The Relationship Between e-Health Literacy and Treatment Compliance in Hypertension Patients

Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between e-Health literacy and treatment compliance among patients with hypertension.Materials and Methods: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted between July and December 2024 with hypertension patients enrolled in the family medicine training unit within a primary healthcare center. Data were collected using a descriptive information form, the e-Health Literacy Scale, and the Hill-Bone compliance to high blood pressure therapy scale. Correlation was analyzed using the Spearman correlation test. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05.Results: The e-Health literacy total score of the 115 hypertension patients included in the study was 38.8±8.1, while the treatment compliance total score was 3 [5]. e-Health literacy levels were higher among high school and university graduates and decreased with age (p=0.001, p=0.001, respectively). The average age of patients fully compliant with hypertension treatment was higher (p<0.002). Treatment compliance was better in patients with diabetes and psychiatric illnesses (p=0.007, p=0.048, respectively) and higher in patients who restricted salt, exercised, and monitored blood pressure regularly (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.029, respectively). e-Health literacy was not found to be associated with compliance with hypertension treatment (p=0.829).Conclusions: Our study findings indicate that the relationship between e-Health literacy and treatment compliance in patients with hypertension is not direct and significant. Mediating variables such as age, education level, source of information, and health behaviors shape this relationship.