Thai Journal of Public Health

Analysis of the Public Health Implications of Government Policies on Corpse Repatriation and Disease Control in Nigeria During Covid-19

Rotimi Adeforiti, Temitope Esther Fasoye; Ayooluwa Ajayi — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0700

The study analyzed the policies of government on corpse repatriation into Nigeria during Covid-19, described ways by which government measures ensures disease control in Nigeria during Covid-19, and discuss the challenges of government measures on disease control in Nigeria during Covid-19. The study focused on the outbreak of highly contagious covid-19 virus and the health implications of corpse repatriation was analyzed between 2020-2021 period. Descriptive research design was adopted and information was gathered from purposively selected ten journal articles on the subject matter of the study, and 1 government document. The theoretical framework for the study were the reasons for the obedience of international law and the structural functionalist theory. The study discovered that there are provisions for the repatriation of human corpse into the country prior to the outbreak of Covid-19. The measures of government on disease control during covid-19 included the Community Health Workers, and Border Security system. The challenges noted against government measures included inadequate testing material, and porous border. The study concluded that the failure of government measures is responsible for poor disease control in Nigeria. The study recommend that government should embark on public enlightenment program, review the border security system, and enhance the local government.

High Normal Blood Pressure among Young Supervisors in Siracha District, Chon Buri Province

Passara Wattana, Orawan Kaewboonchoo, Patcharaporn Kerdmongkol — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0700

High normal blood pressure can develop to hypertension and cardiovascular disease if there is inappropriate risk protection, especially for individuals less than 35 years old who had the opportunity to develop left ventricular hypertrophy. The aims of this study were to measure the prevalence of high blood pressure and to investigate the factors associated with high normal blood pressure among young construction supervisors at a construction project in the Si Racha district.

In this cross-sectional study, the subjects consisted of 117 young constructions supervisor calculated by Daniel’s formula 2010. A questionnaire was used to collect data and blood pressure was measured by an automated device based on the 2020 International Society of Hypertension criteria. Data was then analyzed by descriptive statistics, Chi-Square tests (c2 test) or Fisher’s Exact test, and Binary logistic regression.

The prevalence of high normal blood pressure was 49.6 percent. The binary logistic regression analysis showed alcohol drinking (OR = 7.69, 95% CI: 2.1-28.1), smoking (OR = 6.46, 95% CI: 1.8-22.9), noise annoyance (OR = 11.83, 95% CI: 3.5-40.5), and job strain (OR = 4.5, 95% CI: 1.3-14.8) were significant with high normal blood pressure at P-value < 0.05.

This study showed the prevalence of high normal blood pressure in young construction supervisors. The behavioral risk factors including alcohol drinking, smoking and environmental

Covid-19 Incidence amongst Students at an International School with Strict Mitigation Measures at the Height of the Pandemic: a Retrospective Study

Banthisa Somboon, Krittin Kunjala, Dhave Setabutr — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0700

The purpose of this research is to evaluate COVID-19 infection among students in an educational setting that reinforces COVID-19 mitigation measures at the peak of the pandemic. Between November 2021 and April 2022, a descriptive study was conducted at an international school in Nonthaburi, Thailand. The school’s COVID-19 mitigation measures were aligned with measures presented by the Thai Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Education. Students who attended school on-campus were tested with a rapid antigen test kit (ATK) for COVID-19 twice a week according to the school surveillance protocol. The parents or guardians of the students were responsible for performing the ATK tests and providing the results via the school’s electronic database, with informed consent. The school’s team of registered nurses and medical director recorded the database and performed contact tracing via phone calls with the parents or guardians of the infected students. Of the 52,757 ATK tests performed, only 237 (0.45%) tests were positive, and no cases of reinfection were reported. Among the 237 students who tested positive, 32 (13.5%) had a close-contact history to COVID-19 inside the school, while the majority (86.5%) had close-contacts from outside the school, such as household members and within the local community. Close-contact was defined per the Ministry of Health’s guideline measures. Despite a surge in COVID-19 cases in the community, the implemented mitigation measures proved effective in reducing the spread of the virus in the school setting.

