Effects of Self-management Promotion Program and Family Participation on Health Behaviors and Blood Pressure in Working Adults group

Abstract

This study was a quasi-experimental research. The purpose was to examine the effects of
self-management promotion program and family participation on health behaviors and blood pressure
in patients with hypertension aged 35-59 years old who were working at a factory in Suranaree
Industrial Zone, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The patients were diagnosed with hypertension and
received services at Chronic Disease Clinic of NongPling Health Promotion Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima
between October 2016 and June 2017. Participants needed to be voluntary, met inclusion criteria
and were able to participate in a six-month self-management promotion program. A total of 64 participants
were included in the study. 32 participants were then randomly assigned to an experimental group,
who participated in the self-management promotion program.Another32 participants were assigned
to a control group, who received standard treatment. Data were collected using a personal health
behavior questionnaire developed by the researcher and tested for content validity by experts,
with Cronbach’s alpha coeffif icient of 0.78. The data were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard
deviation. Chi-square statistic was used to compare personal data between both groups. The in-group
differences were analyzed using paired t-test and between-group comparisons were conducted
using independent t-test. The results showed that after participation in the program, participants
in the experimental group had significantly higher means of health behavior score, including eating,
exercise, stress management, and medication use than before enrollment at p<0.05. Their means
of systolic and diastolic blood pressure at the end of the program were significantly lower than that
at baseline. The decreases in means of systolic and diastolic blood pressure after the end of the program
in the experimental group were significantly greater than that in the control group (p<0.05). The results
suggested that the self-management promotion program with family participation could promote
and support working adults who suffered from hypertension to develop and modify their health
behavior continuously and help them better control their high blood pressure. Suggestions 1) The research
results should be developed a service model for other patients. and other age groups. 2) The
promotion of self-management of working age groups to control chronic disease to succeed. It should
support the right knowledge in accordance with the way of life. Actually, all channels, especially
mobile phones.