Abstract:
Hypertension has become a significant problem for every country because the
number of patients suffering is rapidly increasing. The cause of this problem stems
partly from inappropriate nutritional and exercise behaviors. The purposes of this
study were to examine the factors influencing nutritional and exercise behaviors of
hypertensive patients in Sainoi District, Nonthaburi Province, Thailand. This study
used Pender’s Health Promoting Model (Pender,1996) as a guideline. The subjects
were 180 essential hypertensive patients. An interview questionnaire was used for
data collection and included questions on personal data, nutritional behaviors, exercise
behaviors, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and perceived self-efficacy. Data
were analyzed for percentage, means, standard deviations, Pearson’s product moment
correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression.
The results of the study showed that the overall nutritional behaviors of
hypertensive patients were at a good level (X=2.93, SD= 0.32) and exercise behaviors
of hypertensive patients were at a fair level (X=1.75, SD=0.74). Perceived selfefficacy,
perceived benefits, and marital status were significant predictors of
nutritional behaviors in essential hypertensive patients. They accounted for 36.9% of
the variance in nutritional behaviors (p < 0.001). Furthermore, perceived benefits,
perceived self-efficacy, and perceived barriers could explain 35.4 % of the variance of
exercise behaviors in essential hypertensive patients (p < 0.001).
It is recommended that to promote the practicing of nutritional and exercise
behaviors in hypertensive patients, perceived self-efficacy and perceived benefits
should be encouraged. Moreover, helping the patients to overcome barriers of exercise
is also recommended.