The Effect of Interpersonal Communication on Prevention Behavior of Early Hypertension among Student at SMAN 6 and SMAN 19 Bone

Background: Hypertension is a health issue that is not only experienced by adults but can also develop during adolescence. This condition often continues into adulthood, with essential hypertension in adults frequently stemming from habits and risk factors that emerge during adolescence. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2023 revealed that one in every 25 adolescents aged between 12 to 19 years old is diagnosed with hypertension. Among adolescents diagnosed with hypertension, 10% were found to have a prior history of prehypertension. Objective: This study aims to determine the effect of interpersonal communication on early hypertension prevention behavior among students of SMAN 6 and SMAN 19 Bone. Materials and Methods: The research design used was Quasi Experiment with pretest-posttest control group design. 110 grade 11 students made up the study population. They were split into two groups: the experimental group, which got an interpersonal communication intervention (n=55), and the control group, which received counseling (n=55). This study was carried out at SMAN 6 and SMAN 19 Bone. Simple random sampling was the method of sampling employed in this study, and a questionnaire was utilized as the research tool to gauge students' knowledge, attitudes, and action both before and after they received the intervention, which had been validated and proven to be reliable. Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests were used for both univariate and bivariate data analysis. Results: This study showed significant differences in knowledge, attitudes, and actions in the experimental group regarding hypertension prevention behaviors, with p-values for knowledge (p=0.017), attitude (p=0.000), and action (p=0.002). Conclusion: The interpersonal communication approach applied in the intervention proved to have an influence on hypertension prevention behavior, including knowledge, attitudes, and actions in students of SMAN 6 and SMAN 19 Bone.