Objective

To comparatively analyze the psychosocial risk factors associated to pre-eclampsia among Mexican women living in three States.

Method

This is a cases and controls study with 336 pregnant women with and without pre-eclampsia (130 from the State of Mexico, 114 from the state of Yucatan, and 92 from the state of Veracruz). Two questionnaires were administered, and 5 previously validated Likert type scales were used. A statistical comparative analysis was performed using SPSS v.20 software. Quantitative variables were analyzed with the Kruskal-Wallis procedure, categorical variables with frequencies calculation, and the associated risk with odds ratios in the 95% confidence interval. The associated risk was further adjusted through logistic regression (α = 0.05).

Results

The analysis revealed a mild level of violence in all three States. States which reflected more frequency of violence risks were Mexico and Veracruz (OR: 3.53; IC 95%: 1.13 - 10.97). Depression was a significant finding associated to pre-eclampsia. A 1 to 2 times higher risk of associated pre-eclampsia was found among pregnant women with some degree of depression in the State of Mexico (OR: 1.66; IC 95%: 1.058 - 2.607), and this risk was 3 to 4 times higher in the presence of major depressive disorder (OR: 3.67; IC 95%: 1.23 - 10.89). Among women from the state of Veracruz who sometimes reported having depressive symptoms, the risk of pre-eclampsia association was 3 times higher (OR: 3.12; IC 95%: 1.077 - 9.083), while this risk was 7.4 times higher when these women had less than 5 prenatal assessment visits (OR: 7.42; IC 95%: 2.85 - 19.33).

Conclusions

Depression, depressive symptomatology, violence, and less-than-5 prenatal assessment visits were all identified as psychosocial risk factors associated to pre-eclampsia. These findings will support proposals for a corresponding nursing integral intervention model to address the related risk factors.