SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DETERMINING FACTORS OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR IN ADULTS WITH CARDIO CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASE

Objective: To establish the socio-demographic and health determining factors related to health risk and health promotion behaviors of the secondary prevention program users with cardio cerebrovascular diseases in the Municipality of Envigado in 2013. Materials: Cross-sectional, descriptive study of primary source, random sampling of 355 users of the program. Results: The sample was formed by 51% men, 29.9% of whom were between 65 and 74 years old; 56.3% had finished elementary school, 4.8% were illiterate. Monthly income was inferior to the minimum wage for 26.8% participants. Most of them always attend medical checkups, take their prescribed medication and comply with their doctor s instructions. However, 48.5% never or seldom attend educational program activities. Eighty seven per cent (87%) of participants are not aware of their cardio cerebrovascular risk and 55.2% know little or nothing about their illness. Forty-four pint two percent (44.2%) of the participants are heavy coffee drinkers and 20% are smokers. Gender, age, socio economic status and compliance with medical recommendations were the socio demographic determinants that were associated to risk behavior. Gender, attendance to the program educational activities and compliance with the medical recommendations of self-care, were associated with the promoting behaviors. Conclusion: Age, gender, marital status, socioeconomic status, monthly family income, and compliance with medical indications were socio demographic determining factors that best explain the behavior of health risks. Also, age, gender, occupation, marital status, proper use of medication, attendance to educational activities and compliance with medical indications were the determining factors that best explained the health promoting behaviors.