Factors Associated with Depression among Elderly in Mahalaxmi Municipality, Lalitpur, Nepal

Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0700

Depression is a common mental health problem among the elderly, and its prevalence is increasing. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the level of depression and the factors that contributed to depression. The study was conducted among 370 respondents aged 60 years and above obtained through multistage proportionate random sampling in Mahalaxmi Municipality, Lalitpur. Information was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire on socio-demogprahic factors, lifestyle factors, socio-economic factors, comorbid conditions, and depression using GDS-SF (Geriatric Depression Scale Short Form). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential methods (chi-square, binary logistic regression, and multiple logistic regression). The results showed a high prevalence of depression (53.2%). Multiple logistic regression identified several statistically significant factors. The elderly in the 70-79 age group were 2.05 times, and those aged 80 years and above were 1.81 times more likely to have depression than those aged 60-69 years. Similarly, low social support (AOR = 13.86, CI: 5.81-33.08), and low quality of life (AOR = 5.65, CI: 3.06-10.41) were statistically significant factors associated with depression. Hence, this study highlights the need for addressing depression among the elderly through targeted effective interventions and prioritizing elderly mental health care by policymakers.

Factors Affecting Medication Adherence among Nepalese Hypertensives in a Rural Area

Sudim Sharma, Natkamol Chansatitporn, Ann Jirapongsuwan, Lava Timsina — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0700

Maintaining drug adherence has become a challenge for both the hypertensives and the health system for a variety of reasons. There is a lack of understanding about the several factors that may lead to medication non-adherence, especially among rural hypertensives. The purpose of this study was to assess the status of medication adherence and to identify the factors influencing medication adherence among Nepalese rural hypertensives. This community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 405 rural hypertensives from Lamahi Municipality, Dang District of Nepal through a simple random sampling. The sample size for this study was determined using the formula: Z²pq/d². The standard 9-items Hill-Bone medication scale (HB-MAS) questionnaire was used to assess the status of medication adherence. The questionnaires used in this study are based on rigorous literature review and were tested for the validity and reliability. Data was collected using a face-to-face interview and was analyzed using descriptive (frequency and proportion), bivariate (chi-square) and multiple logistic regression. Study indicated that only 56.5% hypertensives are adherent to antihypertensive medication. Ethnicity [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.09 - 0.65, p 0.005], knowledge [AOR = 13.80; 95% CI: 4.95 – 38.48, p <0.001], attitude [AOR = 15.08; 95% CI: 5.21 – 43.63, p <0.001], availability of medication and services [AOR = 2.84; 95% CI: 1.24 - 6.49, p <0.013], and accommodation of hypertension-related services [AOR = 14.15; 95% CI: 2.21 – 90.57, p 0.005] are the factors associated with medication adherence. Targeting tailored interventions for specific ethnic groups, enhancing knowledge, and building trust among the hypertensives regarding the medication, ensuring availability of the antihypertensive medication, and strengthening current health service provision for antihypertensive medication and services closer to the communities might improve medication adherence among the rural hypertensives in Nepal.

Safety Culture Assessment in Three Automobile Assembly Plants in Thailand

Siriwan Naksawat, Densak Yogyorn, Dusit Sujirarat, Vorakamol Boonyayothin — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0700

The automotive industry in Thailand is at the turning point with digitalization, lean and advanced manufacturing technological development, transforming the structure and system that drive this industry. In the meantime, rapid change over assembly lines is forcing workers at risk of injury and illness from working with collaborative robots (cobots) and being exposed to dangerous machinery and chemicals. Objective: This study aimed to draw and compare the pictures of safety culture in three Japanese automobile assembly plants in Thailand, broadly recognized as a strong corporate safety culture. Method: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on three automobile assembly plants, with 719 respondents, mostly male 686 people (94.5 %). This study used the questionnaires which consist of two parts, personal data and the safety climate assessment developed by the UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the safety climate score and the characteristics of the respondents. Inferential statistics were used to describe the comparison of personal factors, workplace location and find the correlation to the safety climate. Result: This study found that there was no shared vision of management commitment between the managers and subcontractors (p=0.04). The subcontractor perceived the safety rules and procedures differently compared to the manager (p = 0.001), supervisor, and operational staff (p = 0.00). In addition, the subcontractor’s perception of the work environment was different between the supervisor (p = 0.01) and operational staff (p = 0.04). The older workers perceived the safety rules and procedures differently compared to the younger generations (p = 0.00). The differences between Plant C compared with Plant A and B were communication, involvement, priority of safety, safety rules and procedures, supportive environment, and work environment (p = 0.00).

