Conocimientos de hipertensión en una población hipertensa colombiana

Abstract

Background. Patients' knowledge of high blood pressure is a predictor of disease control. Knowledge about hypertension has barely been studied in the Colombian population suffering high blood pressure. Such knowledge must be assessed to facilitate educational intervention for improving hypertension control. Objective. Ascertaining knowledge about high blood pressure in a Colombian hypertensive population. Materials and methods. A questionnaire was developed and content validated by experts from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and the Virrey Solis IPS's Research Committee. The questionnaire was used with 150 hypertensive patients in face-to-face interviews during their medical visits. Results. 70% of the surveyed population knew that hypertension is a preventable disease; however, barely 48% knew that it cannot be cured. Only 23% knew that, in most cases, high blood pressure does not cause headaches and 44% did not know that medication should never be suspended, even when there might be a lack of symptoms. Good knowledge was shown about lifestyle modifications and complications arising from high blood pressure whilst the risk of an ophthalmological complication was the least known. People having received less formal education and those having had a recent diagnosis had less knowledge. Conclusions. Severe deficiencies were revealed in the surveyed population regarding their knowledge about high blood pressure. Doctors and healthcare teams must play a more active role in patients' education to improve their knowledge concerning such serious disorder.