Abstract
Hypertension has been a well-recognized condition in the elderly for a very long time and is prevalent in over 70% of the elderly population. It is estimated that the number of persons aged 65 years and older will increase to 72 million by the year 2030, which will in turn result in an increased rate of hypertension among the elderly. Aim: To assess the quality of life of elderly patients suffering from hypertension and nurses' knowledge regarding hypertension. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive research design was utilized in this study. This study was carried out at medical, dialysis, and neurological departments at Sohag University Hospital. Convenient sample consist of 178 elderly patients suffering from hypertension and 58 nurses. Data were collected at a period of six months starting from November 2011 to the end of April 2012, using two tools: First tool; is a structured interview sheet about Quality of life. Second tool: an interview questionnaire sheet to assess nurses' knowledge regarding hypertension. Results: 48.9% of patients had low QOL score, and there was a statistical significant difference between quality of life and sex & level of education "P- value (.007&.070)" respectively, and around one third of nurses (32.7%) had poor level of knowledge about hypertension. There was a statistical significant difference between knowledge and age & qualification of nurses "p- value (.052&.090) respectively". Conclusion and Recommendations: Presence of gerontological nurses in outpatient clinics and hospital departments whom trained and have an active role in health promotion and disease prevention for that highly growing segment of population. People have to be educated through mass media on hypertension and its risk factors. People have to be educated on the importance of physical exercises and have to be encouraged to do them.
Key Words: Hypertension, QOL, Knowledge, Patient, Nurse