Ethnicity- and Status-Based Stigma among Ethnic Minority High School Students in Chiang Rai, Thailand
Keywords:
Stigma, Ethnic discrimination, Ethnic minority students, Resilience, ThailandAbstract
This school-based, cross-sectional analytical study aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with stigma and discriminatory treatment based on ethnicity and status among ethnic minority senior high school students in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. A validated questionnaire was administered to 360 ethnic minority senior high school students. Data were collected from March to July 2025. Descriptive statistics were used to estimate the prevalence of stigma and discriminatory treatment, and generalized estimating equations (GEE) were applied to identify associated factors. Statistical significance was considered at a p-value < 0.05. The results revealed that 360 participants were recruited for the study. Of these, 68.1% were female, with an average age of 16.7 years (SD=1.2). By ethnicity, 40.8% identified as Akha, 26.9% as Lahu, and 7.5% were non-Thai. The overall prevalence of past-year stigma and discriminatory treatment linked to ethnicity and social status among ethnic minority senior high school students was 46.4%. In the multivariable GEE model, three variables remained independently associated with past-year stigma and discriminatory treatment. Compared with Akha students, Hmong students had higher odds of experiencing stigma (aOR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.15–4.65). Students in the foreign language track (aOR = 1.78; 95% CI: 1.07–2.96) and those in the vocational/sports track (aOR = 2.06; 95% CI: 1.42–2.98) also had higher odds compared with students in the science–mathematics track. A higher resilience score was associated with lower odds of experiencing past-year stigma and discriminatory treatment (aOR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.93–0.98). In conclusion, to decrease the occurrence of stigma and discriminatory treatment among ethnic minority senior high school students, schools should implement comprehensive intervention strategies that give special attention to higher-risk groups, particularly Hmong students identified in this study, focus on students in study programs associated with higher odds of stigma, and strengthen students’ resilience.
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