The successful disease and health hazard surveillance system by community

Abstract

This study is a quasi-experimental research (one group pre-post test design). It aimed to study the empowerment in disease and health hazard surveillance system by community. 28 volunteers of community leaders and 446 family representatives were included in this study. The research instruments were the empowerment curriculum and guide book for disease prevention and health hazard surveillance, the questionnaire for evaluating communication skill and leadership among community leaders and the other questionnaire to assess the knowledge, perception and practice on disease control and prevention among villagers. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and paired t-test before and after intervention. The result showed that most of community leaders were female aged 50-59 years old accounting for 53.50%. The farmers were 67.86% and monthly income more than 20,000 baht were 53.60%. After intervention, community leaders had significantly increased the leadership and community skill for disease control and prevention (p<.001). Regarding to villagers who were family representatives, most of them were female 55.80% and they were 50-59 years of age (23.81%). They were farmers 39.46% who had, monthly income less than 5,000 baht accounting for 47.98%. After the intervention, family representatives had showed an increased knowledge, perception and practice for disease control and prevention and health hazard (p<0.001). This research suggests that the government sector could empower community leaders and villagers on disease and health hazard surveillance by increasing health knowledge, skill and their leadership concurrently.