The Knowledge, Attitudes and Lifestyle Practices of Hypertensive Patients in the Cape Coast Metropolis-Ghana

Aims: To investigate the knowledge, attitudes and lifestyle practices of hypertensive patients to help educate them to properly manage the condition and help reduce incidence among the populace.

Study Design: A cross-sectional descriptive survey.

Place and Duration of Study: The Central Regional Hospital (Pedu), the Cape Coast Metropolitan Hospital (OLA) and the University of Cape Coast Hospital (UCC), between August 2014 and December 2014.

Methodology: We included 400 patients (158 males, 242 females; age range 20-89 years) with hypertension. Patients BMI’s were determined as well as information on their knowledge of hypertension, attitudes towards exercise and dietary practices. Barriers to maintaining healthy lifestyles were also identified.

Results: Out of the 400 patients, 282 (71%) were overweight and obese. The following barriers countered participants’ efforts to maintain healthy life styles; “lack of education”, “fear”, “financial constraint,” and “lack of commitment.” Logistic regression showed that participants’ occupation significantly influenced their knowledge levels positively with P=.012 at α-level of 0.05.

Conclusion: More than 95% (n=383) of the study participants showed a poor level of knowledge in the causes, signs and symptoms, risk factors, prevention and treatment of hypertension. Participants’ who had occupations and worked were more knowledgeable about the condition than those who had no occupation and no regular jobs. Hypertension’s association with low levels of awareness, drug treatment, and blood pressure control identified in past studies still exist within current hypertension populations. Population-based prevention strategies, such as reduction in salt intake and integration of hypertension care into primary care need to be reviewed.