Integrating Buddhist Wisdom with Holistic Health Promotion: A Case Study of Monks in the Digital Era in Muang Uttaradit District

Abstract

This research and development study aimed to: (1) examine the situation of holistic health and digital technology use among monks, (2) analyze the relationship between adherence to Buddhist principles and holistic well-being, and (3) develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a holistic health promotion program integrating Buddhist wisdom with digital technology. The research was conducted in four phases: situational analysis, program development, program implementation and evaluation, and program refinement into a finalized version. Participants consisted of 250 monks in Mueang Uttaradit District, Uttaradit Province, selected through multistage sampling. The research instruments included a questionnaire on holistic health status and digital technology use, a holistic well-being assessment, and a program satisfaction questionnaire. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression analysis. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.

The results showed that 30.80% of the monks had a body mass index in the obese range, 21.60% had hypertension, and 17.20% experienced high levels of stress. A total of 95.20% of the monks used smartphones, with an average usage of 3.80 hours per day. Adherence to Buddhist principles was positively associated with holistic well-being at a statistically significant level (p-value < 0.001). The “Samanah Well-being in the Digital Era” program consisted of a health-recording application, an electronic manual integrating Buddhist principles with health care, exercise videos based on Buddhist practices, and a monitoring and evaluation system. After three months of program implementation, the monks showed significant improvement in holistic well-being across all dimensions (p-value < 0.001). Participants reported a high level of satisfaction with the program (Mean = 4.24). These findings indicate that the program has strong potential to promote holistic well-being among monks and could be expanded to support the implementation of health-promoting temple policies.