Engagement and Good Membership Behavior of the Elderly Affecting the Performance of Elderly Clubs in Thailand

Abstract

This mixed-method research aimed to examine the levels of engagement and good membership behavior of the Thai elderly and investigate the performance of the elderly clubs in Thailand. The present research also focused on the variance of opinions about the performance of the elderly clubs resulting from personal factors, and the structural equation model of causal variables affecting the performance. The problems, obstacles, and approaches to developing the performance were also studied and discussed. Regarding the quantitative research, the respondents were 1,145 elderly members from 392 elderly clubs and the instrument was questionnaire. In terms of the qualitative research, the 20 key informants were from 4 elderly clubs. The interview and interpretation techniques were used to collect and analyze the data. The results showed that the overall engagement and membership behavior of the elderly members was at a high level. The overall performance was at the highest level. The elderly’s engagement and the good membership behavior were the variables that had a positive direct influence on the performance. The results indicated that the elderly members with different ages, educational backgrounds, and monthly income levels had different opinions about the performance of the elderly clubs. As for the structural equation model, it was found that the model fit the empirical data at an acceptable level. The problems and obstacles of the elderly clubs included inconsistent participation and mismatched activities. The approaches to developing the performance of the elderly clubs were associated with cooperation from various agencies and family support.