Community model boosts ageing readiness among rural Thai adults aged 50–59

Adults in rural Thailand who took part in a newly developed community-based programme reported meaningfully higher readiness for older age, according to a mixed-methods participatory action study published in Archives of Public Health. Overall mean ageing-readiness scores rose from 3.12 ± 0.54 to 3.58 ± 0.49 after participation, a mean difference of 0.46 points with p < .001 and a Cohen’s d effect size of 0.86, indicating a large observed change. Scores improved across all five readiness domains measured by the model.

The study addressed a growing gap in low- and middle-income countries, where rapid demographic transition is straining health systems and practical community models for people approaching older age remain limited. Thailand’s ageing population has created demand for proactive strategies that prepare individuals before they enter older age, rather than responding to needs after they emerge. The researchers targeted so-called pre-older adults, people aged 50 to 59, on the premise that preparation in this window can shape wellbeing in later life.

The research team implemented a participatory action research design in three sequential and iterative phases: a situational assessment of individual ageing readiness and community context; participatory co-development and refinement of a community-based ageing-readiness model; and implementation, reflection, and pre–post evaluation. The quantitative component included 330 adults aged 50–59 years selected through stratified random sampling across 16 villages. Roughly 30 purposively selected community stakeholders took part in interviews, focus group discussions, participatory workshops, and reflection activities.

Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients for the situational assessment, while pre–post comparisons relied on paired t-tests with Cohen’s d effect sizes. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, and the two strands were integrated at key decision points in the participatory process to inform how the model was built and interpreted. This structure meant community stakeholders were not merely subjects of the research but active partners in shaping the intervention.

The participatory process produced the Community-Integrated Ageing Readiness Model, or CIARM, which comprises five interconnected domains: health, social participation, economic security, living environment, and technology readiness. The situational assessment identified significant relationships between selected participant and preparation-related factors and ageing readiness, helping the team tailor the model to local circumstances rather than imposing a generic framework.

Qualitative findings highlighted five priorities that informed the model and its implementation: financial planning, age-friendly living environments, technology confidence, social networks, and intersectoral coordination. These themes emerged from stakeholder interviews and discussions, grounding the model in concerns that residents themselves identified as central to preparing for older age in their villages.

The authors are careful about what the results can and cannot show. Because the study did not include a comparison group, the observed pre–post differences are interpreted as changes associated with participation in the CIARM process rather than causal effects attributable solely to the model. Self-reported readiness may also be influenced by factors other than the programme itself, and the conclusions note that causal effectiveness cannot be established from the uncontrolled pre–post design.

Within those limits, the study demonstrates that mixed-methods participatory action research can provide a structured approach for integrating individual ageing-readiness data, community knowledge, and stakeholder decision-making into a single intervention framework. The researchers describe CIARM as a context-specific model for supporting preparation for population ageing in rural Thailand, developed with and for the communities it is intended to serve.

The team states that controlled, multi-site studies with longer follow-up are needed to assess the model’s effectiveness and transferability to other settings. Until such trials are conducted, CIARM stands as a documented example of how rural communities can organise locally to strengthen health, economic, social, environmental, and technological readiness among residents approaching older age, with encouraging but preliminary evidence of improvement.

Subject of Research: Development and pre–post evaluation of a community-based participatory ageing-readiness model for pre-older adults in rural Thailand

Article Title: Preparing communities for population ageing: development of a community-based participatory model for pre-older adults in Thailand

Article References: Pilayon, B., Utaisang, A., Phimsri, N., Kongmant, R., & Turnbull, N. (2026). Preparing communities for population ageing: development of a community-based participatory model for pre-older adults in Thailand. Archives of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-026-02112-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s13690-026-02112-w

Keywords: population ageing, Thailand, participatory action research, ageing readiness, community-based model, pre-older adults, rural health, mixed methods, CIARM, social participation, economic security, technology readiness