Assessing Anxiety Levels Among Individuals With White Coat Hypertension Using the Beck Anxiety Inventory

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: To determine the prevalence of white coat hypertension in comparison to home-based blood pressure (BP) and anxiety levels in patients with white coat hypertensionusing the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2021 to April 2022 on people visiting OPDs at Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar. In-hospital and home blood pressure recording with anxiety inventory completion was performed with a sample size of 213 normotensives using a nonprobability convenience sampling technique. The data were recorded on a structured questionnaire with an anxiety scale and analyzed with IBM SPSS version 26 and MS Excel 2019. The data are presented in the form of tables and charts. Results: Among 213 respondents aged 14-67 years [164 (77%) male and 49 (23%) female, 22 (10.3%) had a BP above 140/90 in the OPD, called white coat hypertension, and a BPbelow 140/90 at home. The Beck Anxiety Index (BAI)score was 2 (9.1%) for minimal anxiety, 6 (27.3%) for mild anxiety, 12 (54.5%) for moderate anxiety and 2 (9.1%) for severe anxiety. Conclusion: WCH has profound value due to its high incidenceand ability to predictprehypertension, CVD,and mTOD. This labile BP in the clinical environment can be falsely interpreted as causing unneeded pharmacological interventions to increase thephysical, mental, and financial agony of patients. Therefore, both medical staff and the public should be widely educated. Home-based BP measurements and ambulatory BPs may be preferred over these methods.