Prevalence of Hypercholesterolemia and Awareness of Risk Factors, Prevention and Management Among Adults Visiting Referral Hospital in Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Unhealthy lifestyles and physical inactivity are among the contributing factors of hypercholesterolemia. This study assessed the prevalence, awareness of risk factors, and prevention and treatment of hypercholesterolemia among adults who visited Woldia referral hospital, Northeast Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults who visited Woldia referral hospital from May to August 2022. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire through a face-to-face interview and patient medical record review. Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the association between hypercholesterolemia and other variables. A p-value at a 95% confidence level was statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 1180 eligible adults were included in the study. The magnitude of hypercholesterolemia was 26.4%. The majority of the respondents were aware of some risk factors, such as higher fat intake (82.3%), obesity (67.2%), and lack of adequate exercise (56.1%). However, the majority of the respondents were not aware that smoking, alcohol consumption, and age (86.8% for all) had cardiovascular risk. The majority of the respondents were aware that eating a limited amount of saturated fat (56.5%), maintaining a healthy weight (67.2%), and taking prescribed medications properly (86.8%) can prevent the risk of hypercholesterolemia. However, a larger proportion of respondents were unaware that smoking cessation (86.8%), exercise (55.3%), alcohol restriction (86.8%), and stress avoidance (75.3%) can prevent cardiovascular risks. Age (p = 0.036), smoking (p = 0.007), alcohol use (p = 0.013), fruit consumption (p = 0.019), saturated oil use (p = 0.031), level of physical activity (p < 0.001), and body mass index (p = 0.03) were significantly associated with hypercholesterolemia. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that more than one-fourth of adults had hypercholesterolemia. The majority of the respondents did not have an awareness of common cardiovascular risk factors and prevention and treatment techniques regarding unhealthy lifestyles and physical inactivity.