The Assessment of Health Education Standard Development Process of Health Care Unit Officers, Lumphun Province

Abstract

^{The objective of the assessment of health education standard development process was to evaluate knowledge of health care unit officers, Ministry of Public Health regarding the implementation process of the health education standard and to evaluate satisfaction on health education practices according to the health education standard practice guidelines. The survey research design was devised for this study. The study samples were 315 health officers who were responsible for the implementation of health education in health care units of the Ministry of Public Health. They were selected from primary, secondary, and tertiary health care units that passed the health education standard criteria and was certified by Health Education Department, Health Service Support Division, Ministry of Public Health. Both quantitative and qualitative data was collected via self-administered questionnaire and structured interview questionnaire. Percentage, mean, and standard deviation were mainly employed to analyze the data. Results of the study revealed that 54.80 percent of the health care unit officers who were responsible for the implementation of health education were women with the average age of 41 years. About 38.09 percent of them gained bachelor degree in public health and 16.66 percent had degree in nursing. Most of them were responsible for health education of the units about 2 years. Almost 90 percent had knowledge in relation to health education standard at the moderate level. In implementing 9 elements of health education, mostly followed the procedures guided in the health education standard guideline/handbook of Health Education Department, Health Service Support Division. Most of them had high level of satisfaction on the handbook 53.60 percent(x̄  =3.50, S.D.=0.70), the supportive in implementing health education standard from the Health Education Department 39.30 percent(x̄ =3.14, S.D.=0.90), and the process in implementing the 9 elements standard 44.00 percent(x̄ =3.90, S.D.=0.83). It is recommended that the Health Education Department or the Provincial Health Office should provide yearly continuation training on health education standard for the responsible health officers. Furthermore, the guideline handbook for implementing health education standard at the health care units should be revised in accordance to the context of the health care system and of the community.}