Factors of Environmental Literacy and Environmental Health Literacy Influencing the Competence of Environmental Health Certified Assessors in Bangkok Health Care

Abstract

            The comparative correlational cross-sectional study was used to investigate the levels of environmental literacy and environmental health literacy of the environmental health certified assessor in health care, Bangkok. The correlation and prediction of environmental literacy and environmental health literacy influence the competency of certified assessors in health care in Bangkok. The sample was from an environmental health certified assessor in health care, Bangkok, obtained using a purposive sampling method. The data was collected by questionnaire and analyzed using the descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product moment correlation coefficient, and the stepwise multiple regression analysis. The result shows that the assessor has a high level of environmental literacy and environmental health literacy in health care. Environmental literacy has positively correlated with environmental health literacy in health care at the significant level of 0.01 (r= 0.743). In addition, environmental health literacy in health care had a significant influence on the assessor competency of 29.9% (p < 0.05).

            The result of the stepwise multiple regression analysis found that the attendance or training in environmental health in health care and related laws were significantly influenced factors on the environmental health certified assessor (β = .318, B=.332, p< .05). Additionally, the valid environmental health information in health care and knowledge of laws were significantly affected by the competency of the assessor (β=.317, B=.362, p< .05). The findings from the study on the influence factors of assessor competency reveal that environmental literacy, environmental health literacy, knowledge of laws, enhanced skill, and establishment of guidelines for evaluating environmental health certified assessors. Additionally, for further study, the other factors that related to the competency of an environmental health certified assessor should be investigated.