Relationship Between The Level Of Spirituality And Blood Pressure Control Among Adult Hypertensive Patients In Rural Southwestern Nigeria

BackgroundSpirituality has been strongly associated with good blood pressure control as it forms a strong coping mechanism in hypertensive patients. PurposeThis hospital-based cross-sectional study was done to determine the relationship between spirituality and blood pressure control among adult hypertensive patients in rural Southwestern Nigeria with a view to achieving good blood pressure control. MethodThe selection was done by systematic random sampling technique. Socio-demographic and clinical information were obtained through semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaires. The level of spirituality was assessed using the Spiritual Perspective Scale. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Statistical significance was set at p [&le;] 0.05. ResultsThe mean age of the respondents was 61.1{+/-}11.1 years. More than half (52.6%) had high level of spirituality and more than two-thirds (67.1%) of respondents had controlled blood pressure. Respondents with high level of spirituality were 4.76 times more likely to have a good blood pressure control {p<0.001, 95%CI (1.05-14.99)}than those with low level of spirituality. ConclusionProper understanding and effective utilization of this relationship will assist health professionals and researchers in the appropriate integration of this concept into patients holistic care with the aim of achieving better blood pressure control among hypertensive patients.