Study of the relationship between perception of the National Plan of Action on Nutrition Phase 1 (B.E. 2566 – 2570) and the plan implementation by organization responsible for key projects

Abstract

This study aimed to assess perception of the National Plan of Action on Nutrition, Phase 1 (B.E.2566 - 2570), and its implementation by agencies responsible for key projects, as well as to analyze the relationship between perception and implementation during August 2024–January 2025. The research instruments were tested for content validity, with an Index of Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) of 0.99 for the questionnaire and 0.97 for the interview. Descriptive statistics were used to determine frequencies and percentages for general data, mean values and standard deviations for perception levels and opinions on plan implementation, and Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient to analyze relationships between variables. This mixed-method research included a quantitative study using a questionnaire administered to 59 participants and a qualitative study using in-depth interviews with seven agency representatives. The findings revealed that most respondents were from government agencies (88.1%), were civil servants (64.4%), worked at the operational level (52.5%), and had 1–5 years of work experience (37.3%). Overall, perception of the plan was high (𝑥̅= 3.707, SD = 0.470), while overall implementation was at a moderate level (𝑥̅= 3.450, SD = 0.836). Perception of the plan was strongly and directly correlated with its implementation (r = 0.456, p = 0.000). Significant relationships were also observed, such as an inverse relationship between perception of nutrition-related issues and resource adequacy. This may be explained by the Issue Attention Cycle nature of government attention, where initial perception of a problem leads to action, but over time, resources may be reallocated to address more pressing concerns. Identified challenges included inadequate communication, budget constraints, and a shortage of nutrition personnel in certain areas. Recommendations include proactive communication through diverse media channels, assigning personnel to oversee communication efforts, creating platforms for information exchange, fostering multi-sectoral collaboration, organizing perception-raising activities, and leveraging digital media as the primary tool for continuous and comprehensive communication.