Effects of a Health Behavior Modification Program Based on the Transtheoretical Model Among Overweight Healthcare Personnel at Amnatcharoen Hospital

Abstract

Overweight and obesity are major public health problems leading to non-communicable diseases. As key role models in health promotion, public health personnel must manage their own health to maintain credibility and effectively promote healthy behaviors in communities. A health behavior modification program can help improve personnel's overall health. Therefore, this quasi-experimental study aimed to examine the effects of a health behavior modification program on overweight personnel at Amnatcharoen Hospital, using the Stages of Change Theory. The sample included 70 overweight personnel (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m²), evenly assigned to the experimental and control groups, with 35 participants in each group. The experimental group received a 12-week health behavior modification program that included awareness-raising, reinforcement, training in diet and exercise skills, and monitoring and feedback. In contrast, the control group received regular care. The research instruments consisted of a program tested for content validity and a questionnaire with a reliability of 0.76. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), with p<0.05 for statistical significance. The study found that after participating in the health behavior modification program, statistically significant between-group differences were observed in knowledge of health behavior modification (F(1, 64)=17.415, p<0.001, η²=0.214) and body fat percentage (F(1, 64)=6.297, p=0.015, η²=0.090), with the experimental group demonstrating more favorable outcomes than the comparison group. No statistically significant differences were found in health behaviors (F(1, 64)=1.396, p=0.242), attitudes toward health behavior modification (F(1, 64)=1.700, p=0.197), or body mass index (BMI) (F(1, 64)=2.329, p=0.132). In conclusion, the program based on the stages of change theory was effective in enhancing knowledge and reducing body fat percentage among overweight personnel. However, no significant differences were observed in health behaviors, attitudes, or BMI during the study period. This study highlights the feasibility of applying the proposed approach within health promotion systems, particularly in the systematic development of workplace health promotion programs for personnel. Furthermore, the findings support the formulation of policies or practical guidelines for healthcare institutions to implement staff health promotion initiatives alongside the provision of services to the public.