Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Non-pharmacological Management of Hypertension among Hypertensive Patients Attending Kintampo Municipal Hospital

Hypertension is a silent killer, responsible for 9.4 million deaths out of the total 17 million attributed to cardiovascular diseases in 2016. It can be prevented or controlled through lifestyle modifications. In recognizing the importance of non-pharmacological approaches in managing hypertension, this study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of non pharmacological management of hypertension among hypertensive patients attending Kintampo Municipal Hospital. A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed, and a simple random sampling technique was used. A total of 183 participants were included in the study out of the 255 hypertensive patients on the register using Yamane’s formula with each respondent administered a closed-ended questionnaire. Data was analyzed using Stata version 15. There was a poor knowledge of hypertension and its non-pharmacological management among respondents. The attitude and practice toward non-pharmacological management of hypertension were negative among the respondents. A chi square analysis showed a statistically significant association between respondents’ knowledge of non pharmacological management of hypertension and their level of education (X2 [4, N=183] = 8.69, P=0.031, Փc=0.244). The attitude toward non-pharmacological management of hypertension and the age category of the respondents was significantly associated (X2 [3, N=183] = 11.54, P=0.048, Փc=0.498). There was a lack of knowledge regarding lifestyle management among patients with hypertension, which was linked to a low degree of formal education. Negative attitudes and poor practices for the lifestyle management of hypertension were also due to the lack of knowledge. To ensure adherence to lifestyle modifications, it is necessary to strengthen education on lifestyle management of hypertension at the hypertension clinic among the hypertensive patients.