Health Literacy and Self-Management Behaviours Among Adults Living with Hypertension in Kano Metropolis

Health literacy is a critical determinant of self-management capacity among individuals living with chronic conditions such as hypertension, influencing medication adherence, dietary behaviour, and engagement with healthcare services. This study examined the relationship between health literacy and self-management behaviours among adults living with hypertension in Kano Metropolis, Kano State, North West Nigeria. An analytical cross-sectional design was employed, with 320 hypertensive adults recruited from secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities in Kano Municipal and Fagge local government areas. The Newest Vital Sign was used to assess health literacy, while the Hypertension Self-Care Profile was used to measure self-management. Multiple regression analysis was applied to assess the relationship between variables. Results showed that adequate health literacy was associated with significantly better medication adherence (beta 0.44, p less than 0.01), dietary sodium restriction (beta 0.37, p less than 0.05), and physical activity compliance (beta 0.29, p less than 0.05). Socioeconomic status, educational level, and exposure to structured health education moderated the health literacy-self-management relationship. Low health literacy was prevalent in 48 percent of respondents. The study recommends design and delivery of low-literacy-adapted health education materials and patient counselling programmes in hypertension clinics across Kano Metropolis. Keywords: health literacy, hypertension, self-management, Kano, chronic disease