Feasibility and Acceptability of a Community-Based Health Literacy Program for Individuals With Prehypertension.

BACKGROUND

Engaging end users through co-design is essential for developing effective and sustainable hypertension prevention interventions, while rigorous evaluation helps identify and address barriers to enhance acceptability and impact.

METHODS

A feasibility study was conducted using a convergent mixed-methods design. A convenience sample participated in a community-based Health Literacy Program. Instruments included the Thai Hypertensive Health Literacy and Health Behaviors Questionnaire (Thai HLHBQ), the Information and Support for Health Action Questionnaire (ISHA-Q), a hypertension knowledge test, a satisfaction survey, and an interview guide. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and repeated measures ANOVA.

RESULTS

The sample comprised ten adults with prehypertension, one nurse practitioner, and one public health officer. The attendance rate of participants with prehypertension during the 6-week period was 100%. Participants completed a baseline assessment at Week 0. The intervention was delivered over a 5-week period (Weeks 1-5), and post-intervention assessments were conducted at Week 6. Post-intervention, significant improvements were observed in knowledge, health literacy, and blood pressure readings. Knowledge increased from 6.8 to 9.3/10 (Hedges' g = 2.65, P < .001). Health literacy scores increased by 10 points (HLHBQ; Hedges' g = 1.05, P = .005) and 32.5 points (ISHA-Q; r = 0.66, P = .037). Systolic blood pressure decreased from 129.3 to 123.9 mmHg (η2p = 0.43, P < .004) and diastolic from 83.9 to 79.9 mmHg (η2p = 0.41, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

The results provide evidence that the intervention was both feasible and acceptable for implementation in a rural Thai community.