Factors Related to Health Promotion Behaviors of Elderly People with Chronic Diseases Receiving Services at Phraeksa Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospital, Mueang Samut Prakan District, Samut Prakan Province

Abstract

This study is cross-sectional descriptive research to examine the level of health-promoting behaviors among elderly individuals with chronic diseases and to explore the relationships between predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors and these health-promoting behaviors. The study was guided by the PRECEDE model and Pender's health promotion model (Pender, 2011). The sample comprised 350 elderly individuals aged 60 years and above with chronic diseases, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire validated by three experts, yielding a content validity index of 0.91, with reliability coefficients ranging from 0.71 to 0.91. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient.

The findings revealed that the overall level of health-promoting behaviors among the elderly with chronic diseases was high (M = 4.00, SD = 0.43). Predisposing factors, including knowledge level, attitudes towards health promotion, and health perception, were also at high levels (M = 8.53, SD = 0.91; M = 4.00, SD = 0.66; M = 4.14, SD = 0.54, respectively). Enabling factors were at a high level (M = 3.98, SD = 0.68), as were reinforcing factors (M = 3.91, SD = 0.45).

Positive correlations were found between predisposing factors (knowledge and health perception) and health-promoting behaviors, with high and moderate levels of correlation (r = 0.678, r = 0.483, respectively). Enabling factors showed a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.476). Reinforcing factors, including advice on health responsibility, interpersonal relationships, and stress management, exhibited positive correlations at high and moderate levels (r = 0.676, r = 0.438, and r = 0.448, respectively). All these factors were significantly positively correlated with the level of health-promoting behaviors among elderly individuals with chronic diseases (p < 0.05, p < 0.001).