Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to investigate health-promoting behaviors among elderly
people with hypertension and to examine the predictive power of personal factors (including
gender, education, family income, family structure), perceived family support, and perceived
self-efficacy to health-promoting behaviors. This study utilized a purposive sample of 100
elderly from the out patient department of Chaoprayayomraj Hospital, Suphanburi Province.
Data were collected through interviews. The instruments used in this study were a personal
data form, the health-promoting behaviors questionnaire, the perceived family support
questionnaire, and the perceived self-efficacy questionnaire. The data were analyzed by using
percentage, means, standard deviations, Pearsons correlation moment and multiple regression
analysis.
The results revealed that the mean of health-promoting behaviors of the elderly samples
was at a good level (x =3.09, SD = 0.36). Higher levels of education, family income,
perceived family support, and perceived self-efficacy were positively related to healthpromoting
behaviors. Multiple regression analysis revealed that 38 percent of variance of
health-promoting behaviors could be explained by personal variables, perceived family
support, and perceived self-efficacy (p< .001). Perceived family support (Beta=.196; t=2.217;
p< .05) and perceived self-efficacy (Bata=.527; t=5.683; p < .01) were the major predictors of
health-promoting behaviors.
The findings suggest that family members can be a major source of support for the elderly
to promote and empower them in maintaining health-promoting behaviors.