Purpose
The purpose of this study was to develop and verify a Quality of Life Scale (QOLS) specifically for hypertensive patients. Methods: In the development phase of the QOLS, initial items were derived based on literature review and content analysis through in-depth interviews. After verifying the content validity of the expert group, preliminary questions composed of 94 items were created and confirmed by conducting preliminary research on hypertensive patients. During the verification phase, the preliminary QOLS was administered to 392 hypertensive patients from general hospitals, medical clinics, and public health centers in Busan. Data were analyzed using item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, convergent validity, discriminant validity, criterion validity, and Cronbach’s ⍺. Results: The final scale consisted of 30 items derived from 5 factors. Five factors (negative emotion, acceptance of disease, self-reinforcement, social support, self-regulation) were extracted from the factor analysis, which explained 68.0% of the total variance. The convergent validity showed a positive correlation (r=.51, p<.001), discriminant validity showed an inverse correlation (r=-.60, p<.001), and criterion validity showed a positive correlation (r=.35~.64, p<.001). The Cronbach’s ⍺ was .94 and reliability of the subscales was .78~.92. Conclusion: The specific Quality of Life Scale for hypertensive patients (QOLS_HP) was composed of 30 items using a 5-point Likert scale. The scale demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability.

Purpose
To explore the nature of psychological resistance to the initiation of antihypertensive medication.
Methods
Participants were 13 adults with hypertension who were refusing or had refused to take antihypertensive drugs from July 2016 to October 2016. The data were collected through face-to-face in-depth interviews, and analyzed according to Braun and Clarke’s 6 steps of thematic analysis.
Results
Analysis of the psychological resistance experience to drug therapy in hypertensive patients resulted in 5 themes and 10 sub-themes from a total of 42 free codes. Participants were “holding out as much as possible without medication” without taking antihypertensive drugs due to “psychological opposition to starting treatment” and “situational barriers related to medication”. However, they were “coming to grips with reality” that they were not taking medication but would take it someday, and they gained “momentum for change” to start taking it.
Conclusion
The 5 themes derived from the data analysis of the experiences of 13 participants are interrelated and suggest the direction of intervention to lower psychological resistance. In particular, we propose the development of an intervention to assist patients in self-decision regarding taking antihypertensive medication. Additional research into the role of medical staff in lowering the psychological resistance of young hypertensive patients is needed.

Citations

• Withdrawal of antihypertensive medication in young to middle-aged adults: a prospective, single-group, intervention study
  Hae-Young Lee, Kyoung Suk Lee
  Clinical Hypertension.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef

PURPOSE
This study aimed to identify the mediating effects of health belief on the disease-related knowledge, eHealth literacy, and self-care behavior of hypertension patients. eHealth is an emerging field of medical informatics, referring to the organization and delivery of health services and information using the internet and related technologies.
METHODS
A total of 156 patients who were receiving treatment for hypertension at the best internal medicine clinic in Busan City participated in the study. Data collection was conducted from May 22, to June 30, 2019. Collected data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and three-step mediated regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 25.0.
RESULTS
Significant positive correlations were observed between disease-related knowledge and eHealth literacy (r=.19, p=.016), disease-related knowledge and health belief (r=.32, p<.001), disease-related knowledge and self-care behavior (r=.16, p=.046), eHealth literacy and health belief (r=.17, p=.034), and health belief and self-care behavior (r=.27, p=.001). Health belief had a mediating effect (z=−2.47, p=.013) on the correlation between disease-related knowledge and self-care behavior.
CONCLUSION
To improve self-care behavior among hypertension patients, medical practitioners need to develop interventions that enhance health belief.

