Effectiveness of Health Literacy Program for Behaviors Modification among Hypertension Risk Group in Pho klang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

Hypertension is a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD_S) and the leading cause of death in Thailand. Its prevalence continues to rise, primarily due to unhealthy lifestyle habits. This quasi-experimental study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a health literacy program in improving behaviors among individuals at risk of hypertension in Pho Klang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The target population included individuals aged 35–59 years who had been screened for hypertension. Participants were selected based on systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels of 130–139 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) levels of 80–89 mmHg. The sample size was calculated for independent group comparison, and participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group, with 46 individuals in each. The intervention involved a structured health literacy program comprising six key components designed to promote behavior change for hypertension prevention. The program was conducted over a 10-week period. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics included percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while t-tests were used to compare pre- and post-intervention scores for health literacy and health behaviors between the experimental and control groups. The significance level was set at 0.05

The results showed that participants in the experimental group had significantly improved health literacy, health behaviors, and blood pressure levels compared to their pre-intervention scores (p<0.001). Additionally, their scores were significantly higher than those of the control group (p<0.001). These findings underscore the potential benefits of health literacy programs in supporting behavior change among individuals at risk of hypertension. Health literacy should be promoted among patients with chronic diseases, as it influences self-care behaviors and may help reduce disease complications.