PERCEIVED RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE ON BLOOD PRESSURE MANAGEMENT AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS IN JAMAICA AND COLOMBIA

Objective: This study examined the relationship between perceived religious influence on cardiovascular health beliefs and behaviors among hypertensive patients in Jamaica and Colombia.Design and method: We surveyed 576 hypertensive patients from 14 primary care clinics in Jamaica and Colombia. Our main exposure was perceived religious influence on blood pressure (BP) management, assessed through binary responses to the question: “Do religious beliefs play an important part in managing your blood pressure?” Outcomes assessed were (1) cardiovascular health beliefs and (2) cardiovascular health behaviors. Cardiovascular health beliefs addressed the causes and treatment of hypertension, while behaviors included fruit and vegetable intake, medication adherence, and smoking. Logistic regression models were used, adjusting for age, sex, education, and urban/rural residence. Results: Respondents were 69% female, with a mean age of 65 years, and 32% lived in rural areas. Perceived religious influence on BP management was reported by 43% of participants. This perception was associated with a lower likelihood of believing that hypertension required long-term treatment with medications (odds ratio [OR] =0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.21-0.63; p<0.001). In terms of cardiovascular health behaviors, participants who reported perceived religious influence on BP management were less likely to have high medication adherence (OR=0.51; 95% CI: 0.32-0.81; p=0.005), sufficient fruit (OR=0.53; 95% CI: 0.34-0.83; p=0.006) and vegetable intake (OR=0.28; 95% CI: 0.17-0.46; p<0.001) and composite cardiovascular health behaviors (OR=0.33; 95% CI: 0.21-0.52; p=<0.001). Conclusions: Among hypertensive patients in Jamaica and Colombia, perceived religious influence on BP management was associated with lower rates of belief in the need for long-term antihypertensive medication treatment, medication adherence, and insufficient vegetable and vegetable intake. These findings highlight the need for culturally tailored interventions in LMICs that incorporate religious beliefs into treatment plans for better hypertension control.