A Cross-sectional study of awareness and treatment seeking behaviour of hypertensive people of rural and urban area of Agra District

This study was a part of broad cross-sectional study conducted in Agra District. Descriptive study was used to assess the awareness, treatment seeking behaviour and control of hypertension among study population. The results reveal that overall prevalence of hypertension was 36.42% only 35.66% of the total hypertensive persons were aware of their hypertension status, and only 50.76% of them were on medication. Of those treated, 89.06% had controlled hypertension. The study concludes that undiagnosed hypertension is significant. Awareness, treatment and control of hypertension are not up to the mark. As we all know hypertension is fatal in long term so its complete awareness and control is essential for the benefit of not only for a individual but for whole society. Introduction Hypertension is an interesting disease entity of its own. It remains silent, being generally asymptomatic during its clinical course. As it is hidden beneath an outwardly asymptomatic appearance, the disease does immense harm to the body in the form of “Target Organs damage” hence, the WHO has named it the 'Silent Killer’. The prevalence of hypertension is showing an increasing trend. As most of the urban areas have access to health facilities, here the hidden mass of hypertension in the community can be detected and treated. However, the situation is reversed in rural areas. A majority of the rural population in India have inadequate access to healthcare. Over half of the outpatient consultations are with indigenous and private practitioners, where regular screening for hypertension is not practiced. Clinic-based (Opportunistic) screening of hypertension will not screen and detect a large proportion of adult hypertensives. In turn they will not seek healthcare from the formal health sector, until seriously ill. Community-based screening can improve the detection and treatment of Hypertension. The age related rise in systolic blood pressure is primarily responsible for an increase in both incidence and prevalence of hypertension with increasing age. As the hypertension is an iceberg disease, awareness status of hypertension in India is poor. With this background, present research study is designed to find out the treatment seeking behaviour and awareness of hypertension in middle and old age population with comparison in rural and urban area of Agra District. Aim & Objectives To study about the awareness level regarding hypertension and treatment seeking behaviour of study population. 1. To study about the Prevalence and treatment seeking behaviour of rural and urban population against hypertension. 2. To study about awareness regarding hypertension among rural and urban areas of Agra district. Material and Methods This investigation is part of a cross-sectional prevalence study and the sampling strategy has been adopted to suit that objective. Sample size was estimated according to a standard method and the details were presented else where. A total of 544 persons were sampled. The institutional ethics committee approved the study protocol. The purpose of the study was explained, and the consent was taken from all the participants before data collection. Desired information about history of treatment if any and knowledge about hypertension were collected on pretested predesigned questionnaire by interview. Blood pressure of all the indivisual participants in the study was taken using OMRAN automated blood pressure reccording machine. Blood pressure of all the indivisuals was recorded in sitting position after the subject had rested for at least 5 minutes.Two blood pressure readings over a period of at least 3 minutes were taken on left arm in sitting position by usinig standard Omran automated blood pressure recording machine (IDSP operational mannual for district surveilance unit by MOHFW). The pressure at which the first korotkoff sound heard was taken to indicate systolic blood pressure and the point when the Sujan Singh et al. A Cross-sectional study of awareness and treatment seeking behaviour . Indian Journal of Forensic and Community Medicine, October-December 2017;4(4):250-254 251 korotkoff sound disappears, indicated diastolic blood pressure. (i) Hypertension defined as either systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥140 mmHg,or diastolic blood pressure ( DBP) ≥ 90 mmHg or participent on treatment with controll blood pressure (< 140/90 mmHg ). (ii) Known hypertensive’s persons having blood pressure <140/90 mm Hg put on treatment by a qualified MBBS/BAMS doctor. (iii) All persons diagnosed as hypertensive’s and having controlled blood pressure by any others methods. (iv) Treatment of hypertension was defined as current use of a prescription of medication for lowering elavated blood pressure by any method. The information collected from target age groups in study area was computerized in microsoft exel 2007 software in a preformed formet,on a regular basis.Data from microsoft excel 2007 was transferred on the predesigned classified tables which were formed according to the aims and objectives of the study. Data analysis was done to draw the valid inferences for which chi-square (X2) statistical tests were applied according to the need.