Vaccine serocoverage under the expanded program on immunization among hill tribe children in Thailand: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: We aimed to (1) assess parental hesitancy about category A (Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI)) and B (non-EPI) vaccines, (2) assess parental willingness for COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations, and (3) explore the association of vaccination hesitancy of parents and healthcare workers (HCWs). Methods: The study was performed in Wuxi, eastern China between 21 September 2020 and 17 October 2020. Parents of children aged <18 years and HCWs were recruited from the selected immunization clinics. Vaccine hesitancy was assessed using the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) vaccine hesitancy survey (VHS) by summing the total score for 10 items (maximum 50 points). Results: A total of 3009 parents and 86 HCWs were included in the analysis. The category A VHS scores were significantly higher than the category B VHS scores (p = 0.000). Overall, 59.3% and 52.4% of parents reported willingness to avail COVID-19 and influenza vaccination for their children, respectively; 51.2% of the HCWs wanted to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Parental category B VHS scores were associated with HCW category B VHS scores (r = 0.928, p = 0.008). Conclusions: In China, parents are more hesitant about category B vaccines than category A vaccines. More than 40% of parents showed hesitancy and a refusal to use COVID-19 and influenza vaccines.

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Antibiotic resistance among the Lahu hill tribe people, northern Thailand: a cross-sectional study

BMC Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1186/s12879-021-06087-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sophaphan Intahphuak ◽

Tawatchai Apidechkul ◽

Patita Kuipiaphum

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Escherichia Coli ◽

Drug Resistance ◽

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hill Tribe ◽

The Hill

Abstract Background Antibiotic resistance is often reported and great concerned as one of public health problems especially people living with poverty in developing countries including Thailand. The hill tribe people is defined as vulnerable population for antibiotic resistance in Thailand due to poor economic and education status particularly the Lahu people who is the second greatest group of the hill tribe people in Thailand. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence, factors associated with, and typing major species of bacteria with antibiotic drugs resistance among the Lahu hill tribe people in northern Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to gather the information from the participants. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Participants who presented an illness related to infectious diseases were eligible to participate the study and were asked to obtain specific specimen; sputum, urine or stool. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by Kirbey Bauer’s disc diffusion test. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to detect the associations between variables at the significant level of α = 0.05. Results A total of 240 participants were recruited into the study. The majority had urinary tract infection (67.9%) with two major pathogenic species of the infection; Escherichia coli (12.8%), and Enterobacter cloacae (8.0%). The prevalence of antibiotic resistance was 16.0%. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae species were found to have multidrug resistance that was greater than that of other species, while ampicillin was found to have the greatest drug resistance. It was found that those who had poor knowledge of antibiotic use had a 2.56-fold greater chance (95% CI = 1.09–5.32) of having antibiotic resistance than did those who had good knowledge of antibiotic use, and those who had poor antibiotic use behaviors had a 1.79-fold greater chance (95% CI = 1.06–4.80) of having antibiotic resistance than did those who had good antibiotic use behaviors. Conclusion Effective public health interventions are urgently needed to reduce antibiotic drug resistance among the Lahu people by improving their knowledge and skills regarding the proper use of antibiotics and eventually minimizing antibiotic resistance. Moreover, health care professionals should strictly follow the standard guideline to prescribe antibiotics.

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Factors associated with domestic violence in the Lahu hill tribe of northern Thailand: A cross-sectional study

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0248587 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. e0248587

Author(s):

Nicharuch Panjaphothiwat ◽

Ratipark Tamornpark ◽

Tawatchai Apidechkul ◽

Prapamon Seeprasert ◽

Onnalin Singkhorn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Domestic Violence ◽

Family Member ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Financial Problems ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

