Evaluation of knowledge, attitude and practice of patients with hypertension referred to Cardiac Research Center and Aliabad Hospital of Kabul Medical University

Abstract

Introduction: Hypertension is one of the most important causes of heart failure. Awareness of the type of disease and preventive factors is effective in reducing the incidence of hypertension. The aimof this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practice of patients with hypertension Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on patients with hypertension referred to the Cardiac Research Center and Aliabad hospital of Kabul Medical University during 2019. Eligible patients were selected according to inclusion criteria. Patients were evaluated for demographic characteristics and the relationship between factors affecting knowledge, attitude and practice. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: 414 patients with a mean age of 46.49±07.12 years were studied. Among the participants, 51.1% were male and 48.9% female. Furthermore, 76.4% were married, and 47.3% had a bachelor's degree. In addition, 50.8% had low income and 57.9% had a family history of hypertension. Overall, the studied patients had a poor level of knowledge with a mean score of 7.6 ±91, a poor attitude with a mean score of 4.38 ±1.19 and a moderate performance with a mean score of 37.41±7.3. The mean scores of knowledge and attitude in patients with high level of education and income were significantly higher than other patients. Conclusion: Designing and implementing awareness-raising educational programs and paying attention to the fair presentation of education can play an effective role in promoting knowledge, attitude and practice of patients with hypertension; Therefore, by teaching healthy eating behaviors, patients' health and quality of life can be improved.