Khon Kaen Municipality Research Articles

Urban Demand for Wild Foods in Northeast Thailand: A survey of edible wild species sold in the Khon Kaen municipal market

Rural people in Northeast Thailand consume a wide range of wild species. Little is known, however, about the extent to which the urban populations of the region’s rapidly growing towns and cities consume these products, and no detailed study has been made of the edible wild species that are sold in urban markets. To help fill this knowledge gap, this paper presents findings of a survey about the wild species sold in the main urban market in Khon Kaen Municipality. The survey included identification of all species of plants, fungi, and animals being sold and recording of the quantities and prices of each species. Data were obtained by interviewing vendors selling these products in the market on 18 randomly selected nights in the dry season and 12 nights in the rainy season. The diversity of wild species sold in the market is high. Eighty-one species were identified, of which 54 were plants, 6 were fungi, and 21 were animals. Species diversity was greater in the rainy season, when 65 species were on sale, than in the dry season, when 49 species were available. Plant species were much more diverse in the rainy season than in the dry season, reflecting the better growth conditions for vegetation when water is not a limiting factor. Many species were available only in a specific season. The wild species were obtained from several different habitats. Upland fields were the habitat for the largest number of species, followed by house areas, forests, and paddy fields. Gardens and aquatic ecosystems were habitats for a smaller number of species. The supply-shed for the urban market in Khon Kaen Municipality is quite a large one. Wild species sold in the market are obtained from 8 provinces in the Northeast, although rural areas of Khon Kaen Province itself are the source of the largest number of species. Collection of wild species to supply the urban market can have both negative and positive effects on rural biodiversity in Northeast Thailand. In their desire to earn cash income, villagers may over-exploit some of these species, causing wild populations to decline in numbers or even become locally extinct. On the other hand, villagers may intensify their efforts to cultivate them so as to allow more stable production, thus contributing to biodiversity conservation. This has already begun to happen in the case of some highly valued species.

The Effectiveness of Law Enforcement: The Notfication of Minister of Public Health (NO.18) B.E.2550 (A.D.2007): Pursuant to the Protection of Non-smokers Health Act B.E.2535(1992):A Case Study of Market at Khon Kaen Municipality

The purpose of this study was to measure the information received, market as smoke free areas, of the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health, Pursuant to the Protection of Non-Smokers Health Act (1992), and the effectiveness of media channels. This study was a cross sectional survey the total of sample was 764 people.The results showed that 51.1% of market vender's and 45.6% of shoppers received the information that markets are smoke free areas. The major media channels that the sample received the information from were posters (37.7%). Although the measure of the fine could not be implemented, 51.6% of smokers did not smoke in markets.Although some smokers received the information, they ignored the Notification, especially market vender's. The recommendation of this study to make markets smoke free areas are increase and continue promotion, increase social measures, and to set aside special smoking areas for smokers.

Adolescents’ Reproductive Health Status In Urban Slums In The Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand

This descriptive study aimed to explain the reproductive health of urban slum adolescents in the Khon Kaen Municipality area of Khon Kaen, Thailand. A self-reported questionnaire that took about 20 minutes to complete was used for data collection. Multi-stage simple random sampling was adopted in the selection of five target communities to recruit 277 male and female adolescents aged 10–19 years in accordance with the proportion of male and female adolescents in the area. Frequencies, percentages, standard deviations, and means were used for the data analysis. The female and male participants had an average age of 14.62 ± 2.66 years and 14.58 ± 2.84 years, respectively. The average menarcheal age was 12.96 ± 1.58 years, while the age at which the first wet dream was experienced for boys was 14.12 ± 1.44 years. Most of the participants were in elementary school, while 5.7% of female and 2.4% of male adolescents did not attend school. Most girls and boys knew about contraceptive pills and condoms, but not other birth control methods. Contraceptive pills were used by 26.4% of female adolescents and condoms were used by 39.8% of male adolescents. However, it was reported that less than 10% of males and females regularly used condoms. The lowest age of the 36.5% of girls who had had a sexual experience was 10 years, whereas the lowest age of the 40.7% of sexually experienced boys was 11 years. The average age of the group of females who had started to have sexual intercourse was 14.81 ± 1.71 years, and the average age of the group of males who had had sexual intercourse was 15.23 ± 1.32 years. Most of the sample had had intercourse with their girlfriends or boyfriends. It was found that 1.3% of the girls and 1.8% of the boys were prostitutes and that 10.9% of the boys had visited brothels. Twenty-two percent of the girls admitted that they had masturbated, while 41.0% of the males did. About 17.8% of the female adolescents had been pregnant; 50% of those pregnancies ended in abortion and 50% of the females had been pregnant more than once.

