Abstract:
This quasi-experimental research aims to investigate the effectiveness of empowermenting for key community leaders in Kao Din sub-district, Kao Panom district, Krabi province to prevent and control hypertension and diabetes mellitus in providing knowledge and influencing people aged 40 and older to screen for hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The target populations of this research study were key community leaders consist of one village headman, 4 assistants to the village headman, 2 members of Tambol Administrative Organization, 21 health volunteers and 2 key leaders of woman occupational group from Moo 5, Kao Din sub-district total 30 persons and people aged 40 years and older. Using simple random sampling method, 100 people aged over 40 from Moo 5, Kao Din sub-district were selected to represent an experimental group, while another 100 people at the age of 40 and older from Moo 4 of Kao Din sub-district were a control group. Thirty key community leaders in the experimental group were purposively chosen and invited to attend an empowerment training program on hypertension and diabetes mellitus control and prevention. After the training, they were assigned to provide knowledge about hypertension and diabetes mellitus and influence people aged over 40 to have hypertension and diabetes mellitus screening. Data collection was conducted by using a questionnaire with the key community leaders in the before and after training and after the experimental periods and with people aged over 40 before and after experimental periods. Next, the data were statistically analyzed to determine percentage, mean, standard deviation, paired sample t - test, Z - test and Mc-nemar test by SPSS V.10 computer program.
Results showed that after the training, the mean score of the key community leaders on the following aspects significantly increased at .01, compared with before training period; knowledge of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, self-efficacy expectation. After experimental, the mean score of the key community leaders on the following aspects significantly increased at .01, compared with before experimental period; knowledge of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, behaviors in providing knowledge and influencing people aged over 40 to have screening for hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Likewise, after the experimental period, the mean score of people aged over 40 significantly increased at .01, compared with before experimental period, on the following aspects; knowledge of hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and screening behaviors for hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
In conclusion, this study showed that the empowerment program could enhance knowledge of the key community leaders about hypertension and diabetes mellitus, through increasing their self-efficacy expectations and promoting their behaviors in providing the knowledge and influencing people aged over 40 to have hypertension and diabetes mellitus screening. Additionally, the empowerment program could improve knowledge of people aged over 40 about hypertension and diabetes mellitus and, with interventions conducted by the key community leaders, more of them had screening for hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
