Relationship between self-efficacy and health behaviors and factors in elderly hypertension patients

Objective To analyze the relationship between self-efficacy and cardiovascular health behaviors and factors in elderly hypertension patients.Methods We selected totally 2 592 elderly hypertension patients in communities and evaluated their self-efficacy levels with the General Self-Efficacy Scale(GSES).We analyzed the impacts of self-efficacy levels on ideal cardiovascular health behaviors and factors combining with the main event of hypertension during a year.Results The rates of ideal cardiovascular health behaviors(smoking,body mass indexBMI,diet,and exercise)were 60%,60.2%,58.4%,and 59.4%for high self-efficacy patients,39.4,38.5%,36.5%,39.4%for medium self-efficacy patients,and 23.2%,24.5%,23.8%,22.5%for low self-efficacy patients,respectively;the rates of ideal cardiovascular health factors(blood pressure,cholesterol(TC)and triglyceride)were 55.8%,59.3%,54.9%for high self-efficacy patients,36.7%,39.2%,38.1%for medium self-efficacy patients,and 23.5%,24.3%,24.1%for low self-efficacy patients,respectively.The cardiovascular health behaviors and factors,the cumulative incidence rate of cardivaseular events,and pulse pressure variation incidence in the high self-efficacy patients were better than those in midium and low self-efficacy patients.Conclusion The self-efficacy level is related to ideal cardiovascular health behavior and health factors.The high self-efficacy level could promote ideal cardiovascular health behavior and health factors,which can prevent the occurrence of cardio- and cerebro-vascular events.