Objective: This study aimed to examine the compliance of patients with hypertension with muscular exercise and a healthy diet in Arar, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted among adults diagnosed with hypertension, who were recruited from healthcare facilities in Arar. Sociodemographic data were collected alongside the questionnaires namely Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) for physical activity assessment and the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants-Shortened Version (REAPS) for dietary assessment.
Results: Regarding the REAPS score, 27.6% out of 387 participants had a high-quality diet, 45.7% had a moderate- quality diet, and 26.6% had a low-quality diet. However, in terms of the RAPA score, 57.4% had suboptimal physical activity, while 42.6% had optimal physical activity levels. Moreover, the RAPA score had a statistically significant relation to education level (p-value=0.035) and occupational status (p-value=0.006). It also showed a statistically insignificant relation to gender. While the REAPS score had a statistically insignificant relation to gender, education level, and occupation.
Conclusion: The study revealed that a significant portion of patients with hypertension had suboptimal levels of compliance with muscular exercise and a healthy diet. While a notable percentage had a moderate-quality diet, a substantial proportion exhibited low-quality diets. Additionally, the majority of participants were categorized under suboptimal physical activity levels.
Key words: hypertension, adherence, lifestyle modification, patient, diet control, physical activity
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