Introduction: Understanding the link between health literacy and self-care in hypertensive patients is crucial for managing the disease, improving quality of life, and preventing complications.
Objective: This study systematically explores the relationships among health literacy, blood pressure, and self-care behaviors.
Material and Methods: This systematic review adhered to the Cochrane Handbook and Guidelines for Systematic Reviews, following the PRISMA 2020 criteria. Relevant studies were identified by searching the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for publications between April 20, 1980, and April 24, 2023, using English keywords such as hypertension, "health literacy," "blood pressure," and "self-care." Two independent reviewers assessed the titles and abstracts before reviewing the full texts of selected articles, with any disagreements resolved by a third reviewer.
Results: Out of 1,151 articles, 11 meeting the inclusion criteria were reviewed: eight crosssectional studies, two cohort studies, and one randomized controlled trial. Three articles examined the link between health literacy and blood pressure control, while eight focused on self-care. All studies demonstrated a correlation between health literacy levels and either blood pressure control or self-care behaviors.
Conclusion: Individuals with hypertension who possess higher health literacy are better at managing their blood pressure. However, evidence regarding the effect of health literacy on selfcare behaviors is limited. Thus, employing consistent and appropriate tools to evaluate self-care effectiveness in health promotion programs is crucial.