A Model for Promoting the Competency of Village Health Volunteers in Promoting Breastfeeding, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province
Keywords:
Village health volunteer competency, Promoting breastfeeding, Model for promoting the competencyAbstract
This mixed-methods research aimed to examine the competency level of village health volunteers (VHVs) in promoting breastfeeding, as well as facilitating factors, barriers, and needs for competency development. In addition, the study developed and evaluated a competency enhancement model for VHVs in breastfeeding promotion in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand. The quantitative sample consisted of 180 VHVs selected by systematic random sampling, while 12 VHVs were purposively selected for qualitative data collection. Research instruments included a breastfeeding promotion competency assessment questionnaire, a semi-structured interview guide, and a competency enhancement model for VHVs. The content validity index ranged from .82 to .86, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was .89. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t-tests, whereas qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
The results revealed that VHVs demonstrated a moderate level of competency in breastfeeding promotion. Qualitative findings reflected three main themes: supporting factors, barriers to task performance, and needs for competency development. After participating in the competency enhancement program, the mean competency score of VHVs was significantly higher than before participation (t-test = 39.30, p-value < .001). These findings indicate that the developed competency enhancement model effectively improved VHVs’ knowledge, understanding, and skills in promoting breastfeeding.
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