Abstract
Objective Prevalence of hypertension is on the rise and can be attributed to aging populations and changing behavioral or lifestyle risk factors. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and risk factors of hypertension in the middle part of Ghana. Methods A total of 2,555 participants aged ≥18 years (mean age of 43 years; 60.5% female) were enrolled using a two-stage sampling method. The World Health Organization STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk factor Surveillance-Instrument v2.1 was used for data collection. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were assessed. Blood glucose and lipids were also measured using blood samples collected after an overnight fast. Results Prevalence of hypertension was 28.1% (95% CI: 26.3%–29.8%). Less than half, i.e., 45.9% (95% CI: 42.2%–49.6%), of the respondents were aware of their hypertensive status. Of those aware and had sought medical treatment, 41.3% (95% CI: 36.1–46.8) had their hypertension controlled. Risk factors associated with being hypertensive were current (p=0.053) and past tobacco usage (p < 0.001), prediabetes (p=0.042), high body mass index (p < 0.001), hyperglycaemia (p=0.083), and hypercholesterolaemia (p=0.010). Doing vigorous work and being active in sports were less associated with being hypertensive (p < 0.001). Conclusion Our study showed that close to one-quarter of adults who were involved in the survey in the middle belt of Ghana were hypertensive with less than half being aware of their hypertensive status; nearly half of those on treatment had controlled hypertension. Healthcare systems need adequate resources that enable them to screen, educate, and refer identified hypertensive patients for appropriate management to prevent or minimize the development of hypertension-related complications.
Highlights
Hypertension is a major public health challenge, affecting populations from both economically developed and developing countries globally [1, 2]. e disease remains a major risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which was responsible for 17.7 million deaths worldwide in 2015 (i.e., 45% of deaths due to noncommunicable diseases) [3]. e highest prevalence of hypertension in the world occurs in sub-Saharan Africa [4]
A multiphased Kintampo Noncommunicable diseases (NCD) Initiative (KNI) programme incorporating the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPwise approach was established at the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC) in 2015 to build capacity for NCD epidemiologic studies that would lead to interventional studies. is community-based epidemiological screening survey that establishes the burden of hypertension in the middle belt of Ghana initiated the programme
A community-based crosssectional study was conducted in two contiguous districts (Kintampo North Municipality and Kintampo South District) in the middle part of Ghana between October 2015 and December 2016. e study area, which lies in the geographical center of Ghana, has a total resident population of about 129,000 of which about two-thirds is rural [10]. ere were two government hospitals, two private hospitals, four health centers, one private clinic, 25 community-based health planning and services (CHPS) areas, and two maternity homes that serve the population. e KHRC maintains a Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS), which collects core information such as births, deaths, and migrations
Summary
Prevalence of hypertension is on the rise and can be attributed to aging populations and changing behavioral or lifestyle risk factors. e objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and risk factors of hypertension in the middle part of Ghana. Prevalence of hypertension is on the rise and can be attributed to aging populations and changing behavioral or lifestyle risk factors. E objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and risk factors of hypertension in the middle part of Ghana. I.e., 45.9% (95% CI: 42.2%–49.6%), of the respondents were aware of their hypertensive status. Of those aware and had sought medical treatment, 41.3% (95% CI: 36.1–46.8) had their hypertension controlled. Our study showed that close to one-quarter of adults who were involved in the survey in the middle belt of Ghana were hypertensive with less than half being aware of their hypertensive status; nearly half of those on treatment had controlled hypertension. Healthcare systems need adequate resources that enable them to screen, educate, and refer identified hypertensive patients for appropriate management to prevent or minimize the development of hypertension-related complications
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