Hypertensive Patients Practices in Relation to Lifestyle Changes View PDF

Globally, hypertension is a major public health problem. Determination of risk factors support intervention policies to decline the morbidity and mortality. It is the second most common reason for an outpatient visit [1]. The risk factors are connected to the lifestyle. Global modifiable risk factors are preventable and controllable. The specific preventive interventions can favorably affect public health in all countries [2]. Furthermore, hypertension is one of the leading causes of premature death worldwide, accounting for 7.6 million deaths in 2001 [3]

Iraq is experiencing urbanization and modernization cause changes in diet and physical activity due to raised longevity and improvement in the standard of living as smoking. Lifestyle modifications help to control hypertension and prevent high blood pressure in non-hypertensive people [1]. Some modifiable risk factors such as smoking, raised cholesterol level, obesity, decrease physical activity and diet [4]. Lifestyle modifications by decrease weight, alcohol stopping, raised physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, decline saturated fat intake and smoking cessation [5]. This study aimed to compared between hypertensive practices and lifestyle changes of patients.

A descriptive study was carried out Nov 2022 to Nov 2023. A total of 100 hypertensive cases were admitted into medical wards. Demographic-data-form and hypertensive-form of case practices amlifestyle changes. Direct interview technique was used to collect data. Descriptive statistical analysis procedures were used for the data analysis by SPSS v.2

The mean age was 49.53 years and more of the participants were female 55%. Regarding education, that more cases were literate (literacy) 52%. In addition, majority of them were married 80%. Regarding family history, 50% had positive history. Housewife represented 51% of employment (Table 1). Patients’ practices regarding lifestyle changes revealed a moderate mean score of 1.7 (Table 2).

The highest proportion of cases are within age group 50 - 60 years, disagrees with the study of Awotidebe et al. [6]. The distribution of demographic data revealed that most of the cases were female 55%, which dislike with the study of Malik et al. [7], which revealed the highest percent are males.

Regarding education, approximately the highest percent of subject were illiterate. Thus, disagree with the study of Abd El-Hay and El Mezayen [8]. Concerning marital status, the majority of individuals 80% were married. Positive family history with hypertension was 50%. Therefore, this result disagrees with the study of Mitwalli et al. [1]. Finally, the majority of the participants were housewives, and this result in dissimilar with the study of Shankar et al. [9].

There were low mean scores for all items related to patients’ practices regarding lifestyle changes. This is exception of some of them like low fat food and rest which represent moderate mean scores. Hence, the high mean scores can be demonstrated based on elevate in fruits and vegetables intake. This result disagrees with the study of Williams and Hopper [10].

The study indicated that the majority of items have low mean score in terms of practice. There was a significant relationship between patients’ practice regarding hypertension and some demographic characteristics like level of education and family history. The patients were inadequate or deficit in some aspects related to lifestyle changes regarding hypertension disease.

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