Digital Education for Hypertension Management: Effects on Self-Care and Health Literacy

Hypertension is a major cause of premature death worldwide. In recent years, unhealthy lifestyles, obesity, and socioeconomic factors have been identified as the leading causes of hypertension. It affects approximately two-thirds of adults aged 19-79 worldwide. This large number highlights the magnitude of the global burden of chronic disease and the strain on health systems. Furthermore, two-thirds of adults diagnosed with hypertension live in low- and middle-income countries, and it is estimated that a significant proportion of adults are unaware they have the condition. Additionally, many individuals diagnosed with hypertension are under treatment, but only a fraction manage to control their condition effectively through medication.

Given the global prevalence of hypertension, the situation in Turkey is also quite critical. Studies have shown that approximately 30% of the adult population in Turkey has hypertension. These data highlight the need for significant improvements in diagnosis, treatment, and management processes.

Adherence to medication therapy in patients with hypertension is a key determinant in controlling blood pressure and preventing complications. Reliable and valid tools should be used to assess treatment adherence. A review of the current literature reveals numerous studies on hypertension management, medication adherence, and health literacy. These studies have generally examined the impact of digital health interventions on blood pressure control and, in some cases, medication adherence. However, there is a limited number of studies that directly evaluate the impact of a self-care education program-specifically designed for individuals diagnosed with hypertension and focused on enhancing health literacy through multiple digital educational materials such as videos, brochures, and podcasts-on medication adherence. Therefore, there is a need for more comprehensive and holistic research on this topic.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of digital education (using videos, brochures, and podcasts) that supports self-care and health literacy among individuals diagnosed with hypertension on medication adherence. It is expected that the findings will emphasize the importance of digital literacy in hypertension management and guide health education programs. This methodology aims to contribute to the development of effective approaches to enhance self-management, self-efficacy, and e-health literacy through digital hypertension education. Additionally, the findings will be used to assess the impact of digital hypertension management education on its widespread adoption and medication adherence.

Sample Size: The sample size will be determined based on the study's power analysis. Calculations performed considering a 50% effect size, a 95% confidence interval, and a 5% margin of error, indicated that both experimental and control groups should each consist of 88 participants.

Research Hypotheses

The digital education program has a positive effect on increasing self-care scores among patients diagnosed with hypertension.

The digital education program has a positive effect on increasing e-health literacy scores among patients diagnosed with hypertension.

Following the digital education program, positive changes will occur in the health behaviors of patients diagnosed with hypertension (regarding regular medication use, blood pressure monitoring, and healthy eating).

Data Collection Process: Data will be collected through face-to-face interviews after obtaining verbal and written informed consent forms from the participants.

Data Collection Tools:

A Data Collection Form developed by the researchers in accordance with the literature will be used. The form includes the following sections:

Patient Information Form: This section covers sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, education level, income status, employment status, and family history of hypertension.

Disease-Related Variables: This section includes items on the duration of the disease, number of antihypertensive medications used, regular blood pressure monitoring, and use of digital health tools.

Hypertension Self-Care Profile (HBP SCP): This scale measures self-care behaviors, motivation, and self-efficacy levels in individuals with hypertension. It is a 4-point Likert scale consisting of three subscales: Behavior, Motivation, and Self-Efficacy. Higher scores indicate better self-care, stronger motivation, and greater self-efficacy.

e-Health Literacy Scale: This tool assesses individuals' self-perceived ability to find, evaluate, and use health-related information in online environments. It is a 5-point Likert-type scale consisting of eight items, where higher scores indicate higher e-health literacy.

Hypertension Management and e-Health Literacy Training for Individuals Aged 50 and Older:

The training program is a structured educational initiative designed to improve hypertension management and e-health literacy among individuals aged 50 and older. It provides participants with information on the causes of hypertension, risk factors, self-care behaviors, and digital health services. The goal is to enable individuals to monitor their blood pressure at home, adopt healthy lifestyle behaviors, and use digital health platforms safely.

Data Analysis:

Data will be analyzed using statistical software. The normality of data distribution will be examined through both visual (histograms and probability plots) and analytical (Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests) methods. Frequency, percentage, standard deviation, and arithmetic mean values will be used. For normally distributed data, the paired t-test will be applied; for non-normally distributed data, nonparametric methods will be used.