Effect of Self-Care Activities on Blood Pressure Control Among Patients With Hypertension

Background: Adherence to self-care activities is crucial for effective control of hypertension. However, little is known about the effect of self-care activities on blood pressure control in Ethiopia. Hence, the present study is aimed at investigating the effect of self-care activities on blood pressure control among patients with hypertension. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted among 326 hypertensive patients at a tertiary care hospital in Ethiopia. We adopted Hypertension Self-Care Activity Level Effects (H-SCALE) to assess adherence to self-care activities. Data were collected through patient interviews and reviews of medical records. Binary logistic regression analysis was done to assess the effect of self-care activities on blood pressure control. Result: A total of 326 patients were included in the study. Blood pressure was controlled in 186 (57.1%) patients. In this study, 51.2%, 41.1%, 22.4%, and 25.2% of the patients were adherent to antihypertensive medications, the recommended physical activity level, weight management, and a low-salt diet, respectively. The majority of the patients were nonsmokers (90.8%) and alcohol abstainers (72.1%). In multivariable binary logistic regression analysis, nonadherence to self-care activities including medication intake (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.61-4.51), weight management (AOR: 3.74, 95% CI: 1.92-7.32), low-salt diet (AOR: 2.85, 1.55-5.24), and nonsmoking (AOR: 3.28, 95% CI: 1.12-9.64) were predictors of uncontrolled blood pressure. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that a significant proportion of the participants had uncontrolled blood pressure. Participants with a low rate of adherence to self-care activities, particularly weight management, low salt intake, nonsmoking, and medication intake, were more likely to have uncontrolled blood pressure. Therefore, we recommend further interventional programs aimed at enhancing these self-care activities to achieve optimal BP control.