Health Belief towards Health Promotion Behaviors among Thai Elderly in Mueang District, Samut Songkhram Province

Abstract

Individual’s belief determines the behavior in performing any practices or particular actions, and thus also helps maintain long terms behaviors. Most of the elderly have undesirable health behaviors caused by their own lifestyle or some healthcare behaviors depending upon their beliefs and perceptions in health. This cross-sectional descriptive research aimed at exploring health belief, health promotion behaviors and the relationship between these two factors among the Thai elderly. The populations were Thai citizens aged 60 years old and over residing in Mueang District, Samut Songkhram Province. Samples were calculated using Wiers’s Formula which consisted of 376 elderly and then were obtained by the Stratified Sampling Method. The data were collected by using questionnaires developed by the researchers. The content validity was 0.892 and the overall reliability was 0.936. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square and Pearson's Correlation Coefficient at the statistical significance level .05.

Results showed that the sample was 58.51% female and 41.49% male, 52.13% was categorized as young old elderly (60-69 years old), the mean age was 70.61 years old, 53.46% reported marriage, 64.63% were unemployed, the average monthly income was 1,500.00 baht, 67.55% pertained primary education, 35.90% had an underlying disease, 28.19% had hypertension, 50.27% were in good health status level. The overall health belief was at a high level (Mean=2.340, S.D.=.227) and overall health promotion behavior was at high level (Mean=2.412, S.D.=.371). Personal factors associated with health promotion behaviors were education (χ²= 19.358, p=.013), diseases (χ²=21.241, p<.01) and health status (χ²=37.460, p<.01), and found that health beliefs and overall health promotion behaviors in the elderly were at high level with positive correlation (r=0.623, p<.01). The perceived susceptibility of disease prevention and treatment was at very low level (r= -0.170). The perceived benefit of disease prevention and treatment had a low negative correlation (r=
-0.361). The perceived severity was positively correlated with low levels (r=0.117). The perceived barriers to self-behavior was moderately correlated (r=0.567) while the perceived self-efficacy (r=0.632), cues to action factors (r=0.627) and modifying factors (r=0.627) were positively correlated with health promoting behaviors of the Thai elderly at statistically significant.

According to the results of this research, overall health beliefs and health promotion behaviors in the elderly were positively related but some variables were negatively related. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on promoting the elderly to have a correct perception of health beliefs, procedures and appropriate methods, especially the elderly with underlying diseases or poor health conditions. In addition, there should be the creation of the consistent practice on health promotion behaviors in lifestyle and context of the elderly. This will drive the elderly to have desirable health behaviors for a lifelong.