To investigate the effects of health management based on behavior change wheel (BCW) and health belief model on prevention and control of first-episode ischemic stroke (IS).

A total of 248 first-time IS patients who were hospitalized in the Department of Neurology at the First People's Hospital of Xuzhou from January 2019 to December 2021 were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an observation group using a random number table method, with 124 patients in each group. The control group received routine nursing care and follow-up in neurology, while the observation group received health management based on BCW and HBM models on this basis. Before and after intervention, the self-management ability of stroke patients was evaluated using the self management behavior scale, the cognitive level of IS was evaluated using a self-designed disease cognition survey questionnaire, the health behavior was evaluated using the Chinese version of the HPLP-II Health Promotion Lifestyle Scale, and the neurological deficits of patients were evaluated using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. A stroke patient treatment compliance survey scale was designed 6 months after discharge to investigate treatment compliance and stroke recurrence rate.

There was no statistically significant difference in the scores of the self-management behavior scale, stroke cognitive level, and health behavior score between the two groups before intervention (P>0.05). After intervention, the dimensions of the self-management behavior scale, stroke cognitive level, and health behavior score in the observation group were higher than those before intervention and the control group during the same period (P<0.05). The NIHSS score of the observation group after intervention was lower than that of the control group (P<0.05). The treatment compliance rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The recurrence rate of stroke in the observation group was lower than that in the control group.

Health management based on BCW theory and HBM can improve the self-management ability and stroke cognition level of first-onset IS patients, regulate health behavior, improve treatment compliance, reduce stroke recurrence, and benefit patient health and disease control.