Effects of a hypertension management program by Seongcheon primary health care post in South Korea: an analysis of changes in the level of knowledge of hypertension in the period from 2004 to 2009

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a hypertension management program provided by a primary health care post located in a distant rural area in South Korea on the level of knowledge of hypertension. The panel data consisted of a total of 319 people or the entire population aged above 40 years of five villages located in Goseong-gun, Gangwon province, South Korea. Preliminary interviews were conducted with all the residents prior to their enrollment in the health care post's hypertension management program. After 5 years of program operation, follow-up interviews were carried out with the same population. A total of 207 participants who completed both interviews were used in the final analysis. First, only the hypertensive group who participated in the program exhibited a significant difference in the level of knowledge. Second, educational level was associated with the level of knowledge in the entire group. Third, the effects of the program differed by gender, with men demonstrating more significant variations in knowledge upon participating in the program. For effective use of resources, considering that the effects of a hypertension education programs worked differently for groups, more customized hypertension management programs need to be targeted at each group to improve the effectiveness of hypertension education programs.