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

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.