The health literacy promotion program in changing exercise behavior among the elderly in Ban Santisuk, Bak Dong Subdistrict, Khun Han District, Sisaket Province.

Abstract

      This quasi-experimental research aimed to study the effects of a health literacy promotion program in changing exercise behavior among the elderly in Ban Santisuk, Bak Dong Subdistrict, Khun Han District, Sisaket. The sample group consisted of older adults who were able to care for themselves. The experimental group included 40 participants from Ban Santisuk, while the comparison group consisted of 40 older adults from Ban Thapthim Siam 07, Bak Dong Subdistrict, Khun Han District, Sisaket Province.The intervention tool was a health literacy promotion program in changing exercise behavior among the elderly, implemented over a 12-week period from July to September 2025. Data were collected before and after the experiment using questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, were employed, while inferential statistics were analyzed using the Independent t-test.

     The results revealed that, before the intervention, there were no significant differences between the experimental and comparison groups. After the intervention, the experimental group showed improvements in five areas: 1) skills in accessing health information and services, 2) knowledge and understanding of health, 3) interactive communication and inquiry skills, 4) decision-making skills for appropriate health practices, and 5) behavioral modification skills for healthy exercise. These were all at a high level (mean = 20.13, SD = 4.02; mean = 19.51, SD = 4.22; mean = 19.71, SD = 4.62; mean = 19.95, SD = 4.57; mean = 20.34, SD = 4.12, respectively). After the experiment, the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores than before the experiment and higher than those of the comparison group (p-value < 0.05).