The Impact of Health Belief Model-based Education on Self-care Behaviors of Hypertensive Patients

Background: Hypertension is a prevalent health problem worldwide, affecting numerous individuals aged 35 and above.  Objectives: This study aimed to assess the impact of a health belief model (HBM)-based educational intervention on self-care behaviors of hypertensive patients attending rural health centers in Rasht County, North of Iran. Materials & Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, 96 hypertensive patients were selected through a multi-stage sampling method and randomly divided into experimental and control groups (48 samples per group). The data collection tool consisted of a valid questionnaire comprising four parts: Demographic variables, knowledge, HBM constructs, and self-care behaviors. The educational program was based on HBM and held during five 45-minute sessions per group (four 12-sample groups). The data was collected twice before and three months after the educational intervention. Results: Before the educational intervention, mean scores for knowledge and HBM constructs, self-care, and blood pressure were equal and showed no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups (P>0.05). However, after three months of the educational intervention, the mean score of knowledge, self-care, and all HBM constructs, except for perceived barriers, increased significantly in the experimental group (P<0.05). Moreover, the patient’s mean blood pressure scores significantly decreased in the experimental group. Conclusion: The substantial reduction in patients’ blood pressure levels indicated the success of the HBM-based intervention in enhancing self-care and blood pressure control in the target population. Therefore, an educational approach is recommended as an effective, cost-efficient, and safe solution in blood pressure control programs.

The Impact of Health Belief Model-based Education on Self-care Behaviors of Hypertensive Patients Keywords:

Education , Health belief model (HBM) , Hypertension , Patients