T.A EHWARIEME

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of stroke and it's associated risk factors among patients admitted at the neurological ward of University of a tertiary health facility. The objectives this research work aims to determine the prevalence of Cerebrovascular accident, identify the associated risk factors, determine the percentage of stroke survivors and distribution of mortality rate. The study employed a retrospective descriptive survey design method. The area of study was the neurology ward in the University of Benin Teaching hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Of a total population of two thousand three hundred and thirty-nine patients admitted, one thousand three hundred and ninety-seven patients were diagnosed of CVA and their data was collated. Purposive sampling technique was used. A well-structured checklist was used to elicit items relevant to the research objectives. The study showed that the prevalence of CVA was 58.9% of the total population, and the most prevalent risk factors were hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The percentage of survivors was 69.4% and the distribution of mortality was highest amongst the males, age group 50-69, married patients, tertiary level of education, Christians, and Bini. The study therefore recommends that community education on lifestyle modifications, beneficial nutritional practices, maintaining appropriate body weight should be ensured. Also health workers should make anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and blood glucose level a routine procedure to ensure prompt treatment and eradication of these risk factors.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of stroke and it's associated risk factors among patients admitted at the neurological ward of University of a tertiary health facility. The objectives this research work aims to determine the prevalence of Cerebrovascular accident, identify the associated risk factors, determine the percentage of stroke survivors and distribution of mortality rate. The study employed a retrospective descriptive survey design method. The area of study was the neurology
ward in the University of Benin Teaching hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Of a total population of two thousand three hundred and thirty-nine patients admitted, one thousand three hundred and ninety-seven patients were diagnosed of CVA and their data was collated. Purposive sampling technique was used. A well-structured checklist was used to elicit items relevant to the research objectives. The study showed that the prevalence of CVA was 58.9% of the total population, and the most prevalent risk factors were hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The percentage of survivors was 69.4% and the distribution of mortality was highest amongst the males, age group 50-69, married patients, tertiary level of education, Christians, and Bini. The study therefore recommends that community education on lifestyle modifications, beneficial nutritional practices, maintaining appropriate body weight should be ensured. Also health workers should make anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and blood glucose level a routine procedure to ensure prompt treatment and eradication of these risk factors.

Hypertension is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. In Nigeria, poor self-carepractices remain a challenge, often influenced by sociocultural beliefs and determinants. As such, this study assessed the sociocultural determinants of self-care practices among patients with hypertension attending the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin City, EdoState. A Descriptive cross-sectional study was used in this study, of which data were collectedfrom 230 hypertensive patients through structured questionnaires. The result showed thatmajority of participants were female (53%) with a mean age of 49 years. With a high prevalence of senior secondary education (24%), majority were either retired or employed in the private sector, with an average monthly income of ₦83,258.24. In addition, adherence to medication (x.18) was high, whereas practices such as home blood pressure monitoring ( x= 2.46) and dietary management ( x2.45) showed moderate adherence. Furthermore, common socio- cultural factors sinfluencing self-care practices included high medication costs (x= 3.45), family support (x= 3.43), religious beliefs (x3.25), spiritual beliefs (x= 3.11), and pressure to adhere to cultural food customs which could affect dietary adherene (x= 3.10). Multivariate logistic regression further indicated that longer duration of hypertension significantly increased adherence odds (OR=8.606, 95% CI: 1.914–38.693, p=0.005) with rural residents (OR=2.164, 95% CI: 1.068–4.385, p=0.032) being more adherent. More so, perceived stigma increased the likelihood of adherence (OR=2.595, 95% CI: 1.065–148.987, p=0.044). Hence, the study recommended developing culturally sensitive programs to destigmatize hypertension and dispel misconceptions about traditional/spiritual practices in relation to treatment