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Aims: This study aimed to present national data for children and adolescents requiring hospitalization in Thailand. Background: Feeding and eating disorders can cause life‐threatening and negative health impacts. In Asia, the prevalence is rising. Data from children and adolescents in Thailand are limited. Design: This study is a retrospective study of the national database. Methods: Data from the National Health Security Office database on Universal Health Insurance Coverage (2015–2019) of 0–17‐year‐olds were analysed by diagnosis (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, vomiting associated with psychological disturbances, other eating disorders and unspecified eating disorders). Descriptive statistics, chi‐square test and multinomial logistic regression were used. Results: There were 163 patients, averaging 9.4 ± 5.2 years old, requiring 205 admissions. Most diagnoses showed stable trends, except for a slight decrease in anorexia and unspecified eating disorders. Most admissions were due to unspecified eating disorders and psychogenic vomiting, followed by anorexia nervosa. The overall prevalence was 3.86 per 100 000 admissions. Anorexia had the highest hospital costs and re‐admission rates. Anorexia nervosa was most prevalent in early adolescence and females, while bulimia nervosa was most prominent in middle adolescence and had a male predominance. Conclusion: Early recognition in clinical practice could increase early detection and improve outcomes. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that involve unhealthy eating habits and cause fatal medical complications.Most studies have been reported from Western or developed countries; recently, more data are emerging from the East, particularly in developing countries including the Southeast Asia.Underdiagnoses and underdetection can cause delayed treatment and prognosis. What this paper adds? Some types of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have specific characteristics. ○Anorexia nervosa was mostly prominent among early adolescents but was also found in younger children. Patients with anorexia nervosa required a longer length of stay, had the highest re‐admission rate and had the highest treatment cost per admission.○Bulimia nervosa was more prominent during middle adolescence. Contrasting to previous literature, we found that Thai males were diagnosed with bulimia nervosa 2.5 times higher than females.○Psychogenic vomiting was prominent in children of both sexes. The implications of this paper: We present the prevalence of national data on feeding and eating disorders among children and adolescents, but we believe that there are more patients with eating disorders outside the health care system, who remain underdetected and underdiagnosed.For early detection, minimizing admissions and complications, clinicians, nurses and health care providers who are at the front line are encouraged to recognize eating disorders, particularly in this era where body image is a concern for adolescents.This study portrays feeding and eating disorders among children and adolescents in Thailand, and the trends may represent counties that have similar socioeconomic backgrounds and health care systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To determine the severity of dental fluorosis in selected populations in Chiang Mai, Thailand with different exposures to fluoride and to explore possible risk indicators for dental fluorosis. Methods: Subjects were male and female lifetime residents aged 8.13 years. For each child the fluoride content of drinking and cooking water samples were assessed. Digital images were taken of the maxillary central incisors for later blind scoring for TF index (10% repeat scores). Interview data explored previous cooking and drinking water use, exposure to fluoride, infant feeding patterns and oral hygiene practices. Results: Data from 560 subjects were available for analysis (298 M, 262 F). A weighted kappa of 0.80 was obtained for repeat photographic scores. The prevalence of fluorosis (TF 3+) for subjects consuming drinking and cooking water with a fluoride concentration of <0.9 ppm was 10.2%. For subjects consuming drinking and cooking water >0.9 ppm F the prevalence of fluorosis (TF 3+) rose to 37.3%. Drinking and cooking water at age 3, water used for infant formula and water used for preparing infant food all demonstrated an increase in fluorosis severity with increase in water fluoride level (p<0.001). The probability estimate for the presentation of aesthetically significant fluorosis was 0.53 for exposure to high fluoride drinking (.0.9 ppm) and cooking water (.1.6 ppm). Conclusions: The consumption of drinking water with fluoride content >0.9 ppm and use of cooking water with fluoride content >1.6 ppm were associated with an increased risk of aesthetically significant dental fluorosis. Fluoride levels in the current drinking and cooking water sources were strongly correlated with fluorosis severity. Further work is needed to explore fluorosis risk in relation to total fluoride intake from all sources including food preparation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internalized sexual stigma is an important contributor to LGBT mental health disparities. In Thailand, the absence of validated instruments represents a research barrier. The study's purpose was to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Revised Internalized Homophobia (IHP-R) scale. Based on the cross-cultural principle, team translation was applied. The IHP-R was translated by the principal author and reviewed by bilingual Thai nurses, and clarifications were made. Multidisciplinary experts provided back translation and reconciled the finalized Thai version. The psychometric properties were established in 412 Thai LGBT individuals. Data was collected via online and paper-pencil surveys and analyzed using SPSS. Most participants were male, age ranged 18–53, with moderate levels of internalized homophobia (M = 2.3, SD = 1.04). The inter-item and item-total correlations were.38-.63 and.55-.68. The content validity index was high (I-CVI, S-CVI/UA/Ave = 1). The exploratory factor analysis confirmed one construct of internalized sexual self-stigma (factor loading =.702–.816). Scores on IHP-R were correlated with stress and experiences of discrimination (r =.14 and.12). Internal consistency reliability was also high (Cronbach's alpha coefficient =.83). The IHP-R Thai version has high psychometric properties and is appropriate for LGBT research in Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Perceptions, personal perspectives, and public awareness of e-cigarette information have a significant impact on e-cigarette smoking behavior, and provide comprehensive information that can help reduce interest in e-cigarette smoking and reduce the number of new smokers. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions towards e-cigarettes related to e-cigarette use and how that information related to people's use of them. METHODS The data for this cross-sectional study were collected via an online questionnaire. Thai nationals who were aged >18 years provided data between June 2021 and January 2022. Multivariable logistic regression and the chi-squared test were used to analyze the data. RESULTS There were 340 respondents, 76 e-cigarette users, and 264 non-e-cigarette users. Most of the perceptions of information that differed statistically significantly between e-cigarette users and non-e-cigarette users included information on regulations, products, health effects, and the effectiveness of smoking cessation. The association between factors and e-cigarette smoking behavior revealed that the perception of the product information and male gender were associated with e-cigarette smoking behavior (AOR=13.59; 95% CI: 2.35-78.60, and AOR=5.19; 95% CI: 2.87-9.40, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The perception of e-cigarette product information and male gender were associated with e-cigarette smoking behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: What is known on the subject?: People diagnosed with schizophrenia have poor cardiometabolic health, with elevated 10‐year cardiovascular disease risk (CVD‐R) scores and low quality of life (QOL).There is a lack of understanding about CVD‐R scores in people diagnosed with early psychosis and no studies have quantified CVD‐R using the QRISK®3 calculator in this client group.Establishing potential relationships between modifiable lifestyle behaviours/treatment characteristics with CVD‐R or QOL may identify targets for early intervention. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: This is the first study to quantify the individual 10‐year CVD‐R of people diagnosed with early psychosis utilising the QRISK®3 calculator.This is also the first study to investigate relationships between QOL and CVD‐R and lifestyle factors in a cohort of Thai people diagnosed with early psychosis.We observed low levels of physical health‐related QOL and high levels of CVR‐R despite participants reporting relatively positive lifestyle behaviours. What are the implications for practice?: The cardiometabolic health state of this client group warrants as much attention as for those with an enduring severe mental illness; early preventative interventions are warranted.It may be useful to routinely quantify the CVD‐R of people diagnosed with early psychosis using the QRISK®3 calculator, even in the absence of immediate concerns about lifestyle behaviours.Mental health nurses should utilise evidence‐based approaches such as increasing activity levels, dietary counselling and behaviour change interventions to mitigate poor physical health in this client group. Introduction: People diagnosed with schizophrenia have poor cardiometabolic health, with elevated 10‐year cardiovascular disease risk (CVD‐R) scores and poor quality of life (QOL). There is lack of understanding of these issues in early psychosis. Aims: To quantify CVD‐R in people diagnosed with early psychosis and profile their obesity prevalence, lifestyle behaviours and QOL. Secondary aim was to explore associations between lifestyle behaviours/treatment characteristics and CVD‐R/QOL. Method: Baseline data from 81 RCT participants were used to profile cardiometabolic health risks (QRISK®3, BMI and waist circumference). Participants self‐reported lifestyle behaviours and QOL. Relationships between modifiable treatment/lifestyle factors and QOL/CVD‐R were explored. Results: Participants' relative risk for CVD over 10 years was 1.93 times higher than healthy counterparts; 39% also had an obese BMI and physical QOL was poor. No