Influence of health beliefs, gender, income, and family/social support on compliance with hypertensive therapeutic regimens among Chinese immigrants in the United States

The effects of health beliefs (including perceived susceptibility and perceived severity to hypertension, and perceived benefits and perceived barriers of complying with hypertension treatment) on compliance with hypertensive therapeutic regimens, and the relationships among gender, income, and family/social support and compliance with hypertensive therapeutic regimens were measured among Chinese immigrants in the metropolitan Washington D.C. area. Becker's (1974) revised Health Belief Model provided the framework for this study. One hundred and nine subjects with hypertension who have resided in the U.S. over one year were recruited in the study. Data were collected via the Demographic Data Form (DDF), the Health Beliefs Questionnaire (Andreoli, 1981), the Barrier Scale (Murdaugh & Hinshaw, 1986), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet, et al., 1988), and the Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale (Kim, Hill, Bone, & Levine, 2000). Hypotheses were tested with hierarchical multiple regression analysis; open-ended questions in the DDF were analyzed using content analysis. The results indicated that no significant relationships existed among health beliefs, gender, income, and family/social support on compliance with hypertensive therapeutic regimens among Chinese immigrants in the Washington D.C. area. However, the variance explained the relationship between age and compliance were increased among Chinese immigrants with health insurance. Additionally, Chinese immigrants with medical insurance have resided significantly longer in the U.S. than those without medical insurance. Four categories of methods of compensation for hypertensive medications were emerged: Health Insurance, Self-support, Low-income Clinic, and Exotic Medicines. Five categories of major obstacles for controlling hypertension were generated: Not Identified, Difficulty in Transportation, Difficulty in Language, Lack of Insurance, and Stress in Daily Life.