P158 EDUCATION AS A PARAMETER FOR MANAGEMENT IN HYPERTENSION

Objective: Despite advancements, hypertension and its associated factors remain the leading cause of global death with concerning increases. This study aimed to estimate whether the impact of mass education in adults and subsequently in adolescents and children in Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia S.A influenced their knowledge of these factors. Methods: Cross-sectional and prospective community study in individuals > 18 years, with open invitation to various points of care collecting information with Framingham surveys, blood pressure measurement, anthropometric variables, educational level, history, associated factors, and cardiovascular diseases knowledge of causes (CDKC). Conducting four sessions: (1) December 2018, without prior educational intervention (PEI), (2) March 2019, PEI adults, (3) July 2019, PEI in adolescents and children‘s schools, (4) March 2024 long-term evaluation. PEI for adults included in-person lectures, media, and printed materials, for schools (13) lectures, printed materials, and educational video games. Results: 3,025 people were surveyed, with a mean age of 49.9 years (SD ± 14.3); men 46%. Of the total, 52% were sedentary, 47% overweight, and 8% obese, smoking 11%, alcohol consumption 31%, diabetes 7.3%, cholesterol 56.4%, hypertension 32.1%, and CDKC 37%. Comparatively among the records, hypertension: (1) 37.4%, (2) 32.1%, (3) 32.6%, (4) 26.6%. CDKC: (1) 22.1%, (2) 38.6%, (3) 43.4%, and (4) 47%, its correlation with other variables and other risk factors are part of another report. Conclusions: We highlight the positive impact of educational intervention more in schools, evidenced by the increase in knowledge from 22.1% to 43.4% (p<0.001), and the decrease in hypertension from 37.4% to 32.6% (p<0.001). This knowledge increased to 47% in the long-term evaluation, reflected in the lower prevalence of hypertension 26.6%. These two parameters were not as significant with education only in adults, where we usually direct our campaigns, forgetting adolescents and children as the family guiding axis to change the course not only of cardiovascular diseases but also of chronic pathologies.