Hypertension knowledge and adherence among older Caucasian women

Hollyanne Heaton

Purpose: To describe hypertension knowledge and medication adherence among older low-income Caucasian women. Background: Hypertension is a chronic health condition afflicting more than one-third of adults in the United States. Hypertension is defined as a blood pressure greater than 140/90 for those younger than 60 years old and as greater than 150/90 for those over 60 years old. Hypertension contributes to several serious health problems such as myocardial infarction, stroke, heart failure, renal failure, and cognitive impairment. Knowledge and understanding of one's hypertension improves adherence to prescribed treatments and reduces the incidence of cardiovascular complications. Methods: Recruitment focused on obtaining a convenience sample of low-income Caucasian women over the age of 55, diagnosed with hypertension, and prescribed an antihypertensive medication. The participants completed a paper/pen survey that included a brief demographic profile, a ten item Blood Pressure Knowledge assessment and the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, MMAS-8. The World Health Organization's Multidimensional Adherence Model guided data collection and analysis. Results: Twenty-nine Caucasian women participated from low-income retirement housing, Meals-on-Wheels lunch sites, churches, and by word of mouth. The average age of the women was 74 years with 62% having a high school educational level or greater. The results of the Blood Pressure Knowledge assessment found that 62% of the women surveyed realized that hypertension usually lasts the rest of one's life and 45% of the participants knew that hypertension could cause kidney problems. Thus, knowledge regarding the longevity of hypertension and the non-cardiac complications of hypertension was low. Of those completing the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, 72.4% had low to medium adherence to medication therapy. Forgetfulness was the primary barrier for 62% of the women surveyed. Implications: Nurses have an important role in education, including teaching older women the significance of lifetime vigilance regarding the management of their hypertension and the potential outcomes if hypertension is uncontrolled. More research will aide in the development of interventions tailored to address forgetfulness in hypertension medication adherence.

Hypertension knowledge and adherence among older Caucasian women

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