The Exploration of Causal Loop on Well-Being of the Chronically Ill Elderly in the Communities of Bangkok Metropolitan

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to 1) explore the level of the well-being of the chronically ill elderly, 2) analyze the effects that were related to the well-being of the chronically ill elderly, and 3) synthesize the casual factors effect to the well-being of the chronically ill elderly in the communities of Bangkok Metropolitan. The study samples consisted of 1,000 chronically ill elderlies who living in four areas of Bangkok (Klongteay, Yannawa, Bangklolem, and Bangkhuntean), were selected by using the Stratified random sampling. Data were collected by interviewing with the questionnaire, containing 2 parts: the well-being and the factors effected well-being in the frame of PRECEDE PROCEED, with the reliability values of 0.83. Data were analyzed by using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, PATH analysis and validation of the model. The results of this study showed that: 1) the chronically ill elderly in the communities of Bangkok Metropolitan had high level of well–being. 2) The causal factors that was related to overall well-being of the chronically ill elderly in the communities, were the ecological factors, with the direct effect coefficient = 0.645, and direct effected to overall well–being in social and economic aspect, family aspect, psychological and spiritual aspect, and physical and functioning aspect, with the direct effect coefficient = 0.715, 0.666, 0.678 and 0.599, respectively. 3) The study model indicated that the goodness of fit test was 0.977 for Goodness of fit index (GFI), 0.971 for Adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI), and explained the well-being on the life of the chronically ill elderly in each aspect as follow: 76.60% of the social and economic aspect, 72.30% of the family aspect, 73.40% of psychological and spiritual aspect, and 48.50% of physical and functioning aspect.