Impact of Hypertension on Quality of Life

This assignment delves into the consequences of hypertension on an individual's overall well-being. Students are tasked with analyzing research articles that examine the prevalence and risk factors associated with hypertension, as well as its impact on health-related quality of life. The analysis will shed light on the connection between high blood pressure and various aspects of daily living, including physical function, mental health, and social interactions.

1Running head: HEALTHCARE
Healthcare
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

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Table of Contents
I.Introduction..............................................................................................................................3
II.Significance of the Study........................................................................................................4
III.Review of Literature.............................................................................................................5
IV.Research Methodology.......................................................................................................11
V.Limitation/Delimitation........................................................................................................27
VI.Summary.............................................................................................................................28
VII.Recommendations.............................................................................................................28
VIII.Appendix..........................................................................................................................29
IX.References...........................................................................................................................32

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I. Introduction
The past one decade has witnessed a rapid increase in the burden of public health
concerns that have drawn the attention of public health departments across the globe.
Research is being conducted extensively to understand the effective strategies that when
applied can ensure prevention of the disease occurrence among the populations. Among the
most notable diseases and health conditions that have emerged as crucial public health
concerns in the recent past is hypertension, as pointed out by (Bakris & Sorrentino, 2017).
Primary hypertension is one of the world’s major risk factors for disease burden and is
expected to be the cause of millions of deaths annually due to cardiovascular diseases when
speaking on a global scale. Hypertension has been strongly correlated with some of the
adverse outcomes individuals can suffer such as heart failure, ischemic heart disease, stroke
and end-stage renal disease. The challenges and concerns regarding management of
hypertension and prevention of the same are unlikely to concede. As per statistical data, the
global burden of hypertension is supposed to increase by almost 60% by 2025. This would
imply that about 1.6 billion adults would be affected by this condition. Considerable
challenges remain in the attempt to decrease the burden of this condition. Firstly, the frequent
un-diagnosis of hypertension is a major issue, and early detection leads to end-organ damage.
Further, a major section of the patient population fails to adhere to the disease management
guidelines. In addition, there is some uncertainty as to the appropriate treatment target for
high-risk patients. Lastly, there is a low level of awareness among the public regarding the
risk factors for hypertension and the course of appropriate care (Iadecola et al., 2016).
A large pool of literature has concentrated on hypertension, encompassing both the
risk factors and preventive measures, but there also lies some limitations of these studies.
Noteworthy progress has not been achieved in understanding the awareness level, treatment

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and detection process and control measures that are perceived as important by individuals
across the community. There is a need for further research that can highlight the views and
perceptions of individuals so that the concerns faced by these people can be addressed at the
grass root level (Dominiczak & Kuo, 2018).
II. Significance of the Study
a) Research Questions
Research indicates that there lies a gap in existing literature that highlights the impact of
hypertension on daily lives of individuals across communities. Further, research is also
required to understand the significant risk factors for hypertension in the social and economic
context of communities. In addition, extensive research is required to highlight the suitable
prevention strategies that when applied to the community can arrest the increasing prevalence
of hypertension among individuals. The present research aimed at addressing the following
research questions to gain valuable insights into the important health topic of hypertension-
 What is hypertension? What are the main signs and symptoms of hypertension?
 What are the important risk factors for developing hypertension?
 How does hypertension affect people in their daily lives?
 How can hypertension be prevented and the risk of developing the disease be
reduced?
b) Definitions
Hypertension, also termed as high blood pressure, is the long term medical condition
in which the individiauls have persistently elevated blood pressure of the arteries. High blood
pressure does not lead to symptoms when speaking in general terms. High blood pressure is
classified as primary or secondary high blood pressure.

