Open AccessHypertension: Patient adherence, health beliefs, health behaviour and modification
Author(s) -
Aimée Stewart,
C. J. Eales
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
south african journal of physiotherapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.166
H-Index - 3
eISSN - 2410-8219
pISSN - 0379-6175
DOI - 10.4102/sajp.v58i1.482
Subject(s) - health care , argument (complex analysis) , medicine , health belief model , health promotion , health behavior , health education , nursing , health management system , behaviour modification , psychology , family medicine , alternative medicine , public health , environmental health , applied psychology , pathology , economics , economic growth
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.