Participatory Process to Enhance Health Assets for Promoting Sexuality among Youth in Upper Southern Provinces

Abstract

The main objective of this participatory action research was to develop and evaluate the participatory process to enhance health assets for promoting sexuality among youth. Purposive sampling was used to include the participants, multi-stakeholders in the extended schools and high schools participating in the promotion of comprehensive sex education for youth project in the upper southern consist of 8 schools in 4 provinces of Nakhonsrithammarat, Krabi, PhangNga, and Ranong. The research was conducted in 4 phases in 1 year: 1) preparation; 2) improving the performance; 3) implementation; and 4) evaluation. The data were collected by questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, focus-group, observing learning process in the fieldwork, and means of group meeting. The quantitative data were analyzed in terms of frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, whilst the qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results are as follows. 1. The process of developing the participation to enhance health assets for promoting sexuality among youth; Phase 1 required of multi-stakeholders, then raise their conscious and accountability to promote sexuality among youth. Phase 2, need to develop multi-stakeholders’s attitude, knowledge, and skill for promoting sexuality that related to their roles and develop the help networking system among each groups. Phase 3 showed that the success of the participatory process occur when 1) all parties work effective in their role and participate in the activities, and 2) the connection network system between the parties is work. Phase 4 showed that continued support and evaluation of the goodwill through develop change with a powerful reinforcement make success. 2. As a results, the participation process has involved not only effect the health assets and sexual risk behavior among youth but also point to a positive attitude, knowledge, and behaviors led to reduce gaps of the problems and promote strength of the community. 3. The factors for successful consists of a main run of five parties recognize the important and seriously to work with the structure of spatial strength to push and strengthen all aspects of the work.