Cardiovascular Diseases & Diagnosis

Assessment of Knowledge and Practice of Life Style Modification among Hypertensive Patients at Nekemte Specialized Hospital, Western Oromia, Ethiopia: A Cross-sectional Study Design

Abstract

Fetensa G*, Milkiyas N, Besho M, Hasen T, Teshoma M, Wakuma B, Etefa W and Fayisa L

Background: Hypertension is an overwhelming global challenge. Appropriate lifestyle changes are the cornerstone for the prevention of hypertension. The study aimed to assess knowledge and practice of lifestyle modification among hypertensive patients in Nekemte Specialized Hospital, West Oromia, Ethiopia, 2018.

Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted at the chronic adult Out Patient Department of Nekemte Specialized Hospital and Wollega university referral and teaching hospital from December 2018 to January 2019. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Consecutive sampling was used to collect data and Questions are categorized to elicit participants' demographic characteristics, economic characteristics, knowledge, and the practice of various lifestyle-modification measures. The data could be analyzed by SPSS software version 20, and the result could be presented by statement, table, graph, and charts. The result could be disseminated to Wollega University, Nekemte specialized Hospital, Wollega University Referral hospital and other stakeholders.

Results: The study included 222 respondents with a 100% response rate; 112 (50.5%) were female, and the mean age of the respondents is 44.00 years. The general respondents' knowledge of lifestyle modifications was 79.28%, but only 68.92% of them have a good practice. Males have better knowledge and practice (80.9%, 36.4%), respectively. From respondents with comorbidity, 68.8% of them and 69% of those without comorbidity have good knowledge respectively.

Conclusion and Recommendations: The results of this study, indicates that although patients do receive advice on lifestyle modification, it is not enough and effective in changing patient knowledge and practice. Therefore, clinicians should give adequate time to provide relevant information on the value of lifestyle modification in the control of their blood pressure.