International Journal of Collaborative Research on Internal Medicine & Public Health

Abstract

Background: There exist few data on arterial hypertension epidemiology and associated factors both in urban and rural part of northern Cameroon. This study aimed to estimate the determinants of awareness, and treatment of hypertension in a Cameroonian population under cardiology follow-up in a regional hospital in the northern Cameroon.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Ngaoundéré Regional Hospital. Data on behavioral socio-demographic risk factors, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were collected. Hypertension was defined as a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg, or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg, or self-reported antihypertensive medication use.

Results: Study population included 117 hypertensive subjects aged 25-64 years. Overall 40.2% were aware of their hypertension and 65.8 % were on treatment. Multivariate analysis showed that, duration of hypertension: ≥10 years (odds ratio (OR) = 29.88, 95% CI [2.97 - 300.16]) and professional occupation (workers (odds ratio (OR) = 14.07, 95% CI: [2.3 - 85.97]), craftsmen/traders OR = 8.43, 95% CI [1.41 - 50.49] compared with inactive population), were directly associated with higher hypertension awareness. Increasing cost of hypertension medication was associated with a lower likelihood of being treated (p <0.01). In multivariate analysis, overweight (OR) = 7.07, 95%, CI: [1.48 - 33.75], obesity (OR) = 3.07, 95% CI: [0.78 - 12.15] and high cost of hypertensive medication (OR) = 0.63, 95% CI: [0.01 - 0.44] were independently associated with treatment of hypertension.

Conclusion: Hypertension is a growing challenge in northern Cameroon. Health promotion programs are needed to improve hypertension awareness and treatment