Personal factors related to self-care management among people with hypertension at primary health care: A cross-sectional study

Background: Hypertension requires long-term treatment and can last a
lifetime. Recommendations for hypertensive patients, where it is necessary
to change behavior related to self-care, consist of increasing a healthy diet,
limiting sodium intake, increasing physical activity, reducing smoking, and
reducing alcohol consumption.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the self-care model of
patients with hypertension in primary healthcare in Kota Malang.
Methods: This study’s design was descriptive analytic with a cross-sectional
methodology. Using G Power, 321 hypertension patients were used as
samples. Purposive sampling was used in this study. The instruments
used H-SCALE, also known as the Hypertension Self-Care Activity Level
Effects. Pearson Chi-squared test was used to examine correlations among
variables.
Results: Factors of gender (p=0.001) and education (p=0.020) are related
to self-care in hypertensive patients. Majority of respondents were women,
223 people (69.5%), Most of the respondents had elementary school
education, 136 people (41.4%), the majority of the 321 respondents (216,
67.3%) have moderate self-care category. Gender and age were significant
factors associated with self-care among hypertensive patients (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Gender and education level have significant correlation
with self-care management of hypertension. Providing self-management
intervention by considering gender and education level needs improvement.
Other factors need to be explored in further research.