The Application of Pender’s Health Promotion Model for Promoting Eye Health of the Elderly

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research design investigated the effectiveness of a health education
program applying Pender’s Health Promotion Model for promoting eye health for the elderly. The
samples for the experimental group of 40 elderly people was selected from an elderly club in Huayplo
Subdistrict and the comparison group of 40 elderly from an elderly club in Donfag Subdistrict. The
experimental group participated in a health education program where learning experience was
implemented through demonstration, practice, and encouragement for 8 weeks. Data were analyzed
by computing frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, paired sample t-test, and
independent t-test. The results showed that the perceived benefits of performing eye health
protecting behaviors, perceived self-efficacy to perform eye health promotion behaviors, and eye
health promotion behaviors of the experimental group who participated in the health promotion
program was found to be significantly higher than before the experimentation and than that of the
comparison group (p<0.001). For the perceived barriers, the mean score of the experimental group
was significantly lower than before the experimentation and that of the comparison group (p<0.001). It
was evidenced that the health education program implemented was effective in changing the
elderly’s eye health promoting behaviors. Thus, the public health personnel whose work relates to the
elderly should apply this type of program to the elderly clubs’ members in accordance with the
contexts of their responsible areas. Further research is need to apply this type of health promotion
program should be studied with the diabetic elderly who have eye disorders but this group of patients
needs to receive specific training that is designed for their specific health condition.