Relative and Cumulative Effects of Hypertension Self-Care Behaviors on Blood Pressure.

Abstract

New recommendations for hypertension (HTN) diagnosis and treatment highlight the role of self-care activities in managing blood pressure (BP). This cross-sectional study investigated the predictive validity of the Hypertension Self-Care Activity Level Effects (H-SCALE) measure and examined the relative and cumulative effects of HTN self-care adherence on BP. We pooled baseline data from three studies (N = 79), resulting in a gender and racially balanced sample. Partial correlations determined the relative effects of individual self-care behaviors on BP. We modeled the relationship between adherence to self-care behaviors and BP control using logistic regression. Physical activity had the greatest correlation with systolic BP. Adherence to each additional self-care behavior increased the odds of systolic BP control by 88% (95% confidence interval (CI) = [1.20, 2.96]) and diastolic BP control by 74% (95% CI = [1.10, 2.75]). Results provide further evidence that the H-SCALE is a valid assessment tool and should be adopted by clinicians to aid in improving BP management.