Awareness of heart disease and associated health behaviours in a developing country: a qualitative study

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore awareness of heart disease and associated health behaviours. Design: A qualitative study was conducted using in-depth interviews. Methods: The study participants were patients with hypertension. Data analysis was guided by Braun and Clarke's steps of thematic analysis and using NVivo12 software. Results: A total of 18 patients with hypertension were interviewed. The patients had poor understanding of heart disease and were not concerned about developing heart disease in the future. Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption were poor access, cost and sociocultural factors, whereas being busy, poor physical health and lack of access to an exercise facility were barriers to physical activity.