The Effects of Developing a Proactive Health Promotion Approach to Reduce Dependency among Older Adults in Bang Pahan District, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effects of a proactive health promotion approach on dependency and active aging among older adults in Bang Pahan district, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya province, by comparing outcomes between the intervention and control groups. Methods: This study employed a quasi-experimental, two-group pretest-posttest study included 383 older adults aged 60 years and above with mild-to-moderate dependency, selected based on inclusion criteria. Participants were allocated into an intervention group (n=191), receiving a 12-week proactive health promotion program via a Geriatric Mobile Unit, and a control group (n=192) receiving routine care. Data were collected using the Barthel Activities of Daily Living (ADL) Index and the Active Aging Index (AAI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test for intra-group comparisons, and the Mann-Whitney U test for inter-group comparisons with a significance level of 0.05. Results: After the intervention, the median ADL score in the intervention group significantly increased from 13.0 to 16.0, and the median AAI score significantly increased from 12.0 to 17.0 (p < 0.05). Furthermore, when comparing between groups post-intervention, the intervention group exhibited significantly higher median scores in both ADL and AAI than the control group (p < 0.05), reflecting the effectiveness of the program in enhancing active aging and reducing dependency. Conclusion: The developed proactive health promotion approach is effective in reducing dependency and promoting active aging among older adults in Bang Pahan district. It is recommended that local health authorities apply this model to strengthen primary health care services and support the aging society.