Effects of a social support family caregiver training program on changing blood pressure and lipid levels among elderly at risk of hypertension in a northern Thai community

Abstract

Hypertension is becoming increasingly prevalent among the elderly. Family caregivers play an important role in caring for elderly people and empowering them to care for themselves. This study’s goal was to see how social support training for family caregivers affected changes in hypertension, total cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and how such support led to the prevention of hypertension behaviors among the elderly in rural areas. This was a quasi-experimental study with 268 elderly people at risk of hypertension and their caregivers. Sixty seven pairs of elderly people and their caregivers were assigned to the intervention and control groups. Baseline data were collected in November 2020. The intervention group received the Social Support Family Caregiver Training Program (SSFCTP), while the control group received a regular program from the local health authority. The activity lasted 12 weeks, with home visits and telephone check-ups along the way, and data collection took place after the program ended. The final data were collected three months after the end of the intervention. An analysis of repeated measures ANOVA showed the overall effect of the SSFCTP on knowledge, self-efficacy, health care behaviors, and blood pressure among elderly people during three different time periods (p<0.05). Furthermore, the intervention program had a time-dependent effect on knowledge, blood pressure, and total cholesterol levels (p<0.05). In terms of caregiver outcomes, there was an overall difference among the degrees of knowledge, self-efficacy, and behaviors toward health care displayed by elderly hypertensive patients during the three different time periods (p<0.05). The average knowledge and self-efficacy of the participants improved after the intervention. As a result, better self-care behaviors and lower blood pressure and total cholesterol levels were observed among the elderly participants after the intervention. The programs emphasized the importance of caregivers’ roles in providing social support, boosting confidence, and encouraging participation in caring, monitoring, and assisting the elderly in controlling blood pressure and other health issues.

Skrining dan Penyuluhan Penyakit Tidak Menular sebagai Inisiasi Program Posyandu Lansia di Kecamatan Turi, Sleman

“…Dukungan sosial dapat diberikan dari lingkungan sekitar seperti keluarga, tetangga, kader, petugas kesehatan dan pemerintah. Dukungan dan sikap dari lingkungan terdekat, yaitu keluarga dan masyarakat di sekitarnya, akan berpengaruh kepada penerimaan terhadap penyakit yang diidap, keberlanjutan terapi, stressor psikologis dan keberhasilan pengobatan (Boonyathee et al, 2021;Higa et al, 2021;Pesantes et al, 2018). Edukasi yang melibatkan keluarga diharapkan akan meningkatkan dukungan keluarga.…”

Health Literacy, Self-Care Behaviors, and Biochemical Parameters Among Hypertensive Patients with Renal Complications in the Tai Lue Ethnic Community of Thailand

“…10 However, hypertension among older adults living in Thai communities can be prevented by self-care behaviors (SCB). 13 Health literacy (HL) is the ability to obtain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to take action toward health and understand necessary health information and services to make appropriate health decisions. 14,15 Individuals with higher education levels or socioeconomic status can have low HL if they struggle to understand and apply health information effectively.…”

A Randomized Controlled Trial using Brief Educational Messages Directed to Adults with Intellectual Disability and Hypertension or their Helpers Reduces Hospital Stays

“…Research exists to demonstrate that antihypertension medications reduce the risk for hospitalization among the general population, 7 - 10 and people with IDD rely on caregivers to help them with medication refills and management. 23 Also, it has been shown that health interventions which include traditional caregivers have been successful in improving the health of people without IDD; 24 - 26 but randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been conducted to test the efficacy of targeting both adults with IDD and their self-identified helpers to reduce hospital use.…”