Prediction model of blood pressure control in community-dwelling hypertensive adults in Korea

The purpose of the present descriptive study was to test a hypothetical model explaining the factors that influence blood pressure control among hypertensive Korean adults >= 20 years of age. Subjects were 1041 individuals with hypertension identified from 2005 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data. Twelve of the 24 hypothesized paths in the structural model were significant. Gender (beta = 0.09, P < 0.00), medication (beta = -0.24, P < 0.00), regular physical activity (beta = 0.06, P = 0.02) and comorbidity (beta = 0.14, P < 0.00) were significantly associated with blood pressure control, representing 10% of the variance therein. The fit of the model to the data was supported. The study results indicate that health professionals should develop strategies to motivate compliance with antihypertensive medication and regular physical activity of hypertensive adults.