STUDY TO DETERMINE THE PUBLIC ALERTNESS ABOUT HYPERTENSION

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and related lifestyle factors, and to investigate the level of hypertension awareness among adults and to formulate awareness strategies. Study Design: cross-sectional study Place and duration: In the Medicine Unit-II of Benazir Bhutto Hospital Rawalpindi for six months duration from January 2020 to June 2020. Patients and Methods: A total of 100 participants were interviewed. A structured questionnaire was completed on site for sociodemographic information following verbal informed consent. Height, weight, pulse and blood pressure were recorded. Results: A total of 100 participants were interviewed. The overall prevalence of hypertension in the study population was twenty-five percent (25%). The incidence of hypertension increased with age and with increasing body mass index. Only thirty-five percent (35%) could define hypertension, and this awareness was significantly related to the level of education. Lack of physical activity, card games and television vision were observed in sixty percent of participants, while thirty-three percent were overweight. Fifty-nine percent used extra salt, while seventy percent consumed outdoor meals and snacks. Conclusion: There was a high prevalence of hypertension, obesity, physical inactivity, unhealthy eating and bad eating habits in the studied population. An emphasis on health education and the use of electronic and printed media is recommended to raise public awareness of the risk factors and consequences of hypertension such as stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, etc. Keywords: awareness, hypertension, lifestyle, obesity, risk factors