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Blood pressure in humans is measured by the systolic and diastolic pressures,that
denote that manimum and minimum pressures respectively. For healthy adults, the normal
reference range of blood pressure is between 100–130 millimeters mercury (mmHg) systolic
and 60–80 mmHg diastolic pressure. High blood pressure is denoted when the blood pressure
is persistently at or above 30/90 or 140/90 mmHg. For children, the rnage varies between
individuals (Galie et al., 2015).
III. Review of Literature
Hypertension is certainly a leading factor behind premature mortality and what is
striking is that hypertension is preventbale. Mill et al., (2016) carried out a study to examine
the global disparities of prevalenc, control and treatment of hypertension in 2010. A rigorous
literature search was done for concluding the results. In 2010, the proportion of the global
population with hypertension was 31.1%. high income countries contributed to 28.5% of this
number whie low and middle income countries contributed to 31.5%. the age-standardized
prevalence of hypertension witnessed a decrease by 2.6% from the year 2000 to 2010 in high
income countries. In constrast, the number increased by 7.7% in middle and low income
countries. The ultimate conclusion was that global hypertension is on the rise and
collaborative initiatives are required at the earliest for combating the increasing the burden of
hypertension. Hypertension leads to increased healthcare costs as opined by Isllam et al.,
(2015). Major economic burden have been felt on households, individuals, healthcare systems
and the entire nation due to the increasing prevalence of hypertension. Investments to prevent
hypertension would lead to cost-saving, as indicated by previous studies. In a number of
developing countries, and some developed countries, hypertension is often undiagnosed.
Though effective lifestyle interventions and therapies have been articulated across literature,
full control of the growing burden of the disease still remains difficult to achieve.

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Hypertension in children and adolescents is strikingly detectable. In children, just as
adults, hypertension has been linked with lifestyle factors, obesity and family history of
hypertension. Due to well established epidemic of obesity, high blood pressure prevalence is
also increasing. Though cardiovascular disability and death are not common in children
suffering from hypertension, target organ damage is common such as left ventricular
hypertrophy, retinal vascular changes, thickening of the carotid vessel wall, and even subtle
cognitive change (Falkner, 2010). Lurbe and Ingelfinger (2016) in this regard mentioned that
data present on childhood blood pressure has seen a substantial increase over the past three
decades. The progress marked in data is to be used as research advances that would precisely
translate into clinical practice.
Hu et al., (2017) studied the risk factors for hypertension with the justification that
hypertension is a helaht challenge faced by all countries worldwide. At present, 1.5 billion
people are estimated to suffer from this disease. Blood pressure (BP) values of 120–139/80–
89 mm Hg have a distinct link with increased risk of mortality and cardiovascular morbidity.
Themain reasons for hypertension is fast economic development, urbinsation, population
aging and dietary habits. The researchers undertook a study with multivariate logistic
regression analysis and SPSS for assessing determinants of hypertension. The risk of
hypertension increased with a sharp increase in BMI. There was also a significant correlation
between increasing age and hypertension. Abdominal, smoking and menopause in women
were other risk factors. Another notebale revealation was that the overnall prevelance of
hypertension was higher in males when compared to females. However, the prevalence in
females aged above 65 years was more than that in males belonging to the same age group.
The prevalence of hypertension had the tendency to increase with age, more for people with
age 45 years and above. Further,

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According to Mollaoglu et al., (2015) hypertension is a chronic disease that leads to
different organ injury and thus the target for life-long therapy revolves around keeping
hypertension under control. Research indicates that in more than half of the patient
population suffering from hypertension, bood pressure is not controlled optimally.
Hypertension has been denoted to impair significantly the quality of life and shorten the life
span of the individual. This is more prominent in the advanced stages of the disease though
the course is not evident in the initial stages. Hypertensive patients coomonly feel the
psychology of suffering from a chronic disease. They also face challenges and difficulties in
changing their lifestyle so as to control high blood pressure. As a result there is a negative
impact on the quality of life. previous studies had indicated that factors such as exercise and
diet have a negative impact on quality of life in hypertensive patients. the study conducted by
the researchers found that females are more likely to suffer from hypertension than males. It
further highlighted that the majority of patients do not undergo checkups on a regular basis
for hypertensive therapy.
Khaw et al., (2011) carried out a survey to highlighted the health-related quality of
life (HRQOL) among patients suffering from hypertension and compared the same with
general population. the study used the 36-item short form for measuring different aspects of
quality of life of 388 hypertensive patients. the study result indicated that hypertension was
responsible for reducing HRQOL to a considerable degree. Further, cardiovascular
comorbidities exacerbated the reductions. The researchers suggested that future research is
required to understand the effective interventions that can ensure suitbaale HRQOL. Oza et
al., (2014) highlighted that female gender, age, number of symptoms, duration, systolic blood
pressure and number of medications are crucial predictors of QOL in hypertensive patients.
this finding was supported by the research of Pangtey and Singh (2016) who concluded from
their descriptive cross sectional study that most hypertensive patients suffer poor quality of

