Table 4.

Hypertension awareness and treatment.

Key themes	Major findings
Knowledge of hypertension	Most individuals with hypertension could link hypertension to its causes, symptoms and complications. Misconceptions and home remedies were prevalent among individuals with hypertension.
Hypertension treatment initiation	There was a delay in treatment initiation. Negligence, distance to health institutions and fear of lifelong medication-taking were main barriers to treatment initiation.
Medication adherence	Overall, individuals with hypertension adhered to medication once they started it Some individuals with hypertension occasionally stopped medication due to forgetfulness, negligence, laziness, and affordability issues
Regular checkups	Loss to follow-up was common among individuals with hypertension
Non-pharmaceutical management	Individuals with hypertension complained it was hard to regulate their lifestyle Family support was an important part of regulating a healthy lifestyle.