Assessing Medication Default, Alcohol Intake and Smoking Habits among Hypertensive Patients in a Rural Village of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Hypertension (high blood pressure), though treatable and manageable, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and renal diseases. The study assessed medication compliance, alcohol intake and smoking habits among hypertensive patients in a rural village of Limpopo province. A descriptive cross-sectional design was employed where self-reported questionnaires were used to collect data. A total of 89 hypertensive patients participated in the study giving a 97.8% response rate. Most (n=75; 84.3%) participants were females and the average ages for males and females were 44.14±9.08 years and 46.49±8.05 years respectively. Most participants (n=70; 78.7%) were divorced; about a quarter (n=23; 25.8%) had no formal schooling and 40(44.9%) were unemployed. Furthermore, this study found that 13.5% were smokers, 20.2% consumed alcohol and 20% reported not to be complying with their antihypertensive medication regimen. In addition, the study found statistically significant differences (p=0.000 and p=0.025) between male and female smokers and the mean number of bottles of alcohol consumption respectively. There is a need to heighten hypertension awareness and management through health education by targeting low socio-economic communities.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p1614