Factors Influencing Health Promotion Behaviors and Prevention of COVID-19 Among Elderly During the Second Wave of Pandemic in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Abstract

The objective of this research was to investigate factors influencing health promotion and prevention behaviors of COVID-19 among the elderly. This cross-sectional research was conducted to study 127 elderly people at an elderly school in Choeng Doi Sub-district, Doi Saket District in Chiang Mai, Thailand during the new wave of outbreaks of COVID-19. Data was collected from December 2020 to January 2021. The research instruments consisted of 1) general information questionnaire for the elderly, 2) influencing factor assessment form and 3) health promotion behaviors in the prevention of COVID-19 assessment form, which had IOC of >.7 for all and Cronbach's alpha coefficients of .87 and .79 respectively. The elderly had good health-promoting behaviors in the prevention of COVID-19 (M = 2.27, SD = .54)), perceived self-efficacy variance was the most described (Beta = .252, p = .001), followed by situational influence (Beta = .224, p = .001), perceived benefit (Beta = .211, p = .010), interpersonal influence (Beta = .174, p = .000), and perceived obstacle (Beta = -.160, p =.001), can predict health promotion behaviors and prevention of COVID-19 among elderly of 68.90% (R2 =.689, Adjusted R2 =.516, p =.000). The data obtained can be used to guide the development of health promotion behaviors and prevention of COVID-19 among the elderly to encourage the elderly to have perceived self-efficacy of health promotion behaviors and prevention of COVID-19 properly by using social support to contribute to the elderly to have healthier behavior and better quality of life.