1 Department of Cardiology, Graduate School of Chengde Medical University, 067000 Chengde, Hebei, China
2 Department of Cardiology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, 110004 Shenyang, Liaoning, China
3 Department of General Practice, Chaoyang Central Hospital, 122000 Chaoyang, Liaoning, China
†These authors contributed equally.
Abstract
To explore the impact of employing the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) model within a unified community physician intervention aimed at managing pulse pressure among elderly individuals with hypertension in Shenyang, along with its associated influencing variables.
2660 hypertensive patients were recruited in the community of Shenyang City in January 2020. After a 1-year KAP intervention by a unified community physician, KAP changes and pulse pressure levels were compared before and after the intervention. Meanwhile, the relevant influences affecting pulse pressure control were explored. Descriptive analysis and multifactorial logistic regression were used.
A significant decrease in pulse pressure by 10.71 mmHg (95% CI: 10.09, 11.33 mmHg) was noted among elderly individuals with hypertension in the community after undergoing a rigorous one-year intervention program (t = 33.79, p < 0.05). Pulse pressure control increased from 32.59% at baseline to 64.92% (χ2 = 556.43, p < 0.01). Compared to pre-intervention, knowledge about hypertension, awareness of prevention, medication and behavioural adherence improved significantly. A multifactorial logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk factors for pulse pressure control were female sex, a history of comorbid diabetes mellitus and poor adherence to medication due to forgetfulness.
Unified community physician interventions can change the perceptions of elderly hypertensive patients, improve medication adherence, and improve poor lifestyle habits, thereby improving pulse pressure control in the geriatric population with hypertension residing in local communities.
Keywords
- elderly
- hypertension
- pulse pressure control
- community physician intervention
Hypertension is defined as an elevation in arterial pressure within the body’s circulatory system. This elevation may result in functional and structural damage to multiple organs, including the heart and brain. Ultimately, this damage may lead to organ failure [1]. This elevation is often accompanied by an increase in pulse pressure (PP), which is defined as the variance between systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The normal value of PP is approximately 40 mmHg, with an increase above 60 mmHg considered a wide pulse pressure [2]. PP is easy to obtain clinically. PP is a better indicator of functional changes in the arteries than blood pressure [3]. There is a notable correlation between wide pulse pressure and decreased cognitive function [4]. Recent study has also revealed a significant link between PP and the advancement of chronic kidney disease (CKD). PP could potentially serve as a prognostic indicator for the progression of CKD [5]. Several research studies have shown that a wide PP serves as a standalone risk factor for cardiovascular disease [6, 7, 8, 9]. Consequently, effective control of pulse pressure is a critical aspect of blood pressure management. The Knowledge, Attitude, Practice (KAP) model holds significant importance in changing risk factors associated with hypertension, raising awareness and improving behaviour [10] and exploring the effects of KAP in PP. Current hypertension guidelines and antihypertensive treatment targets focus on lowering systolic blood pressure [11], with less attention paid to PP control, which is essential for good health [12]. The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and associated factors of PP control in hypertensive patients within the context of the KAP model of unified community physician intervention. To explore an appropriate model for integrated management and control of PP in community hypertensive patients, and also to provide new ideas for pulse pressure intervention.
Recruitment was promoted and publicised by community physicians, researchers, community-based medical WeChat groups and posters during the two-month campaign. From 3 January 2020 to 20 January 2020, patients with hypertension were recruited and enrolled in the community of Shenyang City. A total of 3791 patients with hypertension were enrolled in the study, of whom 2660 were eligible and participated in the assessment, which included blood pressure monitoring, physical evaluations, and the completion of questionnaires. All participants were required to provide written informed consent, after having been informed of the purpose, potential benefits, associated medical issues, and the handling of personal information. In the event that a participant was illiterate, written informed consent was obtained from a duly authorised representative. The study was subjected to a review by the Medical Science Research Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University (reference number [2018] 194).
(1) Aged 65 years and over;
(2) Hypertension clinical diagnosis;
(3) No communication barriers;
(4) Permanent residents of Shenyang city (residence time
(5) Voluntarily participate in this project and agree to complete the follow-up, and patients and their families sign an informed consent form.
