The Factors of the Holistic Health Status of Thai Elders in the 21^st Century

Background: Holistic health is important for life, perhaps especially for elders. Focus should not only be placed on illness or the physical part of their lives, but the person as a whole should also be considered, emphasizing the connection of their mind, body, and the environment. Objective: The aims of this research were to study the factors of the Holistic Health Status (HHS) of the Thai elderly in the 21st century, and to predict the factors affecting the development of HHS from 3 aspects; physical health status, mental and emotional health status, and the social and environmental health status. Methods: The data were collected from 928 Thai elderly aged 60 and over in the central part of Thailand. The research instrument was a questionnaire whose reliability was confirmed using a Cronbach alpha coefficient of .904. Multiple regression analysis was used for predicting the factors of HHS. Results: The results indicated that stress, increased age, gender, and social participation can predict the HHS of Thai elders, and stress can predict each of the 3 aspects. Therefore, stress prevention activities are very important for enhancing the HHS of Thai elders. Conclusion: The findings of this research can be used to improve the quality of life of elders in the 21^st century.