Effects of an empowerment program for self-management among rural older adults with hypertension in South Korea

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the effects of an empowerment program for hypertension self-management among rural older adults in South Korea. DESIGN: A pretest-posttest controlled design for a 12-month hypertension self-management program with assessments at commencement, 6 months and 12 months. SETTING: Two subsistence farming areas. PARTICIPANTS: Subsistence farmers aged 65 and over: intervention group (n = 41) and control group (n = 36). INTERVENTION: Twelve-month empowerment program for hypertension self-management. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Self-efficacy, social support, self-care behaviours, blood pressure control and renal function. RESULTS: There were significant interactions of group by time for self-efficacy (P < 0.001) and self-care behaviour (P = 0.019). Blood pressure control at 12 months also showed a significant improvement in the empowered group compared with the control group (82.8% versus 56.8%, P < 0.014). Other clinical outcomes, including systolic blood pressure (P = 0.006) and renal function (P < 0.001), showed significant interactions of group by time. CONCLUSIONS: The empowerment program was effective for rural older adults with hypertension in South Korea. Further investigation of the relationships among core components of empowerment would be beneficial.