The Effects of Protection Motivation Theory Application Program for Hypertension Prevention Behaviors of the Population at Risk

Abstract

This quasi-experimental research aimed to examine the effects of Protection Motivation Theory Application Program for hypertension prevention behaviors of the population at risk. Subjects consisted of 70 hypertensive population at risk in Phan Suk subdistrict, Aranyaprathet district, Sakaeo province. They were equally divided into an experimental group and a comparison group. The research instruments composed of the Protection Motivation Theory Application Program, a test with the reliability of .74, and the questionnaires with the reliability within the range of .73-.87. The implementation and data collection were conducted from January to March, 2015. Statistics used for data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, paired t-test, and independent t-test.

Research results revealed that: 1) after the experiment, the experimental group had significantly scores of knowledge concerning hypertension, perceived severity of hypertension, perceived susceptibility of hypertension, expectation in responses efficacy regarding hypertension prevention, self-efficacy expectation in hypertension prevention, and hypertension prevention practices than before the experiment (p < .001); and 2) after the experiment, the experimental group had significantly scores of knowledge concerning hypertension, perceived severity of hypertension, perceived susceptibility of hypertension, expectation in responses efficacy regarding hypertension prevention, self-efficacy expectation in hypertension prevention, and hypertension prevention practices than those in the comparison group (p < .001).

This study suggested that the Protection Motivation Theory Application Program should be applied for modifying health behaviors among hypertensive population at risk in other areas.