Perceptions and self-care motivation among people with hypertension in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara

Abstract

Purpose: to identify patients’ perceptions of hypertension and motivation for self-care related to hypertension. Design: a qualitative descriptive study. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 hypertensive patients in Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara. The data was collected by using a tape recorder and transcribed verbatim. The data analysis used the NVIVO 12 Plus software. Main Findings: Two important themes were identified, including perceptions related to hypertension and self-care motivation. The perceptions of the disease consisted of 1) perceptions of the causal factors (the presence of chemicals in food, blood sugar and cholesterol factors, fatigue, pregnancy, stress due to death of a family member, lack of rest, consumption of food high in salt, and the presence of uterine tumor), 2) individual perceptions (the myth that people whose blood pressure is measured will always become hypertensive patients), and 3) the impact of hypertension (stroke and heart problems). Meanwhile, motivation includes internal and external aspects. Conclusions and recommendations: This study promotes an understanding of patients’ perceptions of hypertension and their motivation for self-care in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara. Successful implementation depends heavily on how to overcome false perceptions and low self-care motivation which results in poor adherence to maintenance. Further research is suggested to explore self-care management to control blood pressure among people with hypertension in Belu, East Nusa Tenggara.