Results of the village health volunteer capacity development program on knowledge of NCDs health care behavior with lifestyle medicine through participatory learning program, Don Sai Subdistrict, Pak Tho District, Ratchaburi Province

Abstract

            This quasi-experimental study aimed to compare knowledge of non-communicable disease (NCD) health care behaviors based on lifestyle medicine using a participatory learning program. Knowledge levels were assessed before and after the intervention in both experimental and control groups. The sample comprised 60 village health volunteers, with 30 participants in each group. Research instruments included a structured questionnaire and an 8-week participatory learning program. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and independent t-tests.

              The findings indicated that the experimental and control groups were comparable in their demographic characteristics. Most participants were female, aged 41–50 years, married, had primary-level education, earned a monthly income of no more than 5,000 baht, and had 1–5 years or 16–20 years of experience as village health volunteers in similar proportions. Prior to the intervention, there was no statistically significant difference in mean knowledge scores between the experimental and control groups (M = 24.6, SD = 3.8 and M = 24.6, SD = 4.2, respectively; p = .955), indicating comparable baseline knowledge. Within-group analysis showed that, following the intervention, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher mean knowledge scores in several domains compared to pre-intervention levels, including principles of self-care promotion (M = 3.7 vs. 3.1, p = .003), physical activity promotion (M = 3.4 vs. 2.8, p = .002), and reduction and cessation of smoking, alcohol consumption, and substance use (M = 3.7 vs. 3.2, p = .050), at the .05 level of statistical significance. However, no statistically significant improvements were observed in knowledge related to nutrition, sleep and health outcomes, mental resilience, or leadership and management skills. Between-group comparisons after the intervention revealed that the experimental group had significantly higher overall mean knowledge scores than the control group (M = 26.7, SD = 3.5 vs. M = 25.0, SD = 2.6; p = .032). These findings suggest that the participatory learning program was effective in enhancing NCD-related health care knowledge among village health volunteers. It is therefore recommended that relevant agencies, such as sub-district health promoting hospitals and district public health offices, consider scaling up and integrating this participatory learning program into routine capacity-building initiatives.