An Elderly Population Database Development With the GIS Application: A Case of Nam-Jo Municipality, Mae-Tha District, Lampang Province

Abstract

The objectives of the research were 1) to survey and to construct a database on the elderly population by the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS); and 2) to synthesize the data related to the eldery population and to propose guidelines for developing the quality of life of the elderly population in the study area based on the online database. Population in this research consisted of the elderly aged 60 years or above living in Nam-Jo municipality, Mae-Tha district, Lampang Province. The necessary data concerning the elderly were collected by using TCNAP (Thailand Community network Appraisal Program) of the Office of the Health Promotion Foundation. The online database were constructed by using Quantum GIS (QGIS 3.2) and spreadsheet programs including Microsoft Excel and Notepad for coding computer languages. To propose the guidelines for the elderly’s quality of life, all the needed data from the database were taken for synthesizing.

Results of the research study were 1) the database on the elderly population by the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in terms of thematic map divided according to the database both online and offline. Those databases were proposed as visualization in order to enable the interpretation from the map, specifically substituting the reading of statistical data from tables including the data being able to be updated at any time; and 2) as regards the guidelines for developing the quality of life of the elderly in the study, Nam-Jo municipality and Nam-Jo district Health Promotion Hospital could utilize the created database to monitor the people’s ways of life on their socio-economic terms Including assisting health care for the elderly in the area efficiently.