Effects of a Behavioral Development Program for Preventing Complications on Perception, Preventive Behaviors, and Health Status among Hypertensive Patients in San Kamphaeng District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

This two-group pretest-posttest design quasi-experimental study aimed to compare perceptions, complication prevention behaviors, and health status within both the experimental and control group after participation in the program. The participants were patients aged 35 – 65 years with essential hypertension, whose blood pressure was inadequately controlled. Participants for the experimental group who met the inclusion criteria were selected from the Ban Ko Salium Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, using simple random sampling. Participants for the control group were selected from the Ban Doi Yao Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, having the two groups matching for similar systolic blood pressure levels, and age. Each group consisted of 30 participants (n = 60). The instruments were: 1) the complication prevention behavior development program for patients with hypertension (based on the health belief model); 2) a recording form; and 3) access to a dedicated LINE channel. The data collection instruments included a blood pressure monitor, a digital weighing scale, as well as a questionnaire, divided in three sections: a) demographic and health information form, b) a perceptions of complications and health behaviors form, and c) a complication prevention behaviors form. Sections 2 and 3 of questionnaire had a content validity index of 1.00, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from .82 to .90. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank, and Mann–Whitney U test. Results were as follows.
1. After participating in the program, the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores for perceptions and complication preven. tion behaviors, while systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and body weight significantly decreased (p-value < .05).
2. Compared with the control group, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher mean scores for perception and complication-preventive behaviors, and significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure (p-value < .05).
This study suggests that similar behavioral development programs should be developed for other chronic non-communicable diseases with high incidence, such as diabetes mellitus and cerebrovascular disease.