Socio-demographic, agricultural, and personal protective factors in relation to health literacy among farmers from all regions of Thailand.

Introduction: Farmers are vulnerable to adverse health effects from pesticide exposure due to their health literacy (HL). Therefore, this study aims to investigate HL among farmers in four main regions of Thailand, investigating socio-demographics, agricultural, and personal protective factors to their HL. Methods: This cross-sectional design study was conducted on 4,035 farmers from January to July 2023. The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire-47 items were used to measure HL. Results: Thai farmers had a mean HL score of 34.7 ± 8.7, and the farmers in the North region of Thailand had the highest frequency of limited HL (75.8%). Socio-demographic factors that were associated with HL included gender, region of living, marital status, education level, co-morbidity, and number of family members. Agricultural factors associated with HL included planting status, working hours on farm, spraying pesticides, harvesting crops, pesticide use of >1 type, access information from government officers, access information from posters/brochures, information from online multimedia, and access information from neighbors. Personal protective factors that were associated with HL included wearing a hat, goggles, a rubber apron, and a long-sleeved shirt. Discussion: Our study recommends that strategies and interventions to enhance the HL of farmers should be focused on the target populations, which include men, widows, or divorced, those with low levels of education, those who have co-morbidities, and those who applied pesticides of more than 1 type and improper personal protective equipment (PPE) use. The primary emphasis needs to be on the North region of Thailand, making that the target area to improve health equity in Thailand. These efforts would enhance the HL of farmers and sustainably improve pesticide safety behavior. Additionally, there is an urgent need for supportive measures aimed at altering on-farm practices and promoting education on alternative pest management strategies, particularly non-chemical crop protection, to ensure sustainable agriculture.

Preparedness, response, and preventive behaviors for a pandemic disaster caused by COVID-19 among primary school students in Krabi province, Thailand.

Background: The global impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been enormous. The primary school's role and responsibilities include providing students with education and training, cooperating and supporting educational management, and monitoring, following up, and evaluating the school's operations. Objective: The goals of this study were to evaluate the conditions of preparation for the COVID-19 epidemic's prevention and response, as well as to investigate the relationship between predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors in preventing the spread of COVID-19 among primary school students in the educational area. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was used as the research design. The informants are kids in grades 4-6 at Anuban Krabi School in Krabi province. Data is gathered in a computational quantitative manner. Purposive sampling was used to choose the informants. The researchers employed a questionnaire with a content validity index (CVI) of 0.89 and a reliability coefficient (Cronbach's Alpha Coefficient) of 0.89. For quantitative data analysis, the Pearson Correlation Coefficient was used. Results: In preparation for the COVID-19 outbreak, there is a high degree of knowledge, behaviors, and self-conduct (x=2.78, 2.55, 2.66, and 2.78). The perception and awareness of the COVID-19 epidemic were statistically significant at P < 0.01 in terms of the relationship between perception, awareness, behavior, and self-conducting in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Conclusion: At P < 0.01, regarding the relationship between COVID-19 epidemic perceptions, behaviors, and self-conducting. The correlation between awareness, behaviors, and self-conducting in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak was statistically significant at P<0.01. Conclusions: To prepare and response for COVID-19 enhance and concern perceived policy and COVID-19 information, participation with stakeholders or communities emphasize COVID-19 prevention and all of organization and family.

Factors related to alcohol-drinking behaviors on secondary school students grade 1-3 in the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat Thailand.

Background: Globally, alcohol consumption is the major cause of mortality and disease. Future health and life quality may also be affected by early initiation of alcohol consumption. It is a cross-sectional design for a research survey. Objective: This study aimed to investigate alcohol drinking behavior, the effects of alcohol consumption, and factors linked to alcohol drinking behavior among 410 secondary school students in grades 1-3 in the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat in southern Thailand. Material and Methods: A simple sample was selected from a stratified random sample of 210 individuals. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire comprised of five sections and 78 items in total. The index of item objective congruence (IOC) of 0.90 and the reliability of 0.74 was used to evaluate the tool's quality. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics and chi-square statistics were employed. Results: The results of the study showed that a total of 40.0% of the participants had previously consumed alcohol, that men were more likely than women to drink (54.8%), that beer was the most popular alcoholic beverage (57.7%), that most people drank alcohol at night while at home (47.6%) and with friends (83.6%), the majority of participants (13.9%) drank alcohol one to three times per week, and their attitudes toward alcohol were moderate (85.7%). Religion, knowledge about alcohol use, and the amount of money received each month from habitat for humanity were not found to be linked to drinking alcohol. Conclusion: The conclusion is that the use of alcohol by students is influenced by a wide variety of circumstances. Health professionals, educational institutions, and relevant agencies should use these factors to promote alcohol use prevention behaviors and formulate guidelines and measures to prevent this by designing an effective prevention program to reduce the alcohol use behaviors of children and young people in the appropriate manner.

