HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT: CASE STUDY THONGCHAI NUEA SUBDISTRICT, PAK THONG CHAI DISTRICT, NAKHONRATCHASIMA PROVINCE

Abstract

This research aimed to 1) investigate the state of environmental health management in the school, 2) analyze the impact of environmental health management on students' well-being, and 3) propose policies for mitigating health-related consequences of school environmental health management. The data was collected through the School Environmental Health Management Assessment by the Department of Health and the Health Effects Caused by School Environmental Health Management Questionnaire, encompassing four dimensions: physical health, mental health, social well-being, and spiritual intelligence. The sample comprised 100 students from grades 5 and 6, selected via purposive sampling. Additionally,
a focus group discussion involving 36 students was conducted to gather insights related to proposed policies for school environmental health management. The quantitative data analysis involved frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, while qualitative data analysis centered on the content derived from the focus group discussion. The research findings revealed that school environmental health management fell short of meeting established standards in various aspects, including waste handling, restroom sanitation, food and drink provision, and public safety. The Health Effects Caused by School Environmental Health Management Questionnaire's results, across all four dimensions, indicated that students experienced adverse effects at a low level ( = 0.68, SD = 0.07). On individual dimension analysis, physical health exhibited the lowest impact ( = 0.90, SD = 0.32), mental health showed a modest impact
( = 1.02, SD = 0.24), and social as well as spiritual intelligence displayed unsatisfactory effects (  = 0.26, SD = 0.17) and (  = 0.5, SD = 0.31) respectively. The proposed policies put forth by those connected to regulations were geared towards mitigating the health impact, particularly concerning potential hazards like traffic dangers within the school premises. Based on the research outcomes, plans involve constructing designated traffic lanes and initiating campaigns to promote responsible road traffic behavior among students.