The research question:
Does hypertension during pregnancy affect cardiovascular-related emergency department visits
and hospitalizations later in life?
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HPD) include chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension. Women who have hypertensive disorders of pregnancy can be at higher risk for future cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic hypertension, stroke, and heart failure.
Meet the researcher: Dr. Forgive Avorgbedor is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at UNC Greensboro. Her research focuses on women’s health, health disparities, and cardiovascular diseases and intervention.
What makes this project unique: Prior research has demonstrated that women who have HPD are at higher risk for cardiovascular complications. However, there is less information on whether women with a HPD diagnosis have more emergency department visits and/or hospital admissions for cardiovascular disease than women who have not had a HPD diagnosis.
This study is unique in that it will focus on the relationship between HPD and future healthcare utilization. Using California hospitalization data and self-reported questionnaire data from California Teachers Study participants who have given live birth, this study will examine emergency department visits and inpatient care for California Teachers Study participants following a HPD diagnosis.
The questionnaire answers used:
Questionnaire 1
- Alcohol use
- Body size
- Diabetes and history of hypertension or high blood pressure
- Medications used
- Number of live births
- Personal health history
- Physical activity
- Smoking status
Questionnaire 2
- Body size
- Number of live births
- Previous hypertension diagnosis during pregnancy
- Smoking status
Questionnaire 3
- Body size
- Medications used
- Physical activity
Questionnaire 4
- Education level
- Household Income
- Menopausal status
- Physical activity
Questionnaire 5
- Body size