Factors Related to Health Behavior According to Lifestyle Medicine of the Elderly in Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

The Descriptive study aimed to study the level of health behavior and factors of personal, predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing that related to health behavior according to Lifestyle Medicine of the elderly in Ratchaburi province. The sampled were 223 elderly 60 years old and over, social bound who were members of the Elderly Club, selected by the multi-stage sampling. The data were collected using an interview form by the researcher assistant. The data analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi-square statistical test. The findings that the sample were female (68.6%) with an average age of 70 years, 43.3%, had an underlying disease (75.3%), were Hypertension, Dyslipidemia and diabetes disease (64.1%, 31.8%, 26.3%, respectively). Had the level of health behavior by Lifestyle Medicine to a very good level, 52.5% (social connections, avoidance of risky substances, stress management and restorative sleep at an excellent level of 83.4, 76.7, 67.7, 43.5%, respectively). The factors related to health behaviors according to the guidelines Lifestyle Medicine has a statistical significance (p<0.01) that included gender, Lifestyle Medicine knowing, health perception, access to healthy food stores, access to exercise facilities, having a health policy in the community, access to public health services, receiving support from family and health personnel (χ² =8.79, 30.92, 12.38, 27.62, 10.31, 38.0, 5.73, 6.56, respectively). Therefore, health literacy should be created for changing health behaviors according to lifestyle medicine, food and exercise. Government and local government organization should be use community health policies and creating a culture of caring for the elderly to good health behavior of the elderly.