Mountain People Research Articles

A Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Initiative in Ethnic Communities of Northern Thailand: Local Perspectives and Future Prospects.

Nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) interventions can contribute to improved food security and household dietary diversity. As well as undertaking trials, contextual factors that influence sustainability need to be scoped. To explore locals' views of an NSA initiative, designed to improve food security and reduce malnutrition in children younger than 5 years, scoping future prospects 6 months after the conclusion of the trial. The initiative that was formally trialed over 6 months (November 2014 to April 2015) entailed keeping hens and home gardens. It occurred in the ethnic hill tribes of northern Thailand. In November 2015, 20 in-depth interviews were undertaken with villagers who had been involved in the initiative. Dialogue occurred in Thai with assistance of a translator and was recorded, transcribed, and translated to English. A detailed thematic analysis was undertaken. Eggs produced by the hens were appreciated and fed to children, and the message of providing children with an egg a day was widely remembered. Subsequently, the hens ceased laying or died. The home gardens had seasonal scarcity of water. Less visible, but fundamental, women lacked time for these activities due to heavy burdens of farm labor. Keeping hens has potential to become a sustainable activity. Home gardens need water infrastructure to be viable. Women do not necessarily have spare capacity for such initiatives. The required labor needs deliberation by villagers.

Association Between Lifestyle Behaviors and Hypertension Among Hill Tribe Adults in Thailand: a Cross-Sectional Study.

Hypertension (HT) is a serious problem in the adult population, particularly among individuals who are living in poor economic conditions and have a low education level. This study aimed to determine the associations between lifestyle and HT among adult hill tribe populations in Thailand. A cross-sectional study was conducted to gather information on several risk behaviors related to HT among the hill tribe population aged 30 years and older by using a validated questionnaire and 5 mL blood specimens. The study was conducted in 30 selected hill tribe villages in Chiang Rai Province, Northern Thailand. Logistic regression was used to detect the associations. A total of 2552 participants participated in the project; 65.9% were female, 72.4% were aged 40-69 years, and 54.2% were Buddhist. The overall prevalence of HT was 33.7%. After controlling for all potential confounding variables, two variables were found to be associated with HT: participants who used moderate (AOR=1.57; 95% CI=1.03-3.76) and high amounts (AOR=1.59; 95% CI=1.05-3.78) of oil for cooking had greater odds of having HT than those who used small amounts. Those who had low (AOR=1.45; 95% CI=1.13-1.88), moderate (AOR=2.68; 95% CI=1.80-8.78), and high (AOR=1.61; 95% CI=1.36-7.26) levels of depression had greater odds of having HT than those who were not depressed. Effective public health programs that focus on reducing the use of daily oil for cooking and decreasing the prevalence of depression in hill tribe people are urgently needed.

The works of Paolo Cognetti, or In praise of the wild boy

The author examines works by Paolo Cognetti in light of the myth he has created about a wild boy from the Alps and the wise mountain folk inhabiting various corners of the world. The myth, including the appeal to return to one's roots, to life in harmony with nature, has resonated with many people who are feeling out of place in modern urban civilisation. At the same time, Cognetti has developed his distinctive poetics by combining traditions of the American short story and those of Italian prose and by proposing a compelling stylistic ideal. The article dwells on the origins of Cognetti's writing, its defining features and Italian as well as foreign influences on his works. Cognetti's principal work, the novel The Eight Mountains [Le otto montagne], is analysed along with autobiographical stories The Wild Boy: A Memoir [Il ragazzo selvatico. Quaderno di montagna] and Without Ever Reaching the Summit: A Himalayan Journey [Senza mai arrivare in cima: Viaggio in Himalaya]. The myth of a savage and idealisation of the past help to explain Cognetti's popularity and the fact that he has lent his voice to a whole generation.

Quality of sources of drinking water and health among the hill tribe people of northern Thailand.

Poor-quality drinking water can cause numerous health problems, particularly for people who are living with poor economic conditions, have a low educational status and have limited access to safe drinking water, such as the hill tribe people in Thailand. This study aimed to assess the quality of different sources of natural drinking water from the hill tribe villages in northern Thailand. Seventy-two drinking water samples from the hill tribe villages were collected and tested for biological, chemical and physical qualities, which were compared with the standard parameter values for safe drinking water according to the World Health Organization. Total coliform bacteria and fecal coliform bacteria, which represented the biological parameters, were detected in all samples. The physical parameters, which consisted of turbidity (36.1%), iron content (5.5%), color (2.7%) and pH (2.7%), exceeded the standard indications. However, the hazard quotient and hazard index values were less than 1. The hill tribe people are facing the problem of poor-quality drinking water, particularly in terms of biological and physical parameters that exceed the standard values. An effective program for improving access to safe water for the hill tribe people should be developed and implemented immediately.

