Development of a Stroke Prevention Model for Hypertensive Patients within the Primary Healthcare Context of Nong Khai Province.

Abstract

     This research action research aimed at developing and evaluating a stroke prevention model for patients with hypertension in the context of Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospitals in Nong Khai Province. The participants in the model development process consisted of 45 stakeholders, including healthcare providers responsible for hypertension patients, primary caregivers, community leaders, and village health volunteers. The sample group for model testing comprised 473 hypertensive patients who had received services from the hypertension clinic of Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospitals in Nong Khai for more than one year. Data were collected using questionnaires on knowledge and stroke prevention behaviors before and after implementing the model. Quantitative data analysis included personal characteristics, knowledge scores, frequencies, percentages, means, maximum and minimum values, and comparisons of mean scores of stroke knowledge and prevention behaviors before and after four months of implementing the model using the paired-sample t-test. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.

     The study results found that the sample group had an average knowledge score before implementing the model equal to 11 and after implementing the model equal to 13.55. The average knowledge scores before and after implementing the model were statistically significantly different (t = -15.79 P-value <0.001). The average stroke prevention behavior score before implementing the model was equal to 60 and after implementing the model equal to 65.22. When testing for statistical differences, it was found that the average behavior scores before and after implementing the model were statistically significantly different (t = -8.51, P-value <0.001). Hypertensive patients were able to control their blood pressure levels to be in normal levels. Before implementing the model, the average was equal to 143.74 S.D. = 12.66 and after implementing the model, the average was equal to 138.69 S.D. = 12.02. The result of the statistical test (t = 7.62, P-value <0.001)