Development of Heat Injury Prevention Program Among the Royal Thai Army Recruits

Abstract

            This developmental research aimed to develop a heat injury prevention program among the Royal Thai army recruits. The developed program was initiated base on the Becker’s Health Belief Model, 6 steps of risk management and 4 Ps (product, price, place and promotion) of social marketing process. The development process consisted of three phases: 1) 57 existing literatures synthesis 2) program designing and 3) developmental process evaluation.
            This developed heat injury prevention program was composed of: 1) the instruction and program guideline and 2) a set of eight participatory activities and media plan. Program activities were designed through key stakeholders interview, including recruits, trainers and commanders. Content validation was evaluated by three experts as being academically, linguistically and explicitly appropriately. The usability and applicability of the program was verified by 10 nurses. It was approved for simple, applicability, attractiveness and appropriatelness. The developed program can be employed to the Thai Army heat injury prevention program. It was also recommended to conduct in a period of the first two weeks of Army recruits training. The efficiency and effectiveness of the program should be tested before implication.