Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerging infectious disease, and risk communication is one of several public health emergency responses. During the pandemic, many migrant workers in Thailand experienced barriers that hamper access to health information. This study aims to explore factors related to the outcomes of health risk communication, including awareness of public health measures and preventive practices. We conducted a cross-sectional survey on migrants between January and April 2021 using cluster sampling in Phuket, Ranong, and Samut Sakhon. In the descriptive analysis, we presented the median, proportion, and ratio, while in the inferential analysis, we employed a logistic regression with robust standard errors. Although a total of 303 participants were initially included in this study, the final number was narrowed down to 288 samples due to insufficient information required for the analysis. Frequent reception of health information and primary school education showed a statistically significant association with preventive practices. Middle-aged migrant workers demonstrated a significantly lower level of preventive practices than younger migrant workers. A longer stay in Thailand was significantly related to a lower degree of awareness toward public health measures. Thus, it is necessary to promote the accessibility of health information among migrant workers in Thailand, especially those who have lived in Thailand for more than eight years, are older, and have no formal education.
Highlights
We purposively selected two main migrant communities in each province that were identified by local providers or representatives of non-government organizations (NGOs) who were familiar with the field
We found that participants had high levels of awareness toward public health measures and preventive practices
Based on the multivariate analysis, we found that a longer stay in Thailand had a significant association with lower awareness of public health measures
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first recognized in late 2019 [1,2,3]. Was later declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30 January 2020 to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) [4]. The WHO aimed to launch a global coordinated effort for effective preparedness and response to COVID-19. According to a WHO report on 20 October 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected over 241 million people and caused 4.9 million deaths in more than 200 countries [5]
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have