The Quality of Life of the Elderly in Local Communities through Elderly Schools Based on the Active Aging Concept: A Case Study of Sawaijik Subdistrict, Mueang District, Buriram Province

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) examine the quality of life among older adults, 2) compare their quality of life based on personal factors, and 3) propose quality of life development activities based on the active ageing concept, implemented through an elderly school. This study employed a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected from a sample of 78 older adults using an interview schedule and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (t-test and Analysis of Variance - ANOVA). Qualitative data were gathered through focus group discussions with 10 purposively selected key informants and were analyzed using content analysis.

The findings revealed that: 1) The overall quality of life of the older adults was at a good level. The psychological and social domains were rated as good, while the physical health and environmental domains were at a moderate level. 2) Personal factors such as gender, age, marital status, education level, family structure, and elderly club membership did not result in statistically significant differences in quality of life. However, differences in income and having a caregiver were associated with statistically significant differences in quality of life. 3) The proposed activity to enhance quality of life was the crafting of dried sandalwood flower wreaths as a supplementary occupation. This involved an eight-step operational guideline: group formation, vocational training, establishing a group structure, using the elderly school as an operational base, production distribution, product distribution, public relations, and group-based profit sharing.