1.

2 Statement of problem

Hypertension is one of the world’s most common chronic health conditions and is

a leading risk for mortality and disease burden. Although high blood pressure can

modified, there is a large proportion of patients whose blood pressure remains

uncontrolled (Rahman 2015). To understand why hypertension is so difficult to

control, it may be of benefit to gain understanding of the patient’s perspective of

their condition (Marshall, Wolf and Mickeritt, 2012)

High blood pressure has been shown to have serves of consequences, and adequate

knowledge of the hypertension. Therefore, the market traders in Egor Local

Government Area need to have knowledge and positive perception of

hypertension to reduce the prevalence of hypertension disease, improve health and

optimum well being.

Unfortunately, most adult due to ignorance of the risk factors and preventive

measures engage in unhealthy lifestyle such as excessive alcohol and sodium

consumption, tobacco and cigarette smoking, obesity,, reduced intake of fruit and

vegetables, stress and consumption of transfat. These unhealthy lifestyle practices

have increased the prevalence of hypertension in the world especially in the

developing countries as Nigeria which culminates into high cases of deaths. High

blood pressure is one of the problems affecting a great portion of the adult
population and currently causes one in every eight deaths worldwide, making it the

3rd leading killer in the world.

Several studies have also assessed the high prevalence of undiagnosed

hypertension among market traders in Nigeria owing to low level of education and

occupation, low income and stressful program and services. It is instructive that

these scenarios may all be implicated in the risk of developing high blood

pressure.

Therefore as part of a quality assessment to improve the management outcome of

hypertensive patients, this study is carried out to investigate the knowledge and

perception, cause, prevention and treatment of high blood pressure among market

traders in Egor LGA of Edo State.

1.2 Purpose of study

The general purpose of this research work is to assess the knowledge and

perception of, causes, prevention and treatment of HBP among market traders in

Egor Local Government area

1.3 Specific objectives

1. To assess the level of knowledge of high blood pressure

2. To identify the contributing factors of hypertension

3. To evaluate strategies for hypertension, treatment of hypertension,

prevention of hypertension.
1.4 Research Questions

a. What is the level of knowledge and perception of high blood pressure.

b. What are the contributing factors of hypertension

c. What are the strategies for prevention of hypertension.

1.5 Significance of the study

The result of the study will be useful to health educators, medical and paramedical

officers, public health officers, counsellors, media educators, researchers,

curriculum planners, government and adults in many ways.

The study may help to develop a positive regard towards hypertension. the ministry

of health may benefit from the study discovering the gap in knowledge of the

population and emphasize strategies to teach the adult and market population on

how to prevent risk factors. It may be useful to other researchers to carry out this

study in area where disease prevention measures and health promotion are needed

with regards to hypertension

1.6 Scope of study

The study will cover markets traders in Egor Local Government Area in Edo

State.

1.7 Hypothesis
 1. Ho: There is no significant relationship between selected demographic data

and the knowledge and perception of hypertension

2. H1: There exist a significant relationship between selected demographic data

and the knowledge and perception of hypertension.

1.8: Operational Definition

Hypertension: abnormally high blood pressure

Knowledge: facts, information and skills acquired through experience or

education, the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject.

Perception: perception is the organization, identification and interpretation of

sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information

or the environment.