Knowledge, Attitudes, and Self-Health Promotion Behaviors among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Receiving Health Services at the Health Promoting Hospital, Mueang Udon Thani District, Udon Thani

Abstract

This descriptive correlational study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and self-health promotion behaviors of 82 patients with type 2 diabetes receiving health services at a health promotion hospital in Mueang Udon Thani District, Udon Thani Province. Instruments were a knowledge questionnaire with a Kuder-Richardson test of 0.82, and attitude and health promotion behavior questionnaires with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.73 and 0.89, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation coefficient.

Results revealed that knowledge about diabetes and blood sugar control was at a good level. Attitude, and overall health promotion behaviors were at a moderate level. Health promotion behaviors in each domain; health management, and psychosocial development were at a good level, while nutrition, exercise, stress management, and relationship building with others were at a moderate level. Knowledge was also found to have significant positive correlations with attitudes and health management (r=0.318, p<0.01 and r=0.262, p<0.05, respectively). However, knowledge and attitudes were not correlated with overall health promotion behaviors, and other health promotion behavior domains.

It can be concluded that attitude and overall health promotion behaviors remained at a moderate level, reflecting limitations in transforming knowledge into attitude and behavior change. This data supports the development of attitude and behavior promotion programs.