Relationships between Health Literacy, Dietary Behaviors, Physical Activity, and Quality of Life among Thai Elderly
Keywords:
Older Adults, Health Literacy, Physical Activity, Health BehaviorAbstract
This study aimed to examine the relationships influencing health literacy, dietary behaviors, physical activity, and quality of life among older adults in Thailand. It also analyzed the relationship between physical activity behaviors and quality of life among older adults across the five regions of Thailand. This research employed a quantitative approach, collecting data from 335 older adults across five regions using a questionnaire as the primary instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation.
The findings revealed that most older adults had a high level of quality of life, which showed a moderate positive correlation with physical activity behaviors (r = 0.85, p < 0.01). Good health literacy was associated with balanced dietary behaviors. In certain regions, such as the northern and eastern regions, higher health literacy directly contributed to increased levels of physical activity. However, in other regions, physical activity among older adults was not solely determined by knowledge factors but was also shaped by social contexts and lifestyles, such as engagement in agricultural work, manual labor, and local community support. Therefore, promoting sustainable health behaviors requires integrating health literacy with contextual and lifestyle factors specific to each locality.
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