Prevalence and determinants of healthy dietary habits among hypertensive patients attending primary health care centers in Al-Baha City, Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

Background: Hypertension is a serious healthcare problem and a highly prevalent disease in Saudi Arabia. Dietary modification plays an important role in its management. This study aimed to evaluate the dietary habits among hypertensive patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 116 hypertensive patients attending Bani Farwah Primary Healthcare Center (PHCC) in Al Baha City, Saudi Arabia. The dietary habits of the participants were evaluated using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: Out of 116 participants, the number of male participants was 97 (83.6%). Almost half of the participants (50.9%) were on a low healthy diet index (HDI), 49.1% were on moderate HDI, and none were on high HDI. Almost one-fifth of the participants (20.7%) were avoiding salt in their meals, and 20.7% were avoiding adding sugar to hot drinks. Male and elderly patients had lower HDI (P = 0.008 and P = 0.004, respectively). Conclusions: Most hypertensive patients do not follow healthy food. Healthcare providers need to increase patients’ awareness through health education toward better control of their blood pressure. Further community-based studies, on a larger sample are needed. Keywords: Diet, Hypertension, Cross-sectional study, Saudi Arabia