Modification of Health Behavior in a Group of Patients with Pre-hypertension at the Pakphanang District, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province

Abstract

The main purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to determine the effectiveness of behavior
modification of a group of patients with pre-hypertension living at the Pakphanang District, Nakhon Si
Thammarat Province. A group of 23 individuals having a blood pressure of >140/90 mmHg were informed
about the risk of hypertension on health, the usefulness of physical fitness and mental health as well as
appropriate nutritional intake and peaceful personal relationships. Qualitative data were collected through
focus group discussions. Inferential statistics were applied to analyze the data.
It was found that self expectation and practice towards hypertension control before and after going
through the health behavior modification program improved significantly (p-value < 0.001), but knowledge,
perceived susceptibility and perceived severity of hypertension were not significantly different between the two
measuring points.