Expectations of Health Welfare Services Provided for Monks in Temples within the Sathorn District, Bangkok

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to study expectations of health welfare services provided for monks in temples within the Sathorn district, Bangkok, with two objectives: (1) to study expectations of health welfare services provided for monks and (2) to compare the mean differences in these expectations based on specific demographic and educational characteristics of the monks.

Methodology: This is a quantitative research study conducted with a sample of 170 monks residing in temples within the Sathorn District, Bangkok. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire designed to measure expectations of health welfare services. Statistical analyses included t-tests and F-tests, with a significance level set at .05.

Findings: The majority of the monks surveyed were aged 21–30 years (37.10%), had been ordained for 1–10 years (62.40%), held no monastic administrative positions (89.4%), and primarily originated from Northern Thailand (28.20%). The results regarding levels of expectation indicated that: (1) Health care services were the most highly expected dimension (x̄ = 4.22, S.D. = 0.595), followed by: Health promotion services (x̄ = 4.19, S.D. = 0.528), Health prevention services (x̄ = 4.19, S.D. = 0.581), and Health rehabilitation services (x̄ = 4.11, S.D. = 0.632), and (2) Monks with different levels of education in general secular studies (sig = .026) and Bhali studies (sig = .038) exhibited significant differences in expectations. Specifically, differences in general secular education levels were associated with varying expectations for health prevention, health care (sig = .026), and health rehabilitation services (sig = .012). Similarly, monks with different proficiency levels in Buddhist studies (Bhali) showed significant differences in expectations for health prevention services (sig = .015). All findings were statistically significant at the .05 level.

Applications: The findings of this study can serve as a framework for developing policies and plans to enhance the provision of health welfare services for monks, both within the Sathorn District and in other regions. The goal is to establish an inclusive, equitable, and responsive health welfare system that effectively addresses the unique needs and expectations of monks.