Background: Hypertension is a public health
problem worldwide, but the prevalence in
Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area
is not known.
Objective: To investigate the prevalence of
hypertension in the locality and the extent of control
in diagnosed cases.
Methods: It is a prospective study involving
interviewing. Four hundred adults aged 20 years
and above selected through stratified random
sampling across the various compounds called
“AMA”; a unit of settlement comprising extended
families of common ancestors. A self-developed,
validated and pretested interviewer-administered
questionnaire on demographics, predisposing
factors, and medication history was used. In
addition, measurement of respondents’ blood
pressure, weight and height was carried out. The
Body Mass Index calculated and the data were
appropriately analysed.
Results: The response rate of questionnaire
distribution was 100.0% being interviewer
administered alongside weight, height and blood
pressure measurement. Majority of respondents
were female. Almost half of respondents (46.5%)
had their BMI above normal, 15.3% (61) of which
falls within the obese region (>30.0kg/m2
). The
mean (SD) systolic blood pressure among males
was 133.3 (3.2) mmHg and that of females was
127.4 (3.0) while the mean (SD) diastolic blood
pressures were 86.2 (1.7) and 83.9 (2.4) for males
and females respectively. Crude prevalence rate of
hypertension in the community was 15.0% (60) out
of which 13.8 % (55) were previously diagnosed.
The hypertension was that of Stage I in 11.5% (46)
and Stage II in 3.5% (14). Hypertension prevalence
was slightly higher in males (18.8%) than that of the
females (12.5%) (p= 0.0889), Relative Risk
(RR)=1.500 [95%CI 0.9422:2.388]. The prevalence
rate among 40 years and above was 41.6%
(42/101) who also constituted 70.0% (42/60) of
participants with hypertension in the survey and
10.5% (42/400) of the total. Of the previously diagnosed cases of hypertension, only 31% (17/55)
were taking their drugs during the survey and only
12.7% (07/55) had regular adherence to medication
and adequate BP control was achieved in 7.3%
(04/55). Majority of the patients on drugs (21.8%)
(12/55) were either taking methydopa as
monotherapy or in combination with amiloride and
hydrochlorothiazide. Other drugs being taken by
patients include lisinopril, propranolol, amlodipine,
atenolol, nifedipine and low dose aspirin.
Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension in the
semi urban community is 15.0% with a prehypertension
in another 23.5%. There was poor
control of blood pressure among previously
hypertensive patients.