Orawan Kaewboonchoo

Musculoskeletal disorders among Thai women in construction-related work.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder symptoms and its risk factors among women rebar workers. A simple random sampling method was used and data were collected by face-to-face interview and ergonomic assessment from February to March 2011. A total of 272 women rebar workers with at least 6 months’ job experience participated in this study. The findings revealed that 57.7% of workers reported musculoskeletal disorder symptoms with low back and shoulders as the most common body parts affected (46.0%). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated 2 variables that are significantly associated with musculoskeletal disorders: prolonged working hours (adjusted odds ratio = 7.63; 95% confidence interval = 2.06-28.31) and awkward posture (adjusted odds ratio = 43.79; 95% confidence interval = 17.09-112.20). The high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among women rebar workers suggests that an appropriate ergonomic workstation design and ergonomic training for women rebar workers are necessary.

Cardiovascular Diseases and the Work Environment

The International Commission on Occupation Health, Scientific Committee on Cardiology in Occupational Health, organized the recent International Conference on the Work Environment and Cardiovascular Diseases on the theme “Total Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease—From Social, Organizational and Clinical Perspectives,” held in Tokyo, Japan, in March 2013. Worldwide, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a pandemic and a significant public health problem. The prevalence of CVDs is increasing because of epidemiological transitions, increasing urbanization, and globalization. CVDs are the number one cause of death and disability globally: More people die annually from CVDs than from any other cause.1,2 An estimated 17.3 million people died from CVDs in 2008, representing 30% of all global deaths.1 Of these deaths, an estimated 7.3 million were due to coronary heart disease and 6.2 million were due to stroke.3 CVDs are responsible for 151 377 million disability-adjusted life years, of which 62 587 million are due to coronary heart disease and 46 591 million due to cerebrovascular disease.3,4 More than 80% of the world’s deaths from CVDs occur in lowand middle-income countries as these populations are more exposed to the various risk factors leading to other noncommunicable diseases and not benefiting from prevention programs. They are less accessible to effective and equitable health care services.1 Some 9.4 million deaths each year, or 16.5% of all deaths can be attributed to high blood pressure.5 This includes 51% of deaths due to strokes and 45% of deaths due to coronary heart disease.4 It is projected that the number of people who die from CVDs, mainly from heart disease and stroke, will increase to 23.3 million by 2030.1,2 The transformation of society and the work environment has led to the increase in CVDs. Stressful and unhealthy working conditions, precarious work, overcrowding, high workload demands, long working hours, machine-based labor that does not involve much physical activity and leisure-time physical inactivity, depression, and anxiety, all lead to CVDs, coronary heart diseases, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Stress, job strain, and undesirable lifestyles are known triggers of coronary heart disease events among vulnerable individuals.6-14 Stress at work is a major public health risk and thus strategies and intervention for stress reduction should be made for workers’ health so as to improve their quality of life. In this issue of the journal, majority of the articles are related to CVDs, namely, obesity and overweight, social determinants of CVDs, systematic review on the relationship between active transport to work and school, and cardiovascular health. Most CVDs can be prevented by addressing behavioral risk factors, such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and obesity, physical inactivity, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and

Biofeedback Intervention for Stress, Anxiety, and Depression among Graduate Students in Public Health Nursing

Globally, graduate students have been found to have high prevalence of mental health problems. With increasing severity of mental health problems on university campuses and limited resources for mental health treatment, alternative interventions are needed. This study investigated the use of biofeedback training to help reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. A sample of 60 graduate students in public health nursing was randomly assigned to either the biofeedback intervention or the control group. Results indicated that biofeedback intervention was effective in significantly reducing the levels of stress, anxiety, and depression over the 4-week period, while the control group had increases in symptoms of anxiety and depression over the same timeframe. As future leaders in the public health nursing arena, the more psychologically healthy the graduate students in public health nursing are, the better the public health nursing professionals they will be as they go forth to serve the community after graduation.