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life. As per the researchers quality of life is a vital outcome for hypertensive patients which
is affected in an adverse manner by both hypertension itself and the side effects of the drugs.
The results of the study further indicated that women had poorer QOL when compared to
men. Other studies such as that of De Carvalho et al., (2013) also point out the same results
that systematic hypertension impairs QOL. Health professionals are to give more attention to
QOL of patients and seek changes in the therapeutic approaches. Social and medical
alternatives having a suitable influence on QOL can be a good approach. A better patient-
docor relationship would also be beneficial for enabling blood pressure control.
Oza et al., (2014) however commented that reports of QOL among patients with
hypertension has been fundamentally conflicting. While some studies point out that QOL
among hypertensives is poor as compared to the general population, other studies point out
that hypertension has no influence on the QOL. Soni et al. (2011) contradicts that HRQOL is
impaired due to comorbidities and complications. The review article of the researchers
pointed out that QOL is poorer when the patient is suffering from co-existent diseases such as
diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Themost prominent impact of hypertension was on the
physcial function domains of QOL. Evidences highlighted that ACE-inhibitors were useful
for improving cardiovascular outcomes and renal outcomes in hypertensive patients.
however, the role in amelioration of QOL outcomes were not established. Wang et al., (2009)
highlighted that hypertension jas been associated with symptoms such as dizziness, anxiety,
tiredness and headache, that lead to increased stress. As a result, patients suffer poor mental
health since their is impaired social functioning, mood and psychological functioning.
Sociodemographic factors such as region of residence, gender, age, marital status, frequency
of activities, educational level, family monthly income and occupation influences dimension
of QOL.

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The worldwide prevalence of hypertension is increasing at an alarming rate and thus
the primary prevention of hypetension is a global health initiative at present. Physical activity
is the most commonly recommended lifestyle modification that aids in prevention of
hypertension. Epidemiological evidence point out that a temporal, consistent, and dose-
dependent relationship exists between physcial activity and hypertension development (Diaz
& Shimbo, 2014). Evidence gathered from interventional studies confirm the association
between hypertension and physical activity in the recent years. However, some questions still
remain unanswered regarding the benefits of physical activity in preventing hypertension,
factors moderating the link between the two and the best prescription for prevention of th
disease.
Fuchs et al., (2010) discussed the prevention of hypertension in patient with
prehypertension. Blood pressure with levels of pre-hypertension confers more cardiovascular
risk and thus has been noted as the intermediate stage for full hypertension. Non-drug
interventions for preventing hypertension have had poor effectiveness. For patients who have
had previous history of diabetes or cardiovasucular disease, the administration of blood
pressure reducing agents is effective in reducing the risk of major cardiovasucalr events. The
early use of drugs that act to lower blood pressure might prevent incidence of hypertension.
The concept that blood pressure lowring agents have marked impacts on patients is rooted in
the minds of the physicians. Some of the clinical trials highlighted that hypertension can be
prevented with the help of drug treatment.
Nutritional factors in management of hypertension has been discussed by a number of
researchers out which the study by Ngueyn et al., (2013) had been important. Hypertension is
a significant cause of mortality and morbidity that take a toll on the lives of patients,
negatively influencing chances of survival. Optimisation of bood pressure has been linked
with improvement in overall health conditions, apart from pharmacological therapies, diertary

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modification as a nonpharmacological approach plays a crucial role in the control of blood
pressure. The main dietary components have been pointed out to be calcium, sodium,
potassium, fibre and magnesium. These nutritional factors have been repeatedly used as a
robust strategy for controlling blood pressre, mainly in the early stages of hypertension (SBP
140–159 mmHg and/or DBP 90–99 mmHg). Strong evidences are present that recommend
the consumption of a diet that has rich potassium, high fibre and low alcohol intake. A
patterned diet with high content of fruits, low-fat diary products, vegetables, fish, nuts and
whole grains, and low content of fat, red meat and sugar-sweetended food have been
recommended. Pharmacological supplements for achieving these goals pertaining to diet has
not been advised. The recommendation outlined above is not very clear and lacks consistency
across research. Nevertheless, recommendations for nutritional therapy have been effective in
reduction of blood pressure and reducing overall mortality due to hypertension related
complications.
Ferdinand et al., (2012) put forward a valuable literature on the community based
approaches for prevention and management of cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
Community hypertension has reached to a level where improvement of public health has been
thought important. Hypertension is certainly the leading cause of cardiovascular disease,
accounting for almost 66% of the deaths in the US. The other risk factors include obesity,
high cholesterol and obesity. A public health approach to hypertension reduces the rate of
mortality and morbidity related to hypertension. Further, it curtails the high costs of
healthcare. Thus, public health interventions for hypertension promises to diminish the risk of
cardiovascular diseases too. It is to be mentioned that educating people about lifestyle
modifications, healthy eating and regular exercise can be effective in this regard.

