Physical and Mental Components of Quality of Life in Older Adult with Hypertension, comparing the roles of Physical Activity and Self-Management

Background: Managing hypertension in later life requires balancing cardiovascular stability against the daily demands of illness care. Although physical activity and self-management are standard recommendations, aggregate quality of life scores often conceal opposing trends between physical functional gains and psychological treatment burden.Purpose: We examined how physical activity and specific self-management behaviors relate to the physical and mental components of quality of life in hypertensive older adults.Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 62 hypertensive older adults at Caringin Primary Health Centre, Bandung, we administered the Physical Activities Scale for the Elderly (PASE), Hypertension Self-Management Behavior Questionnaire (HSMBQ), and RAND SF-36. Hierarchical linear regression evaluated continuous scores, controlling for age, sex, and hypertension stage.Results: Physical activity independently predicted higher PCS (B = 0.054, p = 0.005), driven by physical functioning (B = 0.116, p < 0.001) and role fulfillment (B = 0.092, p = 0.002). Overall self-management did not predict PCS (p = 0.354), though it was associated with reduced bodily pain (B = 0.397, p = 0.041). However, self-integration was negatively associated with MCS (B = -0.765, p = 0.019) and vitality (B = -1.599, p < 0.001). A significant positive interaction was found between physical activity and self-management on PCS (B = 0.0045, p = 0.0009).Conclusion: Routine physical activity sustains functional mobility, whereas rigid self-management introduces emotional strain. Primary care nurses should promote manageable