Experiences and expectations regarding COVID-19 prevention and control measures among the hill tribe population of northern Thailand: a qualitative study

BackgroundCOVID-19 has been a major human threat for a year. A large number of people have been infected and killed globally, including hill tribe people living in remote and border areas between Thailand and Myanmar. Different expectations of and experiences with the implemented disease prevention and control measures by local, national and international organizations have been widely reported. This study aimed to understand the experiences and expectations regarding the disease prevention and control measures that were implemented among hill tribe people in Thailand.MethodsQualitative data were collected from participants aged 20 and older who belonged to the hill tribes living on the border of northern Thailand and Myanmar. A semistructured questionnaire was used to guide interviews. Information was extracted for thematic analysis by the NVivo program.ResultsFifty-seven participants (36 female, 21 male) were interviewed; 27 participants were Thai Yai, 14 participants were Yunnan Chinese, 8 participants were Akha, and 8 participants were from other tribes. The average age was 45.8 years (min = 20 years, max = 90 years). Thirty participants had never attended school, and the other 27 participants had received education at different levels, from primary school to higher education. Forty participants were unemployed, 13 worked as agriculturists, and the other 4 were attending school. Both positive experiences, such as improving personal hygiene practices, maintaining close contact and increasing relationships among family members and demonstrating the leadership of the villager leaders, and negative experiences, including interruption of social interactions, family financial problems, poor access to medical care services, and invisible people to the government, were found. Different expectations were observed regarding organizations at the local, national, and international levels. Expectations at the local level included villagers and community leaders taking action to strongly contribute to prevention and control measures and to prevent unscreened people from entering the village. Obtaining accurate information about the disease and being financially supported were expectations at the national level, while closing borders to protect cases from overflowing into their villages was an international-level expectation.ConclusionAlthough hill tribes reside in very remote rural areas, they experience both positive and negative effects of the disease prevention and control measures implemented by organizations. Their expectations are formally and informally voiced to policy makers at the local, national and international levels.

General public’s knowledge and practices on face mask use during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional exploratory survey from Dharan, Nepal

Background: Facemasks are considered a cheap, effective, and safe method to control the spread of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). This study assessed the knowledge and practice of face mask use amongst the Nepalese public during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a self-developed, validated questionnaire (Cronbach alpha 0.556) was conducted in Dharan, Nepal during May 2020. Pharmacists from ten pharmacies throughout Dharan city administered and recorded responses from a selected sample, stratified across age, gender, education, and place of residence. Completed questionnaires were entered in SPSS, coded, and normality tested using a one-sample K-S test. Demographic characteristics were described using descriptive statistics. Median scores among subgroups were compared using inferential statistics. Descriptive analyses were performed for demographic parameters and inferential statistics for outcome variables, calculating median scores among subgroups which were further compared using non-parametric tests at alpha=0.05. Results: 381 individuals participated - 211 males (55.4%) and 170 females (44.6%) . 93 (24.5%) respondents were between 20-30 years of age and three (0.8%) were over 70. 200 (52.5%) participants were educated between classes VIII to XII; seven (1.8%) having postgraduate education. 129 (33.9%) participants were from hill tribes. Knowledge scores were high (median score 16; maximum score 18). Around 20% of participants had never used a face mask before the pandemic; most knew about the ongoing pandemic (80%), about washing hands before using a mask (92.6%), and covering the mouth and nose (78.7%), Under half knew to avoid touching the mask while wearing it (42.3%). Knowledge scores were higher among men (p=0.038), younger age groups (p=0.010), and those with greater education (p=0.048). Conclusion: Knowledge was good, and the public were aware of the proper use of face masks. Educational interventions could be targeted to those with lesser knowledge, and steps to promote sustained face mask use could be beneficial.