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IV. Research Methodology
A) Subjects
A online survey was carried out for addressing the research questions on
hypertension. 100 participants were selected for this purpose. The population information
was collected from a city retail store after getting their approval. The persons were contacted
individually over telephone and the purpose of the research was explained to them. They
were motivated to take part in the research as it was directed towards understanding health
behaviours of individuals.
B) Data Collection Methods
A questionnaire with 25 questions was prepared keeping in mind the research
objectives that acted as the data collection tool. There are some distinct advantages of using
questionnaires as the data collection tool in a research, the most important one being the fact
that it is the most practical way of collecting data. Large volume of information can be
collected from a group of people within a short span of time. It is also a cost effective
process. The results of the questionnaires can be quantified in a easy manner and analysis is
objectively done. The questionnaire has been attached in the appendix.
C) Role of the Researcher
The main role of the researcher was to motivate the respondents to take part in the
study and provide adequate responses. Gaining informed constent from the respondents prior
to research was of prime importance as an ethical principle.
D) Data analysis
This section analyses the data collecton from online survey as the form of primary
data. The data is represented in graphical form that would help to analyse the information for
drawing in inferences from the study.

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The following are the results of the survey done with the questionnaire-
1. What is your age?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
20-29 years 41 100 41
30-39 years 25 100 25
40-49 years 21 100 21
50 years and
above
13 100 13
41% of the respondents were of the age group of 20-29 years whereas only 13% of the
respondents were above the age of 50 years. The survey therefore primary focused on
participants of young age.

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2. What is your gender?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Male 56 99 56.6
Female 43 99 43.4
The percentage of female respondents was 56.6% while the percentage of male
respondents was 56.6%. from this data we can conclude that the gender difference in
responses collected were not significant.
3. Has your physician told you that you have high blood pressure?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes 34 99 34.3

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No 49 99 49.5
Do not
know
16 99 16.2
Only 34.3% respondents had been informed by their physician that they had high blood
pressure and 49.9% respondents had never been informed by their physician that they had
this condition. 16.2% respondend that they had no clear idea about the same. This
indicates that chances of undiagnosed cases of hypertension is high.
4. How often do you get your blood pressure checked?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Monthly 21 99 21.2
Every 3-4 20 99 20.2

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months
Every 6
months
26 99 26.3
Once a
year
32 99 32.3
There was not much variation in the frequency of getting blood pressure checked among
the respondents. 32.3% respondents reported to check their blood pressure once a year,
indicating that awareness about getting regular blood pressure checked is low. Only
21.2% people checked their blood pressure monthly. 26.3% checked their blood pressure
every six months while 20.2% people checked their blood pressure quarterly.
5. Have you had a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or less in the last year?

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Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes 45 99 45.5
No 31 99 31.3
Do not
know
23 99 23.2
While 45.5% of respondents were reported to have measured high blood pressure in the
past one year 31.3% reported to not have so. A significant percentage of the respondents
23.2% reported that they were not sure of having a blood pressure at 140/90 in the past
one year, indicating that a considerable section of the respondents were not aware of their
blood pressure status.
6. Do you take your blood pressure at home?
Options Response Total Percentage

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Frequency Respondents of Response
Yes
30 100 30
No 49 100 49
Do not
know
21 100 21
Almost half of the respondents reported that they did not measure blood pressure at home,
denoted by 49% of the total population. 30% of the population reported that they
measured blood pressure at home 21%. This signified that blood pressure is usually
measured at care settings mostly.
7. Which of the following symptoms have you had?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Chest 22 98 20.8

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pain
Blurry
vision
21 98 19.8
Headache
and
dizziness
28 98 26.4
None 35 98 33
Most of the respondents reported that they did not suffer from any symptoms related to
high blood pressure, that is 33%. However, there was a parity among the percentage of
responses recorded for the three symptoms measured. While 20.8% reported to suffer
chest pain, and 19.8% reported to suffer blurry vision, 26.4% reported to suffer from
headache and dizziness. This clearly highlighted that among the symptoms suffered by
the respondents headache and dizziness is most common.
8. Are you aware of the risk factors for developing hypertension?