Citations

• Effects of e-health literacy on health-related quality of life in young adults with type 2 diabetes: Parallel mediation of diabetes self-efficacy and self-care behaviors
  Yura Jang, Youngran Yang
  Applied Nursing Research.2025; 82: 151917.     CrossRef
• Factors influencing coping skills of middle-aged adults in COVID-19, South Korea
  Minkyung Gu, Heeyoung Woo, Sohyune Sok
  Frontiers in Public Health.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Influence of Digital Literacy and Patient Activation on Sick Role Behavior in Vulnerable Older Adults with Diabetes
  Young-Eun Yi, Hyun-Ju Lee
  Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing.2024; 31(2): 179.     CrossRef
• Relationship Between Electronic Health Literacy and Self-Management in People With Type 2 Diabetes Using a Structural Equation Modeling Approach
  Eun-Hyun LEE, Young Whee LEE, Eun Hee KANG, Hyun-Jung KANG
  Journal of Nursing Research.2024; 32(1): e315.     CrossRef
• Electronic Health (eHealth) Literacy and Self-Care Behaviors—Results from a Survey of University Students in a Developing Country
  Salman Bin Naeem, Anthony Faiola, Aziz Ur-Rehman, Maged N. Kamel Boulos
  Information.2024; 15(10): 636.     CrossRef
• Digital literacy among Korean older adults: A scoping review of quantitative studies
  Hun Kang, Jiwon Baek, Sang Hui Chu, JiYeon Choi
  DIGITAL HEALTH.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Investigating the relationship of electronic health literacy and self-care behaviors with life quality in patients with heart failure
  Masoomeh Bakhshayesh, Mitra Hojatansari, Soheila Rabie Siahkali
  Preventive Care In Nursing and Midwifery Journal.2023; 13(4): 30.     CrossRef
• The Relation Between eHealth Literacy and Health-Related Behaviors: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
  Keonhee Kim, Sangyoon Shin, Seungyeon Kim, Euni Lee
  Journal of Medical Internet Research.2023; 25: e40778.     CrossRef
• Mediating Effects of Self-Efficacy and Social Support on the Relationship Between eHealth Literacy and Self-Care Competency in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: A Cross-Sectional Study
  Eunhee Jo, Su-Jin Lee, Sun Hee Han
  Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing.2023; 30(3): 325.     CrossRef
• Investigating predictors of self‐care behavior among homebound older adults: The role of self‐efficacy, eHealth literacy, and perceived social support
  Arkers Kwan Ching Wong, Jonathan Bayuo, Frances Kam Yuet Wong
  Journal of Nursing Scholarship.2022; 54(3): 278.     CrossRef
• The Relationship Between Participating in Online Parenting Communities and Health-Promoting Behaviors for Children Among First-Time Mothers: The Mediating Effect of Parental Efficacy
  Minyoung Woo, Sun-Mi Chae
  Journal of The Korean Society of Maternal and Child Health.2022; 26(3): 183.     CrossRef
• Factors Influencing the Self-management Behaviors of the Elderly with Hypertension in the Local Community
  Jeongju Hong
  Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing.2021; 32(3): 303.     CrossRef
• Relationships Between Mobile eHealth Literacy, Diabetes Self-care, and Glycemic Outcomes in Taiwanese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Cross-sectional Study
  Sophie Huey-Ming Guo, Hung-Chun Hsing, Jiun-Lu Lin, Chun-Chuan Lee
  JMIR mHealth and uHealth.2021; 9(2): e18404.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to assess the awareness of warning signs of stroke and identify the risk factors influencing such awareness among diabetics with hypertension who are at a high risk for stroke.
METHODS
Data from the 2017 Korea Community Health Survey were used. A total of 15,536 adults older than 30 years diagnosed with hypertension and diabetes mellitus were included in the final analysis. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, χ2 test, and logistic regression with SPSS/WIN 24.0 program.
RESULTS
Among the five warning signs of stroke, “sudden trouble in speaking or understanding” (79.0%) was the most commonly identified one and “sudden severe headache with an unknown cause” (65.2%) was the least. Only 48.8% participants identified all five warning signs and 11.8% could not identify any of them. In the logistic regression model, the risk of unawareness of warning signs of stroke was significantly higher among those aged 30~49 years and 70 years or older, with a lower educational level, without a spouse, and with a heavy alcohol consumption and current smoking status.
CONCLUSION
The level of awareness of warning signs was low in hypertensive diabetic adults. To improve awareness of warning signs of stroke, a customized educational program should be provided to hypertensive diabetic adults considering the risk factors relevant to unawareness of warning signs of stroke. The education on warning signs of stroke can potentially lead to a reduction in morbidity in the survivors.

