Behavioral Examination of Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels in Survivors of Non-communicable Diseases in Monitoring Health in the Early Period of the Covid 19 Pandemic: A Study in Bogor in 2021

Abstract

The global pandemic of COVID-19 has greatly affected the lives of People Living with Non-Communicable Diseases (PLWNCDs), which in Indonesia are known as Orang yang Hidup dengan Penyakit Tidak Menular. Cardiovascular disease and other major NCDs share similar modifiable risk factors, namely lifestyle and metabolic factors. This study aims to determine whether people living with NCDs have the ability to monitor their blood pressure and cholesterol level to maintain healthy metabolism at the beginning of the pandemic. Data were collected using an online survey in September-October 2020 from Bogor cohort NCD study respondents with Coronary heart disease, Stroke, Hypertension, and comorbidity between those NCDs. These data were collected from the study baseline until 2019 (referred to as "old cases"), with additional NCD cases from respondent information in 2020 (referred to as "new cases"). SPSS was used to conduct cross-sectional analyses of univariate, bivariate, and multivariate for descriptive and analytical purposes. Dependent variables in this analysis are nominal variables with three categories. Therefore, logistic multinomial regression analysis is used to conduct the statistical analysis. Over half of the 1460 respondents with at least one NCD stated that they did not do regular blood pressure and cholesterol checks during the pandemic (62%). Only a small percentage of respondents (10.6%) checked their blood pressure and cholesterol at least once a month. This means that for every ten people with cardiovascular disease, only one checked their blood pressure and cholesterol levels during the pandemic. The multivariate regression analysis revealed that NCD survivors with hypertension had the highest odds and did not monitor blood pressure and cholesterol (OR adj = 3.34; 1.833-6.095) compared to non-hypertension NCD survivors.Additionally, people living with NCDs who lack health insurance, have a low level of education and are young (>50 years old) contribute to non-monitoring behaviour. Only one in ten people living with NCDs (CHD, stroke, hypertension, and a combination of the three diseases) monitored their blood pressure and cholesterol regularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who monitor blood