(1) An individual with a severe mental illness who is unable to communicate with the investigator;
(2) An individual with a severe physical illness who is unable to cooperate with the investigator.
2.2.1.1 Training and Management Practices for Physicians
Following the approval of the training materials, the affiliated community physicians underwent a seven-day training programme led by the cardiologists of the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University. The training programme consisted of three distinct elements: Diagnostic criteria for hypertension, measurement of blood pressure, and handling of hypertension-related knowledge and behavioural interventions. In particular, the following criteria had to be met: the diagnosis of hypertension was established by systolic blood pressure (SBP)
2.2.1.2 Specific Management of Hypertensive Patients
(1) Individuals who meet the eligibility criteria were enrolled on the KAP model of intervention under the supervision of the unified community physician for a period of one year, from January 2020 to December 2020.
(2) Upon completion of the baseline assessment of the study population, each community physician formulated a pertinent management plan.
(3) The participants in the study underwent a comprehensive evaluation of their blood pressure, individual lifestyle practices, and pertinent factors influencing blood pressure management, as indicated by the initial survey findings.
(4) The KAP Model: Community physicians provided patients with information about hypertension through the use of knowledge bulletin boards, brochures, and lectures. The content encompassed specifics regarding the diagnostic criteria for high blood pressure, advised daily sodium intake, the significance of adhering to prescribed antihypertensive medication, and methods for hypertension prevention. They encouraged patients to reduce their consumption of tobacco and alcohol, to limit their intake of salt, and to engage in more physical activity. The following measures were employed: Patients were scheduled to undergo a sequence of evaluations at specific intervals, which encompassed an examination of the diagnostic criteria for hypertension, an evaluation of daily sodium consumption, and an investigation into the risk factors influencing the management of hypertension. The data obtained from the patients’ responses was subjected to analysis, following which the patients were managed in accordance with the findings. Community physicians used internet-based tools such as WeChat or phone calls for the daily management and monitoring of hypertensive patients. This included tasks such as providing medication reminders, sharing information about hypertension, facilitating physician-patient communication, and answering medication questions. Community physicians improved management efficiency through information technology. Community physicians instructed patients in the methodology of self-monitoring their blood pressure at home, requesting that they performed this task at least twice per week. The results of the PP measurements were conveyed to the community physician via the WeChat group on a weekly basis, with particular attention paid to those who failed to pass the blood pressure monitoring. Patients were advised to regularly monitor their PP or to attend a scheduled assessment and guidance session at the community hospital. In the event that this was necessary, the patients were managed at home. Community healthcare providers distributed complimentary 2 g salt spoons to individuals with hypertension, along with guidance on monitoring salt levels in common condiments for effective salt intake management. For the management of patients who smoked and drank alcohol, it was recommended that poor living habits were improved, the frequency and quantity of tobacco and alcohol consumption were reduced, and the patient’s family was mobilised to perform effective monitoring.
(5) Blood pressure measurements as well as face-to-face questionnaires were carried out by community doctors and relevant researchers at the mid-intervention (month 6) and end-intervention (month 12) periods.
(6) Collection of information: Blood pressure was determined by a calibrated electronic sphygmomanometer (Omron 1200 U). A minimum of five minutes of rest was required prior to the measurement of blood pressure. The blood pressure measurements were conducted under the supervision of a qualified community physician, who oversaw the process of taking blood pressure readings three times on the right upper arm while the individual was seated, with each measurement taken at two-minute intervals. The average of the three readings was recorded as the subject’s systolic and diastolic blood pressure. In order to ensure the integrity of the data collected, it was essential that the investigator conducting the questionnaire investigated employed rigorous quality monitoring procedures. This entailed double-checking any data that might be questionable and subsequently reviewing it with another investigator. Finally, the data must be collated and entered into the appropriate format. The questionnaire comprised a series of questions pertaining to the demographic characteristics of the study participants, including gender, age, community affiliation, height, and weight. Knowing: whether the diagnostic criteria for hypertension and the daily salt intake were identified. Attitude: whether individuals are knowledgeable about the prevention of hypertension. Practice: whether it was due to forgetfulness, poor adherence to medication for side effects, reducing smoking, alcohol consumption, salt intake and increasing physical activity.