Citations

• Factors Influencing Participation in Hypertension Management Education Among Diagnosed Hypertensive Patients in Busan: Utilizing the 2021 Community Health Survey
  Hye Jung Jun, Kyoung Mi Kim
  Research in Community and Public Health Nursing.2024; 35: 424.     CrossRef
• Capsular warning syndrome and its clinical awareness and therapeutic approach: two case reports and a systematic review of the literature
  Hector R. Martínez, Jose A. Figueroa-Sanchez, Carlos A. Arreola-Aldape, Jose Alberto Moran Guerrero, Ana Luisa Trujillo-Bracho, Alejandro Cantú López
  Frontiers in Neurology.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Comparison of Stroke Knowledge, Health Beliefs, and Stroke Prevention Behavior between Early and Middle-Aged Adults
  Eun Ko
  STRESS.2022; 30(2): 98.     CrossRef
• Blood Pressure Awareness and Knowledge of Cardio-Cerebrovascular Diseases in South Korean Women with Hypertension
  Yeo Won Jeong
  Healthcare.2021; 9(3): 360.     CrossRef
• The Effect of Residence in Underserved Emergency Medical Services Areas on Awareness of Myocardial Infarction Symptoms in Korea
  Mirae Jo, Heeyoung Oh, Suk-Yong Jang
  Journal of Health Informatics and Statistics.2021; 46(1): 8.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purposes of this secondary analysis study was to examine prevalence, risk factors and unmet healthcare needs among adults with hypertension.
METHODS
A sample of 3,386 adults over the age of 40 with hypertension were drawn from the Korea Health Panel Study (2013). Using SPSS 22.0 version, descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, chi-square and logistic regression were performed.
RESULTS
Results showed that 18.9% of the sample reported unmet healthcare needs with the most frequently cited one was financial burdens (43.2%). The reported experiences of unmet healthcare needs differed by gender, marital status, vision or hearing impairment, memory problem, impaired mobility, subjective health status, total family income, depressive episode and the difficulty in making decisions. The sample participants were more likely to report unmet healthcare if they had vision impairment, low income and perception that their health status as moderate to poor. Those without vision impairment were less likely to report unmet healthcare needs.
CONCLUSION
The identified risk factors of unmet healthcare needs should be addressed which would enhance access both to health care and to resolution of unmet healthcare needs. Since visual ability seems to impact perception of unmet healthcare needs, it may be useful to find ways to address this factor.

