The Relationship between Health Literacy and Self-care Behaviors in the Elderly with Hypertension Admitted to Cardiac Intensive Care Units: A Correlational Study

Hypertension is one of the most common problems of the elderly in developing countries, including Iran. One of the main determinants of controlling hypertension is self-care behaviors and one of the factors affecting the level of awareness and thus its more effective control and prevention is health literacy. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between health literacy and self-care behaviors in the elderly with hypertension admitted to cardiac intensive care units.

The present correlational study was performed in 2020 on 76 elderly patients with hypertension admitted to CCU and post CCU wards in East Guilan public hospitals. The instruments used in this study included a Health Literacy Questionnaire for Iranian Adults (HELIA) and a Self-Care Behavior Questionnaire for patients with hypertension.

The results showed that the majority of elderly people with hypertension had adequate health literacy (57.9%) and relatively desirable self-care behaviors (94.7%). Findings also revealed that there is a significant correlation between health literacy and self-care behaviors (r=0.528 and p<0.05).

Elderly health literacy affects the level of self-care of the elderly, and the higher the health literacy of the elderly, the higher the level of self-care of the elderly with hypertension. So, it can be acknowledged that the issue of health literacy in the elderly is of particular importance and empowering the elderly in the field of health literacy is an important factor in promoting self-care behaviors and ultimately the health of these people. Therefore, it is suggested that health officials and policy makers consider health literacy as one of the most important tools for improving self-care, and also pay special attention to the development, design and implementation of operational plans in this regard.