ThaiNGO

Terms of Reference for Baseline Study

Young Health Programme

Plan International Thailand

• I. Background

Plan International is an international child and youth development organization dedicated to promoting the realization of children and young people’s rights, especially girl’s rights, in both development and humanitarian settings.

The Young Health Programme (YHP) is AstraZeneca’s global community investment initiative with the aim to support the health rights and well-being of young people (aged 10 – 24)  in marginalized communities worldwide through research, advocacy and on the ground programmes which are focused on the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  Since 2010, this programme has been implemented in Zambia, Brazil, India, Kenya, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Myanmar.

With a commitment to support and defend the health, wellbeing, and rights of young people, in July 2019 Plan International has expanded the global YHP into Bangkok, Thailand, where NCDs pose a significant threat.  It is a five-year programme which will run until June 2024.

 The YHP follows the internationally recognized 5x5 model, which draws a link between 5 main NCD risk factors (tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and air pollution) and 5 main NCDs (cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and mental health). In this model, the YHP focuses on the risk factors among young people with the aim to prevent NCDs.   In addressing the health needs of young people, the YHP takes a holistic approach that mainstreams gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights and mental health. Given the significant cross over and influence of these areas on NCD risk behaviours, and since these areas are fundamental barriers to young people leading healthy lives, creating positive changes in the lives and health of young people requires an approach in which these areas are addressed and challenged. The programme will engage strategies including youth empowerment through peer education, community mobilization, health service strengthening and advocacy.

The overall goal of the Young Health Programme (YHP) in Thailand is to contribute to improving health and well-being of young people between 10 – 24 years old in selected areas of Bangkhen, Chatuchak, Laksi, Klongtoey and Wattana districts in Bangkok and Muang Samutprakarn and Prapadaeng districts in Samutprakarn.   Specifically, it aims to ensure that young people in the selected area have increased knowledge about NCD prevention and NCD risk factors, which give them greater capacity to make informed decisions about their health, in the context of improved health services, enabling support system and policy environment.   The specific objectives of YHP Thailand are:

Objective One: Young people have increased knowledge and capacity to protect and promote their long-term health, including NCD prevention, SRHR, gender equality, and mental health.

Objective Two: Communities (teachers, families, local leaders) are informed and mobilised to provide a safe and supportive environment that facilitates healthy behaviour among young people.

Objective Three: Health services have the capacity to support the health of young people, including accessible and quality of youth-friendly services.

Objective Four: Laws and policies support NCD prevention and promote the broader health of young people.

2. Objectives of Baseline Survey

The objective of the baseline survey is to assess the pre-programme situation and capture baseline data on all outcome indicators from the results framework developed by the YHP team, to enable progress to be monitored and changes to be measured over the course of the five-year intervention.

The technical proposal and the baseline report of this study need to be aligned to the YHP Thailand outcome indicators, which are shown in the table below:

3. Methodology

The study will collect baseline data through a combination of primary data collection; quantitative and qualitative approaches depending on the indicators, including the following

• Knowledge Attitudes Practice Survey (KAP)
• Focus group discussion (FGD)

This research has applied the methodology of Mixed Methodology in the research process. The Mixed Methodology research process is a process that integrates both quantitative and qualitative research methods in order to obtain comprehensive and complete information. The quality data collection process will be conducted by using primary and secondary data collection methods with the following methods;

Desk research: Desk research is an analysis & synthesize secondary data from literature documents as well as related research to summarize the relevant situations in the past and also gap for data collection.

A Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) survey:  The KAP Survey is a quantitative method (predefined questions formatted in standardized questionnaires) that provides access to quantitative and qualitative information. KAP surveys reveal misconceptions or misunderstandings that may represent obstacles to the activities that we would like to implement and potential barriers to behavior change. Note that a KAP survey essentially records an “opinion” and is based on the “declarative” (i.e., statements). In other words, the KAP survey reveals what was said, but there may be considerable gaps between what is said and what is done. 

Focus group discussion (FGD): A focus group discussion involves gathering people from similar backgrounds or experiences together to discuss a specific topic of the relevant project context. It is a form of qualitative research where questions are asked about their perceptions attitudes, beliefs, opinion or ideas. In the focus group discussion, participants are free to talk with other group members; unlike other research methods it encourages discussions with other participants. It generally involves group interviewing in which a small group of usually 8 to 12 people. It is led by a moderator (interviewer) in a loosely structured discussion of various topics of interest.

As for data collection in quantitative data can be carried out with survey methods with a questionnaire covering KAP (Knowledge, Attitude, Practice) by face to face interview method.  All data, qualitative and quantitative, collected through this baseline survey must be disaggregated by location, age, and sex; that is, separately for girls and boys, men and women.

Sample Size:  Overall 350 - 400 samplings by using stratified random sampling by the size of school population and disaggregated by age-group, sex and Provinces/District areas.  Proposed  Sampling Methodology must be indicated in the technical proposal.

Target group:  Students in School/University

1) Children aged 10 – 14 years

2) Children aged 15 – 19 years

3) Youth aged 20 – 24 years

NOTE:

The baseline tool  is developed by Plan International.  It needs to be tested and piloted at field level; and finalized by the consultant before  conducting data collection.