A Comparison Study of the Results of Gold Health-promoting Schools as Perceived by Stakeholders at Primary Schools in Nakhon Ratchasima Province

Abstract

Most schools have been awarded the title of Gold Health-promoting Schools (GHSs), but many health problems still persist among the students. The objectives of this descriptive research were to study and compare the results of the health promotion programs at GHSs as perceived by the teachers, students, and students’ parents at primary schools in Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The sample was comprised of those three groups with 101 persons per group. The schools were selected using stratified random sampling technique and the sample was selected by simple random sampling technique. The research tools included three self-generated questionnaires about results of GHSs as perceived by teachers, students, or students’ parents. The content validity index of the combined tools was .90, and the Cronbach's alpha coefficient were .98, .98 and .99, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one way ANOVA, Tamhane^,s T2, Least Significant Difference, and Kruskal-Wallis H tests. The research revealed that teachers, students, and parents all had high levels of perceived results of the health promotion programs, overall, and all of the elements of the programs, as well. However, there were significantly different overall parceptions regarding the elements themselves, particularly with regard to the fifth and seventh element, F(2, 300) = 3.716, p = .025, ηp2 = .007, F(2,300) = 9.286, p = .000, ηp2 = .029, F(2, 300) = 5.252, p = .006, ηp2 = .012, respectively. Teachers had a significantly more perception of the overall elements than parents (p = .038), but the students’ perceptions were not significantly different from those of the teachers or the students’ parents (p > .05). Teachers also had a significantly more perception of the fifth and seventh elements in comparison to both the students and the students’ parents (p = .002, p = .010), but students’ perceptions were similar to their parents’ perceptions (p > .05). Schools should revise their programs and how they are implemented so that they are more efficient, especially in regard to creating a healthy school environment and nutritional and food safety, in order to attain the diamond health-promoting school award.