The relationship between personal factors and self-care behavior of the elderly with Hypertension.

Abstract

This descriptive research aimed to study the level of self-care behavior and the factors related to self-care behavior among elderly individuals with high blood pressure who are under the care of Ban Sa Khlo Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital in Hua Ro Subdistrict, Mueang District, Phitsanulok Province. The sample group consisted of 233 elderly individuals selected through cluster random sampling and simple random sampling for data collection. This research collected data using a questionnaire and analyzed the general information employing statistical methods including percentages, means, standard deviations, as well as the relationships between variables through Pearson Correlation Coefficient and Chi-square tests.

The research results indicated that the majority of the sample were male, aged 60 years and over, and most had primary education. Additionally, the majority were married. The participants had a body mass index within normal limits, their income was sufficient to cover expenses, and most were engaged in independent contractor careers. The duration of illness ranges from 3 to 9 years. The self-care behavior of elderly individuals with high blood pressure is at a moderate level (X̅ = 58.49, S.D. = 4.37). The results of testing the relationship between personal factors and self-care behavior were analyzed using the Chi-square statistic (χ²). It was found that gender, body mass index (BMI), educational level, marital status, occupation, and duration of high blood pressure were related to self-care behavior among the elderly with high blood pressure. There is no statistically significant relationship between the personal factors and the self-care behavior of elderly individuals with high blood pressure at the 0.05 level.

Testing the relationship of factors using Pearson's correlation statistics revealed that the following factors were related to self-care behavior in elderly individuals with high blood pressure: knowledge (r = 0.350, p < 0.001), perceived risk opportunities (r = 0.185, p < 0.001), perceived severity (r = 0.204, p < 0.001), perceived benefits (r = 0.350, p < 0.001), and perceived threats (r = -0.154, p < 0.001).