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Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes
70 99 70.7
No 23 99 23.2
Do not
know
6 99 6.1
From the data it was clearly indicated that a considerable section of the population was aware
of the risk factors for hypertension as 70.7% gave a positive response to the question and
23.3% gave a negative response. A negligible section of the population had o clear idea of the
same.
9. Are you currently taking medication prescribed by a doctor to lower your blood
pressure?

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Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes
63 100 63
No 30 100 30
Do not
know
7 100 7
From the above data it is clearly indicated that 63% of the population are udner medication
for lowring or controlling their blood pressure. This signifies that medication is he chosen
means of controlling blood pressure and preventing its occuurence.
10. Does high blood pressure affect the ability to carry out usual daily activities?
Options Response Total Percentage

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Frequency Respondents of Response
Yes
44 98 44.9
No 28 98 28.6
Do not
know
26 98 26.5
There was a distinct public consensus that high blood pressure affects the ability to carry out
usual daily activities as 44.9% agreed to it. 28.6% responded that high bood pressure does not
have an effect on daiy activities and 26.5% reported that they had no clear idea about the
same.
11. Has a doctor in the past year ordered you to change your lifestyle, in order to
lower/maintain your blood pressure?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
54 100 54

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Yes
No 40 100 40
Do not
know
6 100 6
54% respondents agreed that their physican had been advised them to bring in lifetysle
modification for lowering or controlling hypertension. This signifies that physicians have a
proactive role in spreading awareness but the extent needs to be increased as 40% have not
received nay such advice.
12. Do you know anyone in your social circle suffering from hypertension?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes
54 100 54

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No 31 100 31
Do not
know
15 100 15
From the data it was found that 54% of the respondents knew someone with hypertension,
denoting that the prevalence of this condition is realy widespread. 15% respondents were
not aware of the same, highlighting that the exact numberof hypertension patients might
be higher.
13. Do you have a family history of high blood pressure?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes
63 98 64.3

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No 19 98 19.4
Do not
know
16 98 16.3
64.3% reported that they have a family history of hypertension while 19.4% reported not to
have a history of hypertension. 16.3% reported of not having exact knowledge about the
same.
14. Have you done a treadmill test in the past one year?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes
42 100 42
No 48 100 48
Do not 10 100 10

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know
The majority of the respodnents did not take part in treadmill test for detection of heart
ailments in the past one year, as indicated by the 48% response. Only 42% had taken part
in such a test that is related significantly with high blood pressure.
15. Are you ready to bring in modifications in your lifestyle?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes
54 98 54.5
No 30 98 30.3
Do not
know
15 98 15.2

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A significant section of the population, 54.5% admitted that they were ready to bring in
changes in their lifestyle for preventing hypertension. However, this proportion is to be
increased at the earliest for making the community free of high blood pressure related
conditions.
16. Do you suffer from considerable stress in your life?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes
58 99 58.6
No 25 99 25.3
Do not
know
16 99 16.2

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58.6% individuals reported to have been suffering from stress in their lives while 16.2%
werenot aware about the stress theyr were subjected to on a daily basis. The data is crucial
sicne stress has been linked with hypertension.
17. Select the type of diet you follow
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of
Response
Diabetic 16 99 16.2
Low
Carbohydrate
14 99 14.1
Low
Cholesterol
24 99 24.2
No special diet 45 99 45.5

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The majority of the respondents reported that they did not follow a special diet for
preventing high blood pressure or related conditions. This indicated that the level of
awarenss regarding the need of maintaining proper diet for preventing high blood
pressure was not felt by most of the individuals. While 24.2% followed a low cholesterol
diet and 16.2% followed a diabetic diet, only 14.1% followed a low carbohydrate diet.
17. What type of physical activity do you do?
Options Response
Frequenc
y
Total
Respondent
s
Percentag
e of
Response
Walking 37 97 38.1
Aerobic
workout
18 97 18.6
Running/
jogging
16 97 16.5
Swimming 26 97 26.8

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Majority of the participants reported to consider walking as the main form of physical
activity done on a regualr basis, indicated at 38.1%. While 26.8% reported to take part in
swimming, 16.5% and 18.6% reported to consider running/jogging and aerobic workout
as the regular form of physical exercise. The data highlighted that most of the respondents
did not consider rigorous form of exercise on a regular basis.
19. Do you smoke?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes 42 100 42
No 58 100 58

