Effects of a health behaviors developing program for the elderly with hypertension at Phlapphla Chai District, Buri Ram Province

Abstract

             The objectives of this quasi–experimental research were to compare health behaviors and blood pressure of the elderly with hypertension in experimental group before and after experiment, and after experiment between experimental group and comparison group. The sample comprised 72 essential hypertension patients, aged 60-75 years, registered at Bankokchareon subdistrict health promoting hospital and Banchandum subdistrict health promoting hospital, Phlapphlachai District, Buri Ram Province. These patients could  not controlled their blood pressure and they had no complication. They were selected by the purposive sampling technique as inclusion criteria.  Patients from Bankokchareon subdistrict health promoting hospital were put in the experimental group and Patients from Banchandum subdistrict health promoting hospital were put in the comparison group. There were 36 persons in each group. The experimental tool was the Health Behaviors Developing Program for the Elderly with Hypertension based on PRECEDE-PROCEED model. The collecting data tool was 2 parts questionnaires including 2 parts: 1) general data and 2) health behaviors with CVI was 0.88 and reliability coefficient was 0.82.  The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics,  t–test, Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Signed- Ranks test, and Mann–Whitney U test. The results were founded as follows. After experiment, the overall and every aspect of health behaviors of experimental group were significantly higher than before experiment and the comparison group (p < .05). The systolic blood pressure of the experimental group was significantly lower than before experiment and decreased more than the comparison group. However, the diastolic blood pressure of the experimental group was not significantly different between before and after experiment,  nor the comparison group (p > .05).