Effectiveness of a self-management education program on hypertension control and contributing factors in older adults: an interventional trial

Background: One of the common disorders that can negatively affect the health status of old adults is hypertension. Self-management education is an effective method to control various disorders. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of self-management education program on blood pressure, management of anthropometric measures, and some metabolic factors among elderly in Tabriz, Iran. Methods: 227 eligible hypertensive elderly patients from three primary health care centers of Tabriz were participated in 12 sessions of self-management education intervention conducted in 6 months from April to October 2019. Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), serum levels of fasting blood sugar (FBS), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride, as well as anthropometric indices were assessed both before and at the end of the intervention. Results: The participated elderly had the mean± SD age of 64.52±5.76 years. After 6-month presence of subjects in the educational sessions, the SBP (p=0.038), body weight (p=0.012), BMI (p=0.021), FBS (0.011), and TC ( < 0.0001) were significantly decreased compared to baseline. Conclusion: Self-management educations can improve compliance of elderly to controlling factors of blood pressure such as diet and exercise. Consequently, following a healthy lifestyle can be effective in reducing a number of the hypertension risk factors.