Prevalence, Awareness, and Treatment of Hypertension among Older Adults: A Cross- Sectional Study in Egor Community, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background
Hypertension is a global, long-term health issue that primarily affects adults due to accumulated risk factors. This study examined the prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypertension among older adults in Egor Community, Edo State.
Methods
A cross-sectional design was used, involving 312 systematically selected adults. Data were collected through a validated, self-design validated questionnaire. Analysis was conducted using SPSS version 28, applying descriptive statistics, bivariate and multinomial logistic regression, and Spearman correlation at a 5% significance level.
Results
Hypertension prevalence was 51.6%, with 52.9% of participants showing low awareness. Dietary modifications included reduced sodium (93.9%) consumption of refined sugar-containing foods (91.0%), and increased fruit and vegetable intake (63.1%). Key behavioral changes were medication adherence (88.5%) and dietary adjustments (61.9%). Common physical activities were brisk walking (67.9%) and stretching (16.3%). Awareness of hypertension declined significantly with increasing age (OR = 0.570, p < 0.001). Awareness was significantly higher among males compared to females (OR = 1.354, p = 0.033). However, level of education was not a significant predictor of awareness (OR = 1.353, p = 0.101). In addition, a weak but statistically significant negative correlation was observed between treatment modalities and blood pressure levels (r = −0.173, p = 0.002), indicating that improved treatment modalities were associated with lower blood pressure readings
Conclusion
Effective hypertension management should integrate medication, lifestyle changes, and health education, particularly targeting older and less educated populations through tailored interventions.
Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2026;9(1):140-155