The Role of Lifestyle Factors in Controlling Blood Pressure among Hypertensive Patients in Two Health Facilities in Urban Ghana: A Cross-Sectional Study
Table 2
Association between lifestyle characteristics and blood pressure control.
Variable
Controlled BP
No n (%)
Yes n (%)
value
Nonmodifiable Factors
Mean age (±SD)
61.2 ± 0.61
64.1 ± 1.31
0.012
Age categories
0.031
27–45
15 (5.43)
4 (4.76)
46–55
53 (19.20)
16 (19.05)
56–65
125 (45.9)
25 (29.76)
66–94
83 (30.07)
39 (46.43)
Sex
0.009
Male
90 (85.71)
15 (14.29)
Female
186 (72.94)
69 (27.06)
Educational
0.077
No formal education
74 (80.43)
18 (19.57)
Primary
90 (82.57)
19 (17.43)
Junior high
56 (65.88)
29 (34.12)
Secondary
43 (75.44)
14 (24.56)
Tertiary
13 (76.47)
4 (23.53)
Knowledge
0.056
No knowledge
145 (52.54)
50 (59.52)
Moderate knowledge
77 (27.90)
27 (32.14)
High knowledge
54 (19.57)
7 (8.33)
Comorbidity
<0.001
No
69 (25)
40 (47.62)
Yes
207 (75)
44 (52.38)
Number of pills
<0.001
1.2
85 (30.80)
46 (54.76)
2–4
191 (69.20)
38 (45.24)
Time since diagnosis
1 year
21 (7.61)
12 (14.29)
0.008
2–5 years
112 (40.58)
21 (25.00)
6–10 years
91 (32.97)
25 (29.76)
>10 years
52 (18.84)
26 (30.95)
History of smoking
0.017
Yes
30 (10.87)
2 (2.38)
No
246 (89.13)
82 (97.62)
Lifestyle factors
Alcohol consumption
<0.001
No
113 (40.94)
64 (76.19)
Yes
163 (59.06)
20 (23.81)
Alcohol use (per unit)
0.85 ± 0.83
0.31 ± 0.67
<0.001
Duration of exercise/week
<0.001
None
183 (66.30)
26 (30.95)
30 mins–1 hr
82 (29.71)
43 (51.19)
>1 hour
11 (3.99)
15 (17.86)
Major component in diet
Carbohydrates
<0.001
No
10 (3.62)
21 (25.0)
Yes
266 (96.38)
63 (75.0)
Meat and fats
0.001
No
157 (69.78
56 (90.32)
Yes
68 (30.22)
6 (9.68)
Fruit and vegetable
<0.001
No
177 (81.19)
26 (38.81)
Yes
41 (18.81)
41 (61.19)
High sodium
0.120
No
193 (92.79)
57 (98.28)
Yes
15 (7.21)
1 (1.72)
Total
276 (76.67)
84 (23.33)
Cell count less than 360 due to nonresponse abased on Fischer's exact test.
