Association between Health Perception and Health Behaviour among Obese Elderlies in Dongmoonlaek Subdistrict Meuang District Phetchabun Province

Abstract

Obesity is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases, especially cardiovascular disease, diabetes, joint and bone disease, including cancer etc. The main causes of obesity such as high fat food consumptions and inactivity. The Ministry of Public Health has evaluated the health conditions of the elderly in 2015, found that the cause of death of the elderly is stroke. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Ischemic heart disease, liver cancer, diabetes, respectively. In addition, some health problems of elderly were obesity or body mass index greater than 25 kg / m2 and the trend is increasing continuously.

This research is a Cross-sectional descriptive research and aimed to study association between health perception and health behaviour among obese elderlies in Dongmoonlaek Sub-district, Meuang, District, Phetchabun Province. There were 187 subjects. Data were collected by using questionnaires. General information were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, minimum and maximum. Inferential statistics was Pearson Coefficient Correlation.

The results showed that most of the samples having knowledge of obesity was high at 57.80% and perceived risk of obesity was high at 94.70%. Perception of severity of obesity was high at 92.50 %. Perceived benefits of obesity prevention was moderate at 90.40%. Perceived barriers to obesity prevention was low at 54.50% and health behaviour such as exercise regularly at 62.60% and healthy food consumption was moderate at 63.10%. According to Pearson's correlation analysis, perceived risk of obesity was negative correlation with diet significantly (r=-0.155, p-value=0.035) and perceived benefits of obesity prevention was negative correlation with diet significantly (r=-0.177, p-value=0.015). However, exercise did not correlate with knowledge and health perception.