Health workers' knowledge on future vascular disease risk in women with pre-eclampsia in south western Nigeria.

Background: Pre-eclampsia progressing to eclampsia is one of the major causes of maternal death in Nigeria. Since there is long term association of pre-eclampsia with cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, renal disease, short life expectancy and mortality, it is essential to obtain obstetric history for better counseling and long term monitoring. The study assessed the knowledge of health workers about the association of pre-eclampsia with future cardiovascular disease and offering any risk-reduction counseling to women with pre-eclampsia.

Methods: During a training workshop, a validated questionnaire on the association between pre-eclampsia and cardiovascular risk was distributed among health care workers working at the infant welfare and family planning clinics in Osun State. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: One hundred and forty-six out of 150 health workers approached participated in the study (response rate 97.3%). Mean age of respondents was 35.6 ± 9.1 years. Median age of practice was 7 years, ranging from 1-40 years. They were medical doctors (60.3%), community health workers (26.7%) and nurses/midwives (13.0%). Most participants had good knowledge on future cardiovascular risk of pre-eclampsia. The medical doctors had better knowledge compared to nurses/midwives and community health workers (78.4 vs. 57.9 vs. 53.8%; p < 0.05). Below half (45.9%) offered risk-reduction counseling.

Conclusion: Knowledge of the cardiovascular risk factors was lower among the nurses/midwives and community health workers. Risk reduction counseling was quite low across all the health workers. There is need for continuous medical education and possible review of the training curriculum of the lower cadres of health workers.