Effect of a Nurse-Led Intervention on Self-Care Skills for Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension Among Pregnant Women in Secondary Health Facilities in Abeokuta, Nigeria (Published)
Self-care skills recognising oedema, testing urine for protein, and maintaining adequate hydration enable pregnant women to detect and respond to pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) early. In many low-resource antenatal settings these skills are poorly developed, contributing to preventable maternal morbidity and mortality, and the value of low-cost reinforcement tools such as take-home leaflets is seldom quantified. This study assessed the effect of a nurse-led intervention on self-care skills for PIH among pregnant women attending selected secondary health facilities in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, and examined whether take-home leaflets added benefit. A three-group quasi-experimental design enrolled 271 pregnant women by proportional allocation into two experimental groups (Site A, n = 78; Site B, n = 131) and a control group (n = 62). Both experimental sites received the nurse-led package with hands-on skill demonstrations; Site B additionally received take-home leaflets. Self-care skills were assessed with a validated 20-item observational rating scale (α = 0.84) at pre-intervention (P0) and at 4 (P1) and 8 (P2) weeks post-intervention. Analysis used descriptive statistics and independent t-tests at p < .05. Baseline self-care skills did not differ between groups (experimental M = 8.09 ± 1.66; control M = 8.01 ± 1.73; t = 0.88, p = .461). Skills rose sharply in the experimental group at P1 (M = 18.16 ± 0.87) and P2 (M = 18.19 ± 0.87), far exceeding the control group at both points (t = 6.56 and 6.59, both p < .001). Between experimental sites, skills were comparable at P0 and P1 but significantly higher at Site B (leaflets) at P2 (t = 3.65, p < .001), with above-average performance across recognition of oedema, urine testing, and fluid intake. The nurse-led intervention produced large, sustained gains in PIH self-care skills, and take-home leaflets further improved performance. Skill-based nurse-led education with printed reinforcement should be embedded in routine antenatal care.