Self-management Among Elderly Patients With Hypertension and Its Association With Individual and Social Environmental Factors in China

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The hypertension control rate in China is much lower than that in developed countries. Self-management among elderly patients with hypertension can improve blood pressure control; thus, it is necessary to explore its association with individual and social environmental factors. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate self-management among elderly patients with hypertension in China and its association with individual and social environmental factors based on the social ecological model. METHODS: A total of 301 elderly patients with hypertension were recruited to do a questionnaire survey based on the social ecological model, which included the General Demographic Information Questionnaire, Hypertension Patients Self-Management Behavior Rating Scale, World Health Organization Well-Being Index, Family APGAR Index, and Social Support Rating Scale. RESULTS: The lowest level of self-management behaviors was in exercise management, and the highest was in medication management. The results of multiple linear regression analysis showed that well-being, family function, sex, education level, and age were pivotal individual and social environmental factors influencing self-management behaviors among elderly patients with hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to develop and test interventions that improve self-management in elderly patients with hypertension. Specifically, individualized interventions to promote exercise among elderly persons with hypertension who are single and living alone are needed. Male patients with a lower education level, poor well-being, poor family function, and the lowest self-management levels are a key population to target.