Konlan Kennedy Dodam, Afam-Adjei Charles Junior, Afam-Adjei Christian, Oware Jennifer, Appiah Theresa Akua, Konlan Kennedy Diema, Bella-Fiamawle Jeremiah
Department of Social & Behavioural Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
Department of Medicine, Nursing Directorate, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Accra, Ghana.
Int J Chronic Dis. 2020 Jun 5;2020:6016581. doi: 10.1155/2020/6016581. eCollection 2020.
In sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of hypertension has assumed epidemic levels and currently accounts for numerous complications such as stroke, heart failure, and kidney damage. Management of hypertension involves both drug and nonpharmacological approaches. Self-monitoring of blood pressure is an important nonpharmacological approach that facilitates early detection of deteriorating blood pressures and complications.
We determined the practice and sociodemographic factors influencing self-monitoring of blood pressure among Ghanaians with hypertension.
In a cross-sectional design, we recruited four hundred and forty-seven (447) Ghanaians with hypertension receiving care at the hypertensive Outpatient Department (OPD) Clinics of the Medical Department at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). The respondents were sampled using a simple random sampling technique of balloting without replacement. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data on the practice of self-monitoring of blood pressure and sociodemographic factors influencing self-monitoring in the respondents. We also measured some anthropometric and haemodynamic indices of the respondents. The data was entered in Microsoft Excel 2010 and exported into SPSS 21.0 to aid with the data analysis. A chi-square test and Student's -test analysis were done to determine the relationship between the practice of self-monitioring and other sociodemographic variables. Data analayses were conducted at a significant level (alpha 0.05) and power of 95% confidence. Thus, < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The practice of self-monitoring of blood pressure was 25.3% with more female respondents claiming to practice self-monitoring as compared to their male counterparts (28.6% vs. 20.7%). Awareness of self-monitoring of blood pressure was associated with increased practice of self-monitoring of blood pressure. Health workers (46.8%), colleague patients (39.8%), relatives/spouses (6.7%), and the media (6.7%) were identified as the sources of information about self-monitoring of blood pressure. Awareness of self-monitoring, level of education, valid health insurance, occupation, income levels, and marital status had a significant relationship with self-monitoring of blood pressure among the respondents. Thus, respondents with higher education, awareness of self-monitoring, valid health insurance, formal employment, and higher income were likely to monitor their blood pressure.
Several sociodemographic factors influence the practice of self-monitoring of blood pressure in Ghanaians with hypertension. Thus, targeted hypertension education and social-cognitive interventions should focus on these sociodemographic factors so as to improve self-monitoring of blood pressure in order to reduce the complications of hypertension.
在撒哈拉以南非洲地区，高血压患病率已呈流行态势，目前引发了中风、心力衰竭和肾损伤等诸多并发症。高血压管理涉及药物和非药物治疗方法。血压自我监测是一种重要的非药物治疗方法，有助于早期发现血压恶化及并发症情况。
我们确定了影响加纳高血压患者血压自我监测的行为及社会人口学因素。
采用横断面设计，我们在科勒布教学医院（KBTH）医学部高血压门诊诊所招募了447名接受治疗的加纳高血压患者。采用无放回抽签的简单随机抽样技术选取受访者。使用结构化问卷收集受访者血压自我监测行为以及影响自我监测的社会人口学因素的数据。我们还测量了受访者的一些人体测量和血液动力学指标。数据录入Microsoft Excel 2010并导出到SPSS 21.0以辅助数据分析。进行卡方检验和学生t检验分析以确定自我监测行为与其他社会人口学变量之间的关系。数据分析在显著性水平（α = 0.05）和95%置信度下进行。因此，P < 0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
血压自我监测行为的比例为25.3%，与男性受访者相比，更多女性受访者声称进行自我监测（28.6%对20.7%）。血压自我监测意识与血压自我监测行为的增加相关。卫生工作者（46.8%）、病友（39.8%）、亲属/配偶（6.7%）和媒体（6.7%）被确定为血压自我监测信息的来源。自我监测意识、教育程度、有效健康保险、职业、收入水平和婚姻状况与受访者的血压自我监测存在显著关系。因此，受过高等教育、有自我监测意识、有有效健康保险、有正式工作且收入较高的受访者更有可能监测自己的血压。
若干社会人口学因素影响加纳高血压患者的血压自我监测行为。因此，有针对性的高血压教育和社会认知干预应关注这些社会人口学因素，以改善血压自我监测，从而减少高血压并发症。
