{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,25]],"date-time":"2026-04-25T12:57:07Z","timestamp":1777121827966,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,28]],"date-time":"2023-08-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1693180800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Hypertension remains a public health challenge worldwide however, the prevention, detection, treatment and management of this condition are not highly prioritized. Health knowledge has an important impact on individual\u2019s health. The ability to actively participate in screening, diagnosis and management of hypertension are influenced by patient\u2019s knowledge of hypertension. To understand why hypertension is so difficult to control, it may be of benefit to gain an understanding of the patient\u2019s perspective. Hence, the aim of the study is to explore the perceptions of patients on prevention and diagnosis of hypertension in Fiji.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The study used a qualitative method approach. The study was conducted at the four purposively selected health centers in the Lautoka\/ Yasawa medical subdivision. A purposive sampling was used which included all the patients who attended the SOPD, age more than 18 years and above, diagnosed with hypertension for 6 months or more and attended clinic at one of the 4 selected health centers. Semi-structured open-ended interview guide were used to collect data among patients through in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used manually to analyze the data using four steps that is immersion in the data, coding the data, creating categories and identifying themes \/ subthemes.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Twenty-five SOPD patients took part in the in-depth interview and the responses were grouped into two themes. The themes emerged included hypertension knowledge and diagnosis of hypertension in a closed family and self. Subthemes derived from the hypertension knowledge were measures of awareness, hypertension aetiology, risk perception, origin of information and concept of prevention. Sub themes derived from the diagnosis of hypertension in a closed family were perception when first diagnosed, hypertension in relation and hypertension impact. Patients\u2019 knowledge on etiologies and risk factors of hypertension were generally poor. Majority of the participants learnt about hypertension in hospitals and few over radios and television. Diagnosis in a closed family triggered worrisome, fear and fright on some patients.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Majority of the patients have less knowledge about various risk factors of hypertension. Worrisome, fearful, frightful, frustration and sadness were some of the reactions and emotions highlighted by the patients. It is important to design culturally tailored interventions that address the psychological and behavioral needs of the patients. Recommendation to conduct further studies to understand the perception of hypertension among the general public.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0285998","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,28]],"date-time":"2023-08-28T17:27:52Z","timestamp":1693243672000},"page":"e0285998","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["\u201cI think taking herbal medicine first can help prevent. If it doesn\u2019t work, then can take start taking the medication given by the doctors.\u201d Patients\u2019 perceptions towards hypertension in Fiji"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Avock Johnny","family":"Jonathan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5048-9719","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Masoud","family":"Mohammadnezhad","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Filimone","family":"Raikanikoda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0285998.ref001","volume-title":"What is Hypertension?","author":"World Health Organisation","year":"2021"},{"key":"pone.0285998.ref002","unstructured":"World Hypertension Day 2019, Geneva. https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/events\/world-hypertension-day-2019"},{"key":"pone.0285998.ref003","unstructured":"Albert W.D (2020, December 30) Epidemiology of Hypertension https:\/\/emedicine.medscape.com\/article\/1928048-overview"},{"key":"pone.0285998.ref004","volume-title":"Why is hypertension an important issue?","year":"2021"},{"key":"pone.0285998.ref005","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"93","DOI":"10.1080\/00223980.1975.9915803","article-title":"A protection motivation theory of fear appeals and attitude change1","volume":"91","author":"RW Rogers","year":"1975","journal-title":"J Psychol"},{"key":"pone.0285998.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"175","DOI":"10.1177\/109019818801500203","article-title":"Social learning theory and the health belief model","volume":"15","author":"IM Rosenstock","year":"1988","journal-title":"Health Educ Q"},{"key":"pone.0285998.ref007","unstructured":"Hypertension in China WHO net https:\/\/www.who.int\/china\/health-topics\/hypertension#:~:text=In%20China%2C%20about%20270%20million,has%20hypertension%20can%20access%20treatment."},{"key":"pone.0285998.ref008","unstructured":"Fiji Bureau of Statistics. 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Hall","year":"2021","journal-title":"Poor Medication Adherence in African Americans Is a Matter of Trust"},{"key":"pone.0285998.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"841","DOI":"10.1136\/bmj.327.7419.841","article-title":"Factors involved in deciding to start preventive treatment: qualitative study of clinicians\u2019 and lay people\u2019s attitudes","volume":"327","author":"DK Lewis","year":"2003","journal-title":"BMJ"},{"key":"pone.0285998.ref030","article-title":"The Patient Experience of pulmonary Hypertension: A large cross sectional study of UK patients","author":"A. Ian","year":"2019"}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0285998","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,28]],"date-time":"2023-08-28T17:28:03Z","timestamp":1693243683000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0285998"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Taofiki Ajao","family":"Sunmonu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,28]]},"references-count":30,"journal-issue":{"issue":"8","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,28]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0285998","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2023,8,28]]}}}