Occupational Health and Safety for Agricultural Workers in Thailand: Gaps and Recommendations, with a Focus on Pesticide Use

Over 16.7 million workers in Thailand (42 percent of the working population) are engaged in agriculture, disproportionately from the lower socioeconomic strata of Thai society. Most agricultural workers (over 93 percent) work in the informal sector without the protections of regulations or enforcement of labor or health and safety laws or enrollment in a social security system. Although Thailand’s use of herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides is growing, there is little regulation of the sale, use, or application of these potentially toxic chemicals. This paper summarizes the research to date on occupational health and safety for Thai agricultural workers, identifies gaps in pesticide regulations and the current systems for occupational health and safety and social support for Thai agricultural workers, and makes recommendations for future policy and research initiatives to fill the identified gaps.

Job Stress and Intent to Stay at Work among Registered Female Nurses Working in Thai Hospitals

Job Stress and Intent to Stay at Work among Registered Female Nurses Working in Thai Hospitals: Orawan KAEWBOONCHOO, et al. Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand—

Gender Differences in Depression Symptoms Among Rice Farmers in Thailand.

This study aimed to examine the prevalence of depression symptoms and risk factors by gender among rice farmers in Nakhon Ratchasima Province in Thailand. A cross-sectional study was designed using interviewed questionnaire on lifestyle, work, and depression symptoms. To examine the factors associated with depression symptoms, multiple logistic regression analysis was used. Depression symptoms were found in 39.0% of males and 48.1% of females. Eating healthy food, preparing to prevent the problem, having community integration, hearing loud machines, and using personal protective equipment during work with chemical substances were associated factors among males with depression symptoms. Having family connection, being an accepted person in community, hearing loud machines, and having work-related financial hardship were predictors among females with depression symptoms. The prevalence of depression symptoms among Thai rice farmers was high. To prevent mental health problems, it is important to give males the support for health action and working styles, and females an accepting atmosphere. Corresponding to the aim, we have to define the factor by gender.

Psychometric properties of the Thai version of the work ability index (Thai WAI)

Psychometric properties of the Thai version of the work ability index (Thai WAI): Orawan Kaewboonchoo, et al. Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand

Hearing Loss in Thai Naval Officers of Coastal Patrol Crafts

This cross-sectional study aimed to examine the prevalence of hearing loss and its risk factors among Thai naval officers. The subjects consisted of 149 males who were asked to complete a questionnaire. Audiometric threshold testing was performed at the audiometric frequencies of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 kHz. The noise levels and the organic solvent concentrations in the working environment were measured on a common type of gun boat. The findings revealed that 39.6% of naval officers had hearing loss. The noise level (LAeq) was 100.6 dB in the engine room. The organic solvent concentrations were less than the occupational exposure limit for organic solvents. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated 2 factors were significantly associated with hearing loss. They were age and service experience. The results suggest that the Thai navy should develop a hearing conservation program for naval officers on coastal patrol crafts.

Work Ability and Its Related Factors Among Workers in Small and Medium Enterprises Comparison Among Four ASEAN Countries

Work ability is related to many factors that might influence one’s capacity to work. This study aimed to examine the work ability and its related factors among small and medium enterprises (SME) workers in 4 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. The participants in this study included 2098 workers from food and textile industries in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. A cross-sectional survey of anonymous self-administrated questionnaire was designed to collect information on sociodemographic factors, work environment and ergonomic condition, musculoskeletal disorders, and work ability. Bivariate correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analyses were used to predict the work ability. Results of this study confirm that work ability in 4 ASEAN countries was similar to that in European countries, and that the sociodemographic factors, work environment and ergonomic condition, and musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) were associated with work ability. These factors are important for considering occupational health and safety policy to promote work ability in food, textile, and other SME workers.

Development and Cross-Cultural Validation of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms–Thai Version

This study examined the applicability of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS), a psychological assessment instrument that is widely used with college students in the United States, to the college student population in Thailand. Following the procedures of translation and back-translation, the Thai version of the CCAPS (CCAPS-Thai) was developed. A total sample of 1,259 college students recruited from seven colleges and universities in four different regions of Thailand completed the CCAPS-Thai along with several carefully selected scales. Results from exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a six-factor model. Findings also provided preliminary evidence for adequate internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity of the CCAPS-Thai. Implications are discussed based on the mental health issues and cultural context of college students in Thailand.