The Effect of Health Education on Blood Pressure in an Urban Poor Community

ABSTRACT

@#The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of cardiovascular health education on change in blood pressure at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months follow-up. This was a prospective cohort study. Participants were from an urban poor community in Metro Manila. Included were the 98 adults at least 40 years of age with hypertension, without cardiovascular disease. Among those previously diagnosed with hypertension, 20.3% had controlled blood pressures at the time of screening. There were 29.6% newly diagnosed cases of hypertension in the study. During the 18-month intervention phase, cardiovascular disease health education and counseling on risk factor control were given along with medical check-ups. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were measured at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months. The decreases in mean systolic blood pressures from the baseline at 3, 6, 12 and 18 months were 11.9, 15.2, 9.1, and 14.1-mm Hg, respectively. The diastolic blood pressures decreased by 6.9, 9.3,.4.6, and 4.4 mm Hg. These differences were statistically significant. For the urban poor, health education on risk factor modification and cardiovascular diseases can be an important tool in improving blood pressure.