Effect of Continuous Care model on lifestyle modification in patients with hypertension: Randomized clinical trial study

Abstract

Hypertension is the most important modifiable cardiovascular disease. One of the main factors affecting the risk of hypertension is people's lifestyle, for which appropriate changes in lifestyle-related factors creating cardiovascular risks need to be developed through new and effective approaches in long-term. Follow-up is an important tool for active participation in treatment and behavior changes; therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of continuous care model on the lifestyle of patients with hypertension. In this two-stage clinical trial, two groups of 64 patients with hypertension at the Isfahan Hypertension Center were selected through simple sampling, who hold the study criteria. The samples were randomly divided into two groups of 32 people as the experimental and control groups. The continuous care in the test group was carried out in the form of a four-stage program including orientation, sensitization, control and evaluation for 3 months. The control patients received usual care. Two questionnaires were employed to collect demographic data and lifestyle inventory data for hypertension used in two stages of pre- and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical tests such as chisquare, Mann-Whitney, independent and paired t-test and analysis of covariance by SPSS version 20. Statistical tests showed no significant differences between the mean scores of two groups in life style dimensions before the intervention. After the intervention, however, the mean scores of lifestyle and its dimensions were significantly higher in the test group than those in the control group ( p < 0.001) According to the results, it can be concluded that applying continuous care model has significantly been effective in lifestyle modification of patients with high blood pressure. Training the patients and strengthening by repetition, monitoring and management of nurses can be important factors in promoting behavioral and lifestyle changes in these patients. Therefore, the use of this model can be useful.