Prevalence and Determinants of Alcohol Consumption Behavior of Migrant Workers in the Communities of the Lower Northern Region of Thailand

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors influencing alcohol consumption behavior of migrant workers. Method: A community-based analytical cross-sectional study was carried out on 559 samples drawn from 15 communities of the lower northern region of Thailand through a multistage random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics were used to describe basic socio-demographic characteristics, Chi-square tests were used for the univariate analyses to determine the relationship between the study outcome and other demographic characteristics. A binary logistic regression was used for the multivariate analyses to investigate factors associated with the research outcome. Result: The results revealed a 65.5% prevalence of alcohol consumption. Being male, above 30 years, in permanent employment, Agriculture-related jobs, living in a factory dormitory, having no relatives in Thailand, and earning between 5,000-10,000 Baht monthly were significant risk factors for alcohol consumption. However, being married, with over 5 years of work experience, and living in a comfortable condition were mitigating factors for alcohol consumption. Conclusion: Given the exceedingly high prevalence of alcohol consumption in the migrant workers’ communities, it is, therefore, imperative to enforce and continuously reinforce alcohol control laws, with the provision of specially designed health promotion and education programs in order to achieve a long-lasting reduction in alcohol consumption.