Using the Health Belief Model to Explore Behavior Change in the Community to Improve Blood Pressure Control: A...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Behavior
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Effective hypertension prevention necessitates understanding perceptions of health promotion messages for culturally tailored interventions.
• This study explored stakeholder and consumer views on barriers and facilitators to behavior change for optimal blood pressure control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore perceptions of local key stakeholders and consumers regarding barriers and facilitators influencing behavior change strategies for blood pressure control.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing the Health Belief Model.
• Three focus groups conducted with community leaders, healthcare workers, and consumers (N=27).
• Reflexive thematic analysis used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Four themes emerged: perceived severity of hypertension, low perceived susceptibility due to asymptomatic nature, contextual/cultural barriers to healthy lifestyles, and enablers/barriers to behavior change.
• Community members perceive hypertension as severe but lack motivation due to its asymptomatic nature.
• Contextual and cultural factors present significant barriers to adopting healthy lifestyles.

Conclusions:

• Contextual and cultural barriers are primary obstacles to behavior change for hypertension management.
• Need for community-level strategies promoting public health policy and healthy environments.
• Individual-level strategies are crucial to motivate behavior change and overcome barriers for sustained control.