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 ۲۳۰ hypertensive individuals aged ۶۰ 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 < ۰.۰۵).
Results: A significant majority (۷۰%) of participants reported always paying attention to symptoms of high blood pressure. When experiencing symptoms, over half (۵۳.۹%) of the participants indicated a preference for visiting health centers, general practitioners' offices, or emergency departments. Among the factors studied, awareness (B = ۰.۲۲۸) emerged as the most significant positive predictor of healthcare seeking behavior (p < ۰.۰۵). Other positive influences included decision-making autonomy (B = ۰.۱۷۷), prior experience with healthcare services (B = ۰.۱۳۱), and social support (B = ۰.۱۳۱) – all statistically significant at p < ۰.۰۵. Conversely, barriers to healthcare seeking had a negative and significant impact (B = - ۰.۰۶۴, p < ۰.۰۵). Collectively, the investigated factors explained ۲۳% of the variation observed in healthcare seeking behavior among the elderly participants (R۲ = ۰.۲۳).
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
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