significant associations were observed between CVD‐R or QOL with treatment characteristics and lifestyle factors. Discussion: Despite positive lifestyle behaviours, participants had elevated CVD‐R scores and poor physical health‐related QOL. Quantifying CVD‐R with QRISK®3 may highlight the need for health promotion interventions. Implications for practice: Mental health professionals should be aware that elevated CVD‐R exists in the context of relatively healthy lifestyle behaviours and utilise evidence‐based interventions to address these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible Summary: What is already known about this topic?: Individuals with severe mental illness (SMI) have elevated risks for physical health problems and low screening rates.No previous studies have compared the physical health promotion needs of people with SMI using the same screening tool across different international settings. What this paper adds to existing knowledge?: It appears feasible to use the HIP to profile and compare physical health‐related risks in people with SMI across different international settings.The HIP tool identified significant differences in areas of risk across the four countries. What are the implications for practice?: The HIP could be used to identify unique clusters of health promotion needs in different countries.Use of HIP health checks may support implementation of individualized interventions. Introduction: To date, no studies have contrasted physical health profiles of people with severe mental illness (SMI) in different countries. Aim: To evaluate feasibility of using the Health Improvement Profile (HIP) to compare and contrast physical health and health behaviours of people with SMI from four countries. Method: An observational feasibility study using secondary analysis of pooled health state and lifestyle data. Physical health checks using modified versions of HIP were administered in four countries. Results: Findings suggest feasibility of HIP screening to profile and compare physical health and health behaviours of people with SMI across international settings. High overall numbers of risk items (red flags) were identified in all but the Thailand sample. Despite some commonalities, there were important differences in health profiles across countries. Discussion: This is the first study to demonstrate feasibility of the HIP to compare health risks in individuals with SMI across countries. Future multi‐national HIP studies should recruit a fully powered stratified random sample of people with SMI that is representative of each setting. Implications for practice: It appears feasible to utilize the HIP to identify specific areas of health risk in different countries, which may help to better focus nursing interventions and use of resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible summary: What is known on the subject?: Established research from the United States and other Western countries has found that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations are at an elevated risk for suicide.Suicidality among LGBT individuals is understudied in Thailand and other Asian countries, warranting additional research to better understand risk factors and to create effective treatment and suicide prevention interventions. What the paper adds to existing knowledge?: The study examined rates and predictors of suicidality in Thai LGBT adults.Study findings suggest that general (e.g. stress and loneliness) and minority stressors (e.g. discrimination and victimization) played important roles in predicting lifetime and past‐year suicidal ideation, while socio‐demographic and health‐related factors (e.g. living in high poverty area and having chronic diseases) were associated with suicide attempts among LGBT individuals. What are the implications for practice?: Changes in the nursing curriculum and continuing education resources are needed to improve knowledge and core competencies in the mental health and treatment needs of LGBT individuals in Thailand.Among LGBT serving practitioners, routine assessment of suicidality is needed to increase the early identification and treatment of individual at risk for suicidal behaviours.Standardized measures of sexual orientation and gender identity should be included in all patient intake forms.In conducting research on strategies to improve mental health outcomes among LGBT populations, standardized measures of sexual orientation/gender identity and minority‐specific stressors should be used.Suicide prevention interventions aimed at reducing general and minority stress among LGBT populations should be a priority in mental health nursing. Introduction: A large and rigorous body of research in the United States has demonstrated that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) populations are at an elevated risk for suicide. However, scant research aimed at understanding the rates and predictors for suicidality among Thai LGBT individuals exists. Aim: To examine rates and predictors of suicidality among Thai LGBT adults (N = 411). Method: Data collection was conducted via online and in‐person surveys. Guided by the Minority Stress Model, standardized measures of demographics, health‐related factors, general and minority‐specific stressors and suicidality were completed. Results: Thirty‐nine per cent of participants reported lifetime suicidal ideation, 19.0% past 12‐month suicidal ideation and 13.1% lifetime suicide attempts. Lifetime suicidal ideation was associated with higher levels of social discrimination, stress, loneliness and chronic disease (OR = 1.12, 1.16, 2.75, and 1.46, p ≤.05, R2 = 0.327). Past‐year suicidal ideation was associated with victimization, stress, loneliness and being a former smoker (OR = 1.52, 1.20, 2.34, and 4.89, p <.05, R2 = 0.345). Suicide attempts were associated with internalized homophobia, poverty, chronic disease, alcohol use and physical health (OR = 1.44, 1.06, 1.59, 1.45 and 0.95, p ≤ 0.05, R2 = 0.187). Discussion: General and minority‐specific stressors negatively impacted suicidality among LGBT participants. Implication for practice: Study findings have implications for nursing education, practice and research. Nursing education should include information about the influence of sexual orientation and gender identity on mental health outcomes. Further, systematic screening for suicidality should be conducted by LGBT serving psychiatric and mental health nurses. Finally, research is needed to determine best practices for interventions aimed at reducing suicidality risk among LGBT individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Thailand has an ongoing action plan to reduce human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) discrimination and stigma. We aimed to monitor the level of stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) among the general adult population and to investigate its related factors. Methods This study was based on data from the 6th Thai National Health Examination Survey, a large-scale country-wide survey in 2019-2020. We used a multistage sampling technique and included 11 843 adults aged 20 to 59. We collected data through face-to-face interviews which included six items related to HIV stigma domains. We weighted all analyses to account for the probability of sampling the Thai population aged 20 to 59 years. Results We found that anticipated stigma had the highest percentage of negative stigmatizing attitude responses (78.5%), followed by perceived stigma (66.6%), fear of HIV infection (54.4%), and social judgment (28.2%). Regarding the UNAIDS global indicator for discriminatory attitude, 48.6% of respondents had negative perceptions to questions about experienced stigma or discrimination. Multiple logistic regression showed that factors associated with discriminatory attitudes toward PLWHA were being aged 20-39 (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.18-1.47) or 50-59 (aOR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.09-1.40) compared to being aged 40-49, being Muslim compared to Buddhist (aOR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.46-2.06), being married compared to being single (aOR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.04-1.28), holding certificate degree or higher compared to not studying or studying at a primary level (aOR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.68-0.97), living in the Northeast (aOR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.12-1.45) and Bangkok (aOR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.12-1.51) compared to living in the North, having no HIV/AIDS infected relative or acquaintance compared to having an HIV/AIDS infected relative or acquaintance (aOR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.41-1.73), and not obtaining an HIV test compared to obtaining it (aOR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.02-1.19). Conclusions We found that HIV stigmatizing and discriminatory attitudes toward PLWHA decreased, but remained concerning among Thai adult people. A public education and awareness campaign, as well as an intervention to reduce HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the country's health care facilities, must still be maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) among Myanmar male migrant workers (> 15 years) living in Mae Sot, Thailand, and their patterns of drinking. