<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><sec id="j_1905-7415.0906.448_s_001_w2aab3b7b4b1b6b1aab1c16b1Aa"><h3>Background</h3><p>Health care systems should use community-driven activities to promote health and prevent disease to address the challenges from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. In Thailand, Local Health Security Funds (LHSF) are an initiative to encourage local governments to play a more active role in promoting health. Universal Health Coverage provides funding for this initiative. However, the effectiveness of such initiatives has not been fully assessed.</p></sec><sec id="j_1905-7415.0906.448_s_002_w2aab3b7b4b1b6b1aab1c16b2Aa"><h3>Objectives</h3><p>To investigate the effectiveness of LHSFs in conducting activities to promote health and prevent disease related to diabetes and hypertension.</p></sec><sec id="j_1905-7415.0906.448_s_003_w2aab3b7b4b1b6b1aab1c16b3Aa"><h3>Methods</h3><p>We administered a questionnaire to local governments responsible for LHSFs in April 2014 to survey information about their communities, leadership, and activities to promote health.</p></sec><sec id="j_1905-7415.0906.448_s_004_w2aab3b7b4b1b6b1aab1c16b4Aa"><h3>Results</h3><p>Complete answers to our questionnaire were provided by 1,144 respondents (98.4%). About 94% of those surveyed had already joined LHSFs. Most LHSFs implemented a variety of community activities to promote health, and prevent diabetes and hypertension. We classified these activities into 5 main areas according to the Ottawa Charter. LHSFs most commonly strengthened community action, while building a local health policy was least common. Only 20.8% of the LHSFs had implemented activities in all 5 areas. A number of factors were associated with the activities, including the development of networks and personal skills.</p></sec><sec id="j_1905-7415.0906.448_s_005_w2aab3b7b4b1b6b1aab1c16b5Aa"><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>LHSFs are useful for engaging local governments in promoting health, and preventing diabetes and hypertension in their communities. Good relationships between local government leaders and public health officers are linked to more effective LHSFs.</p></sec></abstract>

BackgroundHealth care systems should use community-driven activities to promote health and prevent disease to address the challenges from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. In Thailand, Local Health Security Funds (LHSF) are an initiative to encourage local governments to play a more active role in promoting health. Universal Health Coverage provides funding for this initiative. However, the effectiveness of such initiatives has not been fully assessed.ObjectivesTo investigate the effectiveness of LHSFs in conducting activities to promote health and prevent disease related to diabetes and hypertension.MethodsWe administered a questionnaire to local governments responsible for LHSFs in April 2014 to survey information about their communities, leadership, and activities to promote health.ResultsComplete answers to our questionnaire were provided by 1,144 respondents (98.4%). About 94% of those surveyed had already joined LHSFs. Most LHSFs implemented a variety of community activities to promote health, and prevent diabetes and hypertension. We classified these activities into 5 main areas according to the Ottawa Charter. LHSFs most commonly strengthened community action, while building a local health policy was least common. Only 20.8% of the LHSFs had implemented activities in all 5 areas. A number of factors were associated with the activities, including the development of networks and personal skills.ConclusionsLHSFs are useful for engaging local governments in promoting health, and preventing diabetes and hypertension in their communities. Good relationships between local government leaders and public health officers are linked to more effective LHSFs.

Engaging local governments in health promotion and chronic disease prevention activities: the case of Local Health Security Funds in Thailand

Asian Biomedicine

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

BackgroundHealth care systems should use community-driven activities to promote health and prevent disease to address the challenges from noncommunicable...

Engaging local governments in health promotion and chronic disease prevention activities: the case of Local Health Security Funds in Thailand

Article Category: Brief communication (Original)

Published Online: Jan 31, 2017

Page range: 761 - 770

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5372/1905-7415.0906.448

Keywords
Community, health promotion, local governments, Thailand, NCDs

© 2015 Sudarat Lijutipoom, Somrat Lertmaharit, Piya Hanvoravongchai

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Engaging local governments in health promotion and chronic disease prevention activities: the case of Local Health Security Funds in Thailand

Article Category: Brief communication (Original)

Published Online: Jan 31, 2017

Page range: 761 - 770

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5372/1905-7415.0906.448

KeywordsCommunity, health promotion, local governments, Thailand, NCDs

© 2015 Sudarat Lijutipoom, Somrat Lertmaharit, Piya Hanvoravongchai

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Community, health promotion, local governments, Thailand, NCDs