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From the data generated it was clear that as many as 42% of the respondents had the habit
of smoking while 58% did not report to have the habit of smoking. From this data it canbe
pointed out that smoking acted as a major risk factor of high blood pressure in
individuals.
20. Do you drink?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes 44 99 44.4
No 55 99 55.6

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From the data generated it was clear that as many as 44.4% of the respondents had the habit
of smoking while 55.6% did not report to have the habit of smoking. From this data it can be
pointed out that drinking on a regular basis acted as a major risk factor of high blood pressure
in individuals.
21. Have you participated in any hypertension educational program before?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes 30 96 31.3
No 66 96 68.8

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68.8% respondents reported that they had not taken part in any hypertension education
program before while only 31.3% had taken part in such programs previously. This data
is significant as it clearly highlights that participation in hypertension education programs
is very poor, augmenting the risk of suffering high blood pressure without prevention.
22. Would you like to participate in our high blood pressure educational program?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes 56 99 56.6
No 43 99 43.4

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While 56.6% respondents showed interest to take part in hypertension education program
43.3% respondents were disinterested. It can be concluded that there lies no significant
interest among individuals to take part in education programs for addressing high
prevalence of hypertension.
22. Do you like to have additional support regarding hypertension immediately?
Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Yes 53 100 53
No 47 100 47
53.3% respondents showed interest to receive additional support regarding hypertension on
an immidiate basis while 47% showed disinterest in the same. It can be concluded that there
lies a lack of intrest among individuals to receive help on an immediate basis that can help
them to combat hypertension in addition to the regular services that might be available.
24. Which form of healthcare setting would you like to approach for care services?

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Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Public 50 100 50
Private 39 100 39
Non-governmental
Organization/Charity
organization
11 100 11
It can be highlighted that amajor section of the population, 50%, has a preference for reciving
treatment from public healthcare settings as contrast to 30% preference for private settings
and only 11% preferences for non-governmental settings. This brings into focus the high
demand for public care settings to deliver hypertension care.
25. What form of resource would be helpful for you to increase your awareness on
hypertension?

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Options Response
Frequency
Total
Respondents
Percentage
of Response
Information
booklets
60 100 60
CDs 27 100 27
Others 13 100 13
Information booklets is the clear choice of educational material that would be useful for
spreading awareness on hypertension, as 60% of respondents voted for it. While CDs were
being preferred by 27% individuals, other form of materials were preferred by only 13%.
Comparison of study findings from survey and literature review

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The survey results indicated that majority of individuals do not have knowledge
whether they have hypertension or not as they have not been informed about the same by the
physician. These individuals were not aware of the blood pressure status. This refers to own
status of high blood pressure as well as the status of other individuals in the social circle. The
level of awareness to check blood pressure on a regular basis was found to be low among the
population. Literature supports that hypertension remains undiagnosed in a number of cases,
leading to high rate of mortality owing to related conditions. The survey results indicated that
blood pressure is mostly recorded at healthcare settings and not at home.
There was a clear indication from the survey results that high blood pressure has a
distinct impact on the daily activities of living of individuals. This is in accordance with the
literature findings that highlight that the burden on individuals are distinct both in relation to
psychological stress and physical conditions. The consensus was that the respondents were
aware of the risk factors of hypertension and most were ready to make changes in their
lifetysle to avoid the same. Stress acted as an important factor influencing the quality of life
formost respondents. From the literature review it has already been found that stress is highly
linked with hypertension.
The most common complaints due to high blood pressure was dizziness and
headache, followed by chest pain. However, there was no inclination towards following a
particular diet for prevention of hypertension. In addition, the form of physical activity that
individuals commonly considered was walking while more rigorous activities such as
swimming and aerobic workout was not the preference. This aspect might not receive much
attention as the benefits of physical activity for preventing hypertension has not been
established in literature. The rate of smoking among the population was high indicating that
smoking is a risk factor for development of hypertension. Smoking had also been found to be
a major risk for hypertension as indicated by the literature review.

