Health education program and healthy diet compliance in patients with primary hypertension

Compliance with preventive behaviors is essential to control hypertension among suffered patients. This study aimed to assess the effect of a designed educational program on nutrition behaviors among patients with primary hypertension referring to the hospitals in Qazvin, Iran. In this study, a number of 68 eligible patients suffering from primary hypertension was recruited from an intervention hospital (N=34) and a control hospital (N=34). Before the intervention, data on demographic characteristics and main variables including knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and behaviors of the participants were gathered through the questionnaires. Then, the intervention group was provided by the educational program. The same data were collected 4 weeks after the intervention. The mean age was 53.59±7.33 for the intervention group and 52.15±8.68 for the control group. The two groups were equal in terms of all demographic and main variables except for attitude before the intervention. The results showed all variables such as knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behavior were improved in the intervention group compared to the control group. In conclusion, this study verified the educational program could improve knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy as well as behaviors regarding nutrition behaviors among patients suffering from hypertension.