Manop Kanato

Effectiveness of Community Participation in a Surveillance System Initiative to Prevent Drowning in Thailand

This study had a 2-group pre-post quasiexperimental design and was conducted in 2 selected areas of Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand. The objective was to evaluate the extent to which the surveillance system that was developed helped in drowning prevention. The development process involved extensive participation from the community. System efficiency was evaluated, and the drowning rates were compared. The system demonstrated 82.8% system sensitivity and 87% positive-predictive value. There were 90.0% rescues with no injury during the study period. The relative risk of drowning injury suggests that the control area was at 5.6 times more at risk for drowning injury than the intervention area (95% CI = 1.58, 20.12). Local knowledge and participation from the community were found to be key issues in the success of the surveillance system, and such systems can be applied to other areas with similar problems.

Polydrug use among kratom users: Findings from the 2011 Thailand National Household Survey

ABSTRACT Despite the availability of numerous anecdotal reports of polydrug use in kratom users, few studies have been carried out in Thailand. This study aimed to explore the problem of polydrug use among Thai kratom users. A national household survey on the prevalence of substance use was conducted in 2011 using a multistage random sampling technique. Participants were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. The frequency of other substance use was compared between respondents with and without a history of kratom use. Of the total sample (18,457), 544 (2.9%) acknowledged kratom use. Eighty-nine (46.1%) used it almost every day. The mean age of users (SD) was 42.7 (12.8) years old, 459 (84.4%) were male, and 264 (48.5%) had used other illicit drugs in the past. Kratom users were significantly more likely to use heroin, ecstasy, and ice with adjusted odds ratios of 39.7, 30.5, and 29.1, respectively. Of 195 who acknowledged kratom use in the past 12 months, 22 (11.3%) concurrently used other illicit drugs, including cannabis, amphetamine-type stimulants (ATSs), and inhalants. Polydrug use is common in Thai kratom users who are more likely to use opiates and ATSs in their lifetime. Another drug concurrently used was cannabis. Health personnel need to be aware of polydrug use in this population.

The prevalence and associated factors of new psychoactive substance use: A 2016 Thailand national household survey

Introduction Analyzing the situation and risk factors associated with using new psychoactive substances (NPS) is essential for preventing and controlling health consequences. This study explored the prevalence and associated factors of NPS use in the Thai population. Methods This descriptive study was conducted in participants (N = 30,411, mean age = 42.4 ± 13.4 years, range = 15–64 years, 50.3% women) from urban and rural areas of Thailand. The participants were chosen using multistage sampling for large populations. The data were collected in July–December 2016 and analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, chi-square, multiple logistic regression, and odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results The prevalence of lifetime NPS use was 49.7% (95% CI, 49.1–51.3), past-year use was 31.3% (95% CI, 30.8–31.8), and current (past-month) use was 14.9% (95% CI, 14.5–15.3). Among current users, 29.5% were habitual users (over 20 days). The factors associated with current NPS use were sex (male/female) (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.145; 95% CI, 1.075–1.221; p < 0.001), age group (25–64/15–24 years) (AOR = 1.126; 95% CI, 1.090–1.358; p < 0.001), educational attainment (elementary or secondary education and higher) (AOR = 1.634; 95% CI, 1.529–1.747; p < 0.001), and employment status (AOR = 1.842; 95% CI, 1.683–2.016; p < 0.001). Conclusions The prevalence of NPS use in Thailand is high, which reflects abuse behavior that could potentially harm users. Understanding the prevalence and risk factors of NPS use could benefit policymakers.