Blood pressure control status and associated factors among adult hypertensive patients on outpatient follow-up at University of Gondar Referral Hospital, northwest Ethiopia: a retrospective follow-up study

Abstract

Background

Large segments of the hypertensive population in the world are either untreated or inadequately treated. The incidence of heart failure and mortality from cardiovascular complications of hypertension is high among patients with uncontrolled blood pressure (BP). But BP control status of hypertensive patients has not been investigated in the study area. The study aimed to assess BP control status and determinant factors among adult hypertensive patients on antihypertensive medication attending outpatient follow-up at University of Gondar Referral Hospital, northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

An institution-based retrospective follow-up study was conducted from September 2015 to April 2016. Data were collected using a structured and pretested questionnaire adopted from the World Health Organization STEPwise approach. BP records of 6 months were used, and patients were classified as having controlled BP if their BP readings were <140/90 mmHg for all adults ≥18 years of age and <150/90 mmHg for adults aged ≥60 years. A generalized estimating equation was fitted, and the odds ratio with a 95% confidence level was used to determine the effect of covariates on BP control status.

Results

Among 395 participants, 50.4% (95% CI: 45–55) of them controlled their BP in the last 6 months of the survey. Physical activity (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.95, 95% CI: 1.41–2.68), duration on antihypertensive drugs of 2–4 years (AOR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.13–2.56) and 5 years or more (AOR=1.96, 95% CI: 1.32–2.92), and high adherence (AOR=2.18, 95% CI: 1.14–4.15) to antihypertensive drugs were positively associated with BP control, while salt intake (AOR=0.67, 95% CI: 0.49–0.93), overweight (AOR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.36–0.68), and obesity (AOR=0.56, 95% CI: 0.36–0.87) were inversely associated with BP control.

Conclusion

In this study, only half of the hypertensive patients controlled their BP. Thus, health care providers need to be made aware about the importance of counseling hypertensive patients on drug adherence, moderate physical activity, and salt restriction to improve BP control.

Keywords:

• blood pressure control
• associated factors
• adults
• Gondar

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to supervisors and data collectors. Our appreciation also goes to chronic illness treatment clinic staff of University of Gondar Referral Hospital for their kind support during the data collection. Finally, we would like to thank the study participants without whom the research would not have been completed.

Author contributions

YA wrote the proposal, coordinated the data collection activity, analyzed the data, and drafted the paper. DGL revised the proposal and participated in the data collection and analysis and manuscript writing. ATA revised the proposal and participated in data analysis and manuscript editing. All the authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.