Thailand has now fully transitioned into an aging society, with approximately 13.4 million elderly individuals, accounting for 20.7% of the total population. The primary goal of elderly care is to ensure that senior citizens remain healthy, can take care of themselves, and enjoy a good quality of life.
The Department of Health has set a goal for 2025, focusing on promoting public health and reducing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in line with the Ministry of Public Health’s policies. The key initiative, "Health Promotion for a Strong Future", emphasizes enhancing health literacy through lifestyle medicine approach to reduce the risk of NCDs, minimize dependency, and improve quality of life. In addition, nutritional health promotion plays a significant role in ensuring the well-being and quality of life of the elderly.
Implementation of Health Promotion Activities
1. Nutritional Screening and Assessment
Health and nutritional status assessments are conducted by public health officers, community volunteers, or the elderly individuals themselves through the “Blue Book Application” (developed by the Bureau of Elderly Health, Department of Health). The nutritional assessment criteria include:
Body Mass Index (BMI): Following the Asian population standard, a normal BMI ranges between 18.5-22.9 kg/m².
Waist Circumference Measurement: A normal waist size should not exceed half of the individual’s height (in centimeters).
Risk Assessment for Malnutrition: By using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) tool.
Dietary Behavior Assessment: Evaluation of eating behaviors.
Protein Intake Assessment: To prevent falls and sarcopenia (muscle loss).
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Behavior Assessment: Consuming at least 400 grams (or 5 servings) of fruits and vegetables per day is one of the eight key components in evaluating desirable health behaviors among the elderly.
2. Development of Tools, Nutritional Guidelines and Knowledge Resources
In collaboration with nutrition experts, the following resources have been developed:
Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs)
Elderly Nutrition Flag
Dietary Reference Intake for Thais (2020)
3. Capacity Building
The objective is to enhance the nutritional skills of those responsible for promoting elderly health and managing nutrition, including public health officers, elderly caregivers, nutritionists, dietitians, and older adults. The training sessions are conducted via online platforms and Facebook Live. The key training events include:
Nutritional Capacity Development for Fall Prevention in the Elderly
Workshop on Kidney Health for the Elderly – “How to Eat for Strong Kidneys in Old Age”
Nutritional Capacity Development for Healthy Aging – “Slow Aging, Prevent Diseases, and Stay Healthy in Old Age"
4. Promoting Nutrition in Elderly Clubs
The goal is to support nutrition promotion activities in elderly clubs based on the following evaluation criteria:
Availability of nutritional assessment tools.
Regular nutrition evaluations with counseling.
At least one annual nutrition education activity.
A designated area for nutritional education and self-learning.
The provision of healthy food at meetings and club activities.
5. Raising Awareness and Promoting Nutritional Literacy
The campaigns are conducted to promote nutritional literacy, focusing on:
Reducing the risk of dementia.
Addressing chewing difficulties.
Preventing falls and muscle loss (sarcopenia).
Encouraging fruit and vegetable consumption.
Creating and fostering a health-supportive and age-friendly environment for the elderly through various media, including infographics, video clips, manuals, books, and posters, shared via online platforms.
