Thai Youth Research Articles

Risk Factors of Future Smoking Among Thai Youth

The study aimed to identify the risk factors for future smoking among Thai youth aged 13 to 15 years (seventh to ninth grade). Data from the nationally representative 2005 Thai Global Youth Tobacco Survey (n = 15 774) were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Among nonsmoking Thai youth, boys were much more likely to have intention of future smoking (odds ratio [OR] = 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.37-0.84). Younger youth were more likely to be cigarette smokers in the future (OR = 0.70, 95% CI = 0.56-0.88). Youth having the intention of smoking from a friend's cigarette offer were 5.29 times more likely to have intention of future smoking, compared with those who did not (95% CI = 3.75-7.46). Understanding and targeting youth at higher risk for future smoking can provide for a lowering of the youth smoking rate in Thailand and contribute to the country's continued efforts in effective youth tobacco control.

Alcohol consumption among high-risk Thai youth after raising the legal drinking age

ObjectiveMethamphetamine and alcohol are the leading substances abused by Thai youth. In 2008 the government passed laws that limited alcohol availability and increased the legal drinking age from 18 to 20. We assessed whether the law reduced drinking among methamphetamine-using 18–19 year olds in Chiang Mai. MethodThe study compares drinking patterns among methamphetamine smokers aged 18–19 years (n=136) collected prior to the legal changes, to a comparable post-law sample (n=142). Statistical tests for differences between the pre- and post-law samples on problem drinking and recent drinking frequency and drunkenness were conducted. Logistic regression modeled the relative odds of frequent drunkenness, controlling for demographic characteristics. ResultsA high prevalence of problematic drinking was present in both samples, with no difference detected. The post-law sample reported a significantly higher median days drunk/month (9 vs. 4, p≤0.01); in adjusted analysis, frequent drunkenness (>5.5 days/month) was more common in the post-law compared to pre-law period in the presence of other variables (AOR: 2.2; 95%CI: 1.3, 3.9). Post-law participants demonstrated a low level of knowledge about the law's components. ConclusionsThe study suggests that the new laws did not reduce drinking among high-risk, methamphetamine-smoking 18–19 year olds; rather, the post-law period was associated with increased drinking levels. The data indicate that the law is not reaching high-risk under-aged youth who are at risk of a number of deleterious outcomes as a result of their substance use.

Witnessing Violence Among High School Students in Thailand

The goal of this study was to explore the levels of witnessing violence among Thai youths and to examine whether a Western model of witnessing violence that relates to personal and family characteristics, peer relationships, own violence, violence in the family, violence in the school, and in the community, is appropriate for the Thai reality. The random sample consisted of 2,897 youths: 1,107 (38.2%) males and 1,722 (59.4%) females. Results indicated that witnessing violence rates among the Thai youths are high, but in general, quite similar to those reported in the west. The most frequently witnessed violent act was hitting and punching in school. Peer characteristics and their advice were the most related factor to witnessing violence followed by own violence activities, violence in the family, and the surrounding subsystems, supporting the similarities of the Thai reality to the Western one. No significant differences were indicated between the rural and inner-city settings. The results were interpreted in light of the cultural characteristics of Thailand.

Verifying Quantitative Stigma and Medication Adherence Scales Using Qualitative Methods among Thai Youth Living with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS-related stigma has been linked to poor adherence resulting in drug resistance and the failure to control HIV. This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to examine stigma and its relationship to adherence in 30 HIV-infected Thai youth aged 14 to 21 years. Stigma was measured using the HIV stigma scale and its 4 subscales, and adherence was measured using a visual analog scale. Stigma and adherence were also examined by in-depth interviews. The interviews were to determine whether verbal responses would match the scale's results. The mean score of stigma perception from the overall scale and its 4 subscales ranged from 2.14 to 2.45 on a scale of 1 to 4, indicating moderate levels of stigma. The mean adherence score was .74. The stigma scale and its subscales did not correlate with the adherence. Totally, 17 of the respondents were interviewed. Contrary to the quantitative results, the interviewees reported that the stigma led to poor adherence because the fear of disclosure often caused them to miss medication doses. The differences between the quantitative and the qualitative results highlight the importance of validating psychometric scales when they are translated and used in other cultures.

