KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTION ABOUT HYPERTENSION AND ITS RISK FACTORS AMONG STAFF OF IBADAN NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, IBADAN, NIGERIA

Abstract

Hypertension and other non-communicable diseases are currently responsible for at least 20% of all deaths in Nigeria. It cannot be denied that early detection and treatment of hypertension reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Healthy behavioral life style is indispensable for the prevention and improvement of hypertension management. This study therefore investigated knowledge, perception and behavioral risk of hypertension among staff of Ibadan North Local Government Secretariat. A cross-sectional survey involving 288 consenting staffs of Ibadan North Local Government Secretariat was conducted. Participants were recruited using multistage sampling from the 7 departments in the local government secretariat. Respondents were interviewed using a semistructured pre-tested self-administered questionnaires collecting socio-demographic information, assessing knowledge, perception and behavioral risk factors of hypertension. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Correlation at p=0.05. Knowledge was assessed on a 22- point scale and scores ≥15were regarded as good. Perception was assessed on a 12-point scale and scores ≥7 were categorized as High perception. Practice of behavioral risk factors among the respondent were also analyzed using appropriate statistical indices. Age of respondent was 38.80 ± 8.70 years and 55.6% were male. Majority of the respondents (93.1%) were Yoruba, 80.2% were married and 51.4% were Muslims. Most of them (72.6%) had tertiary education. About half (51.0%) correctly defined HBP and few (29.5%) could identify normal BP readings. Majority of the respondent (60.4%) knows that hypertension cannot be contracted from someone who has it while 62.2% reported that taking too much of alcohol can predispose someone to hypertension. Majority of the respondents (70.0%) reported that exercising regularly could prevent the onset of hypertension but 61.5% agreed for individual with increased blood pressure to fried food or eat diet rich in cholesterol. About 79.9% believed that monitoring blood pressure is very important to prevent high blood pressure Majority of the respondents (79.2%) perceived hypertension to be a silent killer but Majority of the respondents (56.6%) stated that hypertension is as a result of ageing and no need for treatment. Majority 62.5% do not perceive change in lifestyle as a way of controlling blood pressure. About 40.3% perceived witches and witchcraft as cause of hypertension. Majority of the respondents (66.7%) reported that being permanently disabled due to hypertension would be so dangerous and make

one become a burden to one’s family. The practice among the respondent on risk of hypertension is encouraging among the studied participant as fruits (60.1%) and vegetable (67%) were consumed often. Majority (89.9%) do not smoke and 80.6% do not take alcohol. About 87.8% do not eat food with high salt and 59.7% reported not to eat junks or fast foods. Respondents’knowledge about hypertension was fair yet the respondents abstains from some of the risk behaviours of hypertension. Health-oriented health education that focus on diseases and risk factors should be encouraged and maintained in workplaces to increase knowledge and to ensure workers lives a healthy lifestyle which will invariably increase productivity.