The Study of Operating Conditions and Guidelines of Physical Activity Program Management for Promoting Students’ Health in the Northern Elderly Schools

Abstract

            This research aimed to study the operating conditions and guidelines for the management of physical activity programs to promote the health of students in elderly school. This study divided into 2 steps. Step 1 was the study of operating conditions. It consisted of a total of 388 people from 23 senior school committees. Step 2 was a study on the management of physical activity programs to promote students’ health in elderly school. The subject consisted of 16 people, from the School Board for Older Persons from Plai Chumpon School, Plai Chumpon Subdistrict Municipality, Phitsanulok province. The tools used for data collection consisted of questionnaires and group interview forms. The data were analyzed using percentage, mean, standard deviation, and content analysis
            The results showed that the physical activity program management promotes students’ health in elderly schools. Management principles (POLE) were Planning, Organizing, Leading, and Evaluating, resource management, and the organization of elderly students’ physical activities with participation. There was a high level of management condition (M = 3.58, SD = 0.47) and the physical activity program for elderly students management conditions are at a moderate level (M = 2.88, SD = 0.40). In addition, findings of this study showed that the guidelines for the management of the physical activities program to promote the health of students in the senior school should be consisted of 1) management resources, which were personnel, budget, materials, equipment, and place 2) physical activity program to promote students’ health 3) physical activity organization for elderly students with participation 4) management process, including planning, organizing, leading, and evaluating. In conclusion, the findings showed that the physical activity programs could be applied consistently in the context of each area by means of increasing the role of the local organization and the physical activity leader development. It will also benefit elderly schools in applying the research results on the management of physical activity programs for promoting students’ health.