GIS and IS based traffic accident in Khonkaen Municipality, Thailand

Khon Kaen Hospital, has been developed the Injury Surveillance (IS) system since 1989 and the Geographic Information System (GIS) since 1998. Beyond these database, the most common causes of the...

Effects of residues from municipal solid waste landfill on corn yield and heavy metal content

The effects of residues from municipal solid waste landfill, Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand, on corn (Zea mays L.) yield and heavy metal content were studied. Field experiments with randomized complete block design with five treatments (0, 20, 40, 60 and 80% v/v of residues and soil) and four replications were carried out. Corn yield and heavy metal contents in corn grain were analyzed. Corn yield increased by 50, 72, 85 and 71% at 20, 40, 60 and 80% treatments as compared to the control, respectively. All heavy metals content, except cadmium, nickel and zinc, in corn grain were not significantly different from the control. Arsenic, cadmium and zinc in corn grain were strongly positively correlated with concentrations in soil. The heavy metal content in corn grain was within regulated limits for human consumption.

Participation of School Personel in Implementation of Health Promotion School in Nong Yai School Khon Kaen Municipality

Participation of School Personel in Implementation of Health Promotion School in Nong Yai School Khon Kaen Municipality

Access to Health Services under the Universal Coverage Policy among Elderly in Khon Kaen Municipal Area

This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to explain the health service utilization under the universal coverage health insurance scheme (UC) of the elderly in Khon Kaen municipality. The 225 elderly under the UC were systematic randomly selected to response to questionnaires interviewed. The results revealed that 49.8 % of the elders had mild sickness in the past month and 24.4 % suffered with severe sickness in the past year. Furthermore, almost half of them (47.1 % percent) had gum and teeth problems. When had mild problems 60.9 % of them seek service from health service registered in their UC. Most of these elders who suffered with severe illness (83.7 %) got serviced from UC health facilities, * iA“∫—≥±‘μA≈—° Ÿμ√ “∏“√≥ y¢»“ μ√iA“∫—≥±‘μ §≥– “∏“√≥ y¢»“ μ√a iA“«‘∑¬“≈—¬¢Oπ·°aπ ** oŸâTMa«¬»“ μ√“®“√¬a ?“§«‘TM“TM’« ∂‘μ‘·≈–a√–TM“°√»“ μ√a §≥– “∏“√≥ y¢»“ μ√a iA“«‘∑¬“≈—¬¢Oπ·°aπ *** oŸâTMa«¬»“ μ√“®“√¬a ?“§«‘TM“∫√‘A“√ “∏“√≥ y¢ §≥– “∏“√≥»“ μ√a iA“«‘∑¬“≈—¬¢Oπ·°aπ 61 KKU Res J (GS) 7 (3) : July September 2007

Roles of Family in Socialization on Gratefulness in Khon Kaen Municipality Khon Kaen Province

The objectives of this research were to study 1) the factors involving with family, environment within their families and their family; 2) the roles of family in socialization on gratefulness; 3) the factors related with the roles of family in socialization on gratefulness; 4) the factors affecting the roles of family in socialization on gratefulness. The Research findings were as follows : The roles of family in socialization on gratefulness their families had played their roles involving with instruction on the gratefulness and how to be good example for the gratefulness was in high level (X= 2.51); the factors affecting the roles of family in socialization on gratefulness with Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis was found that how the family members had been brought up, the main occupation of their family, their dwellings, how to get information of their family about gratefulness, had been affected in statistics with the roles of family in socialization on gratefulness at a 0.05 level of significance. * π—°»÷°...“ A≈—° Ÿμ√»‘≈a»“ μ√iA“∫—≥±‘μ “¢“«‘TM“ —s§i«‘∑¬“°“√ae—≤π“ §≥–iπy...¬»“ μ√a·≈– —s§i»“ μ√a iA“«‘∑¬“≈—¬¢Oπ·°aπ ** √Os»“ μ√“®“√¬a °≈yai«‘TM“ —s§i»“ μ√a §≥–iπy...¬»“ μ√a·≈– —s§i»“ μ√a iA“«‘∑¬“≈—¬¢Oπ·°a𠧔 ”§—≠ : ∫∑∫“∑¢Os§√O∫§√—« °“√a≈Ÿ°Ωis °μ—≠eŸ°μ‡«∑’

