This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of soybean and purple sweet potato cookies in reducing blood pressure and proteinuria levels among hypertensive pregnant women, while enhancing nutritional intake.
A quasi-experimental, two-group pre-test and post-test study was conducted over 90 days. A total of 60 hypertensive pregnant women were assigned to either an intervention group (n = 30), receiving functional cookies alongside antihypertensive therapy, or a control group (n = 30), receiving antihypertensive therapy alone. Blood pressure, proteinuria levels and dietary intake were assessed before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 22.
The intervention group showed significantly greater reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as proteinuria levels, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Nutritional intake, particularly of calcium, potassium and magnesium, improved markedly in the intervention group.
The quasi-experimental design, reliance on self-reported adherence and a limited sample size may affect the generalizability of the findings. Further randomized controlled trials are recommended.
This study demonstrates the potential of functional foods, such as soybean and purple sweet potato cookies, as a complementary strategy in managing hypertension and proteinuria during pregnancy.
