Hypertension: Patient adherence, health beliefs, health behaviour and modification

Abstract

This paper presents the difficulties inherent in the management of hypertension. As patients are required to manage their hypertension by means of changing their health behaviour their own personal health beliefs come into play. Patients’ health beliefs are dependent on their culture, their understanding of health and their reactions to the health care system. An argument is made that for health behaviour to change patients have to be seen within a system which includes themselves, their families and the health care providers. Health advice has to be appropriate for individual patients and they have to be supported by their families and the health care system.