Knowledge and the health beliefs about the medical use of marijuana among Ayutthaya Province hospital clients

Abstract

This study aims to study the knowledge and the health beliefs about the medical use of marijuana among Ayutthaya Province hospital clients. A 384 people was sampling by simple random method. Data collection was done through a questionnaire during April to May 2021, about the knowledge and the health beliefs about the medical use of marijuana. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including percentage, mean and standard deviation. The chi-square test was the inferential statistic used to test the hypothesis.The results of the study showed that knowledge, belief in the perception of the risk, the danger, the benefits and the barriers to the medical use of marijuana use were in moderate range of score, the mean scores and standard deviations were 7.60 ± 3.70, 18.85 ± 4.68, 16.10 ± 3.7, 16.88 ± 3.73, and 18.56 ± 4.53, respectively. The cue to action was in high range of score, the mean score was 24.03 ± 4.25. Beliefs in the perception of the risk, the danger, the benefits to the medical use of marijuana and The cue to action  were significantly correlated with the medical use of marijuana (p=0.04, 0.03, <0.001 and 0.01, respectively).  The study was statistically significant (p = 0.04, 0.03, 0.00, and 0.01), respectively. The knowledge and belief in the perception of the barriers to the medical use of marijuana were not correlated statistically significant with the medical use of marijuana (p =0.078 and 0.823 respectively).Research results show the need for the promotion of knowledge and beliefs about the medical use of marijuana. There should be more strategies for educating and disseminating information. Along with a systematic assessment for the concretely drive the medical use of marijuana policy