Abstract

In chronic illness patients, promotion and self-care are important strategies for maintaining and improving health. Self-care behavior of hypertensive patient are affected by various variables. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between three cognitive-perceptual resources-self efficacy, hardiness and perceived barriers and self-care in hypertensive patients. The subjects for the study were 102 patients who admitted to K medical center or visited to out-patient ward. The instruments used for this study included a survey of general characteristic. self-care, self efficacy, health related hardiness and perceived barriers. Analysis of data was done by use of mean, t-test, ANOVA, Person correlation coefficient and multiple regression The results of this study are summarized as follows: 1)The average score for the self-care was 56.18, for the hardiness was 120.90, for the self efficacy was 59.46 and for the perceived barriers was 34.60. 2)The relationships between the variables of self-care and cognitive-perceptual resource-self efficacy, hardiness, perceived barriers were significant. Self-care was significantly related to hardiness(r=.47, p<.001), suggesting that the person with high hardiness got higher self care scores. Self-care was significantly related to perceived barriers(r=-.41, p<.001), suggesting that the person with high perceived barriers got higher self care scores. A slight but significant correlation was also found between self-care and self efficacy(r=.26, p<.01). 3)In the relationships between general characteristics variables and self-care there were significant differences in gender(t=2.46, p<.05), job(t=3.72, p<.05), duration of illness(t=4.92, p<.05). 4)Stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between self-care and independent variables(self-efficacy, hardiness, perceived barriers) and selected general characteristics variables-job, duration of illness. These variables accounted for 36% of the variance in self-care score(F=13.34, p<.000). The hardiness was the most predictive factor(R2=19%) followed by job and perceived barriers. The finding of this study have implications for education of hypertensive patients and health care providers. For chronically ill patients adhere to self-care, we should focus on determining their personal resources such as hardiness and perceived barriers.