Atheromatous risk factors among Thai labor forces by socioeconomic status.

The purpose of this study was to describe atheromatous risk factors among Thai labor forces by socioeconomic status (SES) such as income, education and occupation. Undesirable levels of artheromatous risk factors were specified as: total serum cholesterol (TC) > 200 mg per cent, body mass index (BMI) > 25 kg/m2, fasting blood sugar (FBS) > 126 mg/dL, systolic blood pressure (SBP) > 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > 90 mmHg. Data from the Second National Health Examination survey in Thailand from 1996 to 1997 was used, with a total number of 4,198 participants (1,634 males, 2,561 females) aged 13-60 years old. Results from multivariate analysis demonstrated differences in means TC, BMI, SBP and DBP among different age-groups, both in males and females (p < 0.001). TC, BMI, and SBP increased with age in both sexes, but DBP increased with age in females only. Males who lived in a municipality had a higher risk of having undesirable TC and DBP than those who did not. Risk of undesirable BMI varied according to levels of income in males. Males with an income of 5,001-10,000 and > 25,000 baht/month had OR = 1.57 (95% CI = 1.04-2.39) and OR = 2.59 (95% CI = 1.18-5.66) compared to males with an income of < 5,000 baht/month. TC and DBP varied with levels of income in females. For undesirable TC, females with an income of 5,001-10,000 and > 25,000 baht/month had OR = 1.48 (95% CI = 1.01-2.18) and OR = 2.17 (95% CI = 1.03-4.88) compared to females with an income of < 5,000 baht/month. For undesirable DBP, females with an income > 25,000 baht/month had OR = 3.39 (95% CI = 1.31-8.78) compared to females with income an < 5,000 baht/month. Among different levels of education in males, different risks of undesirable TC, BMI, SBP and DBP were not significant, except a borderline significance in TC among vocational graduates. The same phenomenon was observed among females, except that females only a primary education tended to have a higher risk of undesirable BMI (OR = 2.64, 95% CI = 1.39-5.02) compared to females with graduate studies. The level of occupation seemed not to affect the risk of unfavorable atheromatous risk factors among males. Nonetheless, females in the agricultural section seemed to have a lower risk of undesirable TC (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.18-0.78) compared to the professional group. The results suggested the consideration of critical guidance of epidemiological studies in using SES as the control variable, or for selection of subjects or matching criteria. Specific preventive programs on atheromatous risk factors should be launched for some specific socio-demographic groups in order to prevent coronary heart diseases (CHD) in the future.

Compliance with the law on car seat-belt use in four cities of Thailand.

Surveys to determine the scope of compliance with the law requiring seat-belt use in Thailand were conducted by observation and interviews with drivers in four cities: namely, Bangkok Metropolis, Chiang Mai, Phuket and Nakhon Ratchasima. The work was carried out in two separate sessions: during the first month following enactment of the law, and six months after its enactment. The sample comprised 46,949 vehicles in the first session (January 1996) and 76,188 vehicles in the second session (July 1996). The results showed that 42.7 per cent of drivers used seat-belts in January and 30.7 per cent in July. When the data were disaggregated according to cities, it was found that more Bangkok drivers complied with the seat-belt law than in Phuket, 24.6 per cent; Chiang Mai, 22.1 per cent; and Nakhon Ratchasima, 18.3 per cent relatively low compliance rate was encountered among drivers of pick-up trucks (including those with modified roofs) and vans, particularly farmers and the self-employed. Women drivers tended to abide by the law more often than men (OR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.12, 1.23). Inter-city travelers wore seat-belts more than those traveling in the city (OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.68, 1.80). About one-fifth of non-users or those who rarely used seat-belts were unsure of the effectiveness of seat-belts in preventing serious injury or death in the case of an accident. Discomfort associated with using seat-belts and the perception that they were rendered unnecessary because of slow traffic in cities were other reasons for non-compliance in 50.6 per cent and 43.9 per cent of cases, respectively. The decline in compliance with the law six months after its enactment indicates that there may be a problem with uniform and consistent enforcement of the law.