TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana
AU - Awuah, Raphael B.
AU - Anarfi, John K.
AU - Agyemang, Charles
AU - Ogedegbe, Gbenga
AU - De-Graft Aikins, Ama
PY - 2014/6
Y1 - 2014/6
N2 - Background: Hypertension is a major public health problem in many sub-Saharan African countries including Ghana, but data on urban poor communities are limited the aim of this study was therefore to assess the prevalence, awareness, management and control of hypertension among a young adult population in their reproductive ages living in urban poor communities in Accra. Methods: Cross-sectional, population-based survey of 714 young adults in their reproductive ages (women aged 15-49 years, men aged 15-59 years) living in three urban poor suburbs of Accra, Ghana. Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension in all three communities was 28.3% (women 25.6% and men 31.0%). Among respondents who had hypertension, 7.4% were aware of their condition; 4% were on antihypertensive medication while only 3.5% of hypertensive individuals had adequate blood pressure (BP) control (BP <140/90mmHg) the level of awareness and treatment was lower in men than in women (3.1 and 1.3% for men and 11.9 and 6.5% for women, respectively). Among individuals with hypertension, the rate of control was higher among women than among men (5.0 and 2.1%, respectively). Conclusion: Although about a quarter of the young adult population in these low-income communities of Accra have hypertension, the levels of awareness, treatment and control are abysmally low. We recommend community-specific primary and secondary prevention interventions that draw on existing resources, specifically implementing cardiovascular disease (CVD) interventions in faith-based organizations and task-shifting CVD care through the national Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) programme.
AB - Background: Hypertension is a major public health problem in many sub-Saharan African countries including Ghana, but data on urban poor communities are limited the aim of this study was therefore to assess the prevalence, awareness, management and control of hypertension among a young adult population in their reproductive ages living in urban poor communities in Accra. Methods: Cross-sectional, population-based survey of 714 young adults in their reproductive ages (women aged 15-49 years, men aged 15-59 years) living in three urban poor suburbs of Accra, Ghana. Results: The overall prevalence of hypertension in all three communities was 28.3% (women 25.6% and men 31.0%). Among respondents who had hypertension, 7.4% were aware of their condition; 4% were on antihypertensive medication while only 3.5% of hypertensive individuals had adequate blood pressure (BP) control (BP <140/90mmHg) the level of awareness and treatment was lower in men than in women (3.1 and 1.3% for men and 11.9 and 6.5% for women, respectively). Among individuals with hypertension, the rate of control was higher among women than among men (5.0 and 2.1%, respectively). Conclusion: Although about a quarter of the young adult population in these low-income communities of Accra have hypertension, the levels of awareness, treatment and control are abysmally low. We recommend community-specific primary and secondary prevention interventions that draw on existing resources, specifically implementing cardiovascular disease (CVD) interventions in faith-based organizations and task-shifting CVD care through the national Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) programme.
KW - Accra
KW - awareness
KW - control
KW - hypertension
KW - prevalence
KW - treatment
KW - urban poor
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84900419827&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1097/HJH.0000000000000165
DO - 10.1097/HJH.0000000000000165
M3 - Article
C2 - 24721931
AN - SCOPUS:84900419827
SN - 0263-6352
VL - 32
SP - 1203
EP - 1210
JO - Journal of Hypertension
JF - Journal of Hypertension
IS - 6
ER -