The mediating effect of health belief on the relationship between health knowledge and health behavior among hypertensive patients with stroke

Abstract

Objective To explore the mediating effect of health belief on the relationship between health knowledge and health behavior among hypertensive patients with stroke. Methods The questionnaire of Stroke Knowledge Questionnaire (SKQ), Short Form Health Belief Model Scale(SF-HBMS)and health behavior scale for stroke patients(HBS-SP) were used to investigate the health knowledge, health belief and health behavior among 151 hypertensive stroke patients. The structural equation model was established using SPSS 17.0 and Mplus7.0 software. Results The total score of SKQ, SF-HBMS and HBS-SP were(86.23±14.67), (4.26±0.54)and(3.01±0.46). The Pearson r value for SKQ and SF-HBMS, SF-HBMS and HBS-SP, SKQ and HBS-SP were 0.516, 0.603 and 0.449, respectively, P<0.01. Health knowledge had no direct effect on health behavior.but had an indirect effect through health belief=0.338(P<0.01). The health knowledge has direct and positive effect on the health belief including perceived susceptibility, health motivation, and perceived benefit to health behaviors; the health belief of perceived seriousness to stroke has direct and positive effect on the health behavior, while perceived barrier has direct and negative effect on the health behavior, all P<0.05. Conclusion The health belief has mediator effect between health knowledge and health behavior among hypertensive stroke patients. Stroke education efforts should be targeted at not only health knowledge but also health belief in order to increase patients' health behavior so as to prevent secondary stroke. Key words: Hypertension; Ischemic stroke; Health belief; Health behavior; Mediator effect; Structural equation model