Factors Related to Serum Lipids in Hypertension and/or Diabetes Patients : A case study at Ban Um Health Promoting Hospital, Amnat Charoen Province

Abstract

Dyslipidemia is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disease and death. This predictive correlational research aimed to study 1) a set of factors based on the predisposing, reinforcing, and enabling constructs in educational diagnosis, and evaluation (PRECEDE) framework, consisting of a predisposing factor (perceived dyslipidemia), an enabling factor (available resources and activities to promote health in a community), and a reinforcing factor (receiving information about health care from others) and 2) the potential for these factors to predict three serum lipid levels (total cholesterol, triglycerides, and HDL) of patients with hypertension and/or diabetes in Ban Um health promoting hospital, Amnat Charoen Province. The sample consisted of 127 patients with hypertension and/or diabetes. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researchers. Its reliability was established by Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient (at .78). The data were analyzed sing descriptive statistics and multiple regressions. The study results revealed that average age of the participants was 50 years (SD = 10.6), had high levels of the predisposing factor (M = 2.62, SD = 0.66), and moderate levels of enabling and reinforcing factors (M = 2.11, SD = 0.82, M = 1.96, SD = 0.85, respectively). It was determined that the predisposing factor could predict triglyceride levels for 3.5% (R²= .035, p < .05), the enabling factor could predict HDL level for 4.6% (R²= .046, p < .05), and the reinforcing factor could predict cholesterol level for 17.7% (R²= .177, p < .05). This suggests that the predisposing factor, enabling factor, and reinforcing factor could control serum lipid levels. Therefore, modifying these factors could enable practitioners and patients to control serum lipids at optimal levels which would reduce complications in chronic patients.