Factors Affecting Quality of Life among Older Adults with Hypertension in Urban and Rural Areas in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study explored factors affecting quality of life in older adults with hypertension by comparing those living in urban and rural areas. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 420 older adults living in urban and rural areas in Thailand. Data were collected using the WHOQOL-OLD and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II tools, which measured quality of life and health-promoting behaviors among the participants. Older adults in urban areas had higher quality of life scores than those in rural locations. Health-promoting behaviors significantly predicted higher quality of life for all residents. A high perceived health status predicted increase of quality of life in urban residents, whereas the presence of comorbidity effects decreased quality of life. A longer hypertension duration predicted higher quality of life in rural residents. These findings suggest that healthy behaviors and self-management interventions are critical to improve quality of life in older Thai adults with hypertension.

Factors related to fear of falling among community-dwelling older adults.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between age, gender, history of falls, balance and gait status, general health perception, activities of daily living and depression to fear of falling in community-dwelling older people in Danang, Vietnam. BACKGROUND: Fear of falling is a common and consequential psychosocial problem for older people and can lead to decreased quality of life. There is only limited research on fear of falling in Vietnam. DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional descriptive study. METHODS: One hundred fifty-three community-dwelling older people were recruited from seven communities of different districts in Danang. Data were collected using six instruments: a demographic questionnaire, the Fall Efficacy Scale-International, the General Health Perception questionnaire, the Barthel Activities of Daily Living, the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Timed Up and Go test. Data were analysed using descriptive and correlational statistics. RESULTS: The mean Fall Efficacy Scale-International score was 35, indicating a high level of fear of falling. ADLs, general health perception and Timed Up and Go were significantly and negatively related to fear of falling (rp  = -0·80, rsp  = -0·77 and rp  = -0·75, respectively). Age, depression and history of falls were significantly and positively related to fear of falling (rp  = 0·54, rp  = 0·45 and rs  = 0·39, respectively). Women were significantly more likely than men to have higher fear of falling (rpb  = -0·28). CONCLUSION: Fear of falling is more common in older people who are female, have a history of falls, have poor balance and gait status, have poor health perception, have greater ADL dependency, are depressed and, within the older people population, are older. Further research could examine additional correlates of fear of falling and develop/evaluate factor-specific intervention strategies to reduce fear of falling among community-dwelling older people. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Understanding correlates of fear of falling among older Vietnamese people contributes to healthcare professionals' ability to develop effective cross-cultural and culture-specific interventions to reduce older people's fear of falling and to improve quality of life.

Resilience and Influencing Factors Among Youths Undergoing Substance Abuse Treatment in Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Resilience aids rapid recovery from substance abuse, prevents the likelihood of relapse, and improves the quality of life of the youths with substance abuse. Objective: This study aimed to assess the resilience level and related factors predicting resilience among youths undergoing substance abuse treatment in Thailand. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design with a simple random sampling technique was used. A total of 430 young substance abusers undergoing treatment were recruited from ten treatment centers in Eastern Thailand from April to June 2021. Data were collected using nine questionnaires: demographic form, resilience questionnaire, Rosenberg self-esteem questionnaire, psychological flexibility for substance abuser questionnaire, cognitive fusion questionnaire, substance abuse self-stigma scale, family connectedness scale, friendship intimacy questionnaire, and personal resource questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression were used to analyze data. Results: The results showed a high level of resilience (89.30%) among the youths undergoing substance abuse treatment. The stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the significant factors associated with resilience include self-esteem (ß = 0.260, p < .001), psychological flexibility (ß = 0.222, p < .001), social support (ß = 0.209, p < .000), and family connectedness (ß = -0.194, p < .001). All the variables collectively explained 26.9% of the variance for resilience among the youths with substance abuse (R 2 = .269, p < .001). Conclusion: Determining resilience and its related factors among the youths undergoing substance abuse treatment is significant as it guides the formulation of the substance abuse treatment programs, improves mental health and quality of life, and prevents relapse.

Understanding perspectives on health-promoting behaviours among older adults with hypertension.

