Effects of a Health Belief Model-Based Intervention on Stroke Preventive Behaviors among Patients with Hypertension in Phon Na Kaeo District, Sakon Nakhon Province

Abstract

This quasi-experimental study, utilizing a one-group pretest–posttest design, aimed to investigate the effects of a Health Belief Model-based program on stroke preventive behaviors among patients with hypertension in Phon Na Kaeo District, Sakon Nakhon Province. The study population comprised male and female patients who had been medically diagnosed with hypertension and were receiving treatment at Phon Na Kaeo Hospital. A purposive sample of 30 patients, aged 35 years and older, was recruited to participate in the study. The intervention was implemented over a three-month period, from April 20, 2025, to July 20, 2025. The research instrument was a Health Belief Model-based program, and data were collected using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Median, and Interquartile Range (IQR) were used to analyze the data, while the Wilcoxon signed-ranks test was employed to assess differences in stroke preventive behaviors before and after the intervention.

          Results: The findings revealed that scores on knowledge about stroke, perceptions related to stroke—including perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits of prevention, perceived barriers to preventive practices, and perceived self-efficacy in stroke prevention—as well as stroke preventive behaviors, differed significantly between pre- and post-intervention measurements. All differences were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. The post-test scores were significantly higher than the pre-test scores (p < .05).

          Recommendations It is recommended to promote the application of the Health Belief Model -based program to stroke prevention behaviors among patients with hypertension. This program enhances patients' knowledge and understanding of hypertension and its complications, ultimately leading to improved self-care behaviors.