Interdependence in the therapeutic compliance of hypertensive older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thamyres de Oliveira Lopes, Jéssica de Castro Santos, Graziele Ribeiro Bitencourt and 3 others
PMID 35322851WHAT IT FOUND
Older adults with hypertension said family, health workers, faith and phone contact helped them take treatment, but pandemic isolation, salt habits, few local services and not wanting to burden family made compliance harder.
Key findings
01Close relationships and support networks, including family, health workers and social contact, were described as helping participants cope with hypertension.
02Pandemic social distancing and delayed access to exams were described as barriers to treatment.
03Some participants avoided asking family for help to preserve autonomy, which could distance them from support networks.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Convenience sample of 15 people from one health unit in one Brazilian municipality. Participants were required to be independent and able to converse, and people with dementia or cognitive deterioration were excluded, so findings do not cover dependent or cognitively impaired older adults. Qualitative interviews report perceptions and themes, not measured blood pressure, medication adherence rates or clinical outcomes. Interview transcripts were not returned to participants for validation because of pandemic restrictions. Analysis depended on researcher interpretation, and comparable qualitative studies were limited.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest statement is included in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that family support, faith, phone contact or nursing guidance improves hypertension control. The study reports what participants said about support and barriers, not measured adherence or blood pressure outcomes.