ความรอบรู้ด้านสุขภาพและการสนับสนุนจากครอบครัวต่อพฤติกรรม การดูแลตนเองในผู้ที่มีภาวะเสี่ยงต่อการเกิดโรคหลอดเลือดสมอง

Abstract

Stroke remains a tense public health problem in Thailand. However, stroke can be prevented if persons at risk of this disease perform their appropriate self-care behaviors. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate relationships between health literacy and family support on self-care behaviors among persons at risk of stroke. The samples were 97 persons at risk of stroke, aged 35-70 years old, and attended services at the outpatient department of Chiang Mai Neurological Hospital. The sample was selected according to the inclusion criteria and convenience sampling. Data were collected by the questionnaires, including personal data, health literacy, family support, and self-care behaviors in persons at risk of stroke. The data were then analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The study results revealed as follows: Health literacy (x̅=27.90, SD=5.90), family support (x̅=77.65, SD=11.67) and self-care behaviors (x̅- 41.55, SD=7.31) in persons at risk of stroke were overall at a high level. Health literacy had a positive correlation with self-care behaviors in persons at risk of stroke at a moderate level with a statistical significance (r = 0.408, p<0.001). However, family support was not relevant to self-care behaviors in persons at risk of stroke. These results represented that health literacy is elemental for self-care behaviors in persons at risk of stroke. Therefore, healthcare providers should find the guidelines to promote health literacy among persons at risk of stroke for their effective self-care behaviors and further stroke prevention.