The Relationship between Health Literacy and Hypertension Control: A Cross-Sectional Study

Masoumeh Sohrabi; Manoochehr Karami; Razieh Sadat Mirmoeini; Zahra Cheraghi

doi:10.18502/jthc.v17i4.11614

The Relationship between Health Literacy and Hypertension Control: A Cross-Sectional Study

J Tehran Heart Cent. 2022 Oct;17(4):243-248. doi: 10.18502/jthc.v17i4.11614.

Authors

Masoumeh Sohrabi¹, Manoochehr Karami², Razieh Sadat Mirmoeini³, Zahra Cheraghi^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
² Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
³ Disease Control & Prevention Center, Deputy of Health Services, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
⁴ Modeling of Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.

Abstract

Background: Uncontrolled hypertension is a major public health problem among patients in developed and developing countries. The present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and causes of uncontrolled hypertension to facilitate the design of more effective methods of hypertension control.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 303 adults with hypertension. The Standard Health Literacy Questionnaire was used to collect data. Uncontrolled hypertension was ascertained based on the WHO definition. A multiple logistic regression model was used at a 95% confidence level. Variables considered were confounders including age, sex, marital status, family size, income (monthly mean), smoking (past or current), education level, and physical activity (times in a week).

Results: The mean (SD) age of the participants (n=303) was 59.3(12.7) years, and 57.4% were men. The prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension was 50.5%. The mean score of health literacy among patients with controlled hypertension was higher than that among patients with uncontrolled hypertension (64.83±23.72 vs 46.28±22.19; P<0.001). The odds of uncontrolled hypertension decreased by 3% in the patients (OR: 0.97; P=0.06). Adherence to treatment (OR: 0.13; P<0.001), salt consumption per package purchased per month (OR: 4.40; P=0.001), increased physical activity per hour per week (OR: 0.56; P<0.001), current or passive cigarette smoking (OR: 4.59; P=0.010), a positive history of chronic diseases (OR: 2.62; P=0.027), and increased family size (per 1 child) (OR: 0.57; P<0.001) were associated with uncontrolled hypertension.

Conclusion: The results showed a borderline association between increased health literacy and hypertension control. Additionally, increased salt consumption, reduced physical activity, small family size, and underlying diseases (eg, diabetes, chronic heart disease, and renal disease) could increase the odds of uncontrolled hypertension in Iranian society.

Keywords: Cross-sectional studies; Health literacy; Iran; Uncontrolled blood pressure.