THE SURVEYS ON STRENGTHENING INTELLIGENCE NEEDS AND SELF-HELP OF THE ELDERLIES IN PHAYAO PROVINCE

Abstract

The purposes of this study were as follows: 1) to study the level of the older adults’s health literacy quotient 2) to study the relationship between health literacy and health promotion behaviors and disease prevention. The research was done with 400 older adults, both male and female. Living in Ampur Mueang, Phayao Province can communicate in Thai. No memory impaired, samples tested with MMSE. Instrument used in the research were questionnaires and interviews. Statistics used in data analysis are frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation. The results revealed that the overall level of the older adults’s health literacy was moderate, Most behaviors, self-care behaviors, avoided risk behavior, take medicine regularly, are less than 80%. Based on qualitative data, the sample of health literacy was mostly at the functional health Literacy level, minority was interactive health literacy and critical health literacy.

From the findings, suggested that should be set for literacy rates, increased access to accurate and reliable sources of health information. Create a health literacy policy from childhood, adolescence, adulthood and the older adults and establishment of education and health promotion department prepare media literacy courses, media analysis, media monitor to the population at all levels.