An investigation of factors influencing self-care behaviors in young and middle-aged adults with hypertension based on a health belief model.

OBJECTIVES: To explore whether five variables of the health belief model were factors influencing self-care behaviors in young and middle-aged adults with hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The self-care behaviors of young and middle-aged adults with hypertension are suboptimal in China, and the factors associated with self-care behaviors have rarely been studied in the population.

METHODS: A questionnaire survey was adopted in the study. 382 eligible participants were recruited from two tertiary teaching hospitals using the convenience sampling.

RESULTS: The predictors of self-care behaviors in young and middle-aged adults with hypertension included age, complications related to hypertension, perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers and self-efficacy. Five aspects of health beliefs model accounted for 47.0% of total variance.

CONCLUSIONS: The perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy were key factors affecting self-care behaviors in young and middle-aged adults with hypertension. A health education program targeting improving health beliefs for the population should be developed.