Effect of an Intervention Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior on Self-Care Behavior of Patients With Hypertension: A Clinical Trial

Background: Hypertension is an important health problem and one of the most important causes of disability and mortality.  Objective This study aims to evaluate the effect of an educational program based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) on self-care behaviors in hypertensive patients. Materials and Methods: This is a clinical trial conducted on 180 patients with hypertension referred to health centers in Rasht, Iran in 2014. They were divided into two intervention (n=75) and control (n=75) groups.  Data collection tools included a demographic form, the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire, the Food Frequency Questionnaire, and a TPB  questionnaire with five constructs including attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavior control, and behavioral intention related to hypertension. Collected data were analyzed in SPSS v. 18 software using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Before intervention, two groups were similar  in terms of the scores TPB constructs. After intervention, the mean scores of attitude changed from 4.51 to 4.58; mean scores of subjective norms changed from 4.16 to 4.19; mean scores of perceived behavior control changed from 3.64 to 4.23; and mean scores of behavioral intention changed from 3.88 to 4.24. These differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). No difference was observed in the control group. Conclusion: An educational program based on TPB can promote the self-care behaviors among hypertensive patients.