Knowledge, Health Literacy and Health Care Behavior in Reducing Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors among the Elderly at Ban Mai Subdistrict, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District

Abstract

        This research was a one-group quasi-experimental study, measuring the results before and after two phases of activities in a workshop training. The research objectives were: (1) to study knowledge, health literacy, and health care behaviors in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors before and after the 1st and 2nd phase of activities in the training; and (2) to compare knowledge, health literacy, and health care behaviors in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors before and after the 1st and 2nd phase of activities in the training. The studied samples were 44 elders of Ban Mai Subdistrict, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya District, obtained from a purposive sampling during October 2019 and April 2020. The tools used were questionnaires and the workshop training on health care literacy enhancement activities. The statistics used were percentage, mean, standard deviation, and paired sample t-test.
        The findings of this research revealed that: (1) most of the prior training knowledge was at the moderate level while after the 1st phase and the 2nd phase of activities in the training were at the high level. All health literacy before, after the 1st ,and 2nd phases of activities in the training were at the high level. Health care behaviors before and after the 1st phase of activities in the training were at the moderate, while after the 2nd phase of activities in the training was mostly good; and (2) when comparing knowledge, health literacy, and health care behaviors, it was found that total knowledge after the 1st and 2nd phase of activities in the training was higher than before the training. Moreover, health care behaviors after the 1st phase of activities in the training was significantly different from that after the 2nd phase of activities in the training. Provision of knowledge are then essential and important towards health behaviors in reducing risk factors for cardiovascular disease.