Abstract

The goal of this work is to assess the knowledge and information management practices of women with a history of preeclampsia (PE), a serious complication of pregnancy with extensive impacts on maternal health and a leading cause of maternal death worldwide. Drawing from the theory of motivated information management (TMIM), we aim to assess the extent to which participants avoid or seek information about PE. A survey sent to 109 women managing PE revealed that participants lacked knowledge of PE signs and symptoms, a critical deficiency that can lead to future adverse outcomes. The data also fit the model predicted by TMIM with topic avoidance as the outcome variable: the greater the gap between what women knew and wanted to know about PE, the more anxiety experienced; more levels of anxiety increased negative appraisals about the consequences of PE-related conversations and decreased overall efficacy beliefs, which culminated in information avoidance. Results have implications for how PE survivors interpret the information received about the condition, evaluate their communication options and abilities, and make decisions to seek information vital to safeguarding their health.