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 512 participants to measure AUDs and drinking patterns. ANOVA and χ2 analyses were performed to assess demographic differences between abstainers, harmful and hazardous drinkers (HHDs) (those showing signs of AUDs) and non-harmful drinkers. Findings: Results showed that 12.3 percent of male Myanmar migrants were HHDs, a rate only slightly higher than in Thai men (9.1 percent), but much higher than in men still living in Myanmar (2.7 percent) (WHO, 2014). Also, 19 percent of alcohol-consuming Myanmar male migrant workers reported patterns of heavy episodic drinking, which is markedly higher than in alcohol-consuming Thai (4.7 percent) and Myanmar men (1.5 percent) (WHO, 2014). Originality/value: Given the health risks associated with AUDs and heavy episodic drinking, the findings of this study suggest a need for appropriate alcohol-related health education and intervention for Myanmar male migrant workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder common in children. Successful pediatric AD therapy requires parental assistance. Thus, evaluating parental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding childhood AD may lead to more educational recommendations to help children control AD in the future. This study examined parents' knowledge, attitudes, and conduct concerning AD in families with and without children with AD. Method: The Pediatric Department, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand, conducted a cross-sectional study from June to December 2023. Parents of children who visited the dermatology clinic with or without AD were asked to complete a Google form questionnaire. Results: A total of 372 parents answered a questionnaire about AD pathophysiology, knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The participants were 293 (78.8%) female participants and 79 (21.2%) male participants. The average age was 29.79 (SD 4.91). Most parents (319, 85.8%) did not work in the medical field, and more than half (228 instances, 61.29%) had children diagnosed with AD. Conclusions: Parents of children with AD understood AD causes and triggers better than parents of children without AD. But, "exposure to furry toys" that may contain dust and allergies and "infection" that may cause AD flare-ups were the most common triggers, regardless of the group. Appropriate information should be supplied because both the parents of children with AD and those of children without AD reported immediate food avoidance without confirmatory testing, which might lead to malnutrition. Clinicians and families handling patients with AD require further education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does more income mean more leisure? This paper investigates the impact of wages and income on leisure time using merged data from two nationally representative samples in Thailand: (1) the Time Use Survey, and (2) the Labor Force Survey. Results will depend on our definition of income or wages. The data indicate that Thai people tend to reduce their leisure time in response to monthly income changes. The reason for such a negative relationship is that monthly income is composed of extra income other than wages, for example, overtime and bonus pay, which are found to be inversely related to leisure time. However, when the relationship between leisure time and hourly wage is estimated, we find that an increase in hourly wage substantially and significantly induces people to engage in more leisure and that a percentage change in hourly wage also provides a positive percentage change in leisure time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to examine the impact of parental international migration on the mental health of children left behind. Data for this paper were taken from the 'Child Health and Migrant Parents in South-East Asia, Thailand, 2008' project. A total of 1,030 children (519 from emigrant parents and 511 from non-migrant parents) were covered. Data were collected from the caregivers of children using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association between parental migration and the mental health status of children left behind. Several factors were significantly associated with children's mental health. Our study did not find any association between current parental migration status and mental health status of the children left behind. The study found, however, that mother's earlier migration history had a significant, independent association with mental health problems of the children left behind. Therefore, effective strategies to prevent such mental health problems among children are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quality relationship between caregiver and care-receiver is an essential issue since it not only motivates the family to take on a caregiving role but also impacts all caregiving processes. Before this study there was no Thai instrument that measured this concept. This study aimed to develop the Thai Quality Relationship Scale for Family Caregivers of People with Cancer and test its psychometric properties. This paper focuses on the testing of the scale. The conceptual model and content domains were derived from a comprehensive literature review and semi-structured interviews. The instrument was verified for content validity by three experts and examined for clarity by 15 family caregivers. The construct validity of the revised scale was tested by exploratory factor analysis with 220 family caregivers of persons with cancer from the central part of Thailand. Results revealed that the scale was composed of four factors and accounted for 54% of variances, including feeling of love, concern about disease and treatment, sympathy for suffering, and concern with daily activities. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the total items was 0.87, and each factor was in an acceptable range. This instrument has good construct validity and reliability and would help measure quality relationships for family caregivers of people with cancer in Thailand. Future research is needed to confirm its adequate validity and reliability in other groups of family caregivers. Nurses can use this tool and the newly proposed conceptual structure of quality relationships to assess, design, and test nursing intervention to support family caregivers to continue providing good care for their care-receivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. The number of security guards in universities has increased significantly. This study aimed to predict work ability of university security guards. Methods. A cross-sectional study of 97 university security guards in Thailand was performed. Data were collected through interviews using a questionnaire covering social demographics, behavioral health and work ability. The data were analyzed using χ2 tests and logistic regression models. Results. The average work ability index (WAI) score was 38.1 ± 3.8, with 65.0% of participants scoring 'good'. Social support significantly influenced the WAI (p = 0.004). Those with insufficient support were 4.3 times more likely to show poor work ability. Mental health also impacted the WAI (p = 0.006); those with poor mental health were 4.7 times at risk. Additionally, work experience affected the WAI (p = 0.039). Those with ≥5 years of experience showed reduced work ability compared to their less-experienced counterparts (adjusted odds ratio 0.4; 95% confidence interval [0.20, 0.96]). Conclusions. Supervisors should provide social support and offer rewards and commendations to enhance employees' abilities, health behaviors and management of underlying diseases. Additionally, organizations should prioritize health and safety in the workplace to ensure their employees are healthier and perform their tasks more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While there is research on protective factors against smartphone addiction (SA) and phubbing, which impact adolescents' physical, psychological, interpersonal, and academic well-being, focused studies on these issues among Thai Muslim students in Southern Thailand remain scarce. Objectives: To bridge this gap, this research aimed to explore the influence of five family functioning factors—discipline, communication and problem-solving (CPS), relationship, emotional status, and family support—guided by family systems theory and the McMaster Model, on SA and phubbing. Methods: Data from 825 Thai Muslim adolescent secondary school students (Female N = 459 (55.7%), Mage = 15.11 ± 1.78) across three southern Thai provinces were analyzed utilizing structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: Significant connections were identified between family functioning factors, particularly emotional status and discipline, and SA, and their impact on phubbing behavior. SA was found to mediate the relationship between these two family factors and phubbing. Interestingly, a higher quality of family relationships was found to be associated with an increased risk of SA, while the other two family functions—CPS and family support—demonstrated no significant association with these digital behaviors. Conclusions: Despite its limitations, including a cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reports, the study underscores the importance of specific family functions in preventing and addressing adolescent SA and phubbing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Palliative care lower medical expenses and enhances quality of life, but misconception with euthanasia delays timely care and makes inappropriate patient management. Objective: To examine the magnitude of misconceptions between palliative care and euthanasia among Thai general practitioners, explore the association with knowledge, attitudes, and practical experience, and assess the association between misconception and confidence in practicing and referring patients to palliative care centers. Methods: All 144 general practitioners who were going to start residency training at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital in 2021 participated in this observational cross-sectional study. A chi-square test was utilized to examine the relationship between misconception and knowledge, attitude, practical experience, confidence to practice, and confidence to refer patients. Multivariable logistic regression was carried out while controlling for age, sex, knowledge, attitude, and experience to examine the relationship between misconception and confidence to practice and refer patients for palliative care. Statistical significance was defined at p < 0.05. Results: About 41% of general physicians had misconceptions regarding palliative care and euthanasia. High knowledge was associated with a lower level of misconception (p = 0.01). The absence of misconceptions was weakly associated with a higher level of confidence in practicing palliative care, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.51 (95% confidence interval 0.73 to 3.10, p = 0.07). Conclusion: High misconception rates between palliative care and euthanasia among young Thai physicians might impact their confidence in delivering palliative care. Training initiatives for medical students and practitioners can mitigate misconceptions, fostering better palliative care utilization in Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the contributions of psychosocial factors (attitude towards drinking, perceived drinking norms [PDNs], perceived behavioural control [PBC]), and biological sex on drinking intention and behaviours among rural Thai adolescents. Design: A cross-sectional study design. Methods: In 2022, stratified by sex and grade, we randomly selected 474 rural Thai adolescents (Mage= 14.5 years; SD = 0.92; 50.6% male) from eight public district schools in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, to complete a self-administered questionnaire. Structural equation modelling with the weighted least square mean and variance adjusted was used for