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Volume 13, Issue 7 (July 2026), Pages: 179-189
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Original Research Paper
Effects of a mindfulness learning program on blood pressure control in Thai patients with hypertension
Author(s):
Chonlakarn Songsri 1, Pimwalunn Aryuwat 2, *, Watjana Sukontawat 2, Kanocnart Turakawin 3, Prasart Nuangchalerm 4
Affiliation(s):
1Faculty of Nursing, Udon Thani Rajabhat University, Udonthani Province, Thailand 2Boromarajonani College of Nursing Udonthani, Praboromarajchanok Institute, Udonthani Province, Thailand 3Sakhrai Hospital, Nongkhai Province, Thailand 4Faculty of Education, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham, Thailand
Full text
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* Corresponding Author.
Corresponding author's ORCID profile: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9466-4718
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.07.017
Abstract
Hypertension is a significant public health challenge in Thailand, affecting approximately 60% of older adults and contributing substantially to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to examine the effects of a 12-week mindfulness learning program on blood pressure control, hypertension awareness, self-care behaviors, and stress levels in patients with hypertension. A quasi-experimental one-group pretest-posttest design was used with 58 patients with blood pressure readings ≥140/90 mmHg recruited from Sakhrai Hospital, Nong Khai Province, Thailand. The program included hypertension self-assessment and goal-setting, health education, mindfulness practice, hypertension-specific exercise, telemedicine follow-up via the LINE application, and final evaluation. Data were collected using validated instruments. Statistically significant improvements were observed across all measured parameters. Hypertension awareness increased from predominantly low levels (65.6%) to high levels (100%), while low stress increased from 62% to 96.6%. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased significantly from 132.36 to 128.17 mmHg and from 72.83 to 68.86 mmHg, respectively (p < 0.001). Qualitative findings identified four themes: integration into daily routines, perceived physical benefits, social support, and implementation challenges. These findings suggest that mindfulness may provide a culturally appropriate complementary approach to hypertension management in rural Thai settings. However, the findings require confirmation through randomized controlled trials.
© 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Keywords
Mindfulness, Hypertension, Blood pressure, Self-care, Stress management
Article history
Received 1 April 2026, Received in revised form 19 July 2026, Accepted 24 July 2026
Acknowledgment
No Acknowledgment.
Compliance with ethical standards
Ethical considerations
The research protocol and questionnaire received ethical approval for human subject research from the Nong Khai Provincial Public Health Office (Certificate of Approval No. NONKPH 183.1, dated January 30, 2024).
Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Citation:
Songsri C, Aryuwat P, Sukontawat W, Turakawin K, and Nuangchalerm P (2026). Effects of a mindfulness learning program on blood pressure control in Thai patients with hypertension. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(7): 179-189
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