THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF THE ELDERLY BY THE ACTIVE AGEING LEADERSHIP NETWORK PROCESS IN THE AREA OF MUANG CHUM SUB-DISTRICT, THA MUANG DISTRICT, KANCHANABURI PROVINCE

Abstract

The objectives of this mixed-methods research were: 1) To examine the situation of social well-being among elderly and the roles of active aging network leaders; 2) To develop guidelines for enhancing the social well-being of elderly; and 3) To investigate the outcomes of social well-being development among elderly. The research was conducted in three phases. Phase 1 focused on studying the social well-being situation of elderly and the roles of active aging network leaders. Phase 2 involved the development of guidelines for enhancing social well-being among elderly. Phase 3 examined the outcomes of implementing the developed guidelines. The study population consisted of 1,038 elderly residing in the study area. The samples included: 300 elderly selected by simple random sampling in Phase 1; 22 key informants selected by purposive sampling in Phase 2; and 150 elderly selected by purposive sampling in Phase 3 The research instruments comprised 1) An in-depth interview guide and 2) A social well-being assessment questionnaire for elderly. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including percentage, mean, and standard deviation, as well as content analysis for qualitative data. The results revealed that: 1) The overall level of social well-being among elderly and the roles of active aging network leaders were at a moderate level ( = 2.80, S.D. = 0.83); 2) The guidelines for enhancing social well-being consisted of: 2.1) Strengthening the roles of active aging network leaders, 2.2) Developing social well-being promotion activities aligned with the context of elderly, and 2.3) Fostering collaborative networks among leaders, families, and communities; and 3) Elderly demonstrated a significant improvement in social well-being after the intervention, at a high level ( = 3.51, S.D. = 0.38), particularly in family and social interactions, participation in beneficial activities, and self-worth perception. The findings can be utilized as practical guidelines for promoting social well-being among elderly at the community level through collaboration with relevant network partners.