Abstract
This research and development aims to study current situations and associated factors of health
management and needs for model development in health management among the Thai-Melayu elderly
living in the South of Thailand. The participation action research (PAR) was conducted using qualitative
and quantitative research. The sample of 149 participants recruited into the study were 33 elderly people
being diagnosed with hypertension, 33 care givers of those elderly, and those who involved in the care
for those elderly including 2 health public officers taking care of the patients with hypertension, 3 health
public offices working for the Sub-district Administration Organization (SAO), 3 political members of SAO,
20 religious leaders, 10 village leaders, and 45 village health volunteers. The interviews and focus groups
were used for collecting. The content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data.
Finding revealed that the needs and community participation in health management in Thai-
Melayu elderly with hypertension included; 1) religious leaders providing health education for the elderly
people, 2) visiting home by the religious leaders to encourage the elderly patients, 3) health education
for the community to reduce sweet, salty, and fatty foods 4) providing the place for exercise, 5) setting-up
the home visit system by village health volunteers , and 6) having a village leader to carry-on the
activities for elderly in the community.
Based on the qualitative data, the researchers developed the guideline to promote health
management among the elderly having hypertension and found that post intervention, the average score
of health management, at higher level, (X = 4.30 S.D = 1.08) was higher than that of pre-intervention
(X = 3.87 S.D = 1.21), at the same higher level. However, it also discovered that the lowest average scores
were found in the following dimensions: reducing high fat diet, and deep-fried foods or stir-fried meals
X= 2.4 S.D= 1.29, X= 3.26 S.D = 1.46, respectively.
The results showed that after receiving health management the systolic blood pressure (SBP) and
diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were also significant lower than pre-receiving the health management at
the level of P< 0.001 and P< 0.05 respectively but there was no significant difference in body weight,
waistline, and body mass index (BMI).
