Predictive factors of hyperglycemia preventive behaviors among elderly patients with uncontrolled diabetes: A Case Study of a Community

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the predictive factors of hyperglycemia preventive behaviors among elderly patients with uncontrolled diabetes in Khlong Tamru Community, Chonburi Province, Thailand. A simple random sampling technique using a lottery method was employed to recruit 103 participants. The research instruments included a structured interview questionnaire assessing personal factors, perceived benefits, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, cues to action, self-efficacy, and a health behavior assessment scale. The reliability of the instruments was tested in a pilot study with 30 elderly patients with diabetes in a nearby area. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for perceived benefits, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, cues to action, self-efficacy, and preventive behavior were 0.886, 0.914, 0.757, 0.708, 0.755, 0.703, and 0.900, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the predictive relationship between selected factors and hyperglycemia preventive behaviors. The findings revealed that cues to action, perceived benefits, and perceived severity were significant predictors, jointly explaining 21.20% of the variance in hyperglycemia preventive behaviors (R² = 0.212). The predictive equation can be expressed as follows: Y = 1.975 + 0.131X 1 + 0.179X 2 + 0.302X 3 . The results of this study may be utilized by healthcare professionals as behavioral health information to develop health behavior modification programs for elderly patients with uncontrolled diabetes.