Factors associated with the level of knowledge about hypertension in primary care patients

Abstract

Introduction

Arterial hypertension is still a public health problem. Knowledge about the disease allows adequate management from prevention to treatment, and a better knowledge has also been associated with better adherence to the treatment.

Objective

To determine factors associated with the level of knowledge about arterial hypertension in primary care patients.

Materials and methods

A non-experimental, cross-sectional, and analytical study was performed with a convenience sample using a structured survey to measure the level of knowledge about arterial hypertension. Frequency calculations and multivariate analysis were performed to determine the association between several factors with the level of knowledge, is considered statistically significant at p < 0.05.

Results

Of 188 participants, 68.09% were females, the average age was 45.37 years old, 35.11% had a diagnosis of arterial hypertension, and 68.09% had a family history of arterial hypertension. The level of knowledge was medium and was associated with age (p = 0.01), previous diagnosis of hypertension (p = 0.01) and a family history of hypertension (p = 0.001). No association was found with genders, educational level or body mass index.

Conclusions

Some factors are associated with a greater knowledge about arterial hypertension, knowing them allows us to adapt public policies and educational interventions for patients who require it most.