Strategies Development of Health Products Consumer Protection with Participations in Yasothon Province

Abstract

This action research aimed to develop participatory strategic approaches for consumer protection in health products in Yasothon Province, Thailand. The study was conducted in two phases: a preparatory phase and a strategy development phase based on the four-step action research cycle planning, action, observation, and reflection. Participants included community members and relevant stakeholders from nine districts. Research instruments comprised focus group guidelines, in-depth interview guides, questionnaires assessing knowledge and practices, participation and satisfaction surveys, and health product inspection forms. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and Z-tests, while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. The study was conducted from March to December 2025. The findings revealed key problems, including exaggerated online advertising, illegal sales of polypharmacy drug sets and steroid-adulterated products in community grocery stores, limited health literacy among consumers, and insufficient workforce and intersectoral integration within responsible agencies. Consequently, the “FDA YASOTHON DRIVE 8” strategy was developed, consisting of eight core measures: (1) strengthening collaborative networks, (2) enhancing digital-era surveillance systems, (3) effective resource management, (4) capacity building for entrepreneurs, (5) strategic communication, (6) promoting health product literacy, (7) innovation and research development, and (8) monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Following implementation, community members demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge and appropriate practices regarding health products (p < 0.05). Compliance rates for health products, medicines, cosmetics, and hazardous substances significantly increased (p < 0.05), while improvements in premises and equipment did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.132). Stakeholders reported high levels of participation and satisfaction. The findings highlight the effectiveness of participatory processes in strengthening sustainable consumer protection systems at the local level