ภาวะสุขภาพพระสงฆ์ จังหวัดอุตรดิตถ์: การศึกษาสถานการณ์โรคไม่ติดต่อเรื้อรัง

Seubtrakul  Tantalanukul; Buddhajak Chuayray

Authors

Seubtrakul Tantalanukul Assistant Professor, Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Uttaradit, Faculty of Nursing, Praboromarajchanok Institute
Buddhajak Chuayray Medical Technologist Professional Level, Sounthern Regional Hospital of Tropical Dermatology-Trang Province

Keywords:

Buddhist monks, Health behaviors, Non-communicable diseases, Integrated healthcare system

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major public health problem in Thailand. Buddhist monks are at risk of developing these diseases due to their unique lifestyle and religious practices. This study aimed to examine the situation of non-communicable diseases among Buddhist monks in Uttaradit Province. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 298 monks selected using multi-stage sampling. The research instrument was a questionnaire validated for content validity and reliability (Cronbach’s alpha coefficient = 0.89). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, t-test and One-way ANOVA.
The results showed that 78.5% of monks had at least one non-communicable disease. The most common diseases were obesity (59.7%), hypertension (48.7%), and dyslipidemia (37.6%), respectively. 52.3% of monks did not exercise regularly, and 45.0% frequently consumed sweet, salty, and fatty foods. Significant associations were found between age (p-value = 0.001), physical activity (p-value = 0.001), and dietary behaviors (p-value = 0.019) and the occurrence of non-communicable diseases In conclusion, Buddhist monks in Uttaradit Province have a high prevalence of non-communicable diseases. There is a need to develop an integrated healthcare system appropriate for the context of Buddhist monks, focusing
on prevention and promoting healthy behaviors. The findings can be used as baseline information for establishing public health policies for Buddhist monks.

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