PURPOSE: Health-promoting behaviours (HPBs) are considered the key to determining health among older adults with hypertension. Increasing our understanding of older adults' views on HPBs could facilitate the development of interventions aimed at improving their quality of life. This study aims to describe the perceptions of older adults with high blood pressure concerning their HPBs and associated factors. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 40 individuals in Thailand were used to collect the data, which were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: The results were categorized into five main themes related to personal, social, and environmental factors. Older adults explained that their experiences with HPBs involve taking responsibility for controlling blood pressure by following a doctor's prescription, modifying their lifestyles to be healthier, sustaining social relationships, and experiencing spiritual growth through religious practices for inner peace. Older adults also identified environmental factors that influenced their engagement in HPBs depending on their residential areas. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study highlight the importance of practices in which professionals support and encourage older adults to perform HPBs to maintain health and improve their well-being.

Informal stroke rehabilitation: what are the main reasons of Thai caregivers?

The aim of this study was to identify the reasons for the provision of informal rehabilitation services at home to stroke relatives by Thai caregivers. Twenty primary informal caregivers were individually interviewed at their homes by using semistructured questions elaborated by the researchers. All interviews were recorded on audiotape. Content analysis was used to determine the reasons for performing informal rehabilitation. Four major reasons, (i) biological, (ii) psychological, (iii) social, and (iv) spiritual, emerged from our content analysis to maintain for the stroke victims the highest possible quality of life. Improvement and prevention of further deterioration were the two main concepts in the biological and psychological reasons expressed by these Thai caregivers, whereas maintaining human relations and usual social activities were the two main considerations in the social reason. The main concepts in the spiritual reason were respecting the religious beliefs, superstitions, and culture of the caregivers or patients, improving patients' empowerment, and improving caregivers' satisfaction. These four reasons encompassed the biological, psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of a holistic approach to the definition of health. The health professional in Thailand should encourage stroke caregivers to continue providing informal rehabilitation services for their stroke relatives, as it might sustain the well being of stroke survivors during their stay at home.

Informal stroke rehabilitation: what do Thai caregivers perform?

Our aim was to explore the informal rehabilitation activities performed by Thai caregivers for stroke survivors at home. Twenty primary informal caregivers were individually interviewed, using semi-structured questions developed by researchers, to investigate the informal rehabilitation activities provided for the stroke survivors at their homes. All interviews were audiotape recorded and some pictures of rehabilitation activities were taken during data collection. The data collected underwent content analysis. Findings revealed three major categories of rehabilitation activities - biological, psychological and social rehabilitation. Biological rehabilitation was the most frequently undertaken by all Thai caregivers. Several methods were used to rehabilitate the stroke survivors in each category, based on the scientific background and cultural beliefs of the caregivers and survivors. In conclusion, informal caregivers always have in mind all activities, thus providing a holistic approach for informal rehabilitation. This plays a very significant role in minimizing residual disabilities, preventing related complications and sustaining the well-being of stroke survivors. Health professionals should motivate caregivers of stroke survivors to maintain informal rehabilitation activity at home. Additionally, health care providers should be concerned about the coordination between institutional and informal rehabilitation in order to better optimize the quality of care provided at home.

Thai stroke patient caregivers: who they are and what they need.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSES: Primary informal caregivers play a significant role in providing care to stroke survivors after having been discharged from the hospital. Our aims were to describe the characteristics of Thai stroke caregivers and to explore their needs while providing care to their stroke relatives. METHODS: Using open-ended questions, we individually interviewed 20 caregivers of stroke survivors to identify their characteristics and their own needs. Additional field notes were made during all interviews. RESULTS: Our findings revealed that the majority of Thai informal stroke caregivers in this study were female, mostly daughters, with the exception of 2 Thai primary stroke caregivers found to be nieces. The majority of caregivers provided care to their stroke relatives 24 h per day. The four major categories of informal rehabilitation were: physical, psychological, social, and spiritual rehabilitation activities. Assistance, information and social support were the three main needs of the caregivers. CONCLUSION: Based on these findings, appropriate nursing information and assistance focusing on rehabilitation and stroke caregivers' needs should be provided to Thai stroke caregivers performing informal care to ensure that both patients and caregivers have the best possible quality of life.