초록
This study was conducted to examine health behaviors in hypertensive patients and the factors that would affect these healthy life-styles. and to provide basic data for effective and continuous hypertension control in private medical facilities. Among those patients diagnosed as hypertension who had visited the Department of Internal Medicine of Yeungnam University Hospital during the two month period from August 2 to September 30, 1999, the present study included 222 patients who were in more than one month after the initial diagnosis of hypertension and those who had hypertension for less than 10 years. Using a structured questionnaire, the present study was conducted by a self-administered survey method, and the obtained data were analyzed with t-test, $x^2$-test and one-way analysis of variance using the SPSS statistical program. The scores on knowledge related to hypertension were higher as the education level of a patient was higher(p〈0.05). As for occupation, those who performed office or management jobs showed higher scores than those who were into manufacturing jobs, and as for economic status, although those patients who were in middle class showed highest scores, however, no statistical significance was observed. The scores of knowledge on hypertension was higher when the family history of hypertension was present(p〈0.05). The scores of health-related behaviors were higher with higher education level and higher economic status, higher in those with family history of hypertension, and higher in those with office or management jobs than those who had manufacturing jobs(p〈0.05). Blood pressure measurement on regular basis was performed most frequently in those who were between 50-59 years old with 83.3% and was least frequent in those who were older than 70 years old with 50%(p〈0.05). The frequency of regular blood pressure measurement was higher with higher education level, higher economic status, higher in those with family history of hypertension, and the highest in those with management position with 93.5%, however, on statistical significance was observed. Changes in health-related behaviors after hypertension diagnosis were higher with higher education level, higher economic status, and in those patients performed office or management work. In particular, diet change was observed in female and higher economic status and smoking cessation was observed in 60-69 years old. Housewives and office workers or managers have taken exercise more regularly and those who had management jobs and had high scores on knowledge related to hypertension would participate health education program more actively. Thus, for improving health-related behaviors for continuous management of hypertension, changes in health-related behaviors can be followed through conduction health education to improve understanding of knowledge related to hypertension as the method of helping to improve changes in health life-styles in those with little education and those in low economic status.
