Characteristics of Village Health Volunteers Residing in the Southern Health Promotion Sub‐ District of the Municipality of Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

The purposes of the research was to assess important characteristics of village health volunteers (VHV) involved in community health management. Using a single random sampling technique 112 participants were selected living in the area under the responsibility of the Dong Chang Health Promotion Hospital within the municipality of Khon Kaen. An open format questionnaire was used to acquire the required information. Data were analyzed using conventional statistical methods. The majority (87.5%) of those being questioned were female with an average age of 48.4 years (S.D. 8.74). Most of them were married (92.1 percent). More than a half of the participants got a primary education as the highest level of their educational achievement. Their median income was 6,300 Baht (Max 16,000 : Min 2,000). They usually worked as VHV for 9 years (Max 32 : Min 1) in average. Each of them was responsible for 10.1 families (S.D. 1.35). The participants got scores of 60 to 125 for community health management ability. The average score was 99.3 (S.D. 13.93). The level of their work performance in community public health was on a high level for 73.2 percent especially in the field of mother and child health, sanitation, family planning, nutrition and immunization. Ages and years of work experience were related to their community health abilities with a statistical significances of p‐value = 0.001 (OR 4.29, 95%CI : 1.58 – 12.42) and p‐value = 0.046 (OR 0.37, 95%CI : 0.13 – 4.43). Income, level of education and numbers of families cared for by each participant were also important factors ruling the performance as VHV. The results of this research acknowledge that the highest educational level of most village health volunteers was primary education. Ministry of Public Health, health promotion hospitals, local administrations in the area and other related institutes should promote and support the higher education for village health volunteers so that this would be the instrument for developing community health management to be more effective in the future.