Development and evaluation of a hypertension knowledge test for Korean hypertensive patients

Patients' knowledge concerning high blood pressure (HBP) is a useful outcome measure in HBP education programs. However, valid and easy-to-use HBP knowledge assessment tools are scarce. The purpose of the study was to validate the HBP Knowledge Test (HKT) in two independent samples of Korean Americans with HBP (N=885). A total of 61% of the sample were women with a mean age of about 61years (standard deviation=11.0) and 44% reported some college education or greater. Psychometric and item response theory analyses identified 21 items that fit a unidimensional model to form the HKT. Internal consistency was acceptable, with Cronbach's α=0.70. Construct validity testing revealed that patients with controlled BP had significantly higher HKT scores than those with uncontrolled BP (P = .012). The HKT is a simple questionnaire for assessing and monitoring HBP knowledge. It is sensitive to differences in blood pressure control status and should provide a valid, reliable, and standardized measure of HBP knowledge with wide relevance.