Evaluation of the relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviours and health literacy in individuals aged 65 years and over with hypertension

This thesis study was conducted to evaluate the effect of the relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviors and health literacy in individuals aged 65 and over with hypertension. The research is designed as a descriptive and correlational study. It was carried out with 126 patients with hypertension between September-November 2024 in a private hospital located in Kadıköy, Istanbul. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the Personal Information Form, Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II (HLB-II), and Health Literacy Scale. While evaluating the study data, chi-square test for independent groups, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and mean and standard deviation values were analyzed. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. According to the results obtained from the study, a statistically significant negative relationship was found between healthy lifestyle behaviors and health literacy in individuals aged 65 and over with hypertension. Health literacy refers to the ability of individuals to understand, interpret, and transform health-related information into healthy lifestyle behaviors. Inadequate health literacy may hinder individuals' access to health services and negatively affect the management of chronic diseases. Therefore, it is recommended that nurses utilize their counseling role to improve both healthy lifestyle behaviors and health literacy levels. Keywords: Hypertension, health literacy, healthy lifestyle, aging