A review of the short story collection of Neelamalai

Review of the collection of short stories 'Neelamalai' written by Malayalam writer Urubu One of the notable writers in the world of Malayalam literature, PC Kuttikrishnan, also known as uhd Urubu, wrote a collection of short stories called 'Neelamalai' by. Kuttikrishna Menon is the whole point of Asha php. ‘Urubu’ is his nickname. Eva was born on June 8, 1915 in Ponnani, Kozhikode district. Evangel, Short Story, Drama, Poetry, as has given reassurance to all departments. MP Milk Award. Government of Kerala Award for Best Screenplay. Sahitya Akademi Award. The teacher sometimes lived in the Nilgiris and Wayanad hills, Short story Ava has said. There are a total of 6 short stories in this collection. The titles are set in relation to the central theme of the story. As the stories are centered on the Nilgiris and Wayanad, the technique of setting the beginning of the story with descriptions of places is used in all the stories. The characters in these stories are mostly hill people. Mountain races like Thotawa, Vaduga are shown. On a small scale vulgaris, gpw are shown as human beings. The hill tribesmen who come in male roles are hard workers. He has a hard working body and an owl mind that does not know the outside world. The women who come as female characters are innocent who do not know the outside world. So that he is deceived by others and, cannot break the rules. The characters, who are vulgar and, civilized, plunder the labor and life of the hill people. Pure Malayalam language is used in the stories. The vernacular is also used in the conversation of the hill tribes. vadugha language. Since the stories become the author's experience, it seems to be the best strategy to have the stories set by the teacher. The story is set in the Nilgiris, Wayanad hills, their biographical background, language, culture, customs, etc. The technique used in the stories is good. Having the meaning of the words in their own language helps the reader to understand the story.

Assessing nature-based solutions for transformative change

Assessing nature-based solutions for transformative change

Reconstructing the Human Genetic History of Mainland Southeast Asia: Insights from Genome-Wide Data from Thailand and Laos

Thailand and Laos, located in the center of Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA), harbor diverse ethnolinguistic groups encompassing all five language families of MSEA: Tai-Kadai (TK), Austroasiatic (AA), Sino-Tibetan (ST), Hmong-Mien (HM), and Austronesian (AN). Previous genetic studies of Thai/Lao populations have focused almost exclusively on uniparental markers and there is a paucity of genome-wide studies. We therefore generated genome-wide SNP data for 33 ethnolinguistic groups, belonging to the five MSEA language families from Thailand and Laos, and analyzed these together with data from modern Asian populations and SEA ancient samples. Overall, we find genetic structure according to language family, albeit with heterogeneity in the AA-, HM-, and ST-speaking groups, and in the hill tribes, that reflects both population interactions and genetic drift. For the TK speaking groups, we find localized genetic structure that is driven by different levels of interaction with other groups in the same geographic region. Several Thai groups exhibit admixture from South Asia, which we date to ∼600–1000 years ago, corresponding to a time of intensive international trade networks that had a major cultural impact on Thailand. An AN group from Southern Thailand shows both South Asian admixture as well as overall affinities with AA-speaking groups in the region, suggesting an impact of cultural diffusion. Overall, we provide the first detailed insights into the genetic profiles of Thai/Lao ethnolinguistic groups, which should be helpful for reconstructing human genetic history in MSEA and selecting populations for participation in ongoing whole genome sequence and biomedical studies.

Antibiotic resistance among the Lahu hill tribe people, northern Thailand: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundAntibiotic resistance is often reported and great concerned as one of public health problems especially people living with poverty in developing countries including Thailand. The hill tribe people is defined as vulnerable population for antibiotic resistance in Thailand due to poor economic and education status particularly the Lahu people who is the second greatest group of the hill tribe people in Thailand. The study aimed to estimate the prevalence, factors associated with, and typing major species of bacteria with antibiotic drugs resistance among the Lahu hill tribe people in northern Thailand.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to gather the information from the participants. A validated questionnaire was used for data collection. Participants who presented an illness related to infectious diseases were eligible to participate the study and were asked to obtain specific specimen; sputum, urine or stool. Antibiotic susceptibility was tested by Kirbey Bauer’s disc diffusion test. Chi-square and logistic regression were used to detect the associations between variables at the significant level of α = 0.05.ResultsA total of 240 participants were recruited into the study. The majority had urinary tract infection (67.9%) with two major pathogenic species of the infection; Escherichia coli (12.8%), and Enterobacter cloacae (8.0%). The prevalence of antibiotic resistance was 16.0%. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae species were found to have multidrug resistance that was greater than that of other species, while ampicillin was found to have the greatest drug resistance. It was found that those who had poor knowledge of antibiotic use had a 2.56-fold greater chance (95% CI = 1.09–5.32) of having antibiotic resistance than did those who had good knowledge of antibiotic use, and those who had poor antibiotic use behaviors had a 1.79-fold greater chance (95% CI = 1.06–4.80) of having antibiotic resistance than did those who had good antibiotic use behaviors.ConclusionEffective public health interventions are urgently needed to reduce antibiotic drug resistance among the Lahu people by improving their knowledge and skills regarding the proper use of antibiotics and eventually minimizing antibiotic resistance. Moreover, health care professionals should strictly follow the standard guideline to prescribe antibiotics.

