Assessment of cardiovascular risks, predisposing factors, and awareness of hypertension risk factors among civil servants in Nigeria

Objectives: The development of hypertension is influenced by a range of factors including diet, obesity, physical activity, family history, and alcohol/tobacco use. This study was aimed at evaluating cardiovascular risks, predisposing risk factors for hypertension, as well as assessing awareness of hypertension and its associated risk factors among civil servants in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey carried out among civil servants working with the Akwa Ibom State Government at the State secretariat in Uyo, Nigeria. A convenient sampling technique was used in recruiting participants for the survey. Recruited participants were interviewed using a suitably designed, pre-tested data collection instrument. The interview was targeted at identifying predisposing risk factors for hypertension among the participants as well as assessing the respondents’ awareness of hypertension and its associated risk factors. Furthermore, the recruited participants were subjected to a cardiovascular risk assessment screening, namely, blood pressure check, pulse rate check, and body mass index determination. Descriptive statistics was used to summarize data, while Pearson’s Chi-square test (χ2) was used to assess the association between variables with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. Results: Two hundred and twenty-nine civil servants participated in this study. About 61.6% (141) of the study participants were female, while 129 (56.3%) of the participants had a positive family history of hypertension. About 41.0% (94) of the participants had blood pressure readings in the hypertensive range, with 48 (21.0%) of them being obese. The mean knowledge score of the risk factors for hypertension among the study participants was 5.61 (Standard deviation = ±3.309; Minimum = 0; Maximum = 10), with 36.2% (83) of the participants having a poor level of knowledge (score <5). There was no statistically significant relationship (P > 0.05) between participants’ knowledge of hypertension risk factors and their sociodemographic variables, family history of hypertension, and lifestyle. Conclusion: A significant proportion of the participants had a high risk for cardiovascular disorders. The prevalence of predisposing factors for hypertension among the civil servants was high. Knowledge of the risk factors for hypertension was less than optimal. There is a need for enhanced public health enlightenment campaigns on hypertension and its associated cardiovascular risks among this population.