Objectives: A community-based health promotion program (CBHP) might be beneficial for the elderly, but
evidence is limited. We therefore examined the effect of a CBHP on change of lifestyle, physiological indicators
and depression score among seniors in 2 rural areas.
Methods: A prospective quasi-experimental design involved a total of 520 senior participants living in 6 rural
villages, who were clustered and conveniently assigned to 2 intervention groups. Senior nursing students
were the interveners for group 1 and community peer supporters for group 2. The primary outcome measure
was the change in health-related behavior measured on the geriatric health promotion scale (GHPS). The
secondary outcome comprised changes in the short form of the Chinese geriatric depression scale (CGDS-15),
fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, waist circumference and blood pressure. Paired-t test and analysis of
covariance were used for statistical inspection.
Results: Most of the participants were retired farmers or fishermen N75 years of age who had little education.
The total scores and all subscales of GHPS, along with some physiological indicators, improved significantly
between pretest and post-test in both groups. After adjustment for confounders, intervention in group 1 was
more effective than that in group 2 regarding self-protection behaviors. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure
was significantly lower in group 2.
Conclusions: CBHP programs are valuable for improving healthy lifestyle, fasting blood sugar, blood pressure
and depression score among seniors. The low cost and effectiveness of incorporating multidisciplinary
resources to help rural elders to maintain a healthy status and a healthier lifestyle.