Prevalence and predictors of self care practices among hypertensive patients at Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia: cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Hypertension is a major risk factor and precursor of myocardial infarction, chronic kidney disease, heart failure and premature death. These vascular events increased costs of hypertension management. Self-care Practices were recommended to control blood pressure among hypertensive patients. Therefore, the objective of this study is to assess predictors of self-care practices among hypertensive patients at Jimma University Specialized Hospital.

RESULTS: A 341-hypertensive patients participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 54.35 ± 12.48 years with range of 26 to 89 years. One hundred seventy-seven (51.9%) respondents were males and male to female ratio is 1.08. About 61.9% of respondents were adherent to medication usage and 30.5%, 44.9%, 88.3%, 93.5% and 56.9% of respondents were adherent to low salt diet, physical activity, non-alcohol drinking, nonsmoking and weight management respectively. Normal weight (AOR = 1.822, 95% CI 1.073-3.093) was independent predictor of medication usage whereas good self-efficacy (AOR = 2.584, 95% CI 1.477-4.521) and being female (AOR = 0.517, 95% CI 0.301-0.887) were independent predictor of low salt diet and physical activity respectively. Also being female (AOR = 3.626, 95% CI 1.211-10.851) was independent predictors of non-smoking.