Modifiable Risk Factors in Uncontrolled High Blood Pressure Patients of Banjul, Gambia

Resumen

Introduction: high blood pressure is a risk factor that could lead to cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Objective: to assess the prevalence  and association of the modifiable risk factors with uncontrolled blood pressure among hypertensive patients in Medical Outpatient Department in Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Banjul, The Gambia.

Methods: a cross-sectional survey was carried out during November 2013; the sample comprised 146 hypertensive patients, after receiving informed consent, hypertensive patients were

interviewed about modifiable risk factors. Patients' blood pressure and body mass index were checked, the data was coded and processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 15), a multiple logistic regression model was used to estimate the simultaneous effect of several determinants.

Results: the study showed that 52% of patients had uncontrolled blood pressure, 43.8% were overweight, 56.2% had unhealthy diet and 74.7% had  physical inactivity, the predicted risk factors for uncontrolled high blood pressure, using univariate analysis were: unhealthy diet (p=0.000) and uncontrolled diabetes (p=0.007), the multivariate stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that for uncontrolled blood pressure the variables included as predictors:  physical inactivity(p=0.793), overweight(p=0.631), unhealthy diet (p=0.170) and uncontrolled diabetes (p=0.28) were not significantly associated  for uncontrolled blood pressure, the 78.9% of uncontrolled blood pressure had two or more modifiable risk factors, the number of modifiable risk factors were significantly associate with the control of blood pressure (Pearson X² = 22.667, p= 0.000)

Conclusions: the half of hypertensive patient were uncontrolled, the majority of patients had two or more modifiable risk factors.

Keywords: high blood pressure, risk factors, delivery health care, prevention and control.