data analysis. Results: All adolescents' psychosocial factors contributed significantly to the prediction of drinking intention, which subsequently influenced their drinking onset, current drinking and binge drinking pattern in the past 30 days. PDNs emerged as the strongest psychosocial predictor of drinking intention, followed by PBC. Rural adolescents' drinking intention significantly mediated the relationship between all psychosocial factors and drinking behaviours either fully or partially. The path coefficient between drinking attitude and drinking intention was significantly different between males and females. Conclusion: Different from previous studies focus on adolescents' drinking attitude, rural Thai adolescents' PDNs play a significant role on their drinking intention and subsequently their drinking onset and patterns. This nuanced understanding supports a paradigm shift to target adolescents' perceived drinking norms as a means to delay their drinking onset and problematic drinking behaviours. Impact: Higher levels of perceived drinking norms significantly led to the increase in drinking intention among adolescents. Minimizing adolescents' perceptions of favourable drinking norms and promoting their capacity to resist drinking, especially due to peer pressure, are recommended for nursing roles as essential components of health education campaigns and future efforts to prevent underage drinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Smoking inside the home affects the health of both the smoker and family members via secondhand exposure. This research examined the impact of a community participation program on creating smoke-free homes in a suburban community in Thanyaburi district, Pathumthani province in Thailand. METHODS The study involved families, with a smoker in the home, that were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups each containing 27 families. The intervention group was administered with the community participation program for smoke-free homes for 5 sessions during the 6-month period of study. The program included providing information on secondhand smoking and harms, knowledge about quitting smoking and healthcare support, practice skills, campaigns in the community, visiting and encouraging, and reflecting and evaluation. The control group was normally treated by the community committee and health volunteers. Data collection was undertaken at baseline and at 6 months after implementation by an interview with questionnaires. RESULTS Our results show that after the implementation, the intervention group reported significantly higher mean score on skills in negotiating with smokers for a smoking-ban inside home and mean score on emotional support for nonsmoking inside the home than those at baseline and those of the control group. The proportion having smoking ban home rules in the intervention group was significantly higher than at baseline and that of the control group (92.6% vs 18.5%). The proportion of smoke-free homes was higher in the intervention than in the control group (75% vs 0%). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that community participation programs for smoke-free home may be effective in raising awareness on the impact of secondhand smoke among family members and in working together to manage smoke-free home environments. The program may be applicable for further development within communities to achieve smoke-free homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study aimed to compare the findings of the quality of nursing doctoral education survey across seven countries and discuss the strategic directions for improving quality. Background No comparative evaluation of global quality of nursing doctoral education has been reported to date despite the rapid increase in the number of nursing doctoral programmes. Design A descriptive, cross-country, comparative design was employed. Methods Data were collected from 2007-2010 from nursing schools in seven countries: Australia, Japan, Korea, South Africa, Thailand, UK and USA. An online questionnaire was used to evaluate quality of nursing doctoral education except for Japan, where a paper version was used. Korea and South Africa used e-mails quality of nursing doctoral education was evaluated using four domains: Programme, Faculty (referring to academic staff), Resource and Evaluation. Descriptive statistics, correlational and ordinal logistic regression were employed. Results A total of 105 deans/schools, 414 faculty and 1149 students/graduates participated. The perceptions of faculty and students/graduates about the quality of nursing doctoral education across the seven countries were mostly favourable on all four domains. The faculty domain score had the largest estimated coefficient for relative importance. As the overall quality level of doctoral education rose from fair to good, the resource domain showed an increased effect. Conclusions Both faculty and students/graduates groups rated the overall quality of nursing doctoral education favourably. The faculty domain had the greatest importance for quality, followed by the programme domain. However, the importance of the resource domain gained significance as the overall quality of nursing doctoral education increased, indicating the needs for more attention to resources if the quality of nursing doctoral education is to improve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, as reported by the WHO in December 2019 and subsequently declared a public health emergency of international concern, a distinct set of risk factors and vulnerabilities faced by migrants are affecting their exposure to the pandemic and its associated outcomes. This study aims to analyze the social determinants of health among migrants and their associated factors and compare the socio-demographic characteristics, patterns of COVID-19, and healthcare attendance and utilization among migrant workers and non-migrants. A descriptive study design was used to analyze COVID-19 morbidity among migrant workers. There were a total of 73,762 migrants living in the province by December 2021, with varied statuses and nationalities. Most of the migrants were from Myanmar, constituting about 80.1%. A total of 24,837 COVID-19 cases in Kanchanaburi province were recorded in 2020–2021. COVID-19 cases among migrant workers accounted for 22.3% during the period under review. Half, 2914 (52.7%) of the migrant female workers were victims of COVID-19 infections. Persons under the age of 18 accounted for about one-fifth of all the COVID-19 cases. Older, over 60 years old, Thais had about twice (10.1%) the COVID-19 cases compared with the older migrants (5.5%). There was a significant increase in healthcare attendance and utilization by non-migrants and migrants during the year under review. Migrants are at high risk of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, public health guidance for the prevention of COVID-19 should prioritize safeguarding the health of migrants by considering their individual characteristics and actions. Enhancing health insurance schemes for migrants, particularly vulnerable migrant groups, is critical for inclusive and expanded healthcare access. Physical, social, and economic environments that impact the health and well-being of migrants should be integral to pandemic prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the dimensions used in judging the hospital services quality; to develop a tool for measuring perceived service quality for hospitals; to test the validity and reliability of the new scale; and finally to use the results of the data collected to suggest improving service quality. Design/methodology/approach – A cross-sectional field study was conducted among 400 hospital out-patients in Thailand. The researchers administered the SERVQUAL instrument in order to assess the applicability of these service quality attributes to the out-patient hospital setting in Thailand. The data collected were used to assess the psychometric properties of the SERVQUAL instrument and to analyze whether and to what extent the SERVQUAL dimensions adequately predicted overall service quality among Thai hospital out-patient respondents. The psychometric properties of the instrument were quite acceptable and the resulting five-factor structure was consistent to and confirms earlier measurement theory. The measurement model as estimated by the use of structural equation modeling further showed that the hypothesized model fit the empirical data quite well. Findings – The results indicate that SERVQUAL's five latent dimensions had a significant influence on overall service quality. Responsiveness had most influence; followed by empathy, tangibles, assurance; and finally reliability. Research limitations/implications – The results of this study demonstrate that service quality can be assessed in diverse service settings such as hospital out-patient departments. Further, SERVQUAL is robust enough to capture the critical elements used to assess overall service quality. The study was limited in its external validity and prediction was constrained due to the nature of the data collected, i.e. cross-sectional design. This study also chose to focus on one outcome variable, i.e. overall service quality. Other critical variables might be reasonably assessed, e.g. customer satisfaction, loyalty intentions, firm performance. Practical implications – The present study has several managerial implications for service quality enhancement in the hospitals in Thailand. First, given that responsiveness, was the strongest predictor of service quality, hospital out-patient employees can exercise strong influence over perceived quality by giving sincere and detailed information about service conditions, by being willing to help and by offering fast and efficient service to out-patients. Originality/value – The World Bank reports that health care and hospital care in particular is a growing portion of the economic pie, now nearly 18 percent of GDP in the USA. Global health care administrators are under pressure to not just control costs but to offer a quality health care experience This study offers insight into how the health care out-patient consumer views service quality and the relative importance of the various service quality dimensions in predicting overall service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Recruitment and retention of health workers is a major concern. Policy initiatives emphasize financial incentives, despite mixed evidence of their effectiveness. Qualitative studies suggest that nurses especially may be more driven by altruistic motivations, but quantitative research has overlooked such values. This