The relationships among disease perception, perceived control, and self-care behaviors in hypertensive patients: Results of a cross-sectional study

Background: Self-care in hypertension is influenced by factors such as disease perception and perceived control. Understanding the relationships among these factors is essential for designing effective programs to enhance self-care. This study aims to investigate the relationships between disease perception, perceived control, and self-care behaviors in patients with hypertension. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 432 individuals diagnosed with hypertension who were receiving care at rural comprehensive health centers in Babol, North Iran. The sampling method employed was multistage cluster random sampling. The data collection instruments used included a demographic information questionnaire, the blood pressure measurement tool, the hypertension disease perception questionnaire, the scale of perceived control: empowerment indices, and the self-care behaviors assessment tool (HTN-SCP) [1] for patients with hypertension. Additionally, all the tools used were pre-validated for accuracy and reliability, and informed consent was obtained from the participants in accordance with ethical research principles. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20, which employs descriptive statistics and analytical tests (independent t -tests, Chi-square tests, Fisher’s tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and linear regression analyses). Results: In the univariable analysis, the results of linear regression indicated a direct and statistically significant relationship between the disease perception score and self-care among patients with hypertension ( P < 0.001, B = 0.37). Furthermore, the analysis of the relationship between perceived control and self-care in hypertension patients revealed a statistically significant association ( P < 0.017, B = 0.20). In the multivariate linear regression analysis, a statistically significant relationship was identified between disease perception and self-care behaviors ( P < 0.001, B = 0.30). Specifically, for each unit increase in the score for perceived control, an average increase of 0.87 units in the patients’ self-care score was observed, which was statistically significant ( P < 0.001). Additionally, regarding perceived control at the organizational level, the univariable analysis indicated that a one-unit increase resulted in an average increase of 0.37 units in the self-care score, which was statistically significant ( P = 0.036). Conclusion: Considering the relationship between disease perception and perceived control, intervention programs designed to improve self-care in patients with hypertension should prioritize the enhancement of both disease perception and perceived control.