HEALTH LITERACY AND BLOOD PRESSURE CONTROL AMONG PATIENTS WITH HYPERTENSION AT PRIMARY CARE CENTER
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69598/tbps.20.2.191-207Keywords:
health literacy, blood pressure control, hypertension, health behaviorAbstract
This analytical cross-sectional study aimed to assess health literacy and examine the association between personal factors and health literacy with blood pressure control among hypertensive patients receiving care at seven primary care centers in the Map Ta Phut Municipality network. A total of 380 participants were selected through systematic random sampling. Data were collected via structured interviews. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Among participants, 75.5% were female, with a mean age of 62.9 years (±10.4). Most (66.8%) had completed primary education or less, and 83.2% demonstrated adequate medication adherence. The majority had low health literacy (mean score = 164.9 out of 224). The participants demonstrated a high level of knowledge in the need for health information assistance (70.3%), handling various questions (96.6%), and making correct decisions for future actions or living conditions (90.8%). Only 18.9% engaged in high-level health behavior. 50.3% of participants achieved blood pressure control (<140/90 mmHg) on two consecutive occasions. Factors significantly associated with blood pressure control included body mass index (ORAdj.= 5.8, 95%CI: 1.2 - 29.5, p=0.03), presence of hyperlipidemia (ORAdj.= 1.9, 95%CI: 1.2 – 3.0, p=0.01) and health literacy factors associated blood pressure control (ORAdj.= 1.7, 95%CI: 1.1 – 2.6, p=0.02). These findings highlight the importance of promoting health literacy and self-care behaviors, particularly among obese individuals and those with comorbid conditions, to improve hypertension management and reduce the risk of long-term complications.
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