Assessment of knowledge and practices on hypertension among adult outpatients of unknown hypertension status at Nathenje Health Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi
Hypertension is one of the most common non-communicable diseases with a high burden of disease both globally and locally. In Malawi, it is prevalent in about a third of the adult population, and is estimated to be the second leading cause of deaths. It places a great economic burden yet 94.9 % of hy...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2021
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| Online Access: | http://nkhokwe.kuhes.ac.mw:8080/handle/20.500.12845/279 |
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Add Tag | Summary: | Hypertension is one of the most common non-communicable diseases with a high burden of disease both globally and locally. In Malawi, it is prevalent in about a third of the adult population, and is estimated to be the second leading cause of deaths. It places a great economic burden yet 94.9 % of hypertensive adults are not aware of their state. Adequate hypertension control requires public awareness which facilitates adoption of healthy lifestyles by individuals. The main objective of the study was to determine knowledge and practices on hypertension among adults of unknown hypertension status in the general outpatient department of Nathenje Health Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi. The specific objectives were to: assess knowledge of adults on hypertension; identify sources of information about hypertension among adults; describe practices of adults that relate to hypertension; determine the prevalence of modifiable risk factors for hypertension among adults, and; examine the relationship between awareness of hypertension and participants’ age, education, marital status, gender and number of health facility visits. A quantitative cross sectional study was conducted among 384 adults, aged 18 years and above, at Nathenje Health Centre. Systematic random sampling was used to select participants. Data were collected using a questionnaire and was analysed using SPSS version 20; descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chi square test were used in the analysis.
Among the study participants, 40.6 % had never heard about hypertension. Stress, excess salt intake and diabetes were the most well known risk factors. Only 11.4 % of those who had heard about hypertension were aware of the asymptomatic nature of hypertension, 28.5 % were aware of the lifelong nature of hypertension treatment, 64.9 % were aware that hypertension has complications and 64.5 % knew that hypertension can be prevented. Misconceptions regarding hypertension were present. Association was noted between awareness of hypertension and participants’ age (p = 0.021) and education level (p = 0.000). The study highlights the presence of knowledge gaps and practices that facilitate hypertension development. Gaps and opportunities in the role of health workers and institutions in hypertension prevention have been highlighted. Prevention strategies for hypertension to include the effective use of information dissemination channels. |
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