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A qualitative study of patients’ and carers’ perspectives on factors influencing access to hypertension care and compliance with treatment in Nigeria

Ukoha-Kalu, Blessing; Aibe, Maxwell O.; Ukwe, Chinwe V.

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Authors

Maxwell O. Aibe

Chinwe V. Ukwe



Abstract

Objective:
We explored patients’ and carers’ perspectives on factors influencing access to hypertension care and compliance with treatment.

Methods:
This was a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with hypertensive patients and/or family carers receiving care at a government-owned hospital in north-central Nigeria. Eligible participants were patients who had hypertension, receiving care in the study setting, were aged 55 years and over and had given their written/thumbprint consent to participate in the study. An interview topic guide was developed from the literature and through pretesting. All the interviews were held face-to-face by a member of the research team. This study was conducted between December 2019 and February 2020. NVivo version 12 was used to analyse the data.

Results:
A total of 25 patients and 13 family carers participated in this study. To understand the barriers to compliance with hypertension self-management practices, three themes were explored, namely: personal factors, family/societal factors and clinic/organization factors. Support was the key enabling factor for self-management practices, which were categorized to emerge from three sources namely: family members, community and government. Participants reported that they do not receive lifestyle management advice from healthcare professionals, and do not know the importance of eating low-salt diets/engaging in physical activities.

Conclusion:
Our findings show that study participants had little or no awareness of hypertension self-management practices. Providing financial support, free educational seminars, free blood pressure checks, and free medical care for the elderly could improve hypertension self-management practices among patients living with hypertension.

Citation

Ukoha-Kalu, B., Aibe, M. O., & Ukwe, C. V. (2023). A qualitative study of patients’ and carers’ perspectives on factors influencing access to hypertension care and compliance with treatment in Nigeria. Journal of Hypertension, 41(5), 845-851. https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000003409

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 10, 2023
Online Publication Date Mar 3, 2023
Publication Date May 1, 2023
Deposit Date May 5, 2023
Publicly Available Date Mar 4, 2024
Journal Journal of Hypertension
Electronic ISSN 1473-5598
Publisher Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 41
Issue 5
Pages 845-851
DOI https://doi.org/10.1097/HJH.0000000000003409
Keywords Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine; Physiology; Internal Medicine
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/20286999
Publisher URL https://journals.lww.com/jhypertension/Abstract/2023/05000/A_qualitative_study_of_patients__and_carers_.19.aspx

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