THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ANXIETY LEVEL AND BLOOD PRESSURE MEASUREMENT RESULTS AMONG HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS UNDERGOING DRUG THERAPY

Abstract

High blood pressure is a condition that requires long-term management and consistent therapeutic adherence. A common problem is that many hypertensive patients experience anxiety toward their blood pressure measurement results, even though they routinely take antihypertensive medication. This anxiety, known as anticipatory anxiety, arises before the measurement takes place because patients anticipate results that may be worse than expected (Riyada et al., 2023). This descriptive-correlational study aimed to identify the relationship between anxiety level and blood pressure measurement results among hypertensive patients undergoing drug therapy. A quantitative cross-sectional design with a total sampling technique was used, involving 60 respondents from the Prolanis program in the working area of UPT Puskesmas Sooko, Mojokerto Regency. Anxiety was measured using the Short Health Anxiety Inventory (SHAI-18) and blood pressure was measured with a digital sphygmomanometer. Data were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation test. The results showed that 51.7% of respondents experienced mild anxiety and 48.3% experienced moderate anxiety, while 53.3% had Stage 2 blood pressure. The correlation test yielded p = 0.000 (p < 0.05) and r = 0.759, indicating a strong, significant, and positive relationship between anxiety level and blood pressure measurement results.