Self-management experiences in people with hypertension and low health literacy: Patients and healthcare professionals’ perspectives

Abstract Background Self-management education is a key component of hypertension care. However, individuals with low health literacy often have suboptimal self-management skills after receiving the education. Little is known about their experiences in receiving self-management education. This study aimed to explore the experiences, facilitators, and barriers to self-management education among community-dwelling individuals with hypertension and low health literacy, from the perspectives of patients and healthcare professionals. Methods Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants with hypertension and low health literacy, currently receiving care at a community health centre in Vietnam. The participants were interviewed via the Zalo app. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. NVivo 12 software and thematic analyses were used to analyse the interview data. Results Three themes were identified: (1) Limited engagement with health information and self-management; (2) Shaping health practices from one’s own resources; and (3) Needs for better hypertension management. Our findings suggested that persistent barriers reduce patients’ ability to use health information and apply self-management in daily life. There is a need to develop an appropriate self-management program for people with hypertension and low health literacy. Conclusion Future self-management interventions for individuals with hypertension and low health literacy should focus on strengthening proactive communication, appraising health information, simplifying information into clear, actionable steps, providing reliable resources, and engaging social and family support.