Effect of Lifestyle and Nutrition Interventions on Hypertension Control in Urban Primary Care

Hypertension remains a major public health problem and a leading risk factor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In urban primary care settings, poor diet, physical inactivity, excess salt intake, and inconsistent treatment adherence contribute to inadequate blood pressure control. Lifestyle and nutrition interventions are increasingly recognized as important components of hypertension management. This study assessed the effect of lifestyle and nutrition interventions on hypertension control among patients attending some selected urban primary care facilities in South-West Nigeria. This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured synthetic dataset representing 234 hypertensive patients in selected urban primary care settings in South-West Nigeria. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, blood pressure measurements, lifestyle practices, nutrition-related factors, medication adherence, and home blood pressure monitoring were analyzed. Blood pressure control was defined as systolic blood pressure <140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure <90 mmHg. Descriptive statistics, cross-tabulation, and binary logistic regression were used for data analysis, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The mean age of respondents was 54.5 ± 12.7 years, and 60.3% were female. Overall, 44.4% of respondents had controlled blood pressure, while 55.6% had uncontrolled blood pressure. Blood pressure control improved with increasing exercise frequency and better medication adherence. Respondents who exercised 5 days or more per week had the highest control rate (63.2%), while those who always adhered to medication had a control rate of 52.2%. Extra salt use was associated with poorer blood pressure control, with respondents who always added extra salt showing the lowest control rate (23.8%). Logistic regression analysis showed that exercise frequency (OR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.39–2.62, p < 0.001) and medication adherence (OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.26–2.13, p < 0.001) were significant positive predictors of blood pressure control, while extra salt use (OR = 0.78, 95% CI: 0.62–0.99, p = 0.042) was a significant negative predictor. Lifestyle and nutrition-related factors significantly influenced hypertension control among patients attending some selected urban primary care facilities in South-West Nigeria. Regular exercise, improved medication adherence, and reduced extra salt use were the key factors associated with better blood pressure control. Strengthening structured lifestyle modification and nutrition counseling in urban primary care may improve hypertension outcomes and reduce cardiovascular risk.