International Journal of Innovative Research in Health Science

Background: Hypertension is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Often called a “silent killer” because it progresses without noticeable symptoms, it substantially raises the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney failure and premature death. Effective control depends heavily on the individual’s knowledge of the condition and adherence to recommended lifestyle practices such as a low-salt diet, regular physical activity, weight control, and avoidance of tobacco and alcohol. Aim: To assess the level of knowledge and lifestyle practices regarding hypertension among hypertensive adults in a selected community area, and to determine their relationship and association with selected demographic variables. Methods: A quantitative research approach with a non-experimental descriptive design was adopted. The study was conducted among 60 hypertensive adults aged above 30 years residing in the catchment area of an Urban Primary Health Centre, Nekundram, selected by a non-probability convenient sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising demographic variables, a 20-item knowledge questionnaire, and a 10-item lifestyle practice checklist scored on a 3-point scale (Always = 2, Sometimes = 1, Never = 0). Descriptive and inferential statistics, including the Chi-square test and Karl Pearson’s correlation, were used for data analysis. Results: Among the 60 hypertensive adults, 31 (51.7%) had poor knowledge, 28 (46.6%) had average knowledge, and only 1 (1.7%) had good knowledge regarding hypertension. Regarding lifestyle practice, 36 (60.0%) had moderate practice, 21 (35.0%) had poor practice, and 3 (5.0%) had good practice. A strong positive correlation was found between knowledge and lifestyle practice (r = 0.952, p = 0.0001). Knowledge showed a statistically significant association with age, gender, occupation, monthly income, duration of hypertension, and source of information (p < 0.05), while lifestyle practice was significantly associated with occupation, duration of hypertension, and source of information (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study concluded that the majority of hypertensive adults had inadequate knowledge and only moderate lifestyle practice regarding hypertension, and that better knowledge was strongly linked to healthier lifestyle behaviour, underscoring the need for structured community-based health education and counselling to improve hypertension awareness and self- care.