Factors Influencing Health Promoting Behavior of the Elderly

Kim, Hee Ja; Kim, Joo Hyun; Park, Yeon Hwan

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors influencing health promoting behavior of the elderly for develop health promoting intervention of old people. The subjects of this study were 167 elderly person over the age of 60, living in rural city in Korea. The data were collected by interview and self report questionnaire, during the period from May, 1999 to August. 1999 The instruments for this study were the PRQ-II by Weinert(1988), the scale of Locus of Control by Wallstone et al(1978), the scale of self efficacy by Sherer & Maddux(1982), 10 points visual analogue scale for the perceived health status and the importance of health, the health promoting behavior scale by Walker et al(1987), and the scales developed by authors for the perceived benefits of health promoting behaviors, and the perceived barriers to health promoting behaviors. The Cronbach 's alpha of these scales were .84 ~.97. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression. The results of this study were as follows: 1. Among cognitive perceptual factors of the Health Promotion Model by Pender(1987), the scores of the importance of health, the perceived internal control of health, the self efficacy, the perceived health status, and the perceived benefits were significantly positive correlation with the scores of the health promoting behavior of the elderly. In addition, the scores of the perceived barriers were significantly negative correlation with the scores of the health promoting behavior of the elderly. 2. Among modifying factors of the Health Promotion Model by Pender(1987), the pocket money of the elderly, the scores of social support were significantly positive correlation with the scores of the health promoting behavior of the elderly. In addition, ages of old people were significantly negative correlations with the scores of the health promoting behavior of the elderly. 3. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the most powerful predictor of health promoting behavior was the self efficacy. A combination of the self efficacy, the perceived barriers, the social support, the importance of health, and the perceived internal control of health accounted for 56.2% of the variance in health promoting behavior in the elderly. From the results of this study, we concluded that the Health Promotion Model by Pender will be used to explain health promoting behavior of the elderly. We suggested that the results of this study will be considered in developing health promoting programs of elderly.