The Determinants of Treatment Delay and Quality of Life among the Newly Diagnosed Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Northeastern Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Delays in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) are linked to financial difficulties, employment limits, dependency, and symptomatic treatment, all of which have an impact on the patient's quality of life. Patients' psychological, economic, and social well-being are also harmed by delayed therapy. The goal of this research was to evaluate sociodemographic characteristics and quality of life in new pulmonary TB patients and determine the associated factors with delayed TB diagnosis. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in the Choke Chai Community Hospital, in Northeastern Thailand between 2016 and 2018. The information related to the patient's medical history and laboratory tests were gathered from 332 newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients at the hospital's tuberculosis clinic; of those 15 died and were excluded from the final analysis. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.0. RESULTS: The cases included new cases (94%) and those returning to receive treatment after discontinuation of treatment, relapse, or recurrence of the disease (6%). The sample consisted of 68.7% males and 31.3% females. The average age was 52.7 years (S.D = 15.64). The majority of patients were married (60.5%), employed (68.6%), received a low income (66.6%), had a history of chronic diseases (73%), drank alcohol (31.7%), and smoked (85.7%). Approximately half of PTB experienced treatment delay and had a low quality of life (QoL) (46.6%). The treatment delay was associated with age > 50 years (p <0.05), low self-care (p <0.05), long distance to facility (p <0.05), unavailable caretaker to treat (p <0.05), no caregiver in family (p <0.05), high expenses (p <0.01), and lack of information (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: It appeared that the patients' health-related quality of life could be deteriorated as a result of pulmonary tuberculosis. Treatment delays can be significantly reduced by changing the understanding of family caregivers, increasing awareness, providing adequate support for patients, and guaranteeing early diagnosis and treatment by implementing an efficient surveillance system.

Acute health symptoms related to perception and practice of pesticides use among farmers from all regions of Thailand.

Introduction: Occupational exposure to pesticides may cause acute health effects for farmers and agricultural workers. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of poisoning symptoms related pesticide exposure among farmers from all regions of Thailand, as well as factors linked to poisoning symptoms of neurological and neuromuscular systems, the respiratory system, and eye and skin disorders. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in 4,035 farmers who lived in four regions of Thailand. The samples were chosen using stratified random sampling, with 746 for the Central region, 2,065 for the North-East, 586 for the North, and 638 for the South. Results: The results found that the highest prevalence of poisoning symptoms was found in association with neurological and neuromuscular systems (75%), followed by the respiratory system (60.4%), the eyes (41.2%), and skin (14.8%). The most prevalent symptoms were muscle pain (49%) for neurological and neuromuscular symptoms, burning nose (37.6%) for respiratory symptoms, itchy eyes (26.3%) for eye symptoms, and rashes (14.4%) for skin symptoms. The remarkable findings were that types of pesticide use, task on the farm, types of pesticide sprayers, and perception are the crucial factors affecting all poisoning symptoms. Discussion: The findings are also beneficial to the Thai government and other relevant organizations for launching measures, campaigns, or interventions to lower modifiable risk factors, resulting in reducing health risks associated with pesticide exposure.

Factors influencing alcohol consumption among university students in Southern Thailand.