Combining farmers’ and scientists’ tree species and soil fertility assessment for improved cropping decisions in swidden systems of Northern Thailand

Despite increasing pressure on land, many hill tribe communities in Northern Thailand practice traditional swidden agriculture with long fallow periods that allow the soil to recover from cropping. To determine the most appropriate time for a new cropping cycle, farmers, in a collective decision making process, often use presence or numbers of tree species considered as soil fertility indicators.In Nong Khao, a case study village in Mae Hong Son district, we investigated in how far abundance of indicator tree species found during vegetation surveys corresponded to measured soil fertility parameters and whether an extended list of indicator species could improve prediction of these soil properties. During interviews, farmers listed 11 tree species considered indicators for good upland rice and vegetable soil, unsuitable soil for upland rice, or hard soil. Abundances of indicator species as well as of other species found during comprehensive botanical inventories on 135 plots of different fallow ages were introduced into regression models to predict soil fertility parameters measured on the inventoried plots. Both models – including only indicator species versus all species found in the inventories – were compared regarding their predictive power for soil properties.Soil organic matter (SOM), pH, plant available phosphorus (Pav) – related to farmers’ criteria ‘good soil’ or 'unsuitable for rice cropping’ – as well as bulk density (BD, for ‘hard soil’), changed significantly during the fallow period, from initial maxima towards temporary pessima in years 6 to 7, followed by recovery towards year ten. Most indicator species, like Macaranga denticulata for enhanced Pav or Dalbergia cultrata for high SOM, were clearly related to the soil quality characteristics attributed to them by farmers. Including all inventoried tree species significantly improved predictions of measured soil parameters by ΔAIC > |2|. Ten additional species from the surveys had potential as additional indicator species.Our approach to relate indicator species to measured soil parameters is generic across areas, while soil parameters are site-specific. Applicability of our approach to link environmental parameters to indicator species could be extended if further criteria considered important by farmers such as weed suppression, represented by tree structure parameters, would complement soil fertility.

Routine Medical Check-Up and Self-Treatment Practices among Community-Dwelling Living in a Mountainous Area of Northern Vietnam.

This study was conducted to evaluate the routine medical check-up and self-treatment behaviors of people living in a remote and mountainous setting in Northern Vietnam and identify their associations. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 175 people in August 2018 in Cao Son commune, Da Bac district, Hoa Binh. Information regarding routine medical check-ups and self-treatment behaviors was collected by using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the associations. Results show that 24% of the mountainous people had routine medical check-ups in the last 12 months. The rate of self-treatment in the past three months was 33.7%. The number of chronic diseases (OR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0‐2.3), health information sources from radio/television (OR = 3.3, 95% CI = 1.2‐9.5), or social media (OR = 24.8, 95% CI = 1.2‐512.4) was related to routine medical check-up. People who did not have routine medical check-up were more likely to have self-treatment practice (OR = 6.3, 95% CI = 1.9‐21.1) than those who had a regular health check. Promoting health education and communication through mass media to raise people's awareness about regular health check-ups is a promising way to improve people's self-treatment status.

