DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNITY HEALTH IMPACT ASSESSMENT MODEL: A CASE STUDY IN KHON SAN DISTRICT, CHAIYAPHUM PROVINCE, THAILAND

Health Impact Assessments (HIAs) are necessary to expect and moderate the health impacts of various development projects. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a Community Health Impact Assessment (CHIA) model in Khon San District, Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. Moreover, a Participatory Action Research (PAR) was conducted from September 2023 to August 2024, included four key stages which are: 1) Planning, 2) Action, 3) Observation, and 4) Reflection. The quantitative data were collected from 399 household representatives, and the qualitative data were collected from 65 stakeholders, including government officials, local leaders, civil society groups, and academicians. According to this the most of the household respondents were long-term residents which are working-age adults. Furthermore, the discussion of natural resources and the environment was identified first, following by the concerns of environmental and health risks. It was found that, the results of over 80% agreed of HIA was necessary before implementing large-scale projects, with local administrative organizations recognized as the main responsible organizations. In addition, food security appeared as an important issue, becoming integrated into local policies and ordinances. The CHIA ARECA KHONSAN Model was enhanced including a preparation phase to the six standard CHIA steps, which incorporating KHONSAN principles and ARECA success factors, this model encourages project continuity, evaluation, and broad stakeholder engagement. The findings demonstrate strengthen local governance, enhance food security, and inform policy before to industrial development to participatory in HIAs, it provides both a practical and imitable framework for Thailand contexts.