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A considerable section of the population reported that they had not taken part in any
hypertension education program previously. However, most of this population showed
interest in taking part in such programs in future. In addition, they were eager to receive
additional support regarding hypertension on an immediate basis. Further, educational
materials might be of any form such as information booklet and CDs, the former one being
more preferred. As understood from the discussion on existing literature, community based
approaches are useful for improving health conditions. The key to success would be to direct
the initiatives towards the varied needs of the individuals. Data indicates that patient prefer
receiving services from public healthcare settings for addressing their healthcare needs.
Therefore, these settings must be well equipped to face the challenge of providing services to
a high population of hypertensive patients.
E) Method of Verification
The method of verification of the research is the survey carried out along with the
statistical interpretation. The advantages of carrying out survey with questtionaire is
multifaceted. The statistical analysis gave valuable insights into the research questions.
V. Limitation/Delimitation
The study had a limitation of small sample size of only 100 respodnents. Due to lack
of resources and time constraints larger sample size was not feasible to be considered.
Further, majority of the respondents were of the age group 20-29 years.
VI. Summary
The main findings from the research conducted in this paper is that there undiagnosed
cases of hypertension among individuals is noteworthy. Apart from hypertension in adults,
children are also affected by the same condition to some extent. The public attitude regarding

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regular monitoring of blood pressure is lagging behind considerably. The main risk factors
for hypertention are smoking, obesity, and menopause in women. Hypertension has a marked
negative impact on daily lives of individuals, as it leads to adverse health conditions,
impaired social functioning, mood and psychological functioning. Prevention can be effective
through a dietary intervention and certain classess of pharmacological drugs. Community
baased programs on hypertension holds much potential to raise awarenss among the masses
about the impact of the disease on individual as well as national level.
VII. Recommendations
Investments in suitable evidence based prevention strategies for hypertension would
be providing the optimal opportunity to bring improvement in health outcomes of the
population in the US. Different community programs have been implemented till date and
each contributes some rich health information on the health topic being discussed.
Community outreach and education would act as the substitute for conventional therapy in
hypertension. Future research is required at the earliest in aligment with current evidence-
based efforts for contributing to the prevetion of hypertension. Evidence based appoaches
such as different logic models holds the potential to guide an outcome-based approach. These
models can act as a tool for planning, implementing and disseminating activities (Siu, 2015).
Grants provided by the government is important for planning the preventive strategies and
having long-term impacts. Funding is essential for documenting changes taking place within
the community with multiple benefits.

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VIII. Appendix
The following questionnaire was used for conducting the survey.
1. What is your age?
20-29 years
30-39 years
40-49 years
50 years and above
2. What is your gender?
Male
Female
3. Has your physician told you that you have high blood pressure?
Yes
No
Do not know
4. How often do you get your blood pressure checked?
Monthly
Every 3-4 months
Every 6 months

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Once a year
5. Have you had a blood pressure reading of 140/90 or less in the last year?
Yes
No
Do not know
6. Do you take your blood pressure at home?
Yes
No
Do not know
7. Which of the following symptoms have you had?
Chest pain
Blurry vision
Headache and dizziness
None
8. Are you aware of the risk factors for developing hypertension?
Yes
No
Do not know
9. Are you currently taking medication prescribed by a doctor to lower your blood
pressure?

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Yes
No
Do not know
10. Does high blood pressure affect the ability to carry out usual daily activities?
Yes
No
Do not know
11. Has a doctor in the past year ordered you to change your lifestyle, in order to
lower/maintain your blood pressure?
Yes
No
Do not know
12. Do you know anyone in your social circle suffering from hypertension?
Yes
No
Do not know
13. Do you have a family history of high blood pressure?
Yes
No
Do not know
14. Have you done a treadmill test in the past one year?

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Yes
No
Do not know
15. Are you ready to bring in modifications in your lifestyle?
Yes
No
Do not know
16. Do you suffer from considerable stress in your life?
Yes
No
Do not know
17. Select the type of diet you follow
Diabetic
Low Carbohydrate
Low Cholesterol
No special diet
18. What type of physical activity do you do?
Walking
Aerobic workout
Running/jogging
Swimming

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19.Do you smoke?
Yes
No
20. Do you drink?
Yes
No
21. Have you participated in any hypertension educational program before?
Yes
No
22. Would you like to participate in our high blood pressure educational program?
Yes
No
23. Do you like to have additional support regarding hypertension immediately?
Yes
No
24. Which form of healthcare setting would you like to approach for care services?
Public
Private
Non-governmental Organization/Charity organization

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25. What form of resource would be helpful for you to increase your awareness on
hypertension?
Information booklets
CDs
Others

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