Development of a model for prevention and solution of drowning of children under 15 years old with the participation of the community, Phon Yang sub-district, Wang Hin district, Sisaket province

Abstract

This study was an action research with the objectives of developing a model and evaluating the effectiveness of a community participation-based model for the prevention and management of drowning among children under 15 years of age in Phon Yang Subdistrict, Wang Hin District, Sisaket Province. The study was conducted from May 2025 to December 2025. The sample for model development consisted of 50 key informants who reflected the existing problems and participated in lessons learned through community participation. They were selected using purposive sampling. The participants for model evaluation consisted of 48 individuals, determined using the sample size calculation formula for estimating the mean of two independent populations, and were divided into an experimental group (24 participants) and a comparison group (24 participants). The study applied the PAOR quality management process, consisting of four stages: Planning, Action, Observation, and Reflection. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Inferential statistics were performed using the independent t-test to compare the experimental and comparison groups. Qualitative data were categorized and analyzed using content analysis.

The results showed that the development of the community participation-based model for the prevention and management of drowning among children under 15 years of age in Phon Yang Subdistrict resulted in the P.H.O.N.Y.A.N.G. Drowning Prevention Model, consisting of eight components: 1) P = Participation Committee: establishment of a clear committee 2) H = Health & Epidemiology Information Center: establishment of an epidemiological information center 3) O = Organizing Risk Water Sources: management of high-risk water sources; 4) N = Network Empowerment & Collaboration: empowerment and collaboration among network partners; 5) Y = Youth Survival Skills: development of children's water survival skills; 6) A = Awareness for Parents: raising awareness among parents and caregivers; 7) N = Nursing & CPR Training: first aid and CPR training for children, parents, teachers, and community members; and 8) G = Governance & Feedback: feedback and monitoring and evaluation. After the implementation of the developed model, all components in the experimental group achieved the established targets. Furthermore, after model development, the experimental group had significantly higher scores than the comparison group in knowledge, behavior, and participation by 1.50, 1.06, and 0.87 points, respectively (p < 0.05).