Representações cognitivas, conhecimentos acerca da hipertensão arterial, satisfação com a informação acerca da medicação e adesão terapêutica em utentes hipertensos

Abstract

High blood pressure (HBP) is a public health problem which, if left untreated, may result in loss of quality of life and rise in the mortality rate. Because it may be an asymptomatic clinical condition, patients may not wish to undergo treatment. The purpose of this investigation was to characterize a sample of hypertensive patients about the beliefs of HBP, health habits, their satisfaction with the information on the medication, and the will to undergo treatment by HBP patients. 120 hypertensive patients took part in this investigation, assigned to the ACES do Alto-Ave. The following instruments were used: questionnaire on beliefs about the disease, health habits, treatment adherence measurement, the assessment on the satisfaction with the information received about the medication, and a questionnaire of sociodemographic data, clinical and knowledge about HBP. This is a observational, descriptive, of the transversal analytical study. We verify that treatment adherence is high, that subjects show healthy habits (healthy eating habits, a decrease in the ingestion of alcoholic beverages, and a decrease in smoking habits), that they are satisfied with the information received about the medication, and that to some points they obtain good knowledge about HBP, namely its treatment.

Date of Award	28 Jan 2014
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Eleonora C. V. Costa (Supervisor) & Ana Margarida de Barros Trovisqueira Baptista da Silva (Supervisor)