Citations

• Regional disparities in health literacy for chronic diseases: focusing on healthcare resources and local extinction index
  Seokmin Ji, Young Gyu Kwon, Hyunseo Lee, Chaehwan Shin, Minsung Sohn, Mankyu Choi
  Frontiers in Public Health.2024;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Identifying the Group Vulnerable to Unmet Medical Needs Due to Food Security: According to Children in the Household
  Min-Soo Kim, Hyeon-Ji Lee, Jae-Hyun Kim
  Healthcare.2023; 11(3): 423.     CrossRef
• Factors related to undiagnosed diabetes in Korean adults: a secondary data analysis
  Bohyun Kim
  Journal of Korean Biological Nursing Science.2023; 25(4): 295.     CrossRef
• Unmet Healthcare Needs and Related Factors Among Immigrants: A Cross-Sectional Secondary Analysis of 2019 Korea Community Health Survey Data
  SookKyoung Park, Hye Young Kim, Young-Me Lee
  INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing.2023;[Epub]     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The objective of this study was to identify the predictors of self-care behaviors among elderly patients with hypertension using quantile regression method.
METHODS
A total of 253 elderly patients diagnosed with hypertension was recruited via 3 different medical clinics for the study. The quantile regression and a liner regression was conducted using Stata 12.0 program by analyzing predictors of self-care behaviors.
RESULTS
In the ordinary least square, self-efficacy, period of disease, and education level explained 42% of the variance in self-care activities. In the quantile regression, affecting predictors of self-care behaviors were self-efficacy for all quantiles, the period of disease for from 60% quantile to 90% quantile, education level for 20%, 30%, and 50% quantiles, economic status for 10%, 50%, and 60% quantiles, age for 10%, 70% quantiles, fatigue for 10% quantile, knowledge about hypertension for 10% and 20% quantiles, and depression for 30% and 40% quantiles.
CONCLUSION
The affecting predictors of self-care behaviors among elderly with hypertension were different from the level of self-care behaviors. These results indicated the significance in assessing predictors according to the level of self-care behaviors when clinical nurses examine the patients' health behaviors and plan any intervention strategies. Specially, education level and knowledge about hypertension were the significant predictors of self-care activities for low quantiles. Clinical nurses may promote self-care activities of the given population though health education programs.

Citations

• Factors Influencing the Self-management Behaviors of the Elderly with Hypertension in the Local Community
  Jeongju Hong
  Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing.2021; 32(3): 303.     CrossRef
• Mediating Effects of Health Belief on the Correlations among Disease-related Knowledge, eHealth Literacy, and Self-care Behaviors in Outpatients with Hypertension
  Gyoo Yeong Cho, Myung Nam Ha
  Korean Journal of Adult Nursing.2019; 31(6): 638.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
This study investigated the prevalence of hypertension, explored sleep duration, and examined the related factors to hypertension in Korean middle-aged adults.
METHODS
Using raw data from the Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted from 2008 to 2010, a secondary analysis was performed with data from 13,230 adults aged 30~64 years. chi2-test and multiple logistic regressions was used for the data analysis.
RESULTS
The prevalence of hypertension among Korean middle-aged adults was 21.8% and 40.3% among participants reported that their average sleep duration was below six hours a night. Risk factors for hypertension include: female (the odds ratio (OR) 1.66 for male), 50~64 years age group (OR 3.66 for 30~49 years age group), education level of elementary school (OR 1.84 for university level), low household income (OR 1.27 for upper), obesity (OR 2.41), high risk drinking (OR 1.64), and sleep duration< or =6 hrs (OR 1.16 for 8 hrs of sleep).
CONCLUSION
High risk population of hypertension could be male, aged, low education, and low income. Obesity, high risk drinking, and short sleep duration should be considered as risk factors for hypertension. Interventions for obesity management, adequate alcohol drinking and sleep duration could be considered for preventing hypertension.

Citations

• Sleep Deficit as a Risk Factor for Hypertension in Korean Adults
  Mi-Joon Lee, Bum-Jeun Seo, Inmyung Song
  Sustainability.2023; 15(3): 2586.     CrossRef
• Relationship between sleep duration and prevalence of hypertension among Korean postmenopausal middle-aged women
  Eun Young Hong, Hye Ja Gu
  Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion.2023; 40(5): 43.     CrossRef
• The Influence of Health Behaviors and Sleep related Factors on Cognitive Function in the Elderly Hypertensive Patients
  Ahrin Kim, Hae Ok Jeon
  Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society.2015; 16(10): 7078.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors related to dyslipdemia and hypertension among male office workers.
METHODS
This study was a cross-sectional survey. The sample was 204 male office workers aged 30 to 62 years without cardiovascular disease and not taking medication for hypertension and dyslipidemia. Data were collected from November, 2011 to March, 2012. Dyslipidemia was examined by checking serum lipid profiles.
RESULTS
Dyslipidemia was related to career (adjusted OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.03 1.51), time spent at desk (adjusted OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.03~1.51), job stress of Q25-49 (adjusted OR 2.72, 95% CI 1.24~5.93), inactivity (adjusted OR 6.86, 95% CI 2.62~17.93), and snack intake frequency (adjusted OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.03~2.38). Hypertension was related to career (adjusted OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01~1.14), heavy drinking (adjusted OR 5.00, 95% CI 1.25~20.04), and snack intake frequency (adjusted OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.33~3.34).
CONCLUSION
Work and lifestyle-related factors were associated with dyslipidemia and hypertension in male office workers. These findings suggest that lifestyle intervention and improvement of working conditions are integral parts of cardiovascular disease prevention.

