Development of a Food Management Model for Elderly Health in Nakhon Pathom Province

Abstract

Thailand will become completely aged society in the next 3 years. Hence, Thailand needs readiness to respond to related situations, especially health problems among the elderly. This research aimed to develop a food management model in Nakhon Pathom Province suitable for elderly health accompanied by educating and improving food consumption behavior. The participants comprised of 238 elderly leaders and 769 elderly individuals from 19 subdistricts of 7 districts. Overall, 370 people were randomly selected as representative for the evaluation of knowledge and behavior by comparing pre- and post-implementation. The research process focused on building participation and developing the potential of the elderly, i.e., searching and planning to develop a suitable food management model. The result elucidated that the food management models in each district were relatively the same, i.e., vegetable and fruit gardening at home, as well as, in community areas. Healthy recipes were developed using cultivated raw food materials, and subsequently, excessive raw materials were preserved and processed. Implementation of food management models in households and communities supported elderly self-care in the context of reducing sugar, fat and sodium in the cooking process, along with an increase in vegetable and fruit consumption. The next step of the study should compare the food management models among the different subdistricts, as well as, extending the implementation for two years in sustainable development.