Abstract:
Hypertensive patients with inappropriate blood pressure control behavior cannot control their blood pressure. It will deteriorate their symptoms. Also, important organs such as brain, heart, renals, and eyes might be damaged. This descriptive research aimed to compare blood pressure control behavior mean scores of different gender, age, body mass index (BMI), health belief, familial health behavior, and trust in health care service among uncontrolled hypertensive patients. Participants were 310 pairs of hypertensive patients and their families visitting an out patient unit at Sirindhorn Hospital, Medical Service Department, Bangkok who met study inclusion criteria. They were selected by simple random sampling. Research instruments for data collection included patient characteristic record form and questionnaires regarding health belief, familial health behavior, trust in health care service, and blood pressure control behavior. Data were analyzed by independent t-test and one-way ANOVA. Results showed that participants with different genders had significantly different mean scores of eating behavior (t 308= -2.09, p= .04). Different groups of BMI and of trust in health care service had significantly different mean scores of exercise behavior (BMI: t 308= 2.08, p= .04; trust in health care service: t 307.97= 2.01,p= .04). Risk control behaviors showed statistically differences in group of health belief for about perceived benefit (F2, 307= 3.82, p = .02) and perceived barriers (F2, 307= 3.34, p = .04), However, different groups of age, health belief, perceived risks, perceived severity, and familial health behavior did not have significantly different mean scores of blood pressure control behavior. Findings suggest that health care providers should integrate use these significant factors (gender, BMI, health belief, and trust in health care service) in caring for uncontrolled hypertensive patients. This may help them control their blood pressure successfully