Abstract:
Knowledge of hypertension among patients is crucial for its effective
management. The objective of this study was to assess the factors associated with
knowledge of hypertension among hypertensive patients attending the medical
clinic at Teaching Hospital, Jaffna. It is a hospital-based cross-sectional analytical
study conducted from November 2020 to October 2021. A systematic sampling
method was used to select 427 hypertensive patients. The data were collected
using a pre-tested and validated interviewer-administered questionnaire and data
extraction form after obtaining ethical clearance. The total score on hypertension
knowledge questionnaire was 25. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.
Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to assess the association
between HT knowledge on hypertension among patients and selected variables at
α level of 0.05. The response rate of patients was 97.19% (n=415). The median
age of patients was 55 years (IQR=13). The majority of the patients were female
(65.5%). Most of the patients (72.3%) had uncontrolled blood pressure. The
median of knowledge on hypertension score of patients was 11 (IQR=4).
Knowledge of hypertension among patients was associated with gender, marital
status, educational level, employment status, family history of hypertension,
number of antihypertensive medications used and herbal usage. However, age,
duration of hypertension, regular clinic attendance, presence of uncontrolled
blood pressure, and presence of co-morbidities were not associated with
knowledge of hypertension. Patients have inadequate knowledge of hypertension
irrespective of controlled or uncontrolled blood pressure. Patients’ knowledge
needs to be improved for the effective management of hypertension.
