Prevalence of Hypertension in the Middle Belt of Ghana: A Community-Based Screening Study

Abstract

Objective Prevalence of hypertension is on the rise and can be attributed to aging populations and changing behavioral or lifestyle risk factors. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence, awareness, treatment, control, and risk factors of hypertension in the middle part of Ghana. Methods A total of 2,555 participants aged ≥18 years (mean age of 43 years; 60.5% female) were enrolled using a two-stage sampling method. The World Health Organization STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk factor Surveillance-Instrument v2.1 was used for data collection. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements were assessed. Blood glucose and lipids were also measured using blood samples collected after an overnight fast. Results Prevalence of hypertension was 28.1% (95% CI: 26.3%–29.8%). Less than half, i.e., 45.9% (95% CI: 42.2%–49.6%), of the respondents were aware of their hypertensive status. Of those aware and had sought medical treatment, 41.3% (95% CI: 36.1–46.8) had their hypertension controlled. Risk factors associated with being hypertensive were current (p=0.053) and past tobacco usage (p < 0.001), prediabetes (p=0.042), high body mass index (p < 0.001), hyperglycaemia (p=0.083), and hypercholesterolaemia (p=0.010). Doing vigorous work and being active in sports were less associated with being hypertensive (p < 0.001). Conclusion Our study showed that close to one-quarter of adults who were involved in the survey in the middle belt of Ghana were hypertensive with less than half being aware of their hypertensive status; nearly half of those on treatment had controlled hypertension. Healthcare systems need adequate resources that enable them to screen, educate, and refer identified hypertensive patients for appropriate management to prevent or minimize the development of hypertension-related complications.

Alcohol consumption and fruits and vegetable intake among older adults in Ghana: a cross-sectional survey based on WHO-SAGE Wave 2 data

“…19 These are likely contributors to the increasing burden of NCDs such as obesity, hypertension and diabetes mellitus in Ghana. [20][21][22] The prevalence of these diseases is higher in older adults. These adults are also less likely to have the financial resources to spend on these diseases as they are often past their prime working lives at this time.…”

Cardiovascular Risk Factors in the Civil Service of Oyo State, South-Western Nigeria: An Epidemic with an Unmatched Response

“…This study revealed a significant proportion of respondents with a high prevalence of CV risk factors. [31] and Ghana [32] respectively. The higher prevalence could result from the use of a high-risk population of civil servants compared with the use of the general population in the three studies.…”

Uptake of Task-Strengthening Strategy for Hypertension (TASSH) control within Community-Based Health Planning Services in Ghana: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial

“…About 50% of the population have valid health insurance cards that enable them to access basic healthcare under the National Health Insurance Scheme. In 2016, 2555 community members aged ≥ 18 years (mean age of 43 years, SD 17; 60.5% female) participated in a cross-sectional health survey, which documents the prevalence of hypertension as 28.1% (95% CI 26.3-29.8), with pre-hypertension prevalence of 42.5% [28]. Approximately 45.9% (95% CI 42.2-49.6) of hypertensive respondents were aware of their diagnosis; of those aware, 41.3 (95% CI 36.1-46.8) sought medical treatment and had their hypertension controlled, while 58.7% (95% CI 53.2-63.9) did not seek any medical treatment.…”

“…Approximately 45.9% (95% CI 42.2-49.6) of hypertensive respondents were aware of their diagnosis; of those aware, 41.3 (95% CI 36.1-46.8) sought medical treatment and had their hypertension controlled, while 58.7% (95% CI 53.2-63.9) did not seek any medical treatment. Tobacco use in the area is about 3%, and the prevalence rate of obesity among the adult population (> 40 years) is 11% [28].…”