(1) Hypertension is characterized by an individual having a mean SBP
Data were analysed using SPSS 26 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). PP values pre- and post-intervention were presented as mean
A total of 3791 individuals were enrolled in this study in January 2020. Of these, 2660 were aged
| Items | Divide into groups | Number (n) | Component ratio (%) |
| Genders | male | 986 | 37.07 |
| female | 1674 | 62.93 | |
| Age | 65 | 2411 | 90.64 |
| 249 | 9.36 | ||
| BMI | low body weight | 24 | 0.90 |
| normality | 880 | 33.08 | |
| overweight | 1256 | 47.22 | |
| obesity | 500 | 18.80 | |
| Whether there is a combination of diabetes | yes | 600 | 22.56 |
| no | 2060 | 77.44 | |
| Whether there is a combination of kidney diseases | yes | 14 | 0.53 |
| no | 2646 | 99.47 | |
| Whether you smoke or not | yes | 873 | 32.82 |
| no | 1787 | 67.18 | |
| Whether you drink alcohol or not | yes | 1027 | 38.61 |
| no | 1633 | 61.39 |
BMI, body mass index.
The mean pulse pressure of the patients prior to the intervention was 67.42
| Items | Pre-intervention | Post-intervention | Difference | t-value | p-value |
| ( | ( | (95% CI, mmHg) | |||
| General | 67.42 | 56.71 | 10.71, (10.09, 11.33) | 33.79 | |
| 65 | 67.06 | 56.58 | 10.48, (9.83, 11.13) | 31.61 | |
| 70.94 | 57.94 | 13.01, (10.88, 15.12) | 12.09 |
PP, pulse pressure.
A comparison of the KAP of the unified community physician intervention was conducted before and after the intervention. The results demonstrated a significant increase in awareness of hypertension-related knowledge and prevention, medication and behavioural adherence following the implementation of the intervention, when compared with the pre-intervention period. The difference was statistically significant, as outlined in Table 3.
| Items | Pre-intervention | Post-intervention | χ2-value | p-value | ||
| N, (%) | N, (%) | |||||
| Knowledge and awareness of hypertension prevention | ||||||
| Whether the criteria for the diagnosis of hypertension are known | yes | 1354 (50.90) | 2334 (87.74) | 848.89 | ||
| no | 1306 (49.10) | 326 (12.26) | ||||
| Whether or not the daily amount of salt is known | yes | 1399 (52.59) | 2526 (94.96) | 1234.09 | ||
| no | 1261 (47.41) | 134 (5.04) | ||||
| Whether they are aware of hypertension prevention | yes | 1422 (53.46) | 2514 (94.51) | 1164.57 | ||
| no | 1238 (46.54) | 146 (5.49) | ||||
| Medication and behavioural adherence | ||||||
| Whether it is due to poor adherence to forgotten medication | yes | 1152 (43.31) | 368 (13.83) | 566.13 | ||
| no | 1508 (56.69) | 2292 (86.17) | ||||
| Whether it is due to poor adherence to medication for adverse effects | yes | 637 (23.95) | 83 (3.12) | 492.99 | ||
| no | 2023 (76.05) | 2577 (96.88) | ||||
| Whether or not to reduce smoking | yes | 253 (28.98) | 676 (77.43) | 411.61 | ||
| no | 620 (71.02) | 197 (22.57) | ||||
| Whether or not to reduce alcohol consumption | yes | 196 (19.08) | 625 (60.86) | 373.43 | ||
| no | 831 (80.92) | 402 (39.14) | ||||
| Whether or not to reduce salt intake | yes | 731 (27.48) | 2361 (88.76) | 2051.79 | ||
| no | 1929 (72.52) | 299 (11.24) | ||||
| Whether or not to increase physical activity | yes | 804 (30.23) | 2377 (89.36) | 1934.62 | ||
| no | 1856 (69.77) | 283 (10.64) | ||||
KAP, Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice.
