Good nutrition is a modifiable risk factor for some noncommunicable disease prevention, and studies have consistently shown a direct relationship between diet and health status including that of older adults. Diet is a complex entity, and studies have focused on dietary behaviours as an index to measure the impact of diet on health outcomes of selected populations. Nutritional research has largely focused on the effects food components such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, saturated fatty acids, trans-fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, omega-3 fatty acids on disease outcomes. However, given that these foods are not consumed in isolation, there has been a gradual movement away from nutrient-based approaches to one that considers dietary behaviour and its associated complexities in relation to non-communicable diseases such as hypertension. Hypertension has become a major contributor to the burden of cardiovascular related morbidity and mortality in the world. Globally, hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure greater than or equal to 90 mmHg. On the basis of the current scientific evidence, a healthy dietary pattern has the potential of helping an individual to achieve and maintain a healthy anthropometric measurement whiles minimizing the risk of developing Cardio Vascular Diseases (CVDs). According to World Health Organization report, an estimated 1.13 billion people have been diagnosed of hypertension and two-third of these people live in low- and middle-income countries. Report reveals that, of the 17 million cardiovascular related deaths annually, hypertension alone accounts for about 9.4 million of the death tolls and responsible for 7% of total Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs).

Over the past four decades, there has been sharp increase in prevalence of hypertension among Ghanaian population, which has significantly contributed to stroke morbidity and mortality. Data from 2014 Ghana Demographic Health Survey which sampled 13,247 participants between 15 and 49 years estimated that, about 13% of the Ghanaian adult population (12.1% for males and 13.4% for females) are living with hypertension. Hypertension could be high in vulnerable population such as the adolescents and this in part is due to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity as well as growing awareness of this disease, as well elderly people. With current report showing high prevalence of hypertension (9.1%) among 909 adolescents in Kumasi, there is a need to update the baseline data on prevalence of hypertension among elderly people in Ghanaian communities with less health care facilities.

Studies have been conducted towards the reduction and/or stabilization of the incidence of hypertension in most developed countries through various lifestyle interventions. However, there is dearth of information regarding low and middle-income countries with respect to interventions in mitigating hypertension cases. In Ghana for instance, a review on the prevalence of hypertension among the elderly reported about 19.3% and 54.6% in rural and urban settings, respectively. The continuous threat hypertension and other cardiovascular related diseases pose worldwide, especially among the elderly population calls for public health attention and further research to unravel its associated factors amidst those that have been proposed. This research focused on investigating dietary habits, anthropometric status and blood pressure levels of older adults at Tano north district of Ghana.

With Regards,
Joseph Kent
Journal Manager
Journal of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics