The relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviors and drug adherence of cardiovascular disease risk in patients with hypertension

Aim: In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the relationship between the objective and perceived cardiovascular disease risks of hypertension patients and healthy lifestyle behaviors, drug adherence. Mateials and Methods: Study group is consisted by the hypertension patients who applied 3 different familiy health centers in Adana between 1 September-31 October 2020 and fullfills the criteria of participation. The questionnaire that consists of the questions about demographic characteristics, disease information, perceived risk, healthy lifestyle behaviors and the "Modified Morisky Scale" was filled face to face. Objective risk was calculated by using the "Framingham Risk Score". Results: Average age 56.9 ± 9.1 years, 236 participants which 67.4% were female.Participants 44.1% of the risk was higher in high-risk groups and were men. (p<0.01). While correct perception was 30.5%, false optimism 42.7% and false pessimism 26.7 % in relative perceived risk, these rates were respectively 27.6%, 45.0% and 27.6% in comperative perceived risk. No relationship was found between objective and perceived risk. The risk perception of women, single people, diabetics and with the those who could not manage their stress was higher p<0.05). While the adaptation to healthy lifestyle behaviors of those who perceived high risk was found lower (p<0.05), no significant difference was found in terms of objective risk groups. It is found that the drug compliance did not differ according to objective and perceived risk conditions, but scores for compliance to healthy lifestyle behaviors of those having high knowledge about drugs were higher (p=0.000). Hile no difference in perceived risk conditions of those informed about risk by the healthcare professionals was found, their compliance with healthy lifestyle behavior scores was found to be higher (p=0.027). Conclusion: It is recommended that family physicians to consider the findings of this study (high inappropriate risk perception, correct risk perception of only about one out of three hypertensives, objective risks of men, risk perceptions of women to be higher, the compliance with healthy lifestyle behaviors to be related to the perceived risk and the information given by healthcare workers, etc.) while serving to the patients with hypertension.