The Effects of Using the Health Belief program to promote behavioral changes for hypertension prevention among high-risk individuals with Line application in Muang Suang District, Roi Et Province

Abstract

Purposes: This research aimed to study the effectiveness of the Health Belief Model on hypertension prevention behaviors in at-risk groups via the LINE application in Mueang Suang District, Roi Et Province. It also compared the effects of knowledge, perception, hypertension prevention behaviors, and blood pressure control between experimental and control groups before and after the program, and between experimental and control groups.

Study design: Quasi–Experimental Research.

Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 30 at-risk individuals with blood pressure between 120/80-139/89 mmHg, divided into 30 participants from Mueang Suang Subdistrict and 30 participants from Nong Phue Subdistrict, selected using simple random sampling. The research instruments included: 1) a program demonstrating the effect of the Health Belief Model on hypertension prevention behaviors in at-risk groups; 2) health and behavior record forms; 3) the LINE application; 4) a questionnaire on the effectiveness of the hypertension prevention behavior development program; and 5) a blood pressure monitor. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test, and Mann–Whitney U test.

Main findings: The results showed that after the program, After the intervention, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher mean scores in overall knowledge and perception compared to the comparison group (p=.001; Mean difference = 5.15, 95%CI; 95%CI; 1.64, 9.90). Regarding hypertension prevention behaviors, no significant difference was found between the two groups prior to the experiment. However, following the intervention, the experimental group showed a statistically significant improvement in mean behavioral scores compared to the comparison group (p < .001). Furthermore, the experimental group exhibited significantly different mean levels of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared to the comparison group (p=.001).

Conclusion and recommendations: The application of the Health Belief Program should be promoted as a standard guideline for NCD patient care at all service levels. This should be accompanied by capacity building for public health personnel and community health volunteers through practical training to enhance their counseling skills and long-term motivation.