Profile, clinical correlates and anxiety symptoms among adult hypertensive patients attending the family medicine clinic, University College Hospital, Ibadan

Abstract

Introduction: Hypertension and anxiety are both common conditions in primary care. Hypertension is a chronic disease and is often accompanied by anxiety. The co-existence of both conditions results in treatment barriers, poor quality of life and increased utilization of health facilities which constitute a public health problem. Recognition and treatment of anxiety in patients with hypertension can result in significant improvement in self-care and effectiveness of therapeutic interventions. The aim of this study was to determine the profile, clinical correlates and anxiety symptoms among adults with hypertension attending Family Medicine clinic, University College Hospital, Ibadan.
Methods: This was a hospital based cross-sectional study of consenting hypertensive adults presenting to the Family Medicine Clinic of College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, from September-November 2019. The study utilized interviewer-administered questionnaire on 231 participants, selected by systematic random sampling. Data on sociodemographic status and clinical variables were collected. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was used to assess anxiety among participants and anxiety was defined as a GAD-7 of ten and above. Data collected was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.
Result: The mean age of the respondents was 54.9 ±9.9 years, with a male: female ratio of 1: 1.6. Majority of the respondents were married (81.8%), Yoruba (86.1%), employed (81%) and of the Christian faith (62.3%). The mean duration of hypertension was 6.06±5.80 years and mean body mass index was 29.0±5.6kg/m². The mean systolic blood pressure was 136.6 ± 17.8mmHg while the mean diastolic blood pressure was 85.3± 13.2mmHg. The prevalence of anxiety was 30.3%.
Conclusion: This study revealed that a third of hypertensive adults had anxiety symptoms, which would have been missed because hypertensives are not routinely screened for anxiety. There is a need for Family Physicians who are frontline doctors to actively explore anxiety in hypertensive patients, because these will support holistic therapeutic intervention and improve their medical outcome.

Keywords: Anxiety, Hypertension, Family Medicine, Prevalence, Blood pressure