Korean J Prev Med.  2001 Nov;34(4):417-426.

The Relationship between Treatment Intention and Compliance in Newly Detected Hypertensive Patients

• Lee SG
• Bae SS

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
To analyse the psychosocial factors associated with hypertension management(drug treatment and life style modification) of newly detected cases and to understand and assess their behavioral intention or behaviors.
METHODS
The survey area was a combined urban and rural area in Chungnam province, Korea, and the sampling method was cluster sampling. Study subjects included 541 newly detected cases of hypertension rated above stage 2 by JNC-VI from a community survey. The first survey was applied to 383 of these patients in order to discern their psychosocial characteristics. A follow-up survey was given to 345 persons with an 11-month interval following monthly telephone counseling concerning medication and life style modification by trained nurses. The final study subjects for analysis comprised 271 persons after excluding cases of incomplete data and change of address.
RESULTS
Among the 85(33.2%) new patients who had intended to undergo drug treatment, 30(35.3%) persons were treated with antihypertensive agent after 11- month interval, while among the patients with no intention to receive treatment, only 36(21.1%) persons were treated. Hypertensive patients with a high intention score revealed a high score in life style modification compliance as well. Seventy three percent of the variance of behavioral intention to undergo hypertension management was explained by the patients attitude toward performing the behavior and subjective norm associated with behaviors related to the theory of reasoned action in structural modeling. Actual behaviors related positively with behavioral intention. The coefficient of determination was 0.255.
CONCLUSION
Improving the compliance level of hypertensive patients in respect to drug treatment or life style modification requires a build up of positive behavioral intention, and caregivers must pay more attention to eventually converting behavioral intention to actual behaviors.

Keyword

Theory of reasoned action; Hypertension; Drug treatment; Life style modification; Intention; Compliance

MeSH Terms

Caregivers
Chungcheongnam-do
Compliance*
Counseling
Data Collection
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Hypertension
Intention*
Korea
Life Style
Models, Structural
Psychology
Telephone