A cross-sectional study of the relationship between health literacy and health-promoting lifestyles in patients with hypertension in northwest Iran

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BackgroundHealth literacy is a key factor in determining the use of health-related information, promoting health, and improving the quality of life. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between health literacy and health-promoting lifestyle in patients with hypertension.MethodsThe present study was conducted using a descriptive-correlation method on 406 patients with hypertension who visited the emergency room of a northwestern Iranian hospital in 2022. The sampling method was convenient in type. The data collection instrument consisted of three parts, including the demographic information section, followed by the health literacy and health-promoting lifestyle sections. The inferential data analysis was done using Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regression in SPSS 24 (Inc., Chicago, Ill., USA). The significance level was set at 5%.ResultsThe mean and standard deviation of participants’ age was 53.77 ± 13.79 years, within a range of 47 to 65 years. The results showed that a health-promoting lifestyle has a positive and significant relationship with health literacy (r = 0.927, p < 0.001). The health-promoting lifestyle had the highest correlation with the decision-making dimension (r = 0.913, p = < 0.001) and the lowest correlation with the reading dimension (r = 0.772, p = < 0.001). The results of linear regression showed that the dimensions of reading, understanding, appraisal, and decision-making were statistically significant in the regression model. The decision-making dimension with a coefficient of 0.592 had the greatest impact on the health-promoting lifestyle.ConclusionThe moderate health literacy level among patients with hypertension is associated with lower adherence to healthy lifestyle practices. Therefore, it is essential for community health policymakers to organize the design of educational program interventions in the areas of health literacy and healthy lifestyle practices to help improve the overall health of patients.