Citations

• Effects of a Remote Physical Activity Improvement Program on Male Office Workers with Metabolic Syndrome in Their 30s and 40s with Sedentary Behavior: A Randomized Controlled Trial
  Kyong Sil Park, Seon Young Hwang
  Asian Nursing Research.2024; 18(2): 81.     CrossRef
• Factors Associated With Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Behavior Among Office Workers Based on an Ecological Model
  Jihyon Pahn, Youngran Yang
  Sage Open.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Comparison of Blood Triglyceride Level by Health and Dietary Behaviors Using the Seventh (2018) Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)
  Min Young Chong, Inhwa Han
  Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life.2021; 31(5): 299.     CrossRef
• Health promotion program for office workers with SEM based on the WHO’s healthy workplace framework
  Hosihn Ryu, Jiyeon Jung, Jihyun Moon
  Health Promotion International.2020; 35(6): 1369.     CrossRef
• Investigation of Healthy Life Practices among Korean Males and Females in relation to Dyslipidemia Using data from the 2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
  Sun-Hee Lee, GyeongAe Seomun
  Journal of Digital Convergence.2016; 14(1): 327.     CrossRef
• Association of Work-related Characteristics and Hypertension among White Collar Workers
  Chae-Bong Kim, KyooSang Kim
  Journal of Korean Society of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene.2015; 25(3): 418.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk factors related to prehypertension in Korean adults.
METHODS
The data were obtained from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005. The ubjects of this study were 3,981 adults aged over 20 years of age. Demographic characteristics, alcohol drinking, smoking, physical activity, stress, BMI, serum lipid profiles and blood pressure were analyzed in this study.
RESULTS
Prevalence of prehypertension was 38.9% in this study. As the result of multiple logistic regression, the risk of prehypertension in male, elderly and low income persons was increased. And the risk of prehypertension was increased in the case of problem drinking, alcohol abuse, formal smoker, overweight, obesity and hyperlipidemia in triglyceride.
CONCLUSION
To decrease prehypertension prevalence, it is necessary to detect and manage the influencing risk factors of prehypertension such as alcohol drinking, smoking, obesity, physical activity, stress and serum lipid profiles.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to examine self care behaviors according to the risk levels of vascular complications in elderly women with hypertension.
METHODS
The subjects of this study were 162 women living in the community who had been diagnosed with hypertension in clinics. The data were analysed by the SPSS 10.0 program using descriptive statistics, t-test, and ANOVA with Scheff. post-hoc test.
RESULTS
The average self care behavior score of the elderly women was 2.79. Total self care behavior was significantly different depending on the risk levels of vascular complications such as systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, ankle-brachial index, and the framingham point score. Among sub-scores of self care behaviors, exercise management was the poorest performance compared with other self care behaviors.
CONCLUSION
This study proved the differences in self care behaviors according to the risk levels of vascular complications. To decrease the prevalence of vascular complication, it is necessary to develop programs specifically to enhance self care behaviors of elderly women with hypertension.

