Blood pressure (BP) control and perceived family support in patients with essential hypertension seen at a primary care clinic in Western Nigeria

CONTEXT Nonadherence to therapeutic plans has been reported among hypertensive patients. Researchers have also shown that adherence to therapeutic plans improves if motivation in the form of social support is provided. There is a dearth of local studies that explore the influence of family support on treatment outcomes of hypertensive patients. AIMS The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between BP control and perceived family support in patients with essential hypertension seen at a primary care setting in Western Nigeria. SETTINGS AND DESIGN This was a cross-sectional hospital-based study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Systematic random sampling technique was used in selecting 360 hypertensive respondents between April and July 2013. Data were collected through a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire and a standardized tool, Perceived Social Support Family Scale, which measured the respondents' level of perceived family support. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 was used to analyze data. RESULTS The majority of the respondents were middle-aged (61.1%) and female (59.4%). Blood pressure (BP) was controlled in 46.4% of the respondents. Most of the respondents (79.4%) had "strong" perceived family support. Strong perceived family support (odds ratio [OR] 4.778, 95% confidence interval [CI] =2.569-8.887) and female gender (OR 1.838, 95% CI = 1.177-2.869) were independent predictors of controlled BP. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of hypertensive patients with optimal BP control is low in this practice setting. The positive association between BP control and perceived family support emphasizes the need for physicians to reflect on the available family support when managing hypertensive patients.