Following the implementation of the KAP model under the unified society physician intervention for a period of one year, the pulse pressure control rate increased from 32.59% (867/2660) to 64.92% (1727/2660) in the cohort of hypertensive patients recruited at baseline. Factors affecting PP control were studied, with factors including baseline information, knowledge about hypertension, awareness of prevention and medication and behavioural adherence. The results showed that there were differences between patients in the PP control group and the uncontrolled group at the end of the intervention in terms of age, taking antihypertensive medication, whether they mastered the diagnostic criteria of hypertension, whether they mastered the daily amount of salt, whether they had an awareness of hypertension prevention, whether they had poor adherence to medication due to adverse reactions, whether they reduced smoking, whether they reduced drinking, whether they reduced the daily amount of salt intake, and whether they increased physical activity, but the differences were not statistically significant (p
| Items | Post-intervention | χ2-value | p-value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yes | no | |||||
| Basic data | ||||||
| genders | female | 1050 (62.72) | 624 (37.28) | 9.61 | ||
| male | 677 (68.66) | 309 (31.34) | ||||
| age | 65 | 1577 (65.41) | 834 (34.59) | 2.65 | 0.10 | |
| 150 (60.24) | 99 (39.76) | |||||
| history of comorbid diabetes | yes | 362 (60.33) | 238 (39.67) | 7.17 | ||
| no | 1365 (66.26) | 695 (33.74) | ||||
| history of nephropathy | yes | 5 (35.71) | 9 (64.29) | 4.06 | 0.04 | |
| no | 1722 (65.08) | 924 (34.92) | ||||
| taking antihypertensive medication | not taking medication | 634 (65.56) | 333 (34.44) | 2.72 | 0.26 | |
| taking 1 medication | 990 (65.17) | 529 (34.83) | ||||
| taking | 103 (59.20) | 71 (40.80) | ||||
| Knowledge and awareness of hypertension prevention | ||||||
| whether they mastered the diagnostic criteria of hypertension | yes | 1508 (64.61) | 826 (35.39) | 0.83 | 0.36 | |
| no | 219 (67.18) | 107 (32.82) | ||||
| whether they mastered the daily amount of salt | yes | 1639 (65.67) | 887 (35.11) | 0.04 | 0.85 | |
| no | 88 (65.67) | 46 (34.33) | ||||
| whether they had awareness of hypertension prevention | yes | 1630 (64.84) | 884 (35.16) | 0.16 | 0.69 | |
| no | 97 (66.44) | 49 (35.56) | ||||
| Medication and behavioural adherence | ||||||
| whether they had poor adherence to medication due to forgetfulness | yes | 209 (56.79) | 159 (43.21) | 12.40 | ||
| no | 1518 (66.23) | 774 (33.77) | ||||
| whether they had poor adherence to medication due to adverse reactions | yes | 46 (55.42) | 37 (44.58) | 3.40 | 0.07 | |
| no | 1681 (65.23) | 896 (34.77) | ||||
| whether they reduced smoking | yes | 440 (65.09) | 236 (34.91) | 0.09 | 0.96 | |
| no | 126 (63.96) | 71 (36.04) | ||||
| never smoking | 1161 (64.97) | 626 (35.03) | ||||
| whether they reduced drinking | yes | 408 (65.28) | 217 (34.72) | 2.15 | 0.34 | |
| no | 273 (67.91) | 129 (32.09) | ||||
| never drinking | 1046 (64.05) | 587 (35.95) | ||||
| whether they reduced the daily amount of salt intake | yes | 1534 (64.97) | 827 (35.03) | 0.02 | 0.86 | |
| no | 193 (64.55) | 106 (35.45) | ||||
| whether they increased physical activity | yes | 1547 (65.08) | 830 (34.92) | 0.24 | 0.62 | |
| no | 180 (63.60) | 103 (36.40) | ||||
The control of PP was taken as the dependent variable (controlled pulse pressure: Y = 0, uncontrolled pulse pressure: Y = 1), and the gender with statistical significance in the univariate analysis, whether there was a history of diabetes mellitus, whether there was a history of kidney disease, and whether there was poor compliance due to forgetting medications were taken as independent variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was employed. The study findings indicated that being female, having a history of diabetes, and demonstrating poor compliance with medication adherence were identified as risk factors for controlling pulse pressure (all p
| Items | Waldχ2-value | p-value | OR value | OR-value (95% CI) | ||
| Genders | male | 1.00 | ||||
| female | 0.264 | 9.53 | 1.30 | (1.10, 1.54) | ||
| History of comorbid diabetes | no | 1.00 | ||||
| yes | 0.260 | 7.24 | 1.30 | (1.07, 1.57) | ||
| History of comorbid nephropathy | no | 1.00 | ||||
| yes | 1.091 | 3.75 | 2.98 | (0.99, 8.99) | ||
| Whether they had poor adherence to medication due to forgetfulness | no | 1.00 | ||||
| yes | 0.431 | 12.96 | 1.51 | (1.21, 1.89) | ||
OR, odds ratio.
