Practices of Adults in a Periurban Community of the Ho Municipality on Prevention of Hypertension

Abstract

Background. Hypertension remains a rising health threat among developing countries and it is due to poor knowledge and lifestyles. Integrated knowledge and practices are central towards the control of hypertension, especially in the developing world. Objectives. This study assessed the practices of adults in a periurban community in the Ho Municipality of the Volta region on the prevention of hypertension. Methodology. A cross-sectional descriptive research design was carried out in a periurban community in the Volta region. Adults were recruited using a systematic sampling technique in the Ahoe community. Pretested questionnaires were used to collect information on sociodemographic, knowledge, and lifestyle practices regarding hypertension prevention. The data were entered into Microsoft excel 2013 spreadsheet, cleaned, and transported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 software for analyses. The data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Results. In this study, 49.3% explained that hypertension means the increased force of blood through the blood vessels as 90.8% indicated that taking antihypertensive medications can control hypertension. In describing the associated effects of hypertension, adults in the Ahoe community described the effects of hypertension as stroke (89.8%), heart attack (84.0%), diabetes (56.5%), and heart failure (82.3%). Also, 54.1% described hypertension as a lifelong disease while 55.8% indicated hypertension can be cured. Also, 92.2% identified exercising as an important factor in controlling hypertension as 32.7% use herbal preparations to control hypertension. Only 3.7% of adults in the Ahoe community were smokers and 54.5% smoked less than a year. The majority (61.6%) of the respondents did not drink alcohol as 69.7% engage in active exercises. Conclusion. Education on hypertension should be intensified, and emphasis should be laid on regular exercised and strict dietary restrictions that ensure reduction in hypertension risk. Healthcare authorities should engage hypertensive clients to desist from the intake of herbal medications whose actual composition has not been scientifically determined.