Background: Underage drinkers are the primary cause of death and illness worldwide. Initiation of drinking at younger ages and levels of drinking during young adulthood may also shape future public health by influencing alcohol consumption. From this situation, it is necessary to study various factors to provide sufficient information to reduce adolescent alcohol consumption. Objective: This study aimed to examine the prevalence and factors that influenced alcohol consumption of first-year students in a university network in Southern Thailand. Material and methods: A total participant 685 of 1,100 first-year students from 12 universities in southern Thailand were randomized and recruited using eligible criteria. The instrument was an online questionnaire based on the preceding model that consisted of 9 parts with 93 items. For descriptive analysis, percentages were used to describe the characteristics and alcohol consumption behaviours of participants. In addition, logistic regressions were used to determine the factors influencing. Results: The results showed 62.3% of participants responded to the online questionnaire. During the past six months, 36% reported consuming alcohol. Males reported drinking more (45.3%) than females. The most popular drink was beer (57.7%). There were 8.16 standard drinks, (82.3%) consumed at night, (70.2%) drank at their place, and consumed with friends (83.6%). The results of multiple logistic regression showed significant factors influencing drinking alcohol. The lower attitude was 2.56 times more likely to consume alcohol than a high level (AOR: 2.56, 95%CI: 1.53-4.28). Reversely, the higher marketing perception was more likely to consume alcohol than a low level (AOR: 5.35, 95%CI: 1.94-14.58). In addition, students with mother drinker, lover drinker, and close friend drinker were more likely to consume alcohol (AOR: 2.35, 95%CI: 1.07-5.16), (AOR: 3.60, 95%CI: 1.99-6.50), and (AOR: 5.29, 95%CI: 3.31-8.45) respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, attitude, marketing factors, and social factors were associated with alcohol consumption among Thai university students that were revealed as positive predictors regarding binge drinking. The study shows how healthcare providers may reduce binge drinking by designing effective prevention programs.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of blood interleukin-4 levels concerning malaria infection and severity.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin (IL)-4 had been linked to malaria severity, but the findings are controversial, and the evidence is inconsistent and imprecise. In the current investigation, data on IL-4 levels in patients with severe and uncomplicated malaria were compiled. METHODS: The systematic review was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42022323387). Searches for relevant articles on IL-4 levels in patients with severe malaria and studies that examined IL-4 levels in both uncomplicated malaria and healthy controls were performed in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus using the search strategy without limitation to publication years or language. The quality of all included studies was evaluated using The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: standards for reporting observational studies. Qualitative and quantitative data syntheses were performed. The random-effects model, which weights each study according to its between- and within-study variance, was used to pool the mean difference (MD) of individual studies. The degree of heterogeneity was determined using Cochran's Q and I2 statistics. Additionally, meta-regression and subgroup analyses were perfomed to investigate possible sources of heterogeneity. The outliers were identified using the leave-one-out method and assessed publication bias using funnel plots, Egger's test, and a contour-enhanced funnel plot. RESULTS: A total of 2300 studies were identified through database searches, and 36 were included for analyses. The meta-analysis results showed lower mean IL-4 levels in severe malaria (434 cases) than in uncomplicated malaria (611 cases) (P = 0.01, pooled MD: -3.36 pg/mL, 95% confidence intervals CI -5.55 to -1.16 pg/mL, I2: 98.15%, 11 studies). The meta-analysis results showed no difference in mean IL-4 levels between cerebral malaria (96 cases) and noncerebral severe malaria (108 cases) (P = 0.71, pooled MD: 0.86 pg/mL, 95% CI -3.60 to 5.32 pg/mL, I2 92.13%, four studies). Finally, no difference was found in mean IL-4 levels between uncomplicated malaria (635 cases) and healthy controls (674 cases) (P = 0.57, pooled MD: 0.79 pg/mL, 95% CI -1.92 to 3.50 pg/mL, I2: 99.89%, 11 studies). CONCLUSION: The meta-analysis revealed lower IL-4 levels in patients with severe malaria than in those with uncomplicated malaria, though a trend toward comparable IL-4 levels between both groups was more likely because several sources of heterogeneities were observed. Based on the limited number of studies included in the meta-analysis, until additional investigations have been conducted, IL-4 consideration as an alternative prognostic factor for malaria severity is not warranted.

Glycemic control outcome in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: chronic care management support of family care team in Thailand.

PURPOSE: We aimed to ascertain diabetic self-management predictors in the family care team chronic care model, and to analyze the factors associated with glycemic control. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients at Pak Phun Municipality Hospital, Thailand, from 2019 to 2020. The 282 participants' compraised 16 health care providers, 128 healthy volunteers, and 138 T2DM patients. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The statistics were descriptive, association and multiple regression were tested. RESULTS: Of the T2DM patients, 68.1% were female, overweight (body mass index 25.8 ± 3.99 kg/m2), had diabetic periods of 8.2 ± 4.65 y, high fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (139.3 ± 44.59 mg/dL), uncontrolled A1C (7.8 ± 1.57%), and presented with diabetic nephropathy (61.6%). Diabetic self-management was at a high level (76.8%). The factors significantly associated with A1C were income (p < 0.001), low-density lipoprotein (p < 0.05) estimated glomerular filtration rate, and FPG (p < 0.001). A1C was predicted by self-efficacy (SE) (38.0%; p < 0.001), social support (SO) (40.8%; p < 0.001), health providers evaluated by the Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (ACIC) (22.8%; p < 0.001), and patients' perception by Patient Assessment of Care for Chronic Conditions (PACIC) (17%; p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In order to reduce diabetes complications, the family care team played a critical role. Self-efficacy and social support were important factors in managing diabetes. The chronic care model begins with a procedure of self-management support and intervention by stakeholders such as caregivers in the community.

Health risk reduction behaviors model for scavengers exposed to solid waste in municipal dump sites in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of comprehensive health risk protection behaviors, knowledge, attitudes, and practices among scavengers in open dump sites. A control group of 44 scavengers and an intervention group of 44 scavengers participated in this study. Interventions included the use of personal protective equipment, health protection training, and other measures. The analysis showed significant differences before and after the intervention program and also between the control and intervention groups. These observations suggest that further action should be taken to reduce adverse exposure during waste collection. To reduce health hazards to workers, dump site scavenging should be incorporated into the formal sector program. Solid waste and the management of municipal solid waste has become a human and environmental health issue and future research should look at constructing a sustainable model to help protect the health of scavengers and drive authorities to adopt safer management techniques.