Influence of Cultural and Traditional Practices on the Management and Prevention of Hypertension in Some Rural Settlements in Delta State, Nigeria

Hypertension is a global health challenge affecting many adults. Cultural perception has been identified to affect disease progression and management. This article describes the experiences of a typical rural community in Delta State Nigeria in terms of their various traditional and cultural practices and the influence these have on the management and prevention of high blood pressure in the community. An ethnographic study was conducted utilizing in-depth interviews method. Ten known hypertensive patients were purposively selected who had blood pressure readings of ≥140/90 mmHg observed on three separate occasions from a previous survey conducted in the same community, and who had also confirmed their use of traditional practices in the management of high blood pressure. The traditional and cultural practices identified were: medicinal plants, sacrifices, scarification and tribal marks. Anti-hypertensive drugs were used alongside with traditional practices and where these traditional practices fail, local diets served as a remedy. These cultural practices such as local foodstuffs and dietary preferences (especially the palm kernel soup, which is a high cholesterol item), may either predispose them to risk factors of certain diseases or promote their health (as do the medicinal plants and some herbal preparations). Models of community based management of hypertension in rural settings is highly recommended. This will help retain and preserve relevant cultural values and serve to maintain community wellbeing.