The Developing Health Literacy Prevention on Hypertension of Pre-hypertension Risk Group in Kokmungngoi Subdistrict Khonsawan District Chaiyaphum Province

Abstract

Background and Aims: The rate of hypertension tends to increase every year. Therefore, developing health literacy in changing behavior to prevent hypertension was necessary in the pre-hypertension risk group. In this research, the objective was to study the results of the health literacy development program in preventing hypertension in the pre-hypertension risk group.

Methodology: The research design is quasi-experimental and the experimental group was the pre-hypertension risk group selected by purposive sampling according to the inclusion criteria, the sample group consisted of 30 people in the area of Kokmungngoi Subdistrict Khonsawan District Chaiyaphum Province. The tools used in the research were: 1) health literacy and health behavior development program developed according to the health literacy promotion concept of the Health Education Division, Ministry of Public Health; 2) health literacy and health behavior assessment form. Analysis of the quality of the tools as follows: The Knowledge assessment, health understanding, and correct decision making using Kuder - Richardson's method, (KR-21), the values were equal to 0.80 and 0.82, respectively, and information access and health services, health communication, self-management, and information literacy and health behavior were analyzed with Cronbach's α-Coefficient was equal to 0.81, 0.80, 0.80, 0.81 and 0.84, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t-tests.

Results: The research results found that; after participating in the development program, the sample had a higher mean score of health literacy and mean score of health behavior than before joining the development program at a statistical significance at the .05 level, and mean score systolic blood pressure level and the diastolic blood pressure level after the experiment was lower than before the experiment at statistical significance at the .05 level.

Conclusion: The program to develop health literacy in preventing hypertension in the pre-hypertension risk group can change health behaviors in preventing high blood pressure in the experimental group and has an effect on blood pressure levels, there do normal conditions.