Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Nasa Dugo (‘It’S In The Blood’): Lay Conceptions Of Hypertension In The Philippines, Gideon Lasco, Jhaki Mendoza, Alicia Renedo, Maureen L. Seguin, Benjamin Palafox, Lia M. Palileo-Villanueva, Arianna Maever L. Amit, Antonio L. Dans, Dina Balabanova, Martin Mckee

Development Studies Faculty Publications

Introduction: Understanding explanatory models is important for hypertension, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease and stroke. This article aims to determine what adult patients with hypertension in the Philippines attribute their condition to, how these views might be explained and what the implications are for hypertension management. Methods: This is a qualitative study drawing on 71 semistructured interviews (40 initial and 31 follow-up) and four focus group discussions with patients diagnosed with hypertension. The setting was urban and rural low-income communities in the Philippines. Results: Four prominent perceived causes were identified—genetics, heat, stress and diet—for what patients refer to …