The Effectiveness of Nutrition Counselling on Diet Compliance in Hypertensive Patients

Low dietary compliance is a major determinant of failure to control blood pressure in hypertensive patients, where conventional educational approaches often fail to bridge the gap between cognitive knowledge and sustained behavioural change. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of interpersonal nutrition counselling as a strategic intervention to improve dietary adherence among hypertensive patients at the Kemumu Community Health Centre. Using a quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design, the study involved 45 respondents selected through purposive sampling. Effectiveness was assessed by comparing pre- and post-intervention dietary compliance scores using statistical tests. The analysis showed a statistically significant increase (p-value = 0.001). The findings showed a positive shift among all respondents (100%); the dominance of the 'poor' compliance category in the pre-test (68.9%) shifted to the 'fair' and 'good' categories in the post-test, with no stagnation or decline. This study concluded that nutrition counselling emphasising an interpersonal approach significantly improved dietary compliance. Therefore, the integration of intensive nutrition counselling services is highly recommended in the clinical management of hypertension in primary health care facilities.