Table 1.
Hypertension—Self-care Activity Level Effects (H-SCALE) Items
| Medication Usage |
|---|
| How many of the past 7 days did you: |
| 1. Take your blood pressure pills? |
| 2. Take your blood pressure pills at the same time every day? |
| 3. Take the recommended number of blood pressure pills? |
| Low-salt Diet |
|
|
| How many of the past 7 days did you… |
| 4. Follow a healthy eating plan? |
| 5. Eat potato chips, salted nuts, or salted popcorn? |
| 6. Eat processed meats such as ham, bacon, bologna, or sausage? |
| 7. Eat smoked meats or smoked fish? |
| 8. Eat pickles, olives, or other vegetables in brine? |
| 9. Eat ≥5 servings of fruits and vegetables? |
| 10. Eat frozen prepared dinners or frozen pizza? |
| 11. Eat store bought or packaged bakery goods? |
| 12. Salt your food at the table? |
| 13. Add salt to food when you’re cooking? |
| 14. Eat fried foods such as chicken, french fries, or fish? |
| 15. Avoid eating fatty foods? |
| Physical Activity |
|
|
| How many of the past 7 days did you… |
| 16. Do at least 30 minutes total of physical activity? |
| 17. Do a specific exercise activity (such as swimming, walking, or biking) other than what you do around the house or as part of your work? |
| Smoking |
|
|
| How many of the past 7 days did you… |
| 18. Smoke a cigarette or cigar, even just one puff? |
| Weight Management |
|
|
| In order to lose weight or maintain my weight… |
| 19. I am careful about what I eat. |
| 20. I read food labels when I grocery shop. |
| 21. I exercise in order to lose or maintain weight. |
| 22. I have cut out drinking sugary sodas and sweet tea. |
| 23. I eat smaller portions or eat fewer portions. |
| 24. I have stopped buying or bringing unhealthy foods into my home. |
| 25. I have cut out or limit some foods that I like but that are not good for me. |
| 26. I eat at restaurants or fast food places less often. |
| 27. I substitute healthier foods for things that I used to eat. |
| 28. I have modified my recipes when I cook. |
| Alcohol |
|
|
| A drink of alcohol is defined as: one 12-oz can or bottle of beer, one 4-oz glass of wine, one 12-oz can or bottle of wine cooler, 1 mixed drink or cocktail, or 1 shot of hard liquor. |
| 29. On average, how many days per week do you drink alcohol? |
| 30. On a typical day that you drink alcohol, how many drinks do you have? |
| 31. What is the largest number of drinks that you’ve had on any given day within the last month? |