paper adds to the literature through characterizing the nature and determinants of nurses’ altruism, based on a cross-country quantitative study. Methods An experimental ‘dictator game’ was undertaken with 1064 final year nursing students in Kenya, South Africa and Thailand between April 2007 and July 2008. This presents participants with a real financial endowment to split between themselves and another student, a patient or a poor person. Giving a greater share of this financial endowment to the other person is interpreted as reflecting greater altruism. Results Nursing students gave over 30% of their initial endowment to others (compared with 10% in similar experiments undertaken in other samples). Respondents in all three countries showed greater generosity to patients and the poor than to fellow students. Conclusions Consideration needs to be given to how to appeal to altruistic values as an alternative strategy to encourage nurses to enter the profession and remain, such as designing recruitment strategies to increase recruitment of altruistic individuals who are more likely to remain in the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – This study seeks to use a knowledge management (KM) model as a tool to improve the quality of service in a hemodialysis unit. Design/methodology/approach – A quasi-experimental, one group pre-test-post-test study was conducted over a period of ten months at a hemodialysis unit. All of the staff in the unit, and all of the patients who came for hemodialysis at the outpatient department during the study period, were invited to participate. Self-administered questionnaires were used to measure staff job satisfaction and patient satisfaction. SF-36v2 was used to assess patient quality of life (QoL). Wilcoxon's matched pairs test and paired t-test were used to compare staff job satisfaction, and patient satisfaction with service quality, before and after implementing KM. A within-subject repeated-measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess changes in patient QoL. The chi-square test was used to compare rates of hemodialysis complications before and after implementing KM. Findings – After implementing KM, staff job satisfaction and patient satisfaction with services, increased significantly. Three QoL domains – role limitations due to physical and emotional problems, and vitality – at three and six months post-intervention applying KM to daily work, had improved significantly. Complications per hemodialysis episode had also reduced. Originality/value – The paper focuses on intervention that applied KM to staff providing care for patients with hemodialysis to improve care and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between personal factors, smoke exposure at home, and respiratory problems in early childhood in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand.Samples and Methods: This study was retrospective. There was a total of 414 samples in the study. The instruments included the questionnaire about the personal data of early childhood and their caregivers, the smoke exposure assessment form, and the early childhood respiratory problem assessment form. The relationship between personal factors, smoke exposure at home, and respiratory problems in early childhood was analyzed by the Chi-squared test and binary logistic regression.Results: The results revealed that smoke exposure at home in early childhood was moderate (52.2%). There 68.8% had respiratory problems. The relationship between birth weight, and smoke exposure at home in early childhood was found to be significantly related to respiratory problems (X2 =5.014 p< 0.05 and X2 = 85.711 p< 0.001, respectively). It was found that children with a birth weight ≤ 2500g had respiratory problems at 2.55 times of the samples with birth weight > 2500g (AOR = 2.55, 95% CI: 1.10– 5.96), and moderate-high smoke exposure had respiratory problems at 8.86 times of the samples with low smoke exposure (AOR = 8.86, 95% CI: 5.39– 14.60). Nutritional status and breastfeeding were not significantly related to respiratory problems in early childhood p > 0.05.Conclusion: The birth weight and smoke exposure at home factors were found to be related to their respiratory problems in early childhood. Thus, it is necessary to reduce stimuli, especially smoking at home. Moreover, the standard birth weight of their early childhood will reduce the rate of respiratory problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infertility can affect a couple's mental health and marital and social relationships. The study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depression among infertile couples and their relationships with other factors. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional survey. Validated tools were used to assess anxiety and depression, marital satisfaction, personality traits and sufficiency economy. The actor–partner interdependence model (APIM) was used for dyadic analysis. Results: The prevalence of depression in infertile couples was 6.7%. Aggression, extraversion and neuroticism were significantly correlated with depression, whereas the expectation of having children, marital satisfaction and sufficiency economy were negatively correlated with depression. The APIM model suggested that neuroticism and marital satisfaction were significant predictors of depression. Partner effect between the expectation of having children and depression was observed (p = 0.039). Conclusions: Like other populations, depression in infertile couples seems to be associated with aggression, extraversion and neuroticism. However, there are specific variables related to infertility that impact the depression levels of these couples. For instance, the expectation of having children can affect the partners of infertile couples, while the role of the sufficiency economy is a new factor that has been examined for depression in this sample and requires further exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients with critical illnesses and on intubation cannot express their needs through verbal language. Thus, nurses and other healthcare professionals might not meet their needs, resulting in frustration and more stress for nurses and patients. This situation may interfere with patients' recovery. In this quasi-experiment study, we developed and tested the effectiveness of the Needs Communicative Digital Technology Program. Sixty participants who were critically ill and intubated were recruited from an intensive care unit of a secondary care hospital in a province close to Bangkok, Thailand. They were alternately assigned weekly to the experimental (n = 30) and control groups (n = 30). The experimental group received the program for 48 hours, including the usual care in the intensive care unit. The control group received only usual care in the intensive care unit. Questionnaires for data collection were a demographic data form, the Met Needs Questionnaire, and the Effectiveness of Communication Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test, a Fisher exact test, a t-test, and ANCOVA. Findings revealed that after 48 hours of program implementation, the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores on met needs and effective communication than before starting the program and higher than that of the control group. Thus, it can be concluded that this program effectively met the needs of intubated people with critical illnesses with advanced technology and communication strategies that can be used easily, conveniently, and quickly. Nurses can use this program in practice and further evaluate its effectiveness before widespread use in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the prevalence and associated factors of accessibility to palliative care among non-cancer patients can promote the quality of life. However, data in this area of Thailand are limited. Objective: To investigate the prevalence and associated factors of non-cancer patients' access to palliative treatment. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed by a retrospective medical chart review of non-cancer patients admitted and later pronounced dead at Panyananthaphikkhu Chonprathan Medical Center, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand. The accessibility to the palliative care system was collected using the authors' modification of the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT). All data were analyzed by using the chi-square test and the binary logistic regression model, respectively. Results: The prevalence of accessibility to palliative care among non-cancer patients was 15.69%. Non-cancer patients with renal and liver failure were significantly associated with accessibility to palliative care (adjusted OR 4.742, p=0.002 and 6.159, p=0.011, respectively). Conclusion: Prevalence of access to palliative care in non-cancer patients was 15.69%. Organ failure in non-cancer patients with renal and hepatic systems can boost accessibility to palliative treatment. There were few palliative patients without cancer that accessed palliative care service. Additionally, it is critical for healthcare professionals to be educated on the fundamentals of palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify physicians' views on the barriers to measuring cervical length for preventing preterm deliveries. Materials and methods: This prospective, descriptive implementation study had three phases. In Phase I, 20 physicians were interviewed. Phase II comprised questionnaire development and data validation. The questionnaire was distributed to 120 Phase III participants. Results and discussion: All 120 participants responded. In 44 cases, the physicians received support from their local Maternal and Child Health Boards for preterm-birth-prevention programs; the other 76 physicians did not. The doctors tended to believe that cervical length screening plays no role in preventing preterm births (4/44 (9.1%) and 24/76 (31.6%); OR, 4.615; 95% CI, 1.482–14.373; p = 0.005). They were unsure about the correct measurement procedures (13/44 (29.5%) and 37/76 (48.7%); OR, 2.262; 95% CI, 1.028–4.977; p = 0.040). A lack of cost-free drug support (progesterone) for women with short cervices was identified as a barrier to preventing preterm births (30/44 (68.2%) and 32/76 (42.1%); OR, 0.339; 95% CI, 0.155–0.741; p = 0.006). Conclusions: Many physicians are unconvinced that measuring cervical length prevents premature births, and are unsure about the correct measurement procedures. There is a lack of government funding for hormone-usage programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The body of evidence on surgical intensive care unit (SICU) mortality