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Health Promotion International, Vol. 18, No. 3, 219-228, September 2003
© Oxford University Press 2003

Behavioral change for blood pressure control among urban and rural adults in Taiwan

Luna Chang, Alfred L. McAlister1, Wendell C. Taylor1 and Wenyaw Chan1

Department of Nursing, Fooyin University, Kaohsiung Hsien, 83101 Taiwan and 1School of Public Health, University of Texas Houston Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA

Address for correspondence: Luna Chang, Fooyin University, 151 Chin-Hsueh Road, Ta-Liao Hsiang, Kaohsiung Hsien, 83101 Taiwan, E-mail: ns230{at}mail.fy.edu.tw

In exploring the mechanisms of behavioral change for hypertension control, a study based on the transtheoretical model was carried out in Taiwan in 2000, with a sample of 350 hypertensive adults living in Taipei urban and rural areas. The relationships among stages of change, processes of change, and demographic factors were analyzed for six health behaviors: low-fat food consumption, alcohol use, smoking, physical activity, weight control and routine blood pressure check-ups. The results showed that rural populations had greater difficulty than urban populations in avoiding smoking and engaging in physical activity, and the processes of change being used by urban populations were significantly greater than rural populations for diet, physical activity and routine blood pressure check-up. Individuals who use more processes of change will be more inclined to move from the pre-contemplation stage to the maintenance stage. Social liberation, self-reevaluation and counterconditioning were very important processes for changing diet behavior, engaging in physical activity and checking blood pressure on a regular basis.

Key words: hypertension control; lifestyle modifications; stages and processes of behavior change; urban and rural comparision


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