PURPOSE
The purposes of this study were to describe the pattern of type D personality, to compare the life style and quality of life between type D personality and non-type D personality patients, and to investigate the factors influencing quality of life in patients with hypertension.
METHODS
A cross sectional, descriptive study was used. The participants in this study were 193 outpatients who were diagnosed with hypertension at two university hospitals in urban area, Korea. The data was collected from December, 2006 to January, 2007. Type D personality was measured by the DS-14 scale.
RESULTS
The prevalence of type D personality was 83.9%. Patients of type D personality were significantly different in educational status, monthly income, fat intake and exercise, and had a lower overall quality of life than patients of non-type D personality. Under controlled general characteristics and life style factors, multiple linear regression analysis was performed. The most significant factor influencing quality of life in hypertensive patients was type D personality, and this factor explained their quality of life with a variance of 14.8%.
CONCLUSIONS
Various programs for psychological intervention are required to control for the distressed personality of patients with hypertension. Further studies should be conducted prospectively on a larger patient population.

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of young adults with hypertension, using phenomenology in order to describe the essence of such experiences and to understand them from the patients' point of view.
METHODS
Participants in this study were 4 hypertension patients with ages ranging from 20 to 35 years old, living in Seoul city. Data were collected from in-depth interviews done from October to November in 2005. Colazzi method(1978) was used to analyze the data.
RESULTS
The 12 themes were extracted in this study ; 'Discovery by accident', 'Denial of the diagnosis', 'A disease unworthy of the young men', 'Guilty feeling toward their parents', 'Fear of death', 'Unconvinced reason', 'Worry about the future', 'Attribute all symptoms to the disease', 'Will of not life-long medication', 'Concern for fertility problem', 'Not convinced with current treatment method', 'Becoming unimportant'.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study show that the young adult with hypertension will be in a high risk group of non compliance, so helpful program for them should be developed and the nurses need to pay more attention to the psychosocial aspect of nursing.

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to investigate factors related to middle-aged women's health beliefs and their intention to practice health behaviors for preventing and improving hypertension.
METHODS
The participants were 319 middle-aged(40-59 years) women who lived G city. Data was collected from January to February, 2005. Personal interviews were performed. The data was analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Scheffe's multiple comparison test and hierarchial multiple regression analysis.
RESULTS
Perceived susceptibility of health belief was high in those who had higher educational level, disease history and health education experience, significantly(p<0.05). Perceived seriousness was high in those who had higher educational level, middle economic status and health education experience, significantly(p<0.05). Perceived benefits was high in those who had higher educational level and perceived barriers was low in those who had disease history and hypertension, significantly(p<0.05). The subject's intention to practice health behaviors was significantly high in those who were younger, who had higher educational level and menopausal status(p<0.05). In hierarchial multiple regression analysis, the subject's intention was related to perceived seriousness, perceived benefit and educational level, significantly(p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
It is necessary to develope the education programs which can increase the subject's health belief and intention to practice health behaviors towards hypertension in middle-aged women.