Factors associated with hypertriglyceridemia among the hill tribe people aged 30\u2009years and over, Thailand: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundTriglycerides are lipids in the human body that are produced from the consumption of daily food and drink. However, elevated serum triglycerides, also known as hypertriglyceridemia (HTG), are key biomarkers indicating an unhealthy status and increased risks of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and pancreatitis. Different groups of people have different patterns and styles of cooking and different patterns of consumption, such as hill tribe people, who have their own unique culture and cooking practices. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and determine the factors associated with HTG among the hill tribe population in Thailand.MethodA cross-sectional study was performed. Data and a-5 mL blood sample were collected from participants who were members of one of the six main hill tribes in Thailand: Akah, Lahu, Hmong, Yao, Karen, and Lisu. People who lived in 30 selected hill tribe villages and aged 30 years over were asked to participate the study. Pearson correlation and logistic regression were used to detect the correlations and determine the associations between variables, respectively, at a significant level of α = 0.05.ResultsA total of 2552 participants participated this study; 65.9% were females, 72.35% were aged 40–69 years, 76.7% had no education, 48.7% worked in the agricultural section, and 71.2% had an annual income of less than 50,000 baht/family. Regarding the triglyceride level, 41.7% of participants had elevated levels of serum triglyceride or HTG; 16.4% had a borderline high level, and 25.3% had a high level. After controlling for all potential confounder factors, three variables were found to be associated with elevated serum triglycerides. Those who were members of the Lahu and Hmong tribes were 1.62 times (95%CI = 1.25–2.01) and 1.63 times (95%CI = 1.23–2.16) more likely to have elevated serum triglycerides than those who were members of the Akha tribe, respectively. Those who used a high quantity of cooking oil for daily cooking were 0.73 times less likely to have an abnormal level of triglycerides than those who used a low quantity of cooking oil for daily cooking (95%CI = 0.58–0.91), and those who had a waist circumference indicating obesity were 1.28 times more likely to have an abnormal level of triglycerides than those who had a normal waist circumference (95%CI = 1.08–1.52).ConclusionPublic health programs that focus on encouraging people to have regular exercise to reduce their body weight, particularly in some tribes, such as Lahu and Hmong, should be implemented.

Factors associated with domestic violence in the Lahu hill tribe of northern Thailand: A cross-sectional study.

Domestic violence significantly affects physical and mental health, particularly among children, women, and the elderly. Living in certain family environments could lead to victimization by domestic violence, especially among families with a poor socioeconomic status, such as the Lahu hill tribe people in Thailand. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and determine the factors associated with domestic violence among Lahu children, women, and the elderly. A cross-sectional study was conducted of participants who belonged to the Lahu hill tribe and lived in 20 selected villages in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. A validated questionnaire was used to collect personal information and information regarding experiences related to domestic violence in the past year from children (aged 5-15 years), women (aged 16-59 years), and the elderly (aged 60 years and over). A binary logistic regression was used to detect associations between the variables. A total of 646 participants were recruited into the study, specifically, 98 children aged 5-15 years, 430 women aged 16-59 years, and 118 elderly people. Children who smoked (AOR = 8.70; 95%CI = 1.27-59.45) had greater odds of experiencing domestic violence than children who did not smoke. Women who had a role as a family member (AOR = 1.59; 95%CI = 1.02-2.50), used alcohol (AOR = 3.36; 95%CI = 2.27-4.99), lived in a family with financial problems (AOR = 4.01; 95%CI = 2.52-7.66), and lived with a family member who uses alcohol (AOR = 2.87; 95%CI = 2.20-5.63) had greater odds of suffering domestic violence than women who did not share these characteristics. The elderly who used alcohol (AOR = 3.25, 95%CI = 1.08-9.81), lived with a family member who uses alcohol (AOR = 3.31; 95%CI = 1.26-7.34), or lived in a family with financial problems in the past year (AOR = 2.16; 95%CI = 1.16-8.77) had greater odds of facing domestic violence than the elderly who did not have these characteristics. Family financial problems and substance use are associated with domestic violence in Lahu families in Thailand. Health interventions to reduce the use of substances, including training programs to respond to domestic violence, should be promoted for Lahu children, women, and the elderly.