and its predictors is still being determined. This study analyzed the significant predicting factors for mortality in SICU patients. Materials and Methods: The medical records of patients in SICUs at Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Medical Center, Srinakharinwirot University, from June 2020 to July 2021, were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were excluded if transferred from other hospitals and not undergoing orthopedics, otolaryngology, obstetrics, and gynecology surgeries. Results: A total of 276 patients admitted to SICUs were included in this analysis, and 60.5% were men. The mean age was 60.07 ± 17.19 years. The average length of SICU stay was 8.1 ± 10.79 days, and the mortality rate was 23.6%. By univariate analysis, significant predictive factors for mortality rate in SICU patients were acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) (p < 0.001), Glasgow coma scale (GCS) = 8 (p < 0.001), sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (p < 0.001), serum albumin < 2.5 (p = 0.013), and sepsis or septic shock (p < 0.001). From receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis to predict mortality, the best cut-off point of APACHE II and SOFA scores were 15.5 and 5.5, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression analysis significantly identified APACHE II > 15, GCS = 8 and SOFA score > 5 as significant predictive factors associated with the mortality rate in SICU patients. Conclusions: APACHE II > 15, GCS = 8, and SOFA score > 5 are predictive mortality factors in SICU patients. Patients with these factors should be given priority for admission to the SICU when there is a discrepancy between the demand and the supply for SICU beds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional survey study was conducted to examine older adults hip surgery patients' post-surgery quality of life, and to study the causal relationships that directly and indirectly influence it. A total of 447 patients who met the inclusion criteria were recruited from eight tertiary care hospitals and four universities in Thailand' using convenience sampling. The results revealed that post-discharge quality of life in older adults patients following hip surgery was at a moderate level ( X ¯ = 79.40, SD = 12.41). The results of the final model fit well with the empirical data of all variables (X2 = 12.24, df = 15, p =.661, RMSEA =.000, GFI =.99, CFI = 1.00, X2/df =.816). The final model accounted for 16% of the total variance in QoL, 25% of the variance in self-management, and 3% of the variance in physical function recovery. Age, pain, comorbidity, family caregiver support and health service system factors had indirect effects on self-management through physical function recovery and quality of life. Self-management had a direct effect on physical function recovery. Comorbidities and health service system also had direct effects on quality of life. The findings suggest that appropriate health service system factors should be performed to help support self-management, including follow-up services with home or telephone visiting, in order to promote physical function recovery, particularly for female older adults hip surgery patients. This will improve patients' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Objectives: Dysphagia is a widespread clinical condition among older adults. Although known as a risk factor for nutritional status and dehydration, dysphagia also affects meal patterns. This study aimed to determine the relationship between dysphagia and undernutrition, as well as dietary consumption patterns in older adults. Methods: 268 older adults (144 women, 124 men) were included in the study. Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), dysphagia assessment (EAT-10), oral examination, and Semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SFFQ) were used for collecting data. Odds ratio and Chi square were used to compare independent variables in subjects with and without undernutrition as well as those who intake texture modified and non-texture modified diet. Results: Mean age of the undernutrition and normal nutrition groups was 68.9 ± 6.1 and 68.8 ± 6.0 years, respectively. The undernutrition group's activities of daily living (ADL) were 19.7 ± 0.9, and the normal nutrition group was 19.8 ± 0.7. Older adults with dysphagia were 4.8 times more likely to experience undernutrition than older adults without dysphagia (95% CI = 1.75-13.13, P =.002). There was a statistically difference between the meal patterns among the dysphagic older adult group and the normal-swallowing older adults' group at the.05 level. Conclusions: According to this study, dysphagia was associated with the nutritional status of older adults and dietary patterns. The study results suggested some recommendations for dental health personnel on oral care related to dietary consumption and dietary patterns in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-flow nasal cannula has been a promising initial respiratory support measure for patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) in the emergency department (ED). However, delayed detection of HFNC failure is associated with increased mortality. The ROX index is a tool that can help predict HFNC success. Nonetheless, its utility in ED patients is limited, and no studies have compared it with the HACOR scale, another tool that may be as accurate in predicting HFNC failure. Therefore, we aimed to compare the prognostic utility of the ROX index and the HACOR scale in emergency AHRF patients. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted at the ED of Siriraj Hospital, Thailand, between August 2018 and February 2020. Adult patients with AHRF requiring HFNC in the ED were included. The ROX index and the HACOR scale were measured at 1, 2, and 6 h after HFNC initiation. The primary outcome was HFNC success, defined as no intolerance or escalation towards mechanical ventilation or non-invasive ventilation within 48 h. Results: A total of 75 patients were enrolled; 52 (69.3%) had a successful treatment. The ROX index was higher in the success group, while the HACOR scale was lower at all timepoints. The ROX index yielded generally higher discrimination capacity based on the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) than the HACOR scale [AUROC at 1, 2, and 6 h = 0.815, 0.784, 0.853 for ROX in predicting HFNC success and 0.733, 0.690, and 0.764 for HACOR in predicting HFNC failure]. The ROX index measured at 6 h at the cut-point of 4.88 had 92.98% sensitivity, 61.11% specificity, 88.33% positive predictive value, and 73.33% negative predictive value with a diagnostic accuracy of 85.33%. Conclusion: The ROX index had superior prognostic utility in predicting HFNC outcome (success/failure) compared to the HACOR scale in patients with AHRF in the ED setting. Moreover, it is less complex and more efficient to be employed at bedside. Therefore, the ROX index is a more appropriate tool to guide further management and potential escalation therapy for AHRF patients with HFNC therapy initiated in the ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To determine the rate and level of postpartum depression (PPD), as well as to examine and compare PPD, social support and maternal self‐efficacy between adolescent and adult mothers at 8 weeks postpartum during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Background: Policy measures to reduce the rapid spread of COVID‐19 have disrupted many aspects of life and decreased social connections, which negatively impacts psychological well‐being of the general population. However, studies focused on the impact of COVID‐19 on mental health and maternal self‐efficacy in postpartum mothers, particularly adolescent mothers, are limited. Design: A comparative cross‐sectional study was carried out following the STROBE guidelines. Methods: An online questionnaire was administered from February to March 2021. Data were collected by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Postpartum Support Questionnaire (PSQ) and the Parenting Sense of Competence (PSOC) at 8 weeks postpartum. One‐way MANOVA was used to analyse the data. Results: Data from 63 adolescent mothers and 63 adult mothers were analysed. There were significant correlations between PPD, social support and maternal self‐efficacy of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Both adolescent and adult mothers had significantly negative impacts from the pandemic on mental health, social support and maternal self‐efficacy. However, the adolescent mothers had higher rates of depressive symptoms (36.5% and 23.8%, respectively) as well as lower PSQ score (121.25 and 130.52, respectively) and PSOC scores (62.54 and 70.94, respectively) compared with adult mothers in the first 8 weeks postpartum during the pandemic. Conclusion: Adolescent mothers had a significantly higher rate of depressive symptoms and significantly lower social support and maternal self‐efficacy scores compared to adult mothers at 8 weeks postpartum during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Impact Midwives or nurses should emphasize the negative mental health impacts during the COVID‐19 situation and routinely screen for depressive symptoms, especially in adolescent mothers, which could help identify the at‐risk mothers for developing PPD. Patient or public contribution: Neither patients nor the public were directly involved in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This cross‐sectional study aimed to identify whether five factors of the health belief model were related to continuous positive airway pressure adherence in Thai people with obstructive sleep apnoea. Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea is a disorder impacting health, social wellbeing and the economy. Continuous positive airway pressure is a gold standard of treatment; however, poor adherence to treatment is an important issue that is related to a multiplicity of psychological and behavioural factors. Methods: The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist for cross‐sectional studies was used to report the study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 94 patients newly diagnosed with sleep apnoea and using CPAP devices from a sleep clinic. Participants completed a demographic record, the Thai versions of the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire, the Perceived Barriers Questionnaire and the Self‐Efficacy Measure for Sleep Apnea. CPAP adherence was measured by using information downloaded from the smart card of the devices. