City Research Online

Abstract

Background: Self-monitoring of blood pressure (SMBP) is helpful in blood pressure (BP) status categorization and emerging evidence shows its beneficial impact on BP control. The study assessed the awareness and practice of SMBP and its associated sociodemographic factors among adult hypertensives in Southern Nigeria.

Methods: The study was cross-sectional and questionnaire-based. Eligible adult hypertensive patients attending a tertiary hospital in South-South, Nigeria, were randomly recruited from the cardiology clinic over one year. Health Research Ethics Committee provided Ethics Approval to conduct the study [HREC/PAN/2021/016/0327].

Results: Of the 364 hypertensive adults studied, the mean (±SD) age was 59.34 (±14.308) years, males (192, 52.7%) and urban dwellers (273, 75%). A total of 287 (78.8%) were aware of SMBP, and 240 (65.9%) practiced SMBP. Most (75, 60.5%) of the respondents who did not practice SMBP had no specific reason not to. Of the respondents who practiced SMBP, 226 (94.2%) owned a BP monitoring device, and 135 (56.3%) kept records of their BP readings, out of which 83% (112/135) cross-checked with clinic readings. The practice of SMBP was significantly associated with marital status (p=0.038), education (p<0.001), residence (p=0.011), average monthly income (p=0.020), and access to healthcare insurance (p=0.042) but not with age, sex, and occupation.

Conclusion: The awareness and practice of SMBP were high in this study. However, almost half of the respondents who practiced SMBP neither kept records nor cross-checked home BP with clinic readings, thus limiting the added clinical support SMBP offers. Healthcare providers must continue educating patients to maximize the benefits of SMBP.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© Copyright 2023 by the Cardiovascular Academy Society / International Journal of the Cardiovascular Academy published by Galenos Publishing House. Licenced by Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)
Publisher Keywords:	Self-monitoring of blood pressure, self-measured blood pressure, hypertension, out-of-office blood pressure, blood pressure, Nigeria
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Healthcare Services Research & Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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