Determinants of perceived health in older adults with hypertension

OBJECTIVE: To describe perceived health and assess the factors that contribute to perceived health in community-dwelling older adults diagnosed with hypertension. METHODS: The study was a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional study that examined community-dwelling adults' health status, use of health services, and access to care. Hierarchical regression identified factors that contributed to perceived health in 1485 adults aged 60 years and older who were diagnosed with hypertension. RESULTS: A model of nonmodifiable factors, support resources, and lifestyle factors explained a significant proportion of the variance in perceived health, most of which was captured by nonmodifiable factors. CONCLUSION: Attention to nonmodifiable factors is needed in both clinical practice and research to identify a subset of older adults diagnosed with hypertension who are at risk for poor perceived health. (Heart Lung(R) 2010;39:41-49.)