How a Self-Management Program Affects Blood Pressure Among Indonesians with Hypertension

Background: The prevalence of persons with hypertension remains high, especially in Southeast Asia, such as in Indonesia. Therefore, an effort to control blood pressure is needed. This study aimed to examine the effect of a self-management program on blood pressure among persons with hypertension in Indonesia. Materials and Methods: A quasi-experimental study with pre-test post-test with control group design was used. Seventy-seven participants were selected using convenience sampling in Belitung, Indonesia. A digital sphygmomanometer was used to measure blood pressure. Paired t -test and independent t -test were used for data analysis. Knowledge of hypertension, diet, exercise, and medication records were measured via validated questionnaires and observation sheets. Results: There was a significant effect of the eight-week self-management program on systolic blood pressure ( t 30 = 6.45, p = 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure ( t 30 = 2.53, p = 0.02). A significant difference in blood pressure was also identified between the experiment and control group, particularly in systolic blood pressure ( t 59 = –2.89, p = 0.05) with a large effect size (0.71). Conclusions: Brisk walking with a duration of at least 30 minutes per day, dietary modification program specifically focusing on weight loss and anti-hypertensive food, monitoring program, and health education for eight weeks, are considered effective to control blood pressure among patients with hypertension, and these interventions should be a part of nursing interventions and sustainable health development programs in the community.