The Past ◽

Hill Tribe

Background Domestic violence significantly affects physical and mental health, particularly among children, women, and the elderly. Living in certain family environments could lead to victimization by domestic violence, especially among families with a poor socioeconomic status, such as the Lahu hill tribe people in Thailand. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and determine the factors associated with domestic violence among Lahu children, women, and the elderly. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted of participants who belonged to the Lahu hill tribe and lived in 20 selected villages in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. A validated questionnaire was used to collect personal information and information regarding experiences related to domestic violence in the past year from children (aged 5–15 years), women (aged 16–59 years), and the elderly (aged 60 years and over). A binary logistic regression was used to detect associations between the variables. Results A total of 646 participants were recruited into the study, specifically, 98 children aged 5–15 years, 430 women aged 16–59 years, and 118 elderly people. Children who smoked (AOR = 8.70; 95%CI = 1.27–59.45) had greater odds of experiencing domestic violence than children who did not smoke. Women who had a role as a family member (AOR = 1.59; 95%CI = 1.02–2.50), used alcohol (AOR = 3.36; 95%CI = 2.27–4.99), lived in a family with financial problems (AOR = 4.01; 95%CI = 2.52–7.66), and lived with a family member who uses alcohol (AOR = 2.87; 95%CI = 2.20–5.63) had greater odds of suffering domestic violence than women who did not share these characteristics. The elderly who used alcohol (AOR = 3.25, 95%CI = 1.08–9.81), lived with a family member who uses alcohol (AOR = 3.31; 95%CI = 1.26–7.34), or lived in a family with financial problems in the past year (AOR = 2.16; 95%CI = 1.16–8.77) had greater odds of facing domestic violence than the elderly who did not have these characteristics. Conclusion Family financial problems and substance use are associated with domestic violence in Lahu families in Thailand. Health interventions to reduce the use of substances, including training programs to respond to domestic violence, should be promoted for Lahu children, women, and the elderly.

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Antibiotic resistance among the Lahu hill tribe people in northern Thailand: a cross-sectional study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-27927/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

SOPHAPHAN INTAHPHUAK ◽

TAWATCHAI APIDECHKUL ◽

PATITA KUIPIAPHUM

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Escherichia Coli ◽

Drug Resistance ◽

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hill Tribe ◽

Antibiotic Drug

Abstract Background Antibiotic resistance is often reported and is of major concern as a public health problem. The hill tribe people in Thailand are considered populations vulnerable to antibiotic resistance due to their poor economic and educational status. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of, the factors associated with, and the major species of bacteria involved in antibiotic drug resistance among the Lahu hill tribe people in northern Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to gather information from participants between March and September 2019. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Participants who presented an illness related to infectious diseases were eligible to participate in the study and were asked to obtain specific specimens. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by the Kirbey-Bauer disk diffusion test. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to detect the associations between variables at the significance level of α = 0.05. Results A total of 240 participants were recruited into the study; 70.4% were females, 25.4% were aged 30–40 years. More than half worked in the agricultural sector (55.4%) and had an education level of less than primary school (45.8%). The majority had urinary tract infections (67.9%) with two major pathogenic species of the infection: Escherichia coli (12.8%) and Enterobacter cloacae (8.0%). The prevalence of antibiotic resistance was 16.0%. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae species were found to have multidrug resistance that was greater than that of other species, while ampicillin was found to have the greatest drug resistance. In the multivariate model, it was found that those who had poor knowledge of antibiotic use had a 2.56-fold greater chance (95% CI = 1.09–5.32) of having antibiotic resistance than did those who had good knowledge of antibiotic use, and those who had poor antibiotic use behaviors had a 1.79-fold greater chance (95% CI = 1.06–4.80) of having antibiotic resistance than did those who had good antibiotic use behaviors. Conclusion Effective public health interventions are urgently needed to reduce antibiotic drug resistance among the Lahu people by improving their knowledge and skills regarding the proper use of antibiotics and eventually minimizing antibiotic resistance.

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Iron Status of Hill Tribe Children and Adolescent Boys: A Cross Sectional Study at a Welfare Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Pakistan Journal of Nutrition ◽

10.3923/pjn.2011.903.909 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 903-909 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Orraya Porniammon ◽

Uruwan Yamborisut ◽

Tipakorn Intajak ◽

Prapaisri P. Siricha

Keyword(s):

Iron Status ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Adolescent Boys ◽

Chiang Mai ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Children And Adolescent ◽

Hill Tribe

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Factors associated with hypertriglyceridemia among the hill tribe people aged 30 years and over, Thailand: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10632-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Panupong Upala ◽

Tawatchai Apidechkul ◽

Chanyanut Wongfu ◽

Siriyaporn Khunthason ◽

Niwed Kullawong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Elevated Serum ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Serum Triglycerides ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Hill Tribe ◽

