Boitchi Anika Bushra, Naher Shabnam, Pervez Sabbir, Anam Md Mujibul
Department of Public Health and Informatics, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh.
Graduate Assistant, Department of Health Science, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA.
Heliyon. 2021 Jul 30;7(7):e07679. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e07679. eCollection 2021 Jul.
Hypertension, as one of the main predisposing factors of many non-communicable diseases, is generally underdiagnosed among women with a significant uncontrolled rate. This study explores the understanding, management practice and challenges related to hypertension among hypertensive women in rural Bangladesh.
A qualitative study was conducted among hypertensive rural women at Kumarkhali Upazilla, Kushtia, Bangladesh, using purposive and snowball sampling technique. Data was collected through in-depth interviews among twenty-three hypertensive women until they reached saturation. Data were analyzed thematically.
Findings of the study found that a small number of participants perceived the symptoms, risk factors, management and treatment of hypertension based on biomedical understanding. Also, their awareness level and adherence to preventive practices reflected a significant gap between biomedical preventive practices and local practices. A substantial number of participants preferred home management and alternative treatment for hypertension over the medication adherence and hospital treatment. This investigation revealed that poor socio-economic conditions, such as financial insufficiency, and, gender-based negligence impacted women's perception of and practice for hypertension and resulted in risky hypertension management behaviors.
Based on the study, formulation of a comprehensive health education program for creating awareness, provisioning of significant interventions services related to hypertensive care are needed. Further intensive research is needed at the community-level to manage this chronic disease.
高血压作为许多非传染性疾病的主要诱发因素之一，在女性中普遍存在诊断不足的情况，且控制率极低。本研究探讨了孟加拉国农村地区高血压女性对高血压的认知、管理实践及面临的挑战。
在孟加拉国库什蒂亚县库马尔卡利乡对农村高血压女性进行了一项定性研究，采用目的抽样和滚雪球抽样技术。通过对23名高血压女性进行深入访谈收集数据，直至达到饱和状态。对数据进行主题分析。
研究结果发现，少数参与者基于生物医学理解来认识高血压的症状、危险因素、管理和治疗。此外，她们的认知水平和对预防措施的依从性表明，生物医学预防措施与当地做法之间存在显著差距。相当多的参与者更倾向于在家中管理高血压并采用替代治疗，而非坚持药物治疗和住院治疗。该调查显示，诸如经济不足等恶劣的社会经济状况以及基于性别的忽视影响了女性对高血压的认知和做法，导致了危险的高血压管理行为。
基于该研究，需要制定一项全面的健康教育计划以提高认识，并提供与高血压护理相关的重要干预服务。还需要在社区层面进行进一步深入研究以管理这种慢性病。