Factors associated with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels among hill tribe people aged 30\u2009years and over in Thailand: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundLow-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is one of the most important types of cholesterol and has an impact on health. Certain lifestyle and dietary habits in different populations may leads to increased levels of LDL-C, particularly among those with poor education and economic statuses, such as hill tribe people in Thailand. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of and determine the factors associated with high LDL-C levels among hill tribe people in northern Thailand.MethodsA cross-sectional study was performed to gather information from six main hill tribe populations: Akha, Lahu, Hmong, Yao, Karen, and Lisu. Individuals who were aged over 30 years and living in 30 selected hill tribe villages were invited to participate in the study. A validated questionnaire and 5-mL blood specimens were used to obtain data. Correlation analyses, chi-square tests, t-tests, and logistic regression were used to detect correlations and associations.ResultsA total of 2552 participants were recruited into the study; 65.9% were females, and 64.1% were aged younger than 60 years old. Approximately 69.6% of participants had abnormal LDL-C levels; 33.6% had above-optimal levels, 24.3% had borderline high levels, 8.0% had high levels, and 3.7% had very high levels. A total of 17.4% of participants had low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and high LDL-C levels, while 14.9% had high triglyceride and LDL-C levels. After controlling for sex, age, religion, education, annual family income, and marital status in the multivariate model, three variables were found to be associated with high LDL-C levels: occupation, the amount of lard used in daily cooking, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Those who were working as agriculturalists had a 1.34-fold greater chance of having abnormal LDL-C than traders and others (95% CI = 1.09–1.34). Those who used moderate and high quantities of lard in their daily cooking had a 1.45-fold (95% CI = 1.15–1.82) and 1.31-fold (95% CI = 1.04–1.68) greater likelihood of having abnormal LDL-C levels than those who used low quantities, respectively. Those who had abnormal HbA1c levels were less likely to develop abnormal LDL-C levels than those who had normal HbA1c levels (AOR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.51–92).ConclusionsEffective public health programs that do not conflict with the cultures of hill tribes are urgently needed, particularly programs encouraging the use of small quantities of lard for daily cooking practices.

Autosomal Microsatellite Investigation Reveals Multiple Genetic Components of the Highlanders from Thailand.

The hill tribes of northern Thailand comprise nine officially recognized groups: the Austroasiatic-speaking (AA) Khmu, Htin and Lawa; the Hmong-Mien-speaking (HM) IuMien and Hmong; and the Sino-Tibetan-speaking (ST) Akha, Karen, Lahu and Lisu. Except the Lawa, the rest of the hill tribes migrated into their present habitats only very recently. The Thai hill tribes were of much interest to research groups focusing on study of cultural and genetic variation because of their unique languages and cultures. So far, there have been several genetic studies of the Thai hill tribes. However, complete forensic microsatellite database of the Thai hill tribes is still lacking. To construct such database, we newly generated 654 genotypes of 15 microsatellites commonly used in forensic investigation that belong to all the nine hill tribes and also non-hill tribe highlanders from northern Thailand. We also combined 329 genotypes from previous studies of northern Thai populations bringing to a total of 983 genotypes, which were then subjected to genetic structure and population relationships analyses. Our overall results indicated homogenous genetic structure within the HM- and Tai-Kadai (TK)-speaking groups, large genetic divergence of the HM-speaking Hmong but not IuMien from the other Thai groups, and genetic heterogeneity within the ST- and AA-speaking groups, reflecting different population interactions and admixtures. In addition to establishing genetic relationships within and among these populations, our finding, which provides a more complete picture of the forensic microsatellite database of the multiple Thai highland dwellers, would not only serve to expand and strengthen forensic investigation in Thailand, but would also benefit its neighboring countries of Laos and Myanmar, from which many of the Thai hill tribes originated and where large populations of these ethnic groups still reside.

Cultural Elements Expressed in the Wedding Ceremonies of the Yelagiri Hill Tribes

Marriage is a kind of relationship that takes place in human life. A marriage takes place depending on the respective culture and tradition of a particular group of people living as a society. This is a process that takes place all over the world according to their circumstances. These circumstances reveal the prosperity of their cultural practices. In this case, the marriage ceremony of the tribes living in the Yelagiri hills of Tirupattur district depends on the old customs and traditions. This article goes to apply Richard M.Dorson’s folk cultural aspect theory to know the methods and record the marriage system as an essential part of these tribes.

Population Trends and Urbanisation in Mountain Ranges of the World

This study assesses the global mountain population, population change over the 1975–2015 time-range, and urbanisation for 2015. The work uses the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) definition of mountain areas combined with that of mountain range outlines generated by the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA). We estimated population change from the Global Human Settlement Layer Population spatial grids, a set of population density layers used to measure human presence and urbanisation on planet Earth. We show that the global mountain population has increased from over 550 million in 1975 to over 1050 million in 2015. The population is concentrated in mountain ranges at low latitudes. The most populated mountain ranges are also the most urbanised and those that grow most. Urbanisation in mountains (66%) is lower than that of lowlands (78%). However, 34% of the population in mountains live in cities, 31% in towns and semi-dense areas, and 35% in rural areas. The urbanisation rate varies considerably across ranges. The assessments of population total, population trends, and urbanisation may be used to address the issue “not to leave mountain people behind” in the sustainable development process and to understand trajectories of change.

