Effects of intensive intervention in a community-dwelling elderly population with hypertension / 中华健康管理学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective This study evaluated the effects of a systematic intensive health education intervention in community-dwelling elderly individuals with hypertension. Methods Using a cluster sampling method,we selected two neighborhoods in the Taiyuan Xiyu community,which were located 8 km apart.We randomly assigned all elderly community residents who were diagnosed with hypertension to one of two groups according to the inclusion and exclusion criteriathe intervention group(n=314)or the control group (n=319). The intervention group received a 1-year systematic intervention of intensive health education, whereas the control group only received 1 year of routine health education. After 1 year, blood pressure, body mass index, fasting blood glucose, blood lipid levels, and changes in poor health behaviors were evaluated in both groups. Results The systolic blood pressure of hypertensive patients in the intervention group decreased from(136.75±14.62)mmHg(1 mmHg=0.133 kPa)before the intervention to (131.11 ± 7.71) mmHg after the intervention. The diastolic blood pressure of hypertensive patients in the intervention group decreased from(81.22±7.71)mmHg before the intervention to(80.45±5.12)mmHg after the intervention. Body mass index, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased from(25.02±3.09)kg/m2,(5.85±1.50)mmol/L,(5.23±0.99)mmol/L,and(2.98±1.07) mmol/L before the intervention to(24.22±2.73)kg/m2,(5.23±1.50)mmol/L,(4.42±1.31)mmol/L,and(2.73±0.95)mmol/L after the intervention in the intervention group,respectively.The differences before and after the intervention were significant (P<0.05, P<0.01). The systolic blood pressure of hypertensive patients in the control group decreased from (137.83 ± 13.83) mmHg before the intervention to (133.14 ± 7.69) mmHg after the intervention. The diastolic blood pressure of hypertensive patients in the intervention group decreased from (82.04 ± 7.62) mmHg before the intervention to (81.22 ± 5.29) mmHg after the intervention. Fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol of hypertensive patients in the control group decreased from (5.67±1.49)mmol/L and(5.27±1.02)mmol/L before the intervention to(5.47±1.53)mmol/L and(4.70±1.25) mmol/L after the intervention,respectively.The differences before and after the intervention were significant (P<0.05,P<0.01).The difference between the two groups in systolic blood pressure,body mass index,fasting blood glucose, and total cholesterol were statistically significant (P<0.05, P<0.01). After the intervention, both groups showed statistically significant behavioral changes in smoking cessation, physical exercise, low-sodium diets, and weight control (P<0.01). Conclusion A systematically intensive health education intervention was effective in improving blood pressure and unhealthy lifestyles for community-dwelling elderly patients with hypertension.