Assessment of body mass and its effect on blood pressure values according to nurses with a Bachelor of Nursing degree

Introduction. The risk of developing high blood pressure is several times higher in obese people.
Involving nursing staff in fighting obesity can play a vital role in the prevention of high blood pressure.

Aim. To show the knowledge among a group of nurses with a Bachelor of Nursing degree about methods
of assessing patient body mass, as well as the effect weight reduction has on blood pressure.

Material and methods. This research is based on 116 qualified nurses (F-112, M-4; age 21-50; work
experience 0-29 years). The research was carried out from June 2007 to January 2008 using diagnostic
survey questionnaires. The research tool was our own questionnaire.

Results. The results of the research show that 64.7% of those questioned have a knowledge about how
to assess body mass using the BMI scale, while 89.7% correctly interpreted the results. 72.4% correctly
gave the ideal waist size for women and men while only 18.1% had a knowledge of WHR. The effect of
abdominal obesity on the development of high blood pressure was given by 95.7% of those questioned.
However, just 32.8% correctly stated that a reduction in body mass has an effect on blood pressure values.
The results of statistical analysis gave statistically significant differences of correct answers depending
on work experience (p = 0.002), place of work p < 0.001) as well as position held (p < 0.001). There was
no statistical significance depending on age, place where the person lives, family situation or type of
post diploma education carried out by nurses with a Bachelor of Nursing degree.

Conclusions. It is necessary to increase the knowledge among undergraduate students studying nursing
of the methods of assessment of body mass and the importance of maintaining the correct body
mass. It is also necessary to improve the effectiveness of pre and post graduate nursing education with
regard to the knowledge of methods for assessing body mass in preventing high blood pressure and its
consequences.