Table 1 Key behavioural challenges facing women self-monitoring blood pressure in pregnancy
Key themes | Detail from the literature |
|---|---|
Lack of knowledge about the risks of pre-eclampsia | Some women reported being unaware of the symptoms of pre-eclampsia and why it was an important health concern for themselves and their baby. |
Some women also did not understand why they were classified as being higher risk for pre-eclampsia. | |
Women who developed pre-eclampsia had difficulty understanding why it had developed, particularly without accompanying symptoms or feeling ‘ill’. | |
Difficulties in understanding health information | Some women felt that information relating to raised blood pressure and pre-eclampsia was sometimes too technical for them to understand (i.e. medical terminology). |
Inconsistencies in health information were stressful or distressing. | |
Women reported wanting to receive more information about their health status, presented in a way that is simple but comprehensive. | |
Understanding the benefit of self-monitoring | Some women felt that understanding the importance of SMBP helped them to engage with monitoring. |
Some women felt that understanding SMBP helped them to have confidence and feel empowered and reassured about their health status. | |
Women need help with strategies to fit SMBP into their daily lives | Women needed some flexibility with the monitoring schedule to allow them to incorporate it into their lives to suit them. |
Some women found the SMBP became difficult in the third trimester, especially when there were disruptions in daily life routines (such as finishing work), which worsened after the baby was born. | |
Some women experienced guilt when they missed BP readings, which prevented them from reengaging with the intervention. |