Effect of follow up by using social network based on mobile on self-management behaviors among patients with Hypertension

Background: Given that hypertension is one of the biggest preventable causes of death worldwide, one of the problems of these patients is the lack of proper implementation of self-management behaviors, self-management education and follow-up of these patients are important. Objectives: This study aimed to compare the effect of self-management and follow-up with social networks based on mobile on self-management behaviors of hypertensive patients. Materials/Patients and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with 50 patients with primary hypertension referred to Alzahra hospital, Isfahan, in 2016. Through convenience sampling patients were selected and allocated to the follow-up and without follow-up groups randomly. Patients in both groups received self-management education for 3 sessions consecutively. Then researcher communicated with patients in follow-up group with social network for next 6 weeks. Data gathering was conducted by the self-management behavior in hypertension questionnaire before and six weeks after entry to the study. Data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS V.21. Results: According to the results, there was a statistically significant differences between both groups regarding to the total self-management behaviors and its dimensions after intervention (P 0.0001). Improvement of self-management behaviors was observed in patients with follow-up in comparison with the patients without follow-up. Conclusion: Self-management education and follow-up with social networks based on mobile was effective on self-management behaviors in patients with hypertension. Therefore, nurses can take positive steps towards improving the self-management of these patients through education and utilizing mobile based technologies for following-up.