Health History, Health Condition, Health Behaviours and Health-Seeking Behaviours of Middle-Aged Women Living in a Modern Rural Community: A Survey Research

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the health history, health condition, health behaviours and health-seeking behaviours of middle-aged women living in a modern rural Thai community. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey study was employed. METHODS: Data were collected from 342 women aged 35-60 years using comprehensive questionnaires containing various dimensions related to health. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. RESULTS: It showed that most women had a parental history of diabetes (62.83%), followed by high blood pressure (55.50%). For health conditions, it revealed that 56.73% had weight gain, 26.32% had high blood pressure and 21.05% had high cholesterol. Regarding health behaviours, 48.54% did not exercise, 62.87% liked sweet food and 44.44% liked oily food. For health-seeking behaviour during illness, 40.06% went to Subdistrict Health Promoting Hospitals. When having mental problems, 43.86% consulted trusted family members, and 39.77% solved problems by themselves. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides important information about the situation of health problems found in middle-aged women, which are non-communicable diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes, which require continuous care. Moreover, some poor health behaviours need to be changed to prevent and reduce complications that may occur in the future. IMPLICATIONS: Understanding middle-aged women's health problems and behaviours can help community health nurses pay attention to and plan nursing care and activities, including developing interventions for health promotion and disease prevention to reduce women's non-communicable disease problems in the future. IMPACT: This study revealed that non-communicable diseases are prevalent in middle-aged women. Strategies to promote health should be continued in conjunction with raising awareness among women to care for their health regularly. REPORTING METHOD: This study followed the reporting guidelines of Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) for cross-sectional studies. PATIENT AND PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The contribution of participants was shown in the data collection.