Original Research Article
Year: 2019 | Month: October | Volume: 9 | Issue: 10 | Pages: 204-210
Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices among Hypertensive Patients Attending Medical Outpatient Clinic at Chuka County Referral Hospital, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya
James Mukundi Ngai1, Nyanchoka Abednego Moriasi1, Isaac Nthiga2, Wanjiru Mburu1, Samuel Mpungu3
1Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Kenya Medical Training College, Thika Campus P.O Box 729 – 01000, Thika, Kenya
2Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, Kabarak University, Kenya.
3Department of Nursing, Wangige Level 5 Hospital, Kenya
Corresponding Author: James Mukundi Ngai
ABSTRACT
Background: Hypertension has become a serious public health challenge in many developing countries. It is estimated that 80 million adults have hypertension in sub-Saharan Africa, with Kenya having a prevalence of 23.8%. Tharaka Nithi County is one the counties in Kenya with higher rates of hypertension.
Objective: To explore nutrition knowledge, attitude and practices of hypertensive patients.
Design: A cross sectional descriptive study was conducted. A sample of 87 were randomly selected
Setting:Medical outpateint clinic at Chuka County Referral Hospital.
Subjects: Hypertensive patients.
Results: Most of the subjects(55.2%) were female and 44.8% were males, a mean age of 48.46 ± 8.823, and 67.8% living in rural areas. The average scores for nutrition knowledge, attitude and practices was 54.71%, 75.3% and 57.17% respectively. The study found a significant relationship (r=0.002) between knowledge of any health condition related to high intake of salt and if good nutrition attitude is important in management of hypertension, knowledge of any health condition related to high intake of salt and adding extra salt to food on the table (r=0.005) as well as eating less salt help in management of hypertension and smoking cigarette(r=<0.001) and between thinking if physical exercise helps to reduce high blood pressure and smoking cigarette(r=0.042).
Conclusion: Average nutrition knowledge, positive nutrition attitude and good nutrition practices were observed among the study participants. The fact that significant relationship was found between nutrition KAP, interventions aimed at improving nutrition KAP among hypertensive patients should be enforced focusing on management of hypertension.
Key words: Hypertension, nutrition knowledge, nutrition attitude, nutrition practices, Kenya