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Background: Liver fluke has long affected the health of Thai people, particularly those who live in the Northeast Region. It is a major cause of Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), which is one of the important causes of mortality affecting people in this region. The national helminth prevalence survey also reported that children were infected by Opisthorchis viverini (OV). Objectives: To evaluate the effects of “The Learning Activity Package (LAP) on Improving Awareness of Liver Fluke Prevention and Control” for secondary school students. Methodology: This quasi-experimental study primarily focused on improving awareness of liver fluke prevention and control among secondary school students in Grade 7, with three components, attitude, acceptance and giving value, as well as consciousness of responsibility at individual, family and community level. The LAP was implemented for 8 weeks in 6 schools at Don-Chan District, Kalasin Province, Thailand. Data collection used a questionnaire and data analysis used descriptive statistics, paired t-test, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: After the LAP intervention implementation among 121 students, this study showed a significant increase in all awareness components. The mean of the post-test awareness scores increased from baseline to 45.01 points (95 % CI =42.66 - 47.35 points, p <0.001), reflecting a large effect. (Cohen’s d=3.45) Conclusion: This LAP intervention is an effective and beneficial school-based program to impact liver fluke infection prevention and control behavior among secondary school students at individual, family and community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Translate the original English version of the Rapid Of􀏐ice Strain Assessment [ROSA] into Thai version and evaluate the validity and reliability of Thai ROSA in of􀏐ice worker. Materials and Methods: The original version of ROSA was translated into Thai using a standard forward-backward procedure and Translation Equivalence testing. The content validity was approved by four experts in ergonomic and occupational health. Inter-rater reliability was examined by researcher and other expert in ergonomics in 48 subjects, university of􀏐ice workers. All subjects were re-assessed one week later by the researcher to obtain intra-rater reliability. Results: The Thai version of ROSA, translated according to international standard, had universal agreement calculation method (S-CVI/UA) = 0.80, scale-level content validity index (S-CVI/Ave) = 0.95 and very high inter- and intra-rater reliability as following ICC 􀏐inal score = 0.99 and ICC 􀏐inal score = 0.91. Conclusion: The Thai version of ROSA is a valid and reliable measurement method for Ergonomic Assessment in Thai of􀏐ice worker. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the quality of life among drug dependent patients in Government Health Service Unit in Songkhla. Material and Method: The present study was a cross-sectional study. The sample was 749 drug dependent patients and were from both the outpatient department (OPD) and the inpatient department (IPD) of Hatyai Hospital, Songkhla Hospital, Thanyarak Songkhla Hospital, and Songkhla Rajanagarindra Psychiatric Hospital. The instrument of the present study was the Short-Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) of The Medical Outcomes Study (MOS), Thai version. Data analysis used descriptive statistics to describe the general characteristics and the quality of life of patients with drugs. Results: The results of health assessment of the patients were the same as the last year (50.2%), consistent with type of drug use. Types of drugs used for treatment, patterns, and methods of treatment were similar in the four hospitals. The sample had the highest means of the quality of life in Physical Functioning (PF) 94.6±10.9. The lowest means was the Social Functioning (SF) 53.8±11.1. Comparing with the general public, we found drugs patients' quality of life was lower in all aspects, except PF. Conclusion: Most patients had similar health condition as last year. The highest quality of life of patients was in PF and the lowest was in SF. The patients who used sedative drug had lower quality of life than the patients who used stimulating and combination drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol consumption increases health risks and social consequences. It also lowers productivity resulting in economic losses for drinkers and the rest of society., Objective: To investigate alcohol drinking behavior and to estimate economic cost incurred by alcohol users in Khon Kaen province in 2007., Material and Method: A cross-sectional survey targeting the population aged 12-65 years old was conducted in 20 communities. Data were collected using full-structured questionnaires through interviews., Results: Among 1,053 respondents, 53.0% drank alcohol sometime in their lives (95% CI: 46.1, 59.9). The percentage of individuals drinking in the past 12 months was 43.3% (95% CI: 37.1, 49.5). The average number of drinking days in past 12 months was 36.8 days. Most respondents drank for social activities, mainly with friends and relatives. Individual costs of alcohol consumption varied greatly. The weighted average cost in 2007 was 975.5 Baht per drinker. The estimated overall cost of alcohol consumption in Khon Kaen, in 2007, was 691.2 million Baht (95% CI: 280.0, 1,102.3 million), or 502.9 Baht per capita., Conclusion: More than half of the Khon Kaen population drank alcohol sometime in their lives and 43.3% were current drinkers. The average number of drinking days in past 12 months was 36.8 days. The estimated cost of alcohol consumption in Khon Kaen province was enormous.