High Level ◽

The Hill ◽

Abnormal Level

Abstract Background Triglycerides are lipids in the human body that are produced from the consumption of daily food and drink. However, elevated serum triglycerides, also known as hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), are key biomarkers indicating an unhealthy status and increased risks of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and pancreatitis. Different groups of people have different patterns and styles of cooking and different patterns of consumption, such as hill tribe people, who have their own unique culture and cooking practices. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and determine the factors associated with HTG among the hill tribe population in Thailand. Method A cross-sectional study was performed. Data and a-5 mL blood sample were collected from participants who were members of one of the six main hill tribes in Thailand: Akah, Lahu, Hmong, Yao, Karen, and Lisu. People who lived in 30 selected hill tribe villages and aged 30 years over were asked to participate the study. Pearson correlation and logistic regression were used to detect the correlations and determine the associations between variables, respectively, at a significant level of α = 0.05. Results A total of 2552 participants participated this study; 65.9% were females, 72.35% were aged 40–69 years, 76.7% had no education, 48.7% worked in the agricultural section, and 71.2% had an annual income of less than 50,000 baht/family. Regarding the triglyceride level, 41.7% of participants had elevated levels of serum triglyceride or HTG; 16.4% had a borderline high level, and 25.3% had a high level. After controlling for all potential confounder factors, three variables were found to be associated with elevated serum triglycerides. Those who were members of the Lahu and Hmong tribes were 1.62 times (95%CI = 1.25–2.01) and 1.63 times (95%CI = 1.23–2.16) more likely to have elevated serum triglycerides than those who were members of the Akha tribe, respectively. Those who used a high quantity of cooking oil for daily cooking were 0.73 times less likely to have an abnormal level of triglycerides than those who used a low quantity of cooking oil for daily cooking (95%CI = 0.58–0.91), and those who had a waist circumference indicating obesity were 1.28 times more likely to have an abnormal level of triglycerides than those who had a normal waist circumference (95%CI = 1.08–1.52). Conclusion Public health programs that focus on encouraging people to have regular exercise to reduce their body weight, particularly in some tribes, such as Lahu and Hmong, should be implemented.

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Factors associated with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels among hill tribe people aged 30 years and over in Thailand: a cross-sectional study

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10577-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Niwed Kullawong ◽

Tawatchai Apidechkul ◽

Panupong Upala ◽

Ratipark Tamornpark ◽

Vivat Keawdounglek ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Density Lipoprotein ◽

Density Lipoprotein ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Lipoprotein Cholesterol ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Hill Tribe ◽

Hba1c Levels

Abstract Background Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is one of the most important types of cholesterol and has an impact on health. Certain lifestyle and dietary habits in different populations may leads to increased levels of LDL-C, particularly among those with poor education and economic statuses, such as hill tribe people in Thailand. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and determine the factors associated with high LDL-C levels among hill tribe people in northern Thailand. Methods A cross-sectional study was performed to gather information from six main hill tribe populations: Akha, Lahu, Hmong, Yao, Karen, and Lisu. Individuals who were aged over 30 years and living in 30 selected hill tribe villages were invited to participate in the study. A validated questionnaire and 5-mL blood specimens were used to obtain data. Correlation analyses, chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression were used to detect correlations and associations. Results A total of 2552 participants were recruited into the study; 65.9% were females, and 64.1% were aged younger than 60 years old. Approximately 69.6% of participants had abnormal LDL-C levels; 33.6% had above-optimal levels, 24.3% had borderline high levels, 8.0% had high levels, and 3.7% had very high levels. A total of 17.4% of participants had low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and high LDL-C levels, while 14.9% had high triglyceride and LDL-C levels. After controlling for sex, age, religion, education, annual family income, and marital status in the multivariate model, three variables were found to be associated with high LDL-C levels: occupation, the amount of lard used in daily cooking, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Those who were working as agriculturalists had a 1.34-fold greater chance of having abnormal LDL-C than traders and others (95% CI = 1.09–1.34). Those who used moderate and high quantities of lard in their daily cooking had a 1.45-fold (95% CI = 1.15–1.82) and 1.31-fold (95% CI = 1.04–1.68) greater likelihood of having abnormal LDL-C levels than those who used low quantities, respectively. Those who had abnormal HbA1c levels were less likely to develop abnormal LDL-C levels than those who had normal HbA1c levels (AOR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.51–92). Conclusions Effective public health programs that do not conflict with the cultures of hill tribes are urgently needed, particularly programs encouraging the use of small quantities of lard for daily cooking practices.

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