THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN ELDERLY PEOPLE BASED ON BHĀVANĀ BY WANG LUEK SUBDISTRICT ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATION, SAM CHUK DISTRICT, SUPHAN BURI PROVINCE

Abstract

The study consisted of the following objectives: 1) to investigate the development of the quality of life in the elderly in Wang Luek Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Sam Chuk District, Suphan Buri Province; 2) to study the comparison between the development of elderly’s quality of life based on Bhāvanā and the development of the quality of life in elderly people by Wang Luek Subdistrict Administrative Organization, Sam Chuk District, Suphan Buri Province; and 3) to present the guidelines for the development of the quality of life in elderly. The study used mixed-methods research, with quantitative data acquired from 348 people and qualitative data collected from 9 people.

         From the study, the following results are found:

         1) The development of the quality of life in the elderly people is overall at a high level with a mean.

         2) The comparison between the development of elderly’s quality of life based on Bhāvanā and the development of the quality of life in elderly the is overall at a high level (x̄ = 4.36, S.D. = 0.646). When each aspect is examined, it is discovered that paññā-bhāvanā (wisdom development) has the highest level of mean (x̄ = 4.39, S.D. = 0.654), followed by sīla-bhāvanā (moral development) (x̄ = 4.38, S.D. = 0.615), then kāya-bhāvanā (physical development) (x̄ = 4.37, S.D. = 0.670), and lastly, citta-bhāvanā (emotional development) (x̄ = 4.31, S.D. = 0.645).

3) The development of the elderly’s quality of life based on Bhāvanā is positively correlated in the same direction at a high level of 0.962, with a statistical significance of 0.01. When each aspect is examined, it is revealed that citta-bhāvanā, paññā-bhāvanā, sīla-bhāvanā, and kāya-bhāvanā are positively correlated in the same direction at a high level.