Reflections on the prevention and control of arterial hypertension in adolescents and the theory of self-care

Abstract

Arterial hypertension is a disease that currently reaches human beings from several age groups, among men and women of diverse ethnicities, resulting in ever-increasing morbimortality rates. Although most frequent during adulthood, it is in adolescence that arterial hypertension can be precociously detected and controlled. Teenagers with hypertension need lifestyle adjustments, such as eating habits, practice of physical exercises and anxiety control, which aid in the process of health promotion and well-being. Therefore, it is essential to encourage self-care among that age group in order to promote a healthy life, and the concepts of Orem’s theory of self-care can constitute an adequate reference to support action by this group. The objective of this study is to reflect on the prevention and control of arterial hypertension in adolescents using Orem’s theory of self-care. It is not an easy task to promote self-care, whether by parents, health professionals or adolescents themselves, as it demands investments in the bio-psycho-socio-cultural and spiritual contexts. Adolescence is marked by changes in behavior and construction of values; therefore, it can be a favorable moment to create awareness in hypertensive adolescents about the about of the need to adopt healthy life habits, which can contribute to an improvement in health promotion and prevention of future complications. It is believed that this reflection can contribute to the perfecting of new ways of caring for arterial hypertension, understanding the adolescent in his/her multiple dimensions.