Self-Care Behaviors and Associated Factors among Patients with Hypertension in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: A Cross-Sectional Study

Hypertension remains a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality worldwide. Effective self-care is essential for long-term blood pressure control and prevention of complications. This study aimed to assess the adequacy of self-care behaviors and identify associated predictors among adults with hypertension. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 393 adults with primary hypertension attending public primary care centers. Data were collected through structured interviews using the Self-Care of Hypertension Inventory, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and a validated hypertension knowledge questionnaire. Binary logistic regression was used to identify predictors of adequate self-care (≥70%). Although 71.6% of participants had good hypertension knowledge, only 26.7% demonstrated adequate self-care. Key barriers included emotional stress (98.0%), financial hardship (87.3%), and time constraints (78.4%). Significant predictors of adequate self-care included younger age (OR 0·939), being married (OR 2·48), employment (OR 0·697), fewer comorbidities (OR 0·552), controlled blood pressure (OR 0·370), higher knowledge (OR 0·949), and stronger social support (OR 1·054). This study identified self-care deficiencies among hypertensive patients, characterized by good knowledge but poor engagement in lifestyle modification, monitoring, and communication. Effective self-care was associated with younger age, family support, and higher knowledge, whereas older age, comorbidities, and blood pressure control impeded it. Emotional stress, financial hardship, and time constraints were key barriers, underscoring the need for comprehensive, multi-level strategies to enhance hypertension self-management.