Awareness: the Golden Key to Understanding Healthcare Seeking Behavior among Elderly Hypertensive Patients in Taft, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Healthcare seeking behavior is crucial for early detection and proper management of hypertension in the elderly. This study investigated the factors influencing healthcare seeking behavior among elderly hypertensive patients residing in Taft, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 230 hypertensive individuals aged 60 and above residing in Taft, Yazd Province, Iran. Participants were randomly selected and completed a questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. The questionnaire assessed their healthcare seeking behaviors and potential influencing factors. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software. Correlation tests and linear regression analysis were employed to identify significant relationships (p < 0.05). Results: A significant majority (70%) of participants reported always paying attention to symptoms of high blood pressure. When experiencing symptoms, over half (53.9%) of the participants indicated a preference for visiting health centers, general practitioners' offices, or emergency departments. Among the factors studied, awareness (B = 0.228) emerged as the most significant positive predictor of healthcare seeking behavior (p < 0.05). Other positive influences included decision-making autonomy (B = 0.177), prior experience with healthcare services (B = 0.131), and social support (B = 0.131) – all statistically significant at p < 0.05. Conversely, barriers to healthcare seeking had a negative and significant impact (B = - 0.064, p < 0.05). Collectively, the investigated factors explained 23% of the variation observed in healthcare seeking behavior among the elderly participants (R2 = 0.23). Conclusion: This study identified awareness of hypertension as the strongest predictor of healthcare seeking behavior in elderly patients. Additionally, providing accessible and supportive healthcare services can further encourage elderly hypertensive patients to seek necessary care. Corresponding Author: Masoumeh Abbasi‑Shavazi View Orcid in Profile You can search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar Profile

Keywords

• health care seeking behavior
• blood pressure
• awareness
• aged