Effect of Self-Management Education on Control and Health Status of Hypertensive Patients Attending Cardiology Out-Patient Clinics of Tertiary Hospitals, Delta State, Nigeria

Author : Inikori Gloria Ochuko, Best Ordinioha and Nyemike Awunor Simeon

Abstract : Hypertension remains a major public health problem, and inadequate self-management of medicines and recommended lifestyle practices contributes to poor control and impaired wellbeing. This study determined the effect of structured self-management education on hypertension management practices and health status among hypertensive patients attending cardiology outpatient clinics of tertiary hospitals in Delta State, Nigeria. The research employed a quasi experimental, non-randomised, pretest-posttest controlled design. DELSUTH, Oghara was the intervention site whereas FMC, Asaba was the control site. A total of 260 participants with 130 participants each per group were selected for assessment at baseline and at six months after the intervention period. The intervention comprised mainly of one-on-one counseling, with follow-up calls and text messages to the participants via telephone. Both groups were similar at baseline. Compared to the control group, medication self-management showed an improvement of 59.2 percent, physical activity by 39.2 percent, dietary self-management by 69.2 percent, alcohol consumption by 32.3 percent and smoking cessation among smokers at baseline by 84.8 percent. All differences were statistically significant (p<0.001). On the other hand, there was an improvement in the five-dimension health status problem score of 3.8 points while health visual analogue scale improved by 19.3 points (p<0.001). In conclusion, the study shows that structured self-management education can significantly improve many behavioral components as well as health among hypertensive patients.

Keywords : Hypertension, self-management, health education, lifestyle modification, medication adherence, health status, Delta State, Nigeria.

Conference Name : International Conference on Public Health Strategies and Epidemiology (ICPHSE - 26)

Conference Place : Lagos, Nigeria

Conference Date : 13th Oct 2026