Health seeking behavior among Myanmar migrant workers in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand

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Background: Numbers of migrant workers have been increasing in Thailand, 69% of low skilled migrant workers are from Myanmar. Migrant workers are at highest risk of work-related injury and illness as compared to immigrants. There is limited study focusing on the magnitude of health seeking behavior and its associated factors among Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand. Objectives: To determine the proportion of the health seeking behavior and its associated factors among Myanmar migrant workers. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study using quantitative data where 423 Myanmar migrant workers were included and the study was carried out in the Khon Kaen province, Thailand. Community people working in a fishing net factory and a construction site were selected by simple random sampling method. Data collection was done via face-to-face interviews. Multiple logistic regression was used for data analysis. The association was described with Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) and its 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) at the statistically significant level of p value < 0.05. Results: A total of 423 participants aged between 18 and 56 years (mean: 30.89 ± 7.95 years) and 61.7% currently married were enrolled in this study. Three-fourths (76.36%) of participants had income of more than 10,000 baths per month. Around 87% respondents were healthy. Overall, 46.81% of participants had appropriate health seeking behavior. Factors significantly associated with appropriate health seeking behavior were fishing net factory workers (AOR:1.80, 95% CI: 1.03-3.13), ability to speak Thai (AOR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.52-4.39), non-drinkers (AOR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.01-2.53), unhealthy workers (AOR:2.30, 95% CI: 1.21-4.39), injured (AOR: 3.33, 95% CI: 1.67-6.61) and having chronic diseases (AOR: 2.92,95% CI: 1.55-5.52). Conclusion: The proportion of appropriate health seeking behavior of Myanmar migrant workers was unsatisfactory. Occupation, ability to speak Thai, nondrinker, unhealthy, injury and chronic diseases were statistically significantly associated with appropriate health seeking behavior. Language translators should be assigned in the health centres to solve the barrier of health seeking behaviour of Myanmar migrant workers.