Empowerment in the self-management of hypertension: challenges from the perspective of Iranian elderly patients

Uncontrolled hypertension in the elderly causes various diseases and disability. This study was aimed to explore the challenges in self-management empowerment from the perspective of Iranian elderly patients with hypertension. Using exploratory descriptive approach, on 30 hypertension patients in Bushehr by purposive and convenience sampling method. First, qualitative data were collected through interviews with the elderly , and the quantitative data were then collected using a researcher-made questionnaire in three dimensions of knowledge, attitude and performance. In the qualitative phase, coding and summarizing of the data obtained from deep semi-structured interviews with the elderly led to five areas of awareness of changes, autonomy, satisfaction with performance, coping and sense of control. 7 men and 23 women participated in the qualitative phase, in which the average age of participants was 66.17% and 63% were married. Data analysis showed that the mean score of the elderly was equal to 10.17 and 58.26 for the dimensions of knowledge and performance respectively, which were at a weak level; and the mean attitude score was 9.96, which was at a moderate level. Given the challenges in empowering the management of hypertension in elderly, the planned training is recommended to be developed for the elderly and health care staff to achieve the main objective, i.e. the empowerment of the elderly through the self-management of hypertension.