740.ref027","first-page":"453","article-title":"Cancer patients seeking information from sources outside the health care system","volume":"8","author":"M Carlsson","year":"2000","journal-title":"Support Care Cancer"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref028","article-title":"Health information seeking and its associated factors among university students: A case in a middle-income setting","author":"TM Yilma","year":"2022","journal-title":"Proceedings of the Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems"},{"issue":"1","key":"pdig.0000740.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"325","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-022-07315-4","article-title":"Information seeking about COVID-19 and associated factors among chronic patients in Bahir Dar city public hospitals, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study","volume":"22","author":"SY Kassie","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Infect Dis"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1957","DOI":"10.2147\/JMDH.S283563","article-title":"Information Seeking on Covid-19 Pandemic: Care Providers\u2019 Experience at the University of Gondar Teaching Hospital, Northwest of Ethiopia","volume":"13","author":"MH Kalayou","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Multidiscip Healthc"},{"issue":"12","key":"pdig.0000740.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0243784","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0243784","article-title":"Consumption of alcohol and binge drinking among pregnant women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Prevalence and determinant factors","volume":"15","author":"MS Bitew","year":"2020","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref032","volume-title":"Factors influencing women\u2019s decisions to drink alcohol during pregnancy: findings of a qualitative study with implications for health communication,\u201d 4\/29\/20222","author":"AB Carla","year":"2014"},{"issue":"3","key":"pdig.0000740.ref033","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0265182","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0265182","article-title":"Maternity waiting homes utilization and associated factors among childbearing women in rural settings of Finfinnee special zone, central Ethiopia: a community based cross-sectional study","volume":"17","author":"S Dereje","year":"2022","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2155","DOI":"10.2147\/DMSO.S289905","article-title":"Information-Seeking Behavior and Its Associated Factors Among Patients with Diabetes in a Resource-Limited Country: A Cross-Sectional Study","volume":"14","author":"M Mengiste","year":"2021","journal-title":"Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref035","unstructured":"National Institutes of Health U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Expiration Date: October 31, 2014. 2014."},{"issue":"5","key":"pdig.0000740.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1116","DOI":"10.1093\/heapro\/daz108","article-title":"Online STI information seeking behaviour and condom use intentions among young Facebook users in Malaysia","volume":"35","author":"SM Mohamad Shakir","year":"2020","journal-title":"Health Promot Int"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref037","unstructured":"Akpoghiran IP. Communication source of seeking health information among women: A study in Orerokpe, Delta State, Nigeria. 2020."},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref038","article-title":"Information seeking behaviour of pregnant women in selected hospitals of ibadan metropolis.","author":"UD Amuda"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref039","unstructured":"Das PA. Information-seeking among pregnant women: a mixed method approach. 2013"},{"issue":"10","key":"pdig.0000740.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1277","DOI":"10.1007\/s00520-009-0581-y","article-title":"Cervical cancer patient information-seeking behaviors, information needs, and information sources in South Korea","volume":"17","author":"H-I Noh","year":"2009","journal-title":"Support Care Cancer"},{"issue":"1","key":"pdig.0000740.ref041","first-page":"831","article-title":"Pregnancy Induced Hypertension and Associated Factors among Women Attending Delivery Service at Mizan-Tepi University Teaching Hospital, Tepi General Hospital and Gebretsadik Shawo Hospital, Southwest, Ethiopia","volume":"29","author":"TA Gudeta","year":"2019","journal-title":"Ethiop J Health Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"pdig.0000740.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"129","DOI":"10.1186\/s12939-019-1037-8","article-title":"Healthcare-seeking behavior among pregnant women in the Chinese hierarchical medical system: a cross-sectional study","volume":"18","author":"G Liu","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Equity Health"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref043","article-title":"Health Information-Seeking Behavior of Iranian first-time Mothers and First-Time Pregnant Women in Northwest Health Centers of Tehran","author":"S Panahi","year":"2020","journal-title":"JCHR"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref044","author":"LP Lewallen"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.21203\/rs.3.rs-53260\/v1","article-title":"Healthcare Seeking Behaviour of Pregnant Women in rural Amhara, Ethiopia: Perception of Healthcare Providers","author":"F Shiferie","year":"2020"},{"issue":"1","key":"pdig.0000740.ref046","article-title":"Accessibility of maternal health information and its influence on maternal health preferences in rural Tanzania: A case study of Chamwino District","volume":"23","author":"HA Mwangakala","year":"2021","journal-title":"SA Journal of Information Management"},{"key":"pdig.0000740.ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4829","DOI":"10.2147\/CMAR.S259849","article-title":"Information Seeking Behavior About Cancer and Associated Factors Among University Students, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study","volume":"12","author":"A Gedefaw","year":"2020","journal-title":"Cancer Manag Res"},{"issue":"2","key":"pdig.0000740.ref048","first-page":"3","article-title":"Healthcare utilization among urban and rural households in Esera District: Comparative cross-sectional study","volume":"4","author":"B Begashaw","year":"2022","journal-title":"American Journal of Public Health Research"},{"issue":"5","key":"pdig.0000740.ref049","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.26717\/BJSTR.2020.30.005006","article-title":"Survey of Reproductive Health Information Seeking Behaviour among Pregnant Women in Some Selected Hospitals in Kano Metropolis, Nigeria","volume":"30","author":"HM Namadi","year":"2020","journal-title":"BJSTR"}],"container-title":["PLOS Digital Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pdig.0000740","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,31]],"date-time":"2025-03-31T21:12:49Z","timestamp":1743455569000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pdig.0000740"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Jasmit","family":"Shah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,18]]},"references-count":49,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,18]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pdig.0000740","relation":{},"ISSN":["2767-3170"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2767-3170","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,18]]}}}