[Nutritional knowledge of patients in the hypertension clinic. An evaluation using the "Nutrition IQ']

In this study the nutritional knowledge of 117 patients attending a hypertension clinic was evaluated with the use of the 'Nutrition IQ' questionnaire developed by the National Heart Lung, and Blood Institute. Overweight was identified as a risk factor for hypertension by 98% of the subjects, but more than 10% of the subjects did not identify weight reduction as an important therapeutic tool in the control of hypertension. Around 30% of the patients misjudged the importance of weight reduction in the treatment of hypertension as compared to a low salt diet. 25% believed that a salt reduction will always normalise hypertension. Only 5% of the subjects failed to identify exercise and caloric restriction as the major strategies for weight control. More than two thirds of the patients believed that skipping meals is the best way to reduce energy intake. Carbohydrates were wrongly identified as the major factor for weight gain by 50% of the subjects. The same patients did not recognize reduction in fat intake as the major nutritional tool to maintain or reduce weight. Only 25% of the subjects knew that polyunsaturated fatty acids do have the same caloric content per weight as saturated fatty acids. The nutrition IQ questionnaire can be used as an easy and quick screening method of the nutritional knowledge of patients in a hypertension clinic. The data confirm that there is still a large gap between the knowledge of a certain nutritional (risk) factor and its implementation in daily life, and suggest that patient education should be targeted more on life-style issues.