Improving Pregnant Women's Knowledge Through Health Education for Early Prevention of Preeclampsi During Pregnancy at Balowerti Public Health Center, Kediri City

Abstract

Preeclampsia is a major cause of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality that can be prevented through early detection and health education during pregnancy. This community service program aims to identify pregnant women's knowledge levels regarding early preeclampsia prevention, increase understanding of risk factors, early signs and symptoms, and preventative measures, and improve their ability to perform early detection through adherence to antenatal care (ANC) check-ups and adopting healthy lifestyles.The activity was carried out in the Balowerti Community Health Center in Kediri City and involved 20 mothers. pregnant women. The methods used included health education using interactive lectures, discussions, Q&A sessions, leaflet distribution, and evaluation through pre- and post-tests. The pre-test results showed that almost half of the pregnant women had low and moderate knowledge, each (7 participants (35%), while the post-test showed that almost all pregnant women had high knowledge, 17 (85%), with the average knowledge score increasing from 64.36 in the pre-test to 90.77 in the post-test, a 26.41-point increase. Participants also demonstrated an increased understanding of risk factors and warning signs of preeclampsia, the importance of regular antenatal care (ANC) check-ups, and a commitment to adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors during pregnancy. This activity demonstrates that health education is an effective promotive and preventive strategy in increasing the knowledge and preparedness of pregnant women for early detection of preeclampsia.It is hoped that educational activities can be implemented sustainably through pregnancy classes and antenatal care services to support reducing the risk of pregnancy complications and improving maternal and fetal health.