Awareness of Obstetric Danger Signs Among Pregnant Women Attending a Tertiary Care Hospital in Hyderabad, Telangana: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction Knowledge of obstetric danger signs among pregnant women can facilitate the timely recognition of obstetric danger signs, thereby leading to a reduction in overall maternal morbidity and mortality. Our cross-sectional study assessed the level of awareness among pregnant women about these obstetric danger signs and understood the influence of sociodemographic factors and obstetric history on their knowledge. Methods The study enrolled 165 participants who were pregnant women attending the antenatal outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Telangana. The participants, who gave consent for the study, were followed over two months and were surveyed using a semi-structured, interviewer-based questionnaire. This not only evaluated their awareness about obstetric danger signs but also included questions on their sociodemographic and obstetric profile. Their knowledge was graded in terms of a score of 0-10 based on the questions asked. Data were further analyzed using Microsoft Excel (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, US) and GraphPad Prism Software version 5 (Insight Venture Management, LLC, New York, NY, US). Results All the study participants (165) gave consent for the survey. Our study concluded that about 64.84% (107 out of 165) of the pregnant women had adequate knowledge about obstetric danger signs. In addition to this, there was a statistically significant (p < 0.05) association noted between adequate knowledge and occupation as a homemaker (53.37%, 57 out of 107), having their second pregnancy (36.44%, 39 out of 107), and a history of zero miscarriages (58.87%, 63 out of 107). Conclusions The study concluded that more than half of the participants had adequate knowledge, which could contribute significantly to improved maternal outcomes. The findings also highlight the various factors associated with awareness that can help tailor healthcare initiatives and policies in the long term.