RISK FACTOR PREVALENCE, RISK STATUS, AND PERCEIVED RISK FOR CORONARY HEART DISEASE AMONG THAI ELDERLY (HYPERTENSION).
Contributors: University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 234
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Health Sciences, Public Health.
Description: Prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) among the elderly can be planned using basic information relating to risk factors. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of risk factors for CHD, CHD risk status, and perceived risk for CHD among Thai elderly people.

The Neuman systems model and pathophysiological model of CHD provided the framework for this study. Subjects were 200 randomly selected elderly, 101 males and 99 females who lived in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Data were collected by (a) an interview; (b) measurements of blood pressure, body weight and height; and (c) blood tests for glucose, and total, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein cholesterols.

This investigation demonstrated that the prevalence of physical inactivity, hypertension, cigarette smoking, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and diabetes mellitus were 81.5%, 30.8%, 25.5%, 15%, 4%, and 2%, respectively. The prevalence of 30.8% for hypertension included 20.8% for isolated systolic hypertension (ISH) and 10% systolic-diastolic hypertension (SDH). Borderline hypercholesterolemia was reported in 24% of the sample. The elderly in this sample demonstrated a moderate or high risk status for CHD as assessed by the modified Framingham Heart Disease Risk Prediction Chart. Age and gender were significant predictors for CDH risk status (R$\sp2$ =.33, F = 48.72, $p<.0001$). Perceived CHD risk of the subjects was at a low level. No association between age, gender, family income, and educational level and perceived CHD risk was demonstrated. The findings revealed no significant association between CHD risk score and perceived CHD risk score.

Recommendations for further research include replication of the study with a larger sample of both rural and urban elderly. In addition, studies of factors contributing to physical inactivity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, cigarette smoking, and perceived CHD risk as well as factors contributing to compliance to recommended behavior change efforts should be conducted to obtain more information necessary for planning prevention programs for CHD among the elderly population.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 54-03, Section: B, page: 1337.

Thesis (D.S.N.)--UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, 1993.

School code: 0005.