Educational interventions combined with supportive methods such as phone calls and message reminders showed a moderate to large effect on adherence to lifestyle modifications and blood pressure control.
Meta-Analysis
Do educational interventions improve adherence to lifestyle modifications and blood pressure control in hypertensive patients?
Educational interventions, particularly group education with supportive reminders, are effective in improving lifestyle adherence and blood pressure control in hypertensive patients.
Controlling blood pressure is a global concern as it is a major risk factor for cardiometabolic diseases and stroke. A flattened control rate was noted in recent decades, which highlighted an issue of adherence to medications and lifestyle modifications. Effectiveness of educational intervention on medication adherence and blood pressure control had been reviewed, but reviews on lifestyle modifications are lacking. This review with meta-analysis aimed to identify the effect of educational interventions on blood pressure control and adherence to lifestyle modifications. In accordance with the PRISMA statement, a search of CINAHL Complete, PubMed, Medline, Embase and Scopus for randomized control trials published between 2009 and 2019 was conducted. Data were extracted for quality synthesis and meta-analysis. Thirteen studies were included. Two forms of educational intervention, individual and group education, were commonly used. Phone calls, message reminders and reading materials after education were identified in the studies as supportive methods, which showed a moderate to large effect on adherence to lifestyle modifications and blood pressure control. Monthly group education lasting 45 min was suggested. Health professionals could integrate the education with supportive methods into community health promotion to improve and reinforce the adherence behavior on medications and lifestyle modifications among hypertensive patients.
Tam et al. (2020) conducted a meta-analysis in Hypertension. Educational interventions with supportive methods (phone calls, message reminders, reading materials) was evaluated on Blood pressure control and adherence to lifestyle modifications. Educational interventions combined with supportive methods such as phone calls and message reminders showed a moderate to large effect on adherence to lifestyle modifications and blood pressure control.