Factors Influencing Adherence to Healthier Dietary Patterns Among Hypertensive Clients at Mukono General Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/c98fhw77Keywords:
Hypertension, dietary adherence, knowledge, awareness, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, Mukono General Hospital.Abstract
Background
Adherence to a dietary pattern is crucial for realizing its intended health benefits. Even the most evidence-based diets like DASH and Mediterranean can fail to impact health outcomes if not followed consistently. This study examines factors influencing adherence to healthier dietary patterns among hypertensives at Mukono General Hospital, emphasizing modifiable determinants to inform targeted interventions.
Methodology
A cross-sectional analytical design was adopted. Using Yamane’s formula, a sample of 101 hypertensive outpatients aged 18-75 years was selected via systematic random sampling from the NCD clinic in June 2025. Data were collected through researcher-administered structured questionnaires capturing socio-demographics, dietary patterns via Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), and adherence factors (knowledge, awareness, access, cultural tastes. Analysis involved SPSS version 26, with chi-square tests for bivariate associations and multivariable logistic regression for predictors (p<0.05).
Results
Most of the participants, 72 (80%), were female, and 18 (20%) were male. 21.1% had not attended any school, 50% had completed primary education, 27.8% had secondary education, and 1.1% had tertiary education. 50% of the respondents were self-employed, 36.7% were unemployed, 11.1% were employed in the formal sector, and 2.2% were retired. Bivariate analysis showed significant associations between adherence and sex (p=0.039), knowledge (p<0.001), and awareness (p<0.001); no significance for income, education, marital status, employment, residence, access, or cultural tastes. Sex (p=0.039), knowledge (p<0.001), and awareness (p<0.001) were significantly associated with adherence to healthier dietary patterns. Multivariable logistic regression identified knowledge as a strong predictor (AOR=14.434, 95% CI: 1.684-123.789, p=0.017), increasing adherence odds 14-fold.
Conclusion
The results demonstrate that knowledge and awareness are the most critical determinants of adherence, while socio-demographic factors, access and availability, and cultural tastes were not significant factors in this context.
References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Joanita Bayiga, Gordon Kibirige, Patrick Sentongo (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
