Knowledge and Practice of Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Among Clinic Attendees of Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua

Cardiovascular disease has remained a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing nations. Its incidence has increased over the years in many parts of the world despite the established knowledge of its causes and prevention. This research assessed the knowledge and practice of prevention of cardiovascular disease among outpatients attending outpatients and staff clinics at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Irrua Edo State. A descriptive cross-sectional study design was used. A sample size of 187 outpatients attending outpatients and staff clinics of ISTH was drawn for the study. A modified Simple Lifestyle Indicator Questionnaire (SLIQ) was used for data collection and the results were analyzed using the statistical package of scientific solution (SPSS) software. Findings from this study revealed that 72.8% of respondents engaged in moderate practice of prevention of cardiovascular disease. Only 41.1% of participants had a good knowledge of cardiovascular disease. The majority of the participants(51.1%) had a score of 2 (good score) for social habits physical but however, majority of the participants(95%) had a poor score for physical activity. The use of drugs was the major means of secondary prevention in participants that had a cardiovascular disease condition or as primary prevention for participants that had a disease condition that highly predisposes them to develop cardiovascular disease (diabetes mellitus and hypertension). Based on the findings from this study, it is recommended that routine screening for cardiovascular disease be done in healthcare facilities, especially in the advanced age group as the prevalence of this group of disease increase with increasing age. Health education programs should also be conducted across all age groups to educate them on the importance of healthy lifestyles, good diets, and other important aspects of cardiovascular disease prevention.