Food Consumption and Physical Activity in Hypertensive Patients from Primary Healthcare

Abstract

Introduction: The study of cardiovascular diseases has permitted the identification of biological variables and lifestyles, which, in turn, has made hypertension and its complications preventable and controllable.

Objective: To determine the frequency of food consumption and physical activity in hypertensive patients in the primary care center III Huaycán, Lima, Peru.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, observational and quantitative study was carried out with hypertensive patients belonging to the elderly program. Sociodemographic, anthropometric and blood pressure data were collected. The international questionnaire of physical activity and frequency of food consumption was applied. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, ANOVA and Rho Spearman were analyzed using SPSS 23.

Results: 570 patients were assessed: 61.8% were female, 39.5% had high school education, and 65.3% consumed antihypertensive drugs regularly. The mean body mass index for women was 28.23±4.66 kg/m². Systolic blood pressure for the male sex was 132.89±13.42 mmHg and 130.92±13.19 mmHg for the female sex. 13.5% had obesity and hypertensive blood pressure levels, 71.1% ate chicken, 77.2% consumed bread, cereals, rice, pasta and wheat every day of the week, while 50.9% consumed fried foods four days a week. 44.7% had a low level of physical activity and hypertensive blood pressure levels (P=0.03).

Conclusions: The diet in the study population was diverse, based on high intake of carbohydrates and fats. People who did less physical activity evidently showed higher blood pressure numbers. A healthy diet and physical activity are to be considered complementary factors to pharmacological treatment for controlling these patients.