Evaluation of Self-Care Status and Its Relationship with Self-Efficacy of Patients with Hypertension

Hypertension is a common disease, often asymptomatic and treatable. Left untreated, this condition often leads to fatal complications. The aim of this study was to investigate the status of self-care and its relationship with self-efficacy of patients with hypertension in Mashhad in 2019.

In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 250 patients with hypertension in Mashhad in 1398 were selected by multi-stage method from among patients referred to comprehensive health care centers. Data collection tools were a three-part questionnaire including: demographic information and a standard questionnaire of self-efficacy and self-care of blood pressure. Data were analyzed using t-test, analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, linear correlation and regression by SPSS software version 20 with a significance level of 0.05.

Based on the findings, self-efficacy and self-care behaviors with scores of 40.43 ± 10.13 and 48.78±10.66 were relatively undesirable. There was a significant relationship between self-efficacy and self-care behaviors with job, body mass index, number of sessions of receiving blood pressure counseling, drug use, and history of illness in the father (p <0.05). It is worth mentioning that a positive and significant correlation was observed between the general scores of self-care and self-efficacy (P = 0.001) (rp = 0.82).

Due to the significant correlation between self-care behaviors and self-efficacy and because these cases are very effective in preventing and controlling blood pressure. Therefore, it is recommended that educational programs for patients with hypertension to increase adherence to self-care behaviors and improve levels. Patient self-efficacy to be designed and implemented.