Health Promotion Program to Elderly with Hypertension by Family Participation

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research was designed to examine the effects of a health promotion program among older persons with family participation. It focused on knowledge about hypertension, perceived risk, perceived severity, perceived benefits and barriers, self-care practice and blood pressure of the elderly with hypertension in U Thong District, Suphanburi Province. The study enrolled 70 elderly individuals. The research was conducted for 6 weeks, and the program consisted of 4 activities. Data were collected by interviewing questionnaires and taking blood pressure. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Chi-square, pair sample t-test and independent sample t-test. The results showed that after the experiment, the elderly in the experimental group had significantly higher average scores regarding knowledge about hypertension, perceived risk, perceived severity, perceived benefits and barriers, and self-care practices compare with scores before experiment and that of those in the comparison group (p < 0.05). Blood pressure of those in the experimental group also significantly decreased than that before the intervention and that of those in the comparison group (p < 0.05). The validity of this program can be applied to similar programs, addressing older individuals with hypertension within a community.