COMMUNITY OPINIONS TOWARDS MONK’S ROLES IN THE PARTICIPATION IN THE ELDERLY HEALTH PROMOTION, MAETHA DISTRICT, LAMPANG PROVINCE

Abstract

This research has the objectives to study the levels of the community opinions towards the roles of monks in the participation in the elderly health promotion and factors affecting the monk’s participation in the elderly health promotion, Maetha district, Lampang province.  The sample group was the elderly living in Maetha district totaled 370 persons.  The tools used consisted of a questionnaire, an observation form, an interview form and a focus group recording form.  The descriptive statistics used to describe the characteristics of the data consisted of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation.  The data from the interview form, the observation form and the focus group recording form concerning the roles of monks in the participation in the elderly health promotion and the factors affecting the monk’s participation in the elderly health promotion were arranged in groups, analyzed for contents and observed the frequency to accompany the description.

The research results found the levels of the community opinions towards the roles of monk’s participation in the elderly health promotion overall at the medium level (3.10) and when considered each side, ranking the means from high to low, as followed: participation in thinking creatively (3.21); participation in receiving benefits (3.18); participation in decision-making (3.11); participation in operations (3.03) and participation in follow-up, evaluation and responsibility in the project (2.97).

For factors affecting the monk’s participation in the elderly health promotion, Maetha district, Lampang province were as followed: 1) People factor consisted of being in the monkhood practicing the Lord Buddha’s dharma in helping others from sufferings 2) community factor was the strength of the temple committee or community committee and 3) factor of government agencies and organizations driving the elderly health promotion policy consisted of using the temple as the middle ground, the political neutrality and finding monies to support activities of health promotion for the elderly in mental, material, social and cultural in accord with the way of life of the elderly.