The Development of Health Indicators and Evaluation on Health Status of People in Nonthaburi Province

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to develop health indicators, evaluate health status, and determine patterns/directions of developing the health system of people in Nonthaburi Province. This research employed both quantitative and qualitative research techniques to collect data. A survey questionnaire with a multi-stage sampling method was used to collect quantitative data from 2,650 samples in Nonthaburi Province. In terms of qualitative data, this research gathered data from various sources, namely academic articles, government data, and online publications. Additionally, 6 focus group discussions were held to collect qualitative data from 30 key stakeholders involved in the health system in Nonthaburi Province. Analytical approaches used in this research included descriptive statistics for quantitative data and a content analysis for qualitative data. The results of this research revealed that the developed health indicator consisted of 3 aspects: 1) the health status indicator which measured physical and psychological health and included 7 sub-indicators (3 of them reflect current population health risks that require immediate government attention), 2) the health determinant indicator which measured factors influencing the population health status and included 19 sub-indicators (12 of them reflect current population health risks that require immediate government attention), and 3) the health system indicator which measured the operations of the health system and included 16 sub-indicators (3 of them reflect current population health risks that require immediate government attention). Some recommendations were provided in order to improve the public health services in Nonthaburi Province.