The Leader of Monks and Health Management of The Monk in Phichit Province

Abstract

This research aimed to study the problems of the health management of monks in Phichit province, to study the factors affecting the effectiveness of health management of monks, and to study the guidelines for developing health management of monks according to the health charter of the Sangha in Phichit province. The research method was a mixed-method quantitative research with a sample of 400 monks. Data was collected from questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency distribution, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and multiple regression analysis. The stepwise method was qualitative research with interviews of 8 monks. The data was analyzed using content analysis. The results of the research found that :

1) Problems in the management of monks' health in Phichit Province found problems in physical management, eating a balanced diet, exercising, getting enough sleep, learning how to deal with stress, risky behavior, drinking clean and sufficient water, building good relationships with others, allocating time for activities that help relieve stress, seeing a doctor when necessary, and problems in the management of regular health checks.

2) Factors affecting the effectiveness of monks’ health management in Phichit Province were found to be at a high level overall. The factor with the highest average value was budget, followed by location, equipment, personnel, and structural factors. The results of the stepwise multiple regression analysis found that the factor of monks’ health management conditions that affected the effectiveness of monks’ health management in all 4 aspects had an Adjusted R Square value of 0.996 or 99.60 percent, with a statistical significance of 0.05.

3) Guidelines for developing monks’ health management according to the Sangha Health Charter in Phichit Province The research results found that the National Sangha Charter is important for managing monks’ health in many aspects, especially in terms of setting standards of life and performing duties of monks, which will help enhance good physical and mental health for monks, namely, maintaining monks’ standards of life, promoting health care, creating support networks, developing minds and religious training, and preventing mental health problems. Therefore, the National Sangha Charter is an important tool to support monks to have good physical and mental health and to create sustainability in performing religious duties with quality.

Keywords: THE LEADER OF MONKS; MANAGEMENT; HEALTH OF THE MONK