Abstract:
Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is an important process that is applied when implementing development projects in communities. In 2017, the Creative Industry Village (CIV) project was implemented in On Tai Subdistrict, San Kamphaeng District, Chiang Mai Province. However, this project has not yet undergone a health impact assessment. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the health impacts of the Creative Industry Village project in terms of physical, psychosocial, and spiritual health dimensions. This study employed a mixed methods research design, integrating both qualitative and quantitative approaches across three key stages of the HIA process screening, scoping, and assessment. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with 15 stakeholders. Quantitative data were gathered from a sample of 33 participants using a structured questionnaire designed to assess health impacts across the physical, mental, social, and spiritual domains. The qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, while the quantitative data were analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics. The qualitative findings revealed negative physical impacts, such as disturbances from noise and dust, as well as increased risk of accidents. In the mental health dimension, concerns were raised about the community's reduced autonomy in daily life. Regarding social and economic impacts, the project fostered greater community unity, pride in participation, and income generation. In the spiritual dimension, there were concerns about potential changes to the community's cultural identity. On the other hand, positive physical impacts were also identified, particularly through health-promoting activities like organic vegetable gardening. Quantitative results indicated that the overall health impacts across all four dimensions were perceived as low. Specifically, the perceived impacts in the physical, psychological, social and cultural, and spiritual domains were all rated at low levels. Although the overall findings suggest that the CIV project has low-level impacts in the physical, psychological, socioeconomic, and spiritual dimensions, positive impacts were more prominent than negative ones. Nevertheless, concerns remain across all dimensions. Therefore, stakeholder participation in the processes of assessment, planning, and development of implementation strategies is crucial. This inclusive approach can help enhance the positive impacts and mitigate the negative impacts of the Creative Industry Village project in On Tai Subdistrict, San Kamphaeng District, Chiang Mai Province.