Abstract:
The purpose of this descriptive correlational study was to examine the osteoporosis preventing behavior in male hospital workers and the relationships between knowledge of osteoporosis, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived selfefficacy, interpersonal influences, and osteoporosis preventing behavior of male hospital workers. Pender Health Promotion Model was used as the theoretical framework of this study. Using multi-stage sampling technique, the participants were 242 men working in the hospitals under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The research instruments consisted of knowledge of osteoporosis questionnaire, perceived benefits of performing osteoporosis preventing behavior questionnaire, perceived barriers questionnaire, perceived self-efficacy questionnaire, interpersonal influences questionnaire and osteoporosis preventing behavior. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson product moment correlation. The results of this study were presented as follows: 1. Osteoporosis knowledge level of the participants was low (X-bar = 0.59, SD = 0.14). The participants also reported good level of perceived benefits of performing osteoporosis preventing behavior (X-bar = 3.88, SD =0.47), good level of perceived self-efficacy, (X-bar = 3.50, SD = 0.66), good level of interpersonal influences (X-bar = 3.49, SD = 0.57), but reported fair level of perceived barriers (X-bar = 3.51, SD = 0.59). Overall, osteoporosis preventing behavior of the participants was moderate (X-bar = 22.82, SD = 0.26). 2. Knowledge of osteoporosis, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, and interpersonal influences were significantly correlated with osteoporosis preventing behavior (p< .01; r = .35, .26, .28, .33 and .26 respectively).