Behaviors and environment conductive to health promoting behaviors among youths, housewives and workers in Thailand

Abstract

The study of behaviors and environment conducive to health promoting behaviors among youths, housewives and workers in Thailand The objective of this project were to assess health promoting behaveiors of youths, housewives, and worker and to study the relationship of health promotion with the following factors: congnitive-perceptual factors, modifying factors and supportive environment. The data collection was done through interviews by using interviewing schedules and observations of health promotion program activities. The sampled population consisted of 6,659 subjects; 1,949 from Bangkok and 4,710 from 12 sampled provinces. From the total of 6,659, there are 2,430 youths(aged 15-19), 2,314 housewives, and 1,527 industrial workers. From the analysis of the data, the following conclusions could be made a high percentage of the sampled group had positive attitudes toward health and health promotion, internal health locus of control, lift satisfaction level between neutral and high, defined "health" as absence of illness" (asmall percentage definde "health" as physical exercise, psychological well-being, non-smoking and eating behavior), valued the following health promotion behaviors at a low to slightly higher then moderate level: eating, physical exercise, stress management, accident prevention, socail network and, health information seeking. The sampled group from Bangkok placed higher value on the use of food advertised as "health promoting" e.g. "Brand chicken soup" , vitamins, etc, than the sampled groups from other provinces. The other provinces placed higher value than the sampled group from Bangkok on the following behaviors: indent below the use of sedatives, physical exercise, endurance, meditation, doing job/tasks without the pressures of urgency, and having friend(s)/trust worthy person(s) who can help solve personal problems. All of the three sampled groups frome Bangkok and the other provinces were found to practice some undesirable health promoting behaviors. The most common health promoting behavior that more than 50 percent of every sampled group responded that they often practiced was "not neating raw meat". Other health promoting behaviors that more then 50 percent of some sampled groups often practiced were: not smoking, not drinking, not using sedatives, using safety hats and seatbelts. From this it is was concluded that there are various common risk behaviors in all three sampled groups that should be targeted. There were many health promoting behaviors that sampled groups placed high value on but did not practice often, e.g. physical exercise, having friends or other persons that they could consult concerning seeking health information, ect.. There was a statistically significant relationship between health promoting behaviors and the following factors: perceived self-efficacy, health promotion values, perceived benefits of health promoting behaviors, interpersonal influence, situation factors, health locus of control, and age. The results of this study revealed the significance and urgent need for the government to review and re-organize the health promotion program in the country by emphasizing: the formulation of a national health promotion policy, the provision of an adequate budget, the establishment of a group of representatives from both government and non-government organizations who can work coordinately and collaboratively in formulating policy, goals, and strategies more effectively with focus on target groups such as youths, women, industrial workers, and elderly groups. The main emphasis should be on the development of people's health promotion values using a variety of methods, media, information technology, ect., and developing environmental supports.