Impact of Health Education on Hypertension Knowledge, Motivation and Preventive Practices towards Hypertension Control among Pre-Hypertensive Traders in Lagos State, Nigeria

Undiagnosed cases of hypertension remain prevalent in developing countries. Insufficient and lack of knowledge of hypertension and its risk factors limit its proper management and healthy self-care practices. Therefore, this study assessed effect of health-education intervention on hypertension related knowledge, motivation and preventive practices among traders in Lagos State. Quasi-experimental design was employed with seventy participants forming experimental and control group each in major markets of Alimosho and Ajeromi-Ifelodun local government areas of Lagos State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was used. Interviewer administered questionnaire was developed. Weight (kg) and height (m) were measured by bathroom weighing scale and sphygmomanometer respectively. Participants’ body mass index (kg/m2) was calculated. Data were collected at baseline, immediate post intervention and sixth week of follow-up; analyzed by SPSS version 21.0 with level of significance placed at p< 0.05. Frequency, percentage, means and standard deviation were used to describe findings while independent t-test was used for inferential statistics. Treatment effect were judged on t-distribution and Cohen’s d effect size. Participants’ mean age in experimental and control groups was 44.91±8.82 years and 44.37±8.80 years respectively. More than a quarter (40.0%) in experimental group and 34.3% in control group had tertiary education. Overweight is 22.9% and 20.0%, while obesity is 41.4% and 57.1% in experimental and control groups respectively. Knowledge, motivation and preventive practices significantly increased after intervention among experimental group more than control group (p< 0.05). Information-Motivation Behavioral (IMB) model promotes hypertension knowledge, motivation and preventive practices.