RESUMO
Introduction Myanmar migrants in Thailand are vulnerable to COVID-19 and non-communicable disease (NCD) risk behaviors, influenced by socio-demographic factors. In the digital age, migrants can seek extensive health information online, and their ability to understand and use electronic health information, which is known as electronic health literacy (e-Health literacy), becomes critical in making decisions about their health behaviors. This study aims to investigate the potential mediating roles of online health information-seeking and e-Health literacy in the associations between socio-demographic factors and COVID-19- and NCD-related behaviors. Methods Our study was conducted in 2022, involving 1,050 Myanmar migrants in two southern Thai cities. Data on socio-demographic factors, e-Health literacy, online health information seeking, COVID-19-related behaviors (adherence to COVID-19 protective behavior (CPB), vaccination), and NCD risk behaviors (smoking, betel chewing, alcohol consumption, substance abuse) were collected. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the hypothesized relationships. Results Nearly all migrants received the COVID-19 vaccination in two doses and above, with reasonable good adherence to CPB. Migrants exhibited risky NCD-related behaviors, including current smoking (26.8%), alcohol consumption (17.5%), and betel chewing (25.8%). Approximately three-quarters (73.4%) had a limited e-Health literacy level, and the vast majority did not search for online health information. Their COVID-19- and NCD-related behaviors were directly influenced by socio-demographic factors without the significant mediation roles of e-Health literacy and online health information seeking. Conclusions Myanmar migrant workers in Southern Thailand had reasonably good practices in COVID-19-related behaviors despite engaging in risky NCD-related behaviors. These outcome behaviors were directly influenced by their socio-demographic factors, without the significant mediation roles of e-Health literacy and online health information seeking. The findings suggest that diverse interventions beyond e-Health strategies for future pandemic mitigation and enhancement of their health behaviors are needed.
RESUMO
The incidence of breast cancer is increasing in low- and middle-income countries, including Thailand. However, its molecular immunohistochemical (M-IHC) subtypes have not been summarized in a population-based cancer registry. Thus, we aimed to estimate the breast cancer incidence and trends based on the hormone receptor and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. This cross-sectional study included 2,883 women diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer between 2009 and 2018 from the Songkhla Cancer Registry. After imputing the missing values of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 status, the cases were classified into four subtypes: HR+/HER2-, HR+/HER2+, HR-/HER2-, and HR-/HER2+. The age-specific incidence rate of 5-year age groups and age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) were calculated. An age-period-cohort (APC) model was used to describe the effects of age, birth cohort, and period of diagnosis. Finally, the incidence trends were extrapolated to 2030 based on the APC and joinpoint models. The results showed, HR+/HER2- had the highest ASR in breast cancer. The incidence trends of HR+/HER2- and HR+/HER2+ increased with an annual percent change of 5.4% (95%CI: 2.5% to 8.3%) and 10.1% (95%CI: 4.9% to 15.5%), respectively. The rate ratio was high in the younger generation and recent period of diagnosis. The joinpoint and APC model projections showed that the ASR of HR+/HER2- would reach 30.0 and 29.2 cases per 100,000 women, while ASR of the HR+/HER2+ would reach 8.8 and 10.4 cases per 100,000 women in 2030. On the other hand, the incidence trends of the HR-/HER2- and HR-/HER2+ subtypes were stable. The rising trends of HR-positive and a part of HER2-positive breast cancer forecast a dynamicity of the future health care budgeting, resource allocation, and provision of facilities.