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Only 54.3% of participants adhered to CPAP treatment using standard protocols. Perceived seriousness of their condition was significantly associated with CPAP adherence, whereas perceived susceptibility, benefits, barriers and self‐efficacy were not. Conclusions: We found a low rate of CPAP adherence among participants. The only factor related to CPAP adherence was perceived seriousness. Relevance for the clinical practice: With a low rate of CPAP adherence, healthcare professionals, especially nurses, should encourage patients to use CPAP regularly by providing them with support and education regarding the severity of the disease if untreated and the benefits of CPAP treatment on the disease. Healthcare professionals should be aware of psychological factors impacting patients' perception of sleep apnoea and CPAP treatment. Interventions dealing with these factors should be developed and implemented in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most existing tools for measuring sensory patterns of children have been developed in Western countries. These tools are complex and may not be culturally appropriate for other contexts that require specific knowledge in the clinical perspective. The aim of this study was to develop a simplified tool called the Thai Sensory Patterns Assessment (TSPA) tool for children. It is designed for children ages 3–12 years old to be completed by their caregiver. The process of creating the tool consisted of drafting a questionnaire and interpreting the result. Partial psychometrics were completed during item development, content validity of items was assessed by five expert ratings. Construct validity and internal consistency were assessed using data from 414 caregivers and intra-rater reliability was assessed with 40 caregivers. The two parts of the TSPA tool for children results, sensory preference, and sensory arousal, were designed to be presented as a sensory pattern in a radar chart/plot. The data analysis showed that both parts of the TSPA tool for children had acceptable psychometric properties with the retained 65 items. Only proprioceptive sensory arousal had a low Cronbach's α coefficient, suggesting more information sharing between caregivers and professionals is needed. This research is an initial study and must be continuously developed. Future development of this tool in technology platforms is recommended to support use within healthcare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma control is the goal of management to prevent exacerbations and minimize the severity of asthma. To design effective interventions to control asthma, understanding of factors involved and how they work to influence asthma control is needed. This cross-sectional study aimed to develop and test a causal model of asthma control in Thai adults with asthma. A sample of 330 participants were recruited from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease clinics in four tertiary hospitals in eastern Thailand. Data were collected using a sociodemographic form; the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire; the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; Job Stress Scale; the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; the Functional, Communicative, and Critical Health Literacy Scale; the Self-Efficacy Subscale of the Knowledge, Attitude, and Self-Efficacy Asthma Questionnaire; the Asthma Self-Management Behavior Instrument; and the Asthma Control Questionnaire. Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the asthma control model. After trimming the initial model, the final model explained 54% of the total variance in asthma control with self-management behaviors having the strongest direct effect. Health literacy, illness perception, and social support indirectly affected asthma self-management behaviors through asthma self-efficacy, then directly affected its control. Illness perception, depression, and social support indirectly affected asthma control via asthma self-management behaviors, whereas job stress directly and indirectly affected asthma control via asthma self-management behaviors. The results suggest that nurses can design an intervention to support asthma self-management behaviors by enhancing asthma self-efficacy through increasing health literacy, improving illness perception and social support, and reducing job stress and depression. This intervention should be combined with innovative technology and further tested for its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job stress is an important occupational risk factor for nurses that may affect both their physical and mental health, as well as the health of their patients. The Effort-reward Imbalance Questionnaire is a popular tool that can be used to monitor job stress among nurses. However, several versions of the translated instrument demonstrated different structures of subscales than the original version, and these may affect its validity. Hence, within we report on construct validity of the Thai version of this instrument, and its association with psychological health among nurses working within a university hospital in Southern Thailand. The study design was a cross-sectional survey. The questionnaire measured job strain, using the Thai Effort-reward Imbalance Questionnaire, and psychological health, using the Thai General Health Questionnaire-28. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the construct validity. Association between job strain and psychological health was evaluated by logistic regression models. The analysis included 725 nurses. Factor analysis found that effort and reward both consisted of two subscales, which demonstrated good fit across several goodness of fit indices and acceptable reliability. The prevalence was 34.5% for high job strain, and 19.9% for poor psychological health. The modified high job strain and high overcommitment were statistically significantly associated with poor psychological health, with an odds ratio of 1.74 and 3.42, respectively. Further study should be conducted to confirm the construct of the Thai Effort-rewards Imbalance Questionnaire among nurses found in this study. Prevalence of job strain and poor psychological health was high which indicates the need for further interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cross-sectional study was applied to obtain factors associated with alcohol consumption since information among early adolescents in Thailand is limited. Data was collected from December 2016 to March 2017. A questionnaire was developed through a literature review and tested for validation and reliability. Multi-stage random sampling was used to recruit youths aged 10–14 years from Chonburi Province, Thailand. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), Chi-squared test, and multivariable logistic regression were used for data analysis. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the age of participants was 12.07 years (1.42) with 50.23% being male. In total, 10.94% reported drinking alcohol in the past 12 months. Current drinking in the past year was positively associated with older youths of 14 years of age (AOR = 5.34, 95% CI = 2.91–9.81) having a positive attitude toward alcohol consumption behavior (AOR = 4.18 95% CI = 3.36–5.21), direct observation of friends' drinking (AOR = 4.21, 95% CI = 3.32–5.32), direct observation of villagers/community members' drinking (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.15– 3.48), adolescents whose parents stored alcohol at home (AOR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.06–1.55), and being exposed to alcohol advertising (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI =1.16–2.23). The factor most inversely associated with current drinking appears to be male gender (AOR = 0.78, 95% CI =0.64–0.94). Strategies for delaying and reducing drinking among early adolescents should accompany these risk factors into any preventive programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the extent to which Malaysian and Thai smokers believe "light" and menthol cigarettes are less harmful than "regular" cigarettes and the correlates of these beliefs. The study used data from wave 1 of the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Survey. 2006 adult smokers (95.3% male) from Malaysia and 2000 adult smokers (94.5% male) from Thailand were interviewed face to face in 2005. 29% of Malaysian respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 14% menthols, with 19% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 16% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. 38% of Thai respondents reported currently smoking light cigarettes and 19% menthols, with 46% agreeing that lights are less harmful and 35% agreeing that menthols are less harmful. Malaysian smokers reporting current use of light or menthol cigarettes were more likely to believe that they are less harmful. Reported use of lights did not relate to beliefs for Thai respondents. The belief that light and/or menthol cigarettes are less harmful was strongly related to the belief that they have smoother smoke. The experience of smoother smoke is likely to produce some level of belief in reduced harm, regardless of how brands are labelled and whether or not Federal Trade Commission FTC/International Organisation for Standardisation tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide yield figures are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poomsrikaew O, Ryan CJ, Zerwic JJ. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 492-498 Knowledge of heart attack symptoms and risk factors among native Thais: A street-intercept survey method This study aimed to determine Thais' knowledge of heart attack symptoms and risk factors and whether that knowledge was related to age, gender or education. Via a street-intercept survey method, a convenience sample of people aged ≥ 35 years ( n = 192) was recruited. Mean age was 47 ± 9.6 years (range 35-81), and 55.2% were female. Participants identified on average 5.6 of 9 heart attack symptoms (SD 1.8) and 5.3 of 8 heart attack risk factors (SD 2.1). However, 66.7% mistakenly thought the chest discomfort would be severe, sharp and stabbing, and many subjects erroneously selected symptoms that are actually stroke symptoms. There were no gender or educational differences in knowledge of heart attack symptoms and risk factors. Older adults recognized fewer total symptoms than did younger adults. These findings could direct health-care providers to help the Thai population differentiate symptoms of heart attack from stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic farming is becoming popular in Southeast Asia as part of sustainable agriculture systems. This study aims to compare the opinions and attitudes towards organic farming systems by organic rice farmers (OF) and non-organic rice farmers (NOF) in Surin province, north-eastern Thailand. The comparison was drawn from opinions of OF and NOF interviewees who are engaged in jasmine rice farming. The data presented were based on information collected from 100 OF interviewees and 100 NOF interviewees. The interviews enabled us to compare their attitudes towards organic farming based on four aspects, namely: organic farming knowledge, environment, marketing, and costs and benefits. Comparisons were made not only of socio-economic indicators, but also their opinions. Chi-square and t-test were employed to quantify correlations in this study. It was found that there was a correlation of attitudes of both OF and NOF interviewees in the four aspects examined. Additionally, educational level, farm holding and extensionworker contact affected opinions and attitudes of OF interviewees. Among NOF interviewees, their farming experiences affected their attitude towards organic farming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Natural rainfall is necessary for agriculture in Thailand. Often, rainfall data contain zero and positive right-skewed observations. Within a given region, the mean rainfall can be used to evaluate how rainfall has changed over a period of time, and so, in this article, we propose interval estimates and an adjustment process based on the Bayesian approach to compute the rainfall amount mean. This includes highest posterior density intervals (HPDs) based on the beta (HPD-B), normal inverse chi-squared (HPD-NIC) and uniform (HPD-U) priors, which were compared with the existing methods. Coverage probability and relative average length were used to assess the performance of the methods by comparing their computation. A numerical evaluation showed that for a single mean and even chance of having zero observations, HPD-beta achieved the given target with small to moderate sample sizes, while HPD-U tended to perform very well with large sample size. To compare the difference between two means, HPD-U demonstrated excellent performance in almost all cases. Daily rainfall data from provinces in northern Thailand were used to confirm the efficacy of the new methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout history, those who have participated in political violence have predominantly been male young adults. At the same time, we know that most young men will not use violence for political protest. So what distinguishes those who do from those who do not? In this article, we link psychological research on the intergenerational effects of violence in the family to violence in the political arena. We ask to what extent experiences of violence as a child are associated with participation in political violence as an adult. Our overarching argument is that family-of-origin violence may not only have serious negative, intergenerational effects on health and well-being but also on future spirals of violence for the individual. Family-of-origin violence may also lead to an increased risk of using violence for political purposes due to the diffusion of violence norms, whereby violence is seen as a just and appropriate response to conflict. We test this claim using micro-level data from the Survey on Gender, Politics, and Violence in Thailand, conducted in 2012-2013. For our analyses, we zoom in on men from a specific cluster sample of the survey: 200 political activist interviewees—100 Red Shirts and 100 Yellow Shirts. The results support our claim. We find that experiences of family violence as a child increase the risk of participating in political violence as an adult among male political activists in Thailand. Our study suggests one imperative policy implication: Violence prevention measures at the individual level—against corporal punishment of children or violence against women—may have critical implications also for decreasing the risk for and prevalence of political violence and armed conflict in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports a one-year study examining the effect of a smartphone meditation app (M-App) in alleviating burnout and promoting resilience among chaplains working in hospices of older adults in Asian and African cities (N1 = 96; N2 = 85). Results indicated that chaplains who used the M-App exhibited lesser emotional exhaustion and depersonalization as burnout markers and higher personal achievement and resilience as compared to leisure app (L-App) users. The M-App was effective (Cohen's d range = 3.08–5.07, p =.001) for the intervention cohort. Male chaplains, highly qualified, attached to assisted living hospices, who used the M-App once-twice a day, perused both videos and learning sessions and self-practiced regularly, reported lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and higher personal achievement and resilience post-test. M-App usage behavior mediated the relationship between demographic and hospice related moderators and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Thailands' informal workers are faced with job insecurity and poor working conditions. Good health status can promote lifelong working and increase quality of life. This study analyzed factors associated with the health status of the community informal workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 390 informal workers aged 15 to 59 years in Thasala district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. A multi-stage sampling method using proportional to size selection was employed in various types of informal workers. The interviews on self-reported health status, health behaviors, occupational hazards, healthcare utilization, occupational health and safety (OHS) access are reported as descriptive. The multivariate association was explored using the simple logistic regression. Findings: The results revealed that 80.77% of the participants had good health, 57.44% had healthy behavior, 76.41% had safe work practices, 22.05% had moderate to high exposed of occupational hazards, and 56.41% had the low OHS access. Safe work practices, moderate to high OHS access, low exposed to occupational hazards, and low income were more likely to produce good health status, which yielded the adj. OR 2.57, 1.86, 0.39, and 0.48, respectively. Conclusions: The community informal workers health status was associated by income, work practices, occupational hazards, and OHS access. To strengthening the informal workers' health, the OHS program should be managed intensively by the primary care services, especially the OHS risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The objective of this study was to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Thai version of the Diabetes Self-Management Scale (T-DSMS). Design: A cross-sectional study. Methods: This study was performed in two phases: 1) a forward-backwards translation of the existing version of the Diabetes Self-Management Scale (DSMS); and 2) evaluation of its psychometric properties using confirmatory factor analysis. Between February to June 2016, a total of 700 type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients were recruited from outpatient diabetes clinics of both community and university hospitals in Khon Kaen and Bangkok province Thailand, using a self-administered questionnaire. Results: The results, based on confirmatory factor analysis using Unweighted Least Squares, confirmed the construct validity of the T-DSMS (CFI = 0.985; RMSEA = 0.258; TLI = 0.981; SRMR = 0.040). The T-DSMS contains 13 items across four domains: Diet, Blood, Exercise, and Foot care. Conclusion: We translated and appropriately validated the DSMS in Thai T2DM patients. The T-DSMS was shown to have good psychometric properties, including content validity and criterion validity. The T-DSMS is an adequate instrument with which to assess diabetes self-management in Thai T2DM patients, and can provide valuable insights into the epidemiology of diabetes self-management, and enable evaluation of prevention programs for diabetes selfmanagement in T2DM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were examining the level of health behavior of elderly and identify the relationship between demographics data (e.g., gender, age, income and comorbid diseases) and health behavior (e.g., dietary health behavior, exercise, self-care behavior and stress management) in elderly. In this crosssectional study, the total of 160 elderly in Ratchaburi Province, Thailand was selected by quotation sampling with the method as probability-free selection of the sample. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and Chi Square test to examine the relationship between demographics data and health behavior in elderly. Findings showed the elderly had moderate level of health behavior score as 0.93 ± 0.43 (mean ± SD.). Demographic data showed the relationship with dietary health behavior included gender (p =.005), age (p = .007), monthly income (p < .001), and underlying disease (p = .016). In summary, the health behavior of the elderly could be improved by promoting the dietary health behavior, exercising behavior, self-care behavior and stress management behavior. Moreover, according to the moderate level of health behavior observed, it is recommended that healthcare providers should be aware of the benefits of health promoting behaviors to slow down the deterioration of the elderly's health, maintain good health and lead happiness in the rest of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Describe and compare levels of happiness, psychological well-being, perceived stress, and health behaviors of university students. Participants: Thai university students were selected (N = 478) during November 2016 using random cluster sampling. Methods: A health and well-being questionnaire was constructed, translated from English to Thai, back-translated, and pilot tested. Descriptive and chi-square statistics were calculated for study variables. Results: Thai male students had lower happiness and psychological well-being than Thai female students. Overall, Thai students had lower happiness and higher perceived stress than US/UK samples. Thai male students reported greater alcohol and tobacco use than Thai female students. Overall, Thai students reported inadequate diet (57%), poor sleep quantity/quality (67%) and depressive symptoms (40%). Conclusions: These preliminary results identify specific areas of concern in the health and well-being of Thai university students. Further analyses are needed to shed light on the factors contributing to these increased health risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]