Prevalence of Salmonella Carrier-State in Pork Butchers in Khon Kaen Municipality

Prevalence of Salmonella Carrier-State in Pork Butchers in Khon Kaen Municipality

Application of duplex-PCR in rapid and reliable detection of toxigenic Vibrio cholerae in water samples in Thailand

Toxigenic Vibrio cholerae, the cause of cholera, is a native flora of the aquatic environment which is transmitted through drinking water and still remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many developing countries including Thailand. The culture method (CM), which is routinely used for assessing water quality, has not proven as efficient as molecular methods because the notorious pathogen survives in water mostly in a non-culturable state. We employed duplex-polymerase chain reaction (duplex-PCR) for detection of tcpA and ctxA genes in toxigenic V. cholerae, and compared PCR detection with CM in various waters of Khon Kaen Municipality, Thailand. We also evaluated the effect of different pre-PCR conditions on the results of ctxA and tcpA detection including: 1) water filtered and enriched in alkaline peptone water (APW) for 3 h before PCR, 2) water filtered without enrichment before PCR, and 3) use of only enrichment in APW for 6 h before PCR. Of the 96 water samples (taken from waste-water, potable and waste-water from patients' houses, and from rivers) tested, 48 (50%) were positive for ctxA and tcpA by duplex-PCR, whereas only 29 (30%) were positive for V. cholerae by CM. Of the 29 V. cholerae isolated by CM, 2 (7%) were toxigenic V. cholerae belonging to serovar O1, while the rests were non-O1/ non-O139. Results revealed, therefore, that ctxA and tcpA-targeted duplex PCR is more sensitive than CM for detection of toxigenic V. cholerae from water samples because CM detected much less toxigenic V. cholerae than the non-toxigenic V. cholerae. Template DNA as low as 100 fg or 23 cells of V. cholerae in the water sample was detected in duplex PCR. Pre-PCR filtration followed by enrichment for 3 h significantly increase in the efficiency of duplex-PCR detection of toxigenic V. cholerae.

Temporal distribution of motorcyclist injuries and risk of fatalities in relation to age, helmet use, and riding while intoxicated in Khon Kaen, Thailand

This study investigated the temporal distribution of risky behaviors among injured motorcyclists, that is, riding unhelmeted or while intoxicated, and showed how they are associated with risk of fatal injuries. Data of motorcyclists injured in Khon Kaen municipality in northeastern Thailand and transferred to Khon Kaen Regional Hospital were obtained from the trauma registry system of the hospital. Case fatalities were compared by time of day, age group, helmet use, and alcohol intoxication. Unhelmeted riding peaked late in the evening and riding while intoxicated peaked around midnight. Both were associated with increased fatality risk after stratification by time of day; the odds ratios were 3.49 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.48–9.36) and 3.01 (CI = 1.71–5.19), respectively. Nighttime injuries were not significantly associated with increased fatality risk after stratification by helmet use or alcohol intoxication. Unhelmeted driving was prevalent and associated with higher fatality risk among younger drivers, whereas intoxicated driving was less prevalent among teens but associated with increased risk among those aged 20–39 years. This study shows that riding unhelmeted or while intoxicated can explain the increased fatality risk at night, suggesting that safety education or enforcements should be targeted at specific age groups and appropriate times.

Time and frequency of maximum phonation of normal Thai children in Khon Kaen

The time and frequency of maximum phonation are simple and common clinical tests for evaluating vocal function. The few standard measurements available for Western children are not so appropriate for Thai children. We therefore evaluated 201 normal students, in grades 1-6, from five schools in Khon Kaen Municipality. The maximum phonation times in normal Thai children for the vowel sounds /aː/, /uː/, /iː/ and /s/ measured by Speech Viewer II and a stopwatch were 10.17, 10.15, 10.80, n/a and 10.21, 10.21, 10.40, 7.92 seconds, respectively. The frequencies of maximum phonation time measured by Speech Viewer II for the vowel sounds /aː/, /uː/ and /iː/ were 251.89, 270.02 and 277.78 Hz. The Pearson correlations comparing the Speech Viewer II to the stopwatch were high (0.99-1). The influence factors affecting the time and frequency of maximum phonation are discussed. Our data can serve as a baseline when comparing, diagnosing and treating the maximum phonation time and frequency of patients with voice disorders.