With age leading to vascular stiffness, more than two-thirds of people over the age of 65 suffer from hypertension [13]. Hypertension is a heavy burden on global health, and every country is actively exploring cost-effective hypertension prevention and management models. A large number of studies at home (South Asia and China) and abroad have confirmed the effectiveness of community-based hypertension management [14, 15, 16]. As a result, more and more countries are moving hypertension prevention and management into the community. Reduced drinking was defined as answering in the affirmative when asked whether or not they hadreduced their drinking [17, 18], but the management of pulse pressure was weak. The 2018 European guidelines on blood pressure have extensively discussed PP as a risk marker, confirming that PP
Franklin SS et al. [19] studied a 23% increased risk of coronary heart disease for every 10 mmHg increase in PP. Haider AW et al. [20] increased the risk of heart failure by 55% for every 16 mmHg increase. Each 10 mmHg increase in PP increased the risk of stroke by 11% and all-cause mortality by 16% [21]. In addition, the adjusted hazard ratio for the development of atrial fibrillation was 1.28 for each 20 mmHg increase in PP [22]. Our study showed that under unified community physician management, the pulse pressure difference decreased by 10.71 mmHg, 95% CI (10.09, 11.33) mmHg, and the PP control rate increased from 32.59% at baseline to 64.92%. In addition, we found differences in PP levels before and after intervention in patients with hypertension of different ages (65–79 years,
Risk factors for hypertension included modifiable factors such as unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking, alcohol abuse, obesity, diabetes and kidney disease. Another was the immutable risk factors, such as family history and age [23]. Understanding and consciousness were significant factors in the management and prevention of hypertension [24]. Reduced drinking was defined as answering in the affirmative when asked whether or not they had reduced their drinking. The study showed that the KAP intervention model led by community physicians can effectively change the risk factors of patients with hypertension. Chuang SY et al. [25] shows increased physical activity good for pulse pressure control in the elderly. In patients with hypertension, it was common to not adhere to medication, and the medication adherence of patients with hypertension in this study has improved, but it still needed to be strengthened due to the influence of multiple factors. Therefore, it was necessary to encourage patients to use auxiliary tools, such as a weekly tablet dispenser and medication alarm device [26].
The post-intervention control of pulse pressure was initially subjected to univariate analysis, followed by multivariate analysis of significant variables. The findings revealed that being female, having a history of diabetes, and poor medication adherence due to forgetfulness were identified as risk factors for pulse pressure control (p
In conclusion, a unified intervention by community physicians can change the perceptions of elderly hypertensive patients, improve medication adherence and modify poor lifestyle habits, thereby improving pulse pressure control in elderly hypertensive patients in the community. It should be noted that the study was subject to the following limitations: (1) It does not assess the economic benefits of research. (2) It does not document events related to coronary heart disease. (3) The study suffers from recall bias.
The data did not reproduce material from other sources. The raw data of the present study will be made available after evaluation and permission by the subject principals. Requests to access the data should be directed to the corresponding author.
All authors participated in the primary research. Conceptualization: ZGG; project administration: QFY and LSX; methodology: LSX and QXG; investigation: ZGG, QFY, LSX, QXG; writing (original draft preparation): QFY and LSX; writing (review and editing): ZGG and QXG. All authors contributed to the article and approved the final manuscript. All authors have participated sufficiently in the work and agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
The study was carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University (Protocol No. [2018]194). The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study. Written consent was obtained from all participants after they had been informed of the objectives, benefits, medical issues and treatment of personal information. If the participants were illiterate, written informed consent was obtained from their proxies.
The authors would like to thank to Professor Yingxian Sun and his team from the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University for their help in the research, as well as all of the patients who participated in this study.
This research was supported by the Science and Technology Program of Liaoning Province, China (grant #2020JH1/10300002).
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
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