Health Frontiers · Oct 23, 2026
Self-Motivation and Educational Level Are Associated With Blood Glucose Levels in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study
By Putri AN, Nabilah MP, Wibisono TAN et al.
Background: Aging populations face increasing risks of impaired glucose metabolism. Self-motivation and educational attainment may influence health behaviors that support glycemic control, yet their community-level associations remain underexplored in Indonesian older adults. Objective: To analyze the relationships between healthy life motivation and educational level with blood glucose levels among older adults in Sumbersari Urban Village, Malang City. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional study following STROBE guidelines was conducted among 50 older adults selected through purposive sampling. Data on motivation, education, and capillary blood glucose were collected. Bivariate analyses used Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation with significance at p<0.05. Results: Most participants had low motivation (72.0%) and senior high school education (48.0%). Median blood glucose was 132.00 mg/dL (range 77-399). Blood glucose differed significantly between motivation groups (median 146.0 vs 123.5 mg/dL; p=0.032). Educational level showed a strong negative correlation with glucose levels (r=-0.775; p<0.001). Conclusion: Self-motivation and educational level are significantly associated with blood glucose levels among older adults. Strengthening motivation and providing targeted health education should be integrated into community-based promotive and preventive programs for healthy aging.