Impact of Health Belief Model-based Training on Self-care Behavior in Elderly People with Hypertension Referring to Comprehensive Health Services Centers of Daran City, Iran, during 2017-18

Population ageing in recent years has led to a significant rise in the number of chronic diseases. This issue has highlighted the need for protection and management through self-care behaviors. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of health belief model-based training on self-care behavior among elderly patients with hypertension referring to the comprehensive health centers of Daran city, Iran.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted on 100 elderly patients with hypertension covered by the comprehensive health centers of Daran city using a pretest-posttest design and intervention group. The study population was randomly divided into intervention and control groups. Both groups completed a researcher-made questionnaire, including demographic data, knowledge, constructs of health belief model, and self-care behaviors, the validity and reliability of which were confirmed. Data collection was accomplished using interviewers. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 18) using independent t-test, paired sample t-test, Chi-square test, and Fisher’s exact test.

The mean age of the patients in the intervention and control groups were 66.6±6.5 and 67.4±6.3, respectively. Before the intervention, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of the mean scores of sensitivity, severity, perceived benefits and barriers, guidance for action, self-efficacy, and self-care behaviors (P>0.05). However, after the intervention, the intervention group showed a significant increase in the mean scores of knowledge and model components (P<0.001).

As the findings indicated, the application of the health belief model-based training improved the self-care behaviors and function of the elderly with hypertension. Therefore, it is recommended to use this model to enhance such behaviors in this population.