Conclusion: This study explored the differences factors that are embedded in these three plants by using the Safety Climate questionnaires. Recommendation: The method of this study can be applied to other corporates to perform multiple plants assessment to measure their safety climate periodically.

Factors Associated with Mammograms and Pap Smears Screening: A National Survey in Thailand

Sukanya Chongthawonsatid — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0700

During the COVID-19 epidemic, the accessibility of healthcare facility services was disrupted. This study examined factors associated with having mammograms and Pap smear screenings during the COVID-19 epidemic in Thailand. The study was based on the 2021 Health and Welfare Survey of the Thai National Statistical Office. Skilled interviewers systematically conducted population-based surveys. They polled 11,078,970 women aged 40 or older regarding mammographic screening for breast cancer and 13,460,390 women aged 30 or older about Pap screening for cervical cancer. The independent variables were age, religion, education, occupation, income, healthcare-cost coverage, geographic region, and domicile location. The two dependent variables were mammograms and Pap smears. Univariate and multiple binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with mammograms for breast cancer and Pap smears for cervical cancer. Results found that cancer screening rates via mammograms and Pap smears decreased during COVID-19 in Thailand. The women who had mammograms and Pap smear screenings were 13.8% and 54.0%, respectively. The primary reason for not undergoing screening was the women’s belief that they did not have any abnormalities in their breasts (64.5%) or cervix (53.1%). Some women were unaware that breast cancer could be screened via mammography (19.2%), while 22.7% believed that Pap smear screening for cervical cancer was unnecessary. Binary logistic regression analyses found that the factors associated with having mammograms and Pap smears were demographic, socioeconomic, geographic, healthcare-cost coverage, and economic status. The Thai government could conduct information campaigns to educate women about the need for breast and cervical cancer screening via mammograms and Pap smears, especially among at-risk populations.

Factors associated with Influenza Vaccination Uptake among Nursing Staff in Brunei Darussalam

Norizni Mosli, Norbibi Hasimah Ismail, Ashish Trivedi, Alice Lai — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0700

Background Vaccine hesitancy in healthcare workers remains a complex issue, with influenza vaccination coverage varying between healthcare institutions, across cities and countries, and amongst different healthcare professions. This study aimed to assess influenza vaccination uptake among nursing staff in Brunei Darussalam and explore factors affecting decision making on influenza vaccination.

Methods This cross-sectional study on registered nursing staff used a web-based self-administered validated questionnaire to collect data on socio-demographics, history of influenza vaccination, reasons for and against influenza vaccination, knowledge and information access, as well as cultural and institutional values.

Findings The study received a response rate of 36%, with respondents being predominantly female (84.2%), working in the government sector (90.1%), and in hospital settings (78.5%). Majority of nurses (96.5%) perceived that influenza vaccination was effective in reducing transmission of influenza virus, although actual annual uptake was 33.5%. Main facilitators for receiving vaccination were upon the advice or directive of authorities and employer (>75%), and severity of influenza-related complications (62.5%).

Conclusions Despite having adequate knowledge of efficacy of influenza vaccination, there is sub-optimal uptake of influenza vaccination among nursing staff in Brunei Darussalam (33.5%). However, this uptake increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (67.3%). Periodic awareness, counseling and strategic occupational health interventions are some measures that can increase the coverage of influenza vaccination among healthcare workers.

“Wellness” an Introduction to Concepts and Principles

Supa Pengpid, MSc, DrPH, MBA — Fri, 29 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0700

Currently, the main keywords used in Thailand's health and wellness business and tourism are “wellness”. Several services, businesses, conferences, articles and new technologies use this keyword to promote. The term is used in various ways, such as the Wellness Centre, the Wellness Business, the Wellness Economy. This paper aims to explain the definition, concepts and principles of “wellness” so that readers can recognize terms and engage further in a deeper detail.