SOCIAL HEALTH SUPPORT FOR MONKS IN WAT AWUTVIKASITARAM AND WAT PHRAYAYANG

Abstract

This research aimed to: 1) Investigate the conditions and problems of healthy social environments for Buddhist monks in Wat Awutvikasitaram and Wat Phrayayang, and 2) Develop a model to promote a healthy social environment for monks in the designated areas. A mixed-methods research design was employed. Quantitative data were collected via questionnaires from a sample of 132 monks, while qualitative data were gathered through in-depth interviews with 24 key informants. The findings revealed that current problems regarding the healthy social environment predominantly stem from the rapid transition of the Buddhist community into an urbanized lifestyle. This shift has led to dietary behaviors characterized by nutritional imbalances and improper nutrition. Although the results indicated that the monks maintained a moderate level of health awareness, they practically faced major constraints, particularly the lack of physical activity spaces appropriate for their monastic discipline, as well as limited access to accurate health literacy. Consequently, the developed model for promoting a healthy social environment, designated as the "3-S Model," comprises three key components: 1) Enhancing health literacy and self-management skills, 2) Modifying the temple environment to support well-being, and 3) Establishing a strong collaborative network between temples and communities for mutual care. Following the implementation of this model, the overall average health behavior scores of the monks significantly increased compared to the pre-experiment period. This improvement resulted in higher levels of health awareness and self-care behaviors among the monks, serving as a vital foundation for transforming temples into community health hubs. This model can be upscaled and applied to other urban temples facing similar contextual constraints to ensure long-term sustainability.