Home⇛Science Asia Review⇛vol. 13 no. 1 (2026)

Aksyon Kontra Altapresyon: Effectiveness Of A Community Driven Public Health Program In Improving Hypertension Control Among Adults In Mahayag, Zamboanga Del Sur Philippines

Nathalia M De Vera | Mohammad Ladzfar Ladjahon | Eirene Philip Bayamban | Yara I. Sahak | Fatima Rizna Amilasan | Mudzralyn Pajar

Discipline: Environmental and Public Health

 

Abstract:

Hypertension remains one of the leading causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide despite the availability of effective treatment and preventive strategies. In Barangay Lower Salug Daku, Mahayag, Zamboanga del Sur, cardiovascular conditions were identified as the leading causes of mortality between 2015 and 2019, highlighting the need for community-based interventions targeting blood pressure control. The Aksyon Kontra Altapresyon Program was therefore developed as a comprehensive community health initiative aimed at improving hypertension awareness, enhancing medication adherence, promoting healthy lifestyle practices, and strengthening access to primary healthcare services, with the goal of increasing the hypertension control rate among diagnosed adults from 4% to at least 50% by July 2023. The study utilized a community-based intervention design implemented from November 2022 to July 2023. Data were collected through blood pressure measurements, health interviews, and monitoring forms to assess hypertension status, medication adherence, and lifestyle practices. The program implemented community organization activities, health education campaigns, lifestyle interventions, capacity building among health workers, and policy development in collaboration with local stakeholders. Descriptive analysis was used to compare baseline and post-intervention outcomes. Findings revealed significant improvements in increasing medication adherence from 51% to 98%, a rise in participation in active lifestyle practices to 66%, and a marked improvement in hypertension control rate from 2% at baseline to 87%, demonstrating that a community-driven and multi-sectoral public health approach can effectively improve hypertension control and reduce cardiovascular risk among rural populations.



References:

  1. Abalos, J. B., Saito, Y., Ramos, M. A., Jr., & Cruz, G. T. (2024). Prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension among older adults in the Philippines. The Journals of Gerontology. Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 79(2), glad155. https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glad155  
  2. Angosta, A. D., & Serafica, R. (2017). Assessing physical activity levels in Filipino Americans with hypertension using the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity questionnaire. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 29(2), 91–95. https://doi.org/10.1177/1084822316685517
  3. Department of Health. (2012). Implementing guidelines on the institutionalization of the Philippine Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions (PhilPEN) on the integrated management of hypertension and diabetes for primary health care facilities (Administrative Order No. 2012-0029). Republic of the Philippines.
  4. Esandi, M. E., Ortiz, Z., Bernabei, V., Villalba, N. B., Liggio, S., Della Maggiora, M., García, N. A., Bruzzone, A., Blanco, G., Prieto Merino, D., Legido Quigley, H., & Perel, P. (2024). Evaluating the implementation of a hypertension program based on mHealth and community pharmacies integration to primary care centers at a municipality level in Argentina during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Health Services, 4, 1263331. https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2024.1263331
  5. Kishor, R., Kumari, S., Prakash, R., Chaudhary, N., Shyama, S., Ahmad, S., & Kumar, P. (2024). An assessment of treatment compliance using the Morisky scale-8 tool in adult hypertensive patients of Eastern India. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 13(3), 924–931. https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1416_23
  6.  Morisky, D. E., Ang, A., Krousel-Wood, M., & Ward, H. J. (2008). Predictive validity of a medication adherence measure in an outpatient setting. Journal of Clinical Hypertension (Greenwich), 10(5), 348 354.
  7. Noguchi, K. S., O’Brien, K. K., Aubry, R. L., Carusone, S. C., Avery, L., Solomon, P., Ilic, I., Pandovski, Z., Zobeiry, M., & Tang, A. (2021). Construct validity and responsiveness of the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity in adults living with HIV. Archives of Rehabilitation Research and Clinical Translation, 3(4), 100164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arrct.2021.100164
  8. Oliveira-Filho, A. D., Morisky, D. E., Neves, S. J. F., Costa, F. A., & Lyra, D. P., Jr. (2014). The 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale: Validation of a Brazilian–Portuguese version in hypertensive adults. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 10(3), 554–561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.10.006
  9. Opina-Tan, L. A., & Hamoy, G. L. (2024). Taking on the challenge: A case study on a community health club for noncommunicable disease control. Acta Medica Philippina, https://doi.org/10.47895/amp.v58i13.8101 58(13), 29–38.
  10. Passard, C. (2024). The effects of walking on systolic blood pressure (Doctoral dissertation, University of Massachusetts Global). ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (Publication No. 31761589)
  11. Plakas, S., Mastrogiannis, D., Mantzorou, M., Adamakidou, T., Fouka, G., Bouziou, A., Tsiou, C., & Morisky, D. E. (2016). Validation of the 8 item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale in chronically ill ambulatory patients in rural Greece. Open Journal of Nursing, 6(3), 158–169. https://doi.org/10.4236/ojn.2016.63017
  12. Topolski, T. D., LoGerfo, J., Patrick, D. L., Williams, B., Walwick, J., & Patrick, M. B. (2006). The Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA) among older adults. Preventing Chronic Disease, 3(4), A118. University of Washington Health Promotion Research Center. (n.d.). Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA). https://depts.washington.edu/hprc/programs-tools/tools guides/rapa/
  13. Wattanapisit, A., Ng, C. J., Angkurawaranon, C., Wattanapisit, S., Chaovalit, S., & Stoutenberg, M. (2022). Summary and application of the WHO 2020 physical activity guidelines for patients with essential hypertension in primary care. Heliyon, 8(10), e11259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11259
  14. Zhu, L.-Y., Li, M.-Y., Li, K.-H., Yang, X., Yang, Y.-Y., Zhao, X.-X., Yan, T., Li, M. M., Luo, S.-Q., Zhang, M.-L., & Su, J.-Z. (2022). Effect of exercise prescription implementation rate on cardiovascular events. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 8, 753672. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2021.753672

Tools


Copyright © 2026  KITE Digital Educational Solutions |  Exclusively distributed by CE-Logic