Assessing Hypertension Awareness among the Patients in the Cardiology Outpatient Clinic at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to assess patients’ awareness of hypertension while they were enrolled in the cardiology outpatient clinic at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex (OAUTHC), located in Ile-Ife. The study used a cross-sectional survey approach and focused on adult patients who had outpatient cardiology consultations and were diagnosed with essential hypertension. During their clinic appointments, 330 individuals in all were enlisted, and case files contained their clinical information. Interviews were used to deliver a structured questionnaire used for data gathering. Six sections made up the questionnaire, which included standardised questions intended to gauge respondents’ familiarity with hypertension as well as sociodemographic data. The questionnaire was pre-tested using validated scales from previous research on hypertension patients outside the study site to ensure its usefulness and reliability. Using a scoring system, participants’ knowledge of hypertension was categorised; those who scored above a predetermined threshold were considered to have "good knowledge." 85.15% of respondents were found to have a fair knowledge of the causes, risks, and management of hypertension. Strong drug compliance was linked to this high level of knowledge for a significant portion of respondents. The outcomes show how important it is to continue patient knowledge in outpatient settings. To enhance comprehension of the impact of information on long-term management of hypertension, future research should focus on health literacy and consider longitudinal studies.