Angsana BoonthumDuanpen Theerawanviwat2011-02-212011-02-212010-04-042010-04-04Journal of Public Health; Vol.38 No.3 September-December 2008; 443-456http://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/131002The purposes of this study are to describe indicators of healthy women at reproductive age in each dimension affecting their healthy condition and to examine the internal structure of various dimensions of a reproductive age construct. A survey was conducted to collect data from women aged 13 to 49 years in urban and rural areas in the four regions of Thailand. The statistical technique used to analyze data was Structural Equation Modeling. The results of the analysis indicated that the indicators could reflect the health status in the dimensions of the physical and the mental, including the social. The results for the categorization of the indicator groups for the group of women aged from 13 to 18 years and 19 to 49 years yielded the following group of six dimensions: physical health, mental health, social health, health-promoting behavior, health risk behavior and reproductive health. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the theoretical models of the Healthy Women in Reproductive age construct. This study hypothesized that there are differences between adolescents and adult women in term of “Healthy during Reproductive age”. Thus, the analysis was divided into two models, one for adolescents and the other for adults. The model of adolescents aged 13-18 years was revised by measuring the model fit using goodness of fit index (GFI=0.96), adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI=0.95) and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA=0.029). The final model showed that social health had a direct positive effect on mental health (β=0.46, p \< 0.01). The model of women aged 19-49 years measured model fit using GFI=0.96, AGFI=0.95 and RMSEA=0.038. The final model showed that social health had a direct positive effect on mental health (β=0.36, p \< 0.01). These indicators would prove valid, reliable and useful if they were to be used by people in the community by modifying and supplementing some parts to suit the variable conditions and lifestyle of that particular community.en-USFaculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, ThailandORIGINAL ARTICLES