Epidemiology of thalassemia among the hill tribe population in Thailand.

Thalassemia is a severe disease that occurs due to abnormalities in hemoglobin genes. Various genetic factors in different populations lead to different clinical manifestations of thalassemia disease, particularly among people who have a long history of migration and who have married among tribes, such as the hill tribe people in Thailand. This genetic epidemiological study aimed to estimate the prevalence of various forms of thalassemia among the six main hill tribe populations in Thailand. A cross-sectional study was conducted to obtain information and blood specimens from school children belonging to one of the six main hill tribes in Thailand: Akha, Lau, Hmong, Yao, Karen, and Lisu. Hill tribe children who were attending grades 4-6 in 13 selected schools in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand, were invited to participate in the study. A validated questionnaire and 3 mL blood specimens were collected after obtaining information consent forms from both the children and their parents on a voluntary basis. A complete blood count (CBC) was performed, followed by osmotic fragility (OF) and dichlorophenol indophenol precipitation (DCIP) tests to screen for thalassemia. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were used to identify hemoglobin type and α-thalassemia, respectively. A t-test, chi-square and logistic regression were used to detect the associations between variables at the significance level of α = 0.05. A total of 1,200 participants from 6 different tribes were recruited for the study; 50.0% were males, and 67.3% were aged 11-12 years. The overall prevalence of thalassemia carriers according to the screening tests was 9.8% (117 of 1,200). Among the cases, 83 were A2A (59 cases were α-thalassemia 1 carrier or α-thalassemia 2 carrier or homozygous α-thalassemia 2, and 24 cases were β-thalassemia trait with or without α-thalassemia); 1 case was EE (homozygous Hb E with or without α-thalassemia); 31 cases were EA (30 cases were the Hb E trait, and 1 case was Hb E trait with or without α-thalassemia); 1 case was A2A Bart's H (Hb H disease α-thalassemia 1/α-thalassemia 2); and 1 case was A2A with abnormal Hb. The prevalence of the α-thalassemia 1 trait among the hill tribe population was 2.5%. The greatest prevalence of the α-thalassemia 1 trait was found in the Karen (3.0%) and Hmong (3.0%) tribes. The prevalence of some forms of thalassemia in the hill tribe population is higher than that in the Thai and other populations. Effective and available thalassemia screening tests, including essential information to protect the next generation through the specific counseling clinic, are crucial, particularly due to increasing marriages within these populations.

TRADITIONAL CULTURE CHANGES OF ETHNIC MINORITY IN THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATION: A STUDY OF THE BA NA ETHNIC GROUP IN KON TUM PROVINCE, VIETNAM

Kon Tum is a province located in an important geopolitical position, with 28 ethnic groups living together, of which 7 ethnic groups are local groups: Xo Dang, Ba Na, Gie Trieng, Gia rai, Brau , Ro Mam and Hre with many different cultural characteristics, [1, p.1]. A system of plentiful tangible and intangible cultural heritages bears the distinctive characteristics of the forest culture area, upland farming culture and gong culture. Mr. Koichiro Matsuura - General Director of UNESCO at the ceremony of announcing the Central Highlands Gong Culture, said: “I have enjoyed the very unique Vietnamese style of gong music and have also seen very unique musical instruments in the gong orchestra of ethnic groups in the Central Highlands. This is a very unique traditional culture of Vietnam. It's very wonderful and unique…” [5, p.1]. Nowadays, under the impact of socio-economic conditions, the exchange and integration increase; the culture of the Ba Na ethnic group is undergoing strong changes. We can easily see that, from the daily routines such as eating, clothing, accommodation, travel...to voice, customs and beliefs, as well as images, patterns... are changing. Through the process of researching and surveying ideas of artists, village elders and experts on the Ba Na ethnic group in Kon Tum province, we generalize the changes in traditional culture of the Ba Na ethnic group in Kon Tum province.
 
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