Knowledge and awareness of hypertension among patients with systemic hypertension.
BACKGROUND
In Nigeria, systemic hypertension is the commonest noncommunicable disease, and public awareness about hypertension and its determinants is poor. This study aims to assess the knowledge and level of awareness of the disease among hypertensive patients attending the medical outpatient clinic of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH).


METHODS
Hypertensive patients who attended the medical outpatient clinic during the one-year study period and gave their consent were recruited into the study. Response to a questionnaire on various aspects of hypertension was analyzed using the STATA for Windows software.


RESULTS
There were 254 hypertensive patients, of which 111 were males and 143 were females, giving a male: female ratio of 1:1.3. The mean age (SD) of the patients was 51 years +/- 12.2; 52.4% of the participants were aware that hypertension was the commonest noncommunicable disease in Nigeria. About one in 10 patients (11.4%) was aware that "nil symptom" is the commonest symptom of hypertension, while 37% were not aware that hypertension could cause renal failure. Only about one-third (35.4%) of the patients knew that hypertension should ideally be treated for life, while 58.3% believed that antihypertensive drugs should be used only when there are symptoms. The remaining 6.3% believed that the treatment of hypertension should be for periods ranging from two weeks to five years but not for life.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has demonstrated inadequate knowledge of hypertension in patients with hypertension in our study population. Conscious efforts should be made and time set aside to health educate hypertensive patients. Organization of "hypertensive club or society" could be encouraged. These will reduce dissemination of false or inaccurate information by hypertensive patients to the public and its attendant dangers.
Familoni
B Oluranti
BO
Department of Medicine, Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Center for Research in Reproductive Health, Sagamu, Ogan State, Nigeria. rfamiloni@justice.com
Ogun
S Abayomi
SA
Aina
A Olutoyin
AO
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006306:Health Surveys; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires