ENHANCEMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DASH DIET AMONG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS: DIETARY EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Health Education

Background:

• Hypertension presents a significant global health challenge, particularly in resource-limited nations.
• Dietary interventions, such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, are essential for blood pressure management.
• Lifestyle modifications are critical for controlling hypertension.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of health education on hypertensive patients' understanding of the DASH diet.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of a dietary education program in Mosul city, Iraq.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, pre- and post-test design was employed.
• Fifty hypertensive patients participated in the study.
• Data were collected via questionnaire before and after the educational intervention.

Main Results:

• A significant improvement in knowledge scores regarding the DASH diet was observed post-intervention (p<0.001).
• Pre-intervention, 88.0% of participants had poor knowledge; post-intervention, 66.0% achieved good knowledge.
• The mean knowledge score increased substantially from 30.5±13.77 to 71.5±14.25.

Conclusions:

• Dietary education effectively enhanced participants' knowledge of the DASH diet.
• Integrating health education into routine care can promote lifestyle changes for hypertensive patients.
• Such programs support self-management strategies for individuals with hypertension.