The casual model between personal factors, health belief model, and quality of life among the elderly in Khlong Chik Sub-district, Bang Pa-in District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the casual model between personal factors, health belief model, and quality of life among the elderly in comparison with the empirical data. The sample group, from systematic random sampling, consisted of 360 elder residents aged over 60 years old in in Khlong Chik Sub-district, Bang Pa-in District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire. The data were collected from June 1 to September 30 in 2021. The statistics used in the study were descriptive statistics including percentage, frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, and inferential statistic as structural equation modeling. The result found that the casual model between the personal factors, health belief model, and quality of life in the older people was commensurate with the empirical data (χ²= 209.55, df = 113, χ² /df = 1.85, GFI = .95, RMSEA = .05). The quality of life among the elderly was mostly influenced by the health belief model (0.44), followed by the personal factors (0.24). The personal factors and the health belief model could explain the variance of the seniors’ quality of life by 25.1%. Additionally, when considering independent variables that were components of latent variables in health belief model, it was found that the inducers to practice was the independent variable that was the most important component of the latent variable in the health belief model. Therefore, activities to promote the quality of the elderly life should be carried out with a focus on activities that lead to practices among the elderly females aged 70 years and over, those who are low income and single or widowed/divorced/separated status.