title: Patients knowledge of hypertension and its control in Eastern Sudan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the knowledge of hypertensive patients, in Kassala, eastern Sudan, about the disease, in relation to its control.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Kassala Teaching Hospital, Kassala, Eastern Sudan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with hypertension attending referred outpatient medical clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood pressure, control status and hypertension knowledge score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two hundred and forty two patients were involved in this study, of whom 68 (73.6%) were females and were of middle age. The majority were of low education. One fifth (19.4%) was found to have controlled blood pressure. About two-thirds of patients showed a high score of knowledge about the aetiology and complications of hypertension. Half of the patients knew about treatment of hypertension. Patients have a very low score regarding knowledge of symptoms of hypertension (38.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed good patients' knowledge about hypertension, but such knowledge did not seem to have a significant beneficial effect on blood pressure control. Health education is warranted by health care providers and other factors leading to poor control should be identified and managed.
authors: Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Sudan.
authors: E M
authors: EM
authors: Osman
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Suleiman
authors: A G
authors: AG
authors: Elzubair
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D013397:Sudan