Health promotion for middle-aged Isan women, Thailand: a participatory approach

It is increasingly clear that non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer, diabetes, hypertension and atherosclerosis, are important not only for the developed but also the developing world. Prevention efforts depend on community-based interventions and for these to be successful a participatory approach is necessary. The present paper describes experiences with middle-aged females living in a village in Isan, the Northeastern area of Thailand, focusing on the steps necessary to develop trust between researcher and subjects, the actual conditions of the women involved and their problems. From this base a number of interventions are planned taking into account the wishes of the villagers themselves, including a project to facilitate participation in physical exercise, a prime measure for prevention of cancer and other NCDs.