Abstract
In Thailand, the Cabinet has outlined the national reform plan (public health) for the year 2021, which emphasizes the concept of "Health Promotion" in alignment with the sustainable development goal of the United Nations, specifically Goal 3: Good health and well-being. The plan focuses on policies and measures within the workplace, setting a goal to establish "workplace health policies". Despite this, there is presently a paucity of research on management, implementation, and workplace health promotion, and Thailand has yet to establish a national policy framework. This study aims to investigate the management and implementation, as well as provide policy recommendations at both organizational and national levels, by organizational leaders and human resource executives, concerning health promotion and non-communicable disease prevention in workplaces. Methods This study employs a cross-sectional study to procure data from personnel in the human resources domain across organizations situated in Thailand during the period spanning January to March 2023. The collection of data encompassed a questionnaire, featuring three distinct sections addressing organizational demographics, health promotion execution, and health promotion policies. The acquired data were analyzed via the application of advanced statistical techniques including descriptive statistics, bivariate analyses, and multiple linear regression. A qualitative study, specifically an exploratory research design, utilizing conventional content analysis with an inductive approach was undertaken. The interviews were conducted from May to November 2022. The data for analysis were collected through in-depth interviews conducted with senior-level executives from prominent organizations and human resource managers affiliated with influential bodies such as the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), the Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade of Thailand (TCC & BoT), the Thai Bankers’ Association (TBA), the Personnel Management Association of Thailand (PMAT), industrial estates, and various workplaces. The data collection for this study involved conducting interviews with key informants, totaling 35 individuals, representing 27 organizations, units, and businesses. Results In this quantitative study, the implementation of health promotion initiatives within the workplace demonstrated a statistically significant association with key factors including organizational operations exceeding 19 years and the allocation of financial resources for health promotion. The workplace health promotion policy exhibited a statistically significant correlation with various budget allocation factors across all domains. These factors encompassed collaborative decision-making within the workplace, a conducive physical work environment, psychological well-being in the workplace, employee engagement and trust, effective leadership and supervision, job design, as well as monitoring and evaluation practices. In the qualitative study, the findings of the study can be categorized into four main categories. The first category, "Management," consists of organizational policies and guiding principles. The second category, "Implementation," includes budget allocation, activities, and operational tips. The third category, "Barriers," comprises operational challenges and individual factors. Lastly, the fourth category, "Groups, Clubs, Associations," encompasses collaborative policies and joint activities. Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that the duration of organizational operations, the size of the organization, and the allocation of budgetary resources for health promotion play crucial roles in determining the successful implementation and feasibility of workplace health promotion policies within organizations. This study has outlined strategies for management and operational measures to enhance workplace health promotion and synthesized policies for health promotion in Thai workplaces. These policies encompass both monetary and nonmonetary approaches.