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of foot reflexologic massage on blood pressure and sleep of elderly with essential hypertension. METHOD: This study was employed non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. The subjects were divided into two groups: 20 elders for experimental group and 18 elders for control group. For experimental group, foot reflexologic massage was done three times at three-day intervals. The data analyzed by SPSS version 10.0 program. RESULT: The systolic and diastolic blood pressure after foot reflexologic massage did not show a significant difference between the two groups. In experimental group, there was a significant difference in the systolic(t=3.559, p=.001) and the diastolic blood pressure(t= 3.048, p=.004) that measured after foot reflexologic massage. There was a significant difference(t=2.665, p=.011) in sleep between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that foot reflexologic massage was partially effective to reduce the degree of blood pressure and improve sleep of the elderly with essential hypertension. A follow up research is needed to compare and confirm its long-term effects.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between hypertension and risk factors. A positive association between obesity, age, serum lipid and such life style factors as smoking, exercise, alcoholic beverage use with blood pressure problems and the prevalence of hypertension has been described in many studies. Therefore to identify and evaluate the effects of variables, which were known to be related to hypertension, multiple regression analysis was performed. We studied 110 subjects. The participants were 45 men and 65 women who visited one university hospital located in Seoul from January to December 1998. All 110 persons were identified as having primary hypertension by their physicians. The significant risk factors identified for hypertension were Obesity, BMI, length of time with hypertension. The results were as follows; 1. The systolic blood pressure average in 110 subjects was 156.65mmHg +/- 14.08mmHg, the diastolic blood pressure average was 100.73mmHg +/- 5.64mmHg. 18.2% of the subjects were smokers, 26.4% of the subjects were drinkers, and 33.6% of the subjects exercised regularly. 13.6% had a family history of hypertension. The average mean pressure was 119.37 +/- 7.40mmHg. The average history of hypertension was 28.36 +/- 34.56months. The average body weight of subjective was 65.25kg, and their average BMI was 24.54kg/m2. The average serum cholesterol of the subjects was 204.54mg/dl, HDL was 50.93mg/dl. 2. The result of this study were that variables which showed significance rationale for high systolic blood pressure in hypertension were mean arterial pressure(R2=0.808), and age(R2=0.032). And the variables which showed significance rationale for diastolic blood pressure in hypertension were mean arterial pressure(R2=0.697), age(R2=0.051), sex(R2=0.014), and somking(R2=0.010). And the best variable for prediction of mean blood pressure was the length of history of the disease. 3. According to multiple regression analysis by demographic variables, age and the length of history of hypertension were predictable variables for hypertension. And mean the blood pressure was identified best explaining variable of hypertension by biophysical variables. Therefore, life style modification for hypertension patients as a primary regimen is less important than for normal blood pressure patients. Life style modification is important intervention for normal blood pressure subjects, on the other hand drug therapy and its compliance is the most important intervention for hypertensive subjects. So to regulate blood pressure and prevent the complication of hypertension, the first regime of all should pharmacologic therapy. There is a need to develop nursing intervention to improve pharmacologic compliance for primary hypertension patients.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the compliance with low-salt diet in essential hypertension patients, and to identify the related factors of compliance with low-salt diet. The subjects of this study were 177 hypertensive patients who have been followed at Seoul National University Hospital outpatient clinic. The data was collected from August 20, 1998 to September 22, 1998, through survey using a self-report questionnaires and chart review. 24-hour urine sodium excretion was measured for validation of self-reported low-salt diet compliance from 22 patients who agreed for 24-hour urine collection. The questionnaires consist of general characteristics, disease-related characteristics, diet-related characteristics, and 4 scales: (1) Numeric scale (2) Knowledge of low-salt diet (3) Family support for low-salt diet (4) Low-salt diet compliance. The results were as follows: 1) The mean score of low-salt diet compliance was 38.97 +/- 9.26. The mean salt intake converted from 24-hour urine sodium was 16.81g/day, which was much greater than recommendation. The percentage of patients who were taking salt 6-8g/day was only 13.6%, and 8-10g/day was 13.6%. 2) The mean score of knowledge of low-salt diet was 5.12 +/- 1.81. The mean score of family support for low-salt diet was 30.08 +/- 8.81. The patients received emotional, instrumental, evaluative, and informational aspect of family support in sequence of amount. 3) Several factors were found as significant factors which influence low-salt diet compliance. Those were knowledge(p=.015), family support(p=.000), age(p=.039), diastolic pressure(p=.014), previous dietary habit(p= .000), duration of low-salt diet(p=.000), recognition of importance of low-salt diet on hypertension control(p=.000), and recognition of necessity of low-salt diet while antihypertensive drug therapy(p=.030). 4) Four significant predictive factors of low-salt diet compliance were identified: (1) Family support accounted for 24.8% of low-salt diet compliance (2) Previous dietary habit, 14.4% (3) Recognition of importance of low-salt diet on hypertension control, 3.7% (4) Diastolic pressure, 2.1%. Therefore, these factors accounted for 45.0% of low-salt diet compliance. In conclusion, low-salt diet compliance in hypertensive patients was very poor, which call for nursing intervention for enhancing low-salt diet compliance. It is necessary to provide practical knowledge of low-salt diet for hypertensive patients and family members.