Development of an Environmental Health Management Program: A Case Study of Phrapariyattitham School, Mueang District, Chiang Mai Province

Abstract

     Phrapariyattitham School is a place that requires an environmental health management program to minimize the environmental factors affecting health conditions. This participatory research aimed to develop an environmental health management program for the novices at Phrapariyattitham School. In-depth interviews with the administrator, teachers, cleaners, cooks, and health workers were applied to collect data, while a small groups discussion was used with the novice leader. Moreover, the questionnaire about knowledge of environmental health management was distributed to the novice leader. In contrast, the questionnaire about the follow-up and evaluation was given to the novice leader, teachers, and health workers. The quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics, while the qualitative data were analyzed with the data classification technique.

     The research results showed that the sample group designed an environmental health management program consisting of environmental management activities in the school and educating about infective diseases from a carrier. The activity duration was five weeks. The comparison results of the average score before and after being educated illustrated that the score after being educated (median 15.50, IQR 5.75) was higher than that before being educated (median 23.00, IQR 2.00) with a statistical significance of 0.01 (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the evaluation result on the possibility of program implementation was at the high level. After the implementation, six standards were qualified. Therefore, the health worker could implement the environmental health management program to organize the health care activities for the novice at other Phrapariyattitham Schools with similar context.