[What nurses with a bachelor of nursing degree know about the effects of alcohol on blood pressure and risk of arterial hypertension].

Introduction: Alcohol abuse is one of the main causes of arterial hypertension. Alcohol is responsible for a few to more than ten percent of all cases of primary hypertension, particularly in persons consuming more than 20-30 g of alcohol per day. The aim of this study was to find out what Bachelor of Nursing degree holders know about alcohol consumption styles and the effects of alcohol on blood pressure, as well as on the risk of arterial hypertension in adults.

Material And Methods: The study group comprised 116 qualified nurses (112 females, 4 males; age 21-50 years; work seniority 0-29 years). The study was done between June 2007 and January 2008 with the use of the diagnostic poll technique based on a questionnaire developed by the authors.

Results: We found that 8.62% of participants were informed about screening tools used for evaluating styles of alcohol consumption while 41.38% gave the correct definition of the standard portion of alcohol. The alcohol consumption threshold above which the risk of hypertension becomes significant was known to 58.62% of respondents. The influence of alcohol (drunk directly before blood pressure measurement) on blood pressure was known to 89.66% of the nurses. We observed a statistically significant effect of work experience (p = 0.002), place of work (p < 0.001), and position held (p < 0.001) on the number of correct answers. No statistically significant differences depending on age, place of residence, family status or type of postgraduate education were noted.

Conclusion: It is necessary to increase awareness among nurses regarding the risk of arterial hypertension associated with alcohol consumption and to improve the effectiveness of undergraduate and postgraduate education aimed at early recognition of problems caused by alcohol consumption which are important for the prevention of arterial hypertension.