Development of Promoting Health Literacy and Family Participation for the Management of Blood Pressure Levels in Uncontrolled Hypertensive Patients in Trang Province

Abstract

This action research aimed to analyze situations and to develop guidelines to enhance health literacy with family participations in managing blood pressure level among uncontrolled hypertensive patients. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 114 samples (88.37% of the target patients) in the process of health literacy assessment. There were 43 participants involved in activities for enhancing health literacy. Qualitative data were collected using interviews, focus group interviews, and participatory observation methods. Quantitative data were collected using health literacy for hypertensive patient questionnaires with reliability yielding Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of 0.91. The data were analyzed using percentages, means and standard deviations. The results showed that health literacy levels among the samples were predominantly at a low level (65.79%), followed by a high level (12.28%). After attending activities to enhancing health literacy, it was found that: 1) the participants’ high health literacy level improved to 26 persons (60.47%), 2) average health literacy score was significantly higher (=115.67, SD=8.82) than before receiving the program (=103.90, SD=10.04) (p<.001), 3) blood pressures of all participants (100%) decreased while blood pressures of 26 persons (60.47%) were at a normal and controlled level, and 4) average systolic and diastolic blood pressures after the program were significantly lower (=141.13, SD=5.04; =85.01, SD=3.85, respectively) than before receiving the program (=154.94, SD=3.69; =92.51, SD=3.01, respectively) at p<0.001.