The Effect of Household and Community on School Attrition: An Analysis of Thai Youth

We analyze school attrition among youth in Kanchanaburi province, Thailand. We find that family investments in schooling are shaped by both household and local community contexts. There is an enrollment advantage for girls across different households and communities. We find that youth whose mothers have migrated and youth in immigrant households are at greater risk of leaving school. Attrition is negatively associated with household educational and economic resources. The local labor market, especially the supply of professional and managerial work, positively affects family investment in children’s education. For girls, but not boys, the odds of leaving school are lower in communities dominated by manufacturing and services occupations, which disproportionately employ young women. Our findings highlight the obstacles to achieving universal secondary schooling completion in societies characterized both by entrenched inequalities as well as new inequalities brought about by uneven development, feminizatio...

A qualitative exploration of the effects of increasing the minimum purchase age of alcohol inThailand

Although prevalence of alcohol consumption has been relatively stable among Thai youth, concerns over alcohol-related harms affecting youth influenced the passage of new laws in early 2008, which made it illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 20. This qualitative study explored the effects of the law on the purchasing patterns of underage Thai bar patrons, in order to understand the strategies employed by underage youth to circumvent the law. A total of 41 in-depth interviews were conducted with 18- to 19-year-old bar patrons in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Underage Thai bar patrons frequented shops where enforcement was not strict and purchased alcohol from familiar shopkeepers in their neighbourhoods. Participants suggested that purchasing alcohol was relatively easy as long as shopkeepers were driven by the need to make a profit. To address alcohol-related harms, the control law must be enforced in a meaningful way to deter youth from purchasing alcohol. Otherwise, the law will have minimal effectiveness in reducing the harms associated with alcohol.

A Feasibility Study of Motivational Interviewing for Health Risk Behaviors Among Thai Youth Living With HIV

Rongkavilit, Chokechai MD; Naar-King, Sylvie PhD; Koken, Juline A. PhD; Bunupuradah, Torsak MD; Chen, Xinguang PhD; Saengcharnchai, Pichai MD; Panthong, Apirudee MA; Parsons, Jeffrey T. PhD Author Information

Drinking-Smoking Status and Health Risk Behaviors among High School Students in Thailand

Drinking, smoking, and health risk behaviors are significant problems for Thai adolescents. However, little is known about the association and magnitude among alcohol, tobacco, or co-using and health risk behaviors. Data of the National School Survey of 2007 were analyzed. The sample consisted of 50,033 high school and vocational college students. The interaction between gender and drinking-smoking status was significant for all health risk behaviors except for having sex and unprotected sex. Alcohol and tobacco had a stronger association with illegal substance use in boys than in girls. In contrast, their use had a stronger association with fighting, depression, and suicidal thoughts in girls than in boys. The intervention program for Thai youths in school should take into account the strong relationship between alcohol-tobacco consumption and these health risk behaviors.

Stimulant Methamphetamine and Dextromethorphan Use Among Thai Adolescents: Implications for Health of Women and Children

For over a decade, amphetamine-type stimulants have made their way into the adolescent culture of Thailand. Coupled with the more recent emergence of the legal, over-the-counter cough medicine dextromethorphan (DM), they represent the most commonly abused substances among Thai youths today. Methamphetamine is the second most popular drug of abuse in Thailand, the first being cannabis. It is available in the crystalline version, ICE, and the less pure methamphetamine tablets. The tablets are frequently crushed and smoked. Its use has gained enormous popularity among teenagers and young adults, including women of child-bearing age. As such, it has become the most common drug being detected in the urine of peripartum women, resulting in peripartum and postpartum complications for both mother and child. DM is a newer drug which has gained popularity among middle school and high school students due to its easy availability as a single product over the counter. It is usually taken with soft drinks at parties and gathering. It is metabolized by CYP4502D6 to dextrorphan, the substance responsible for the feeling of euphoria. Consequently, those who are poor metabolizers often experience the "negative" effects associated with the drug. The recreational use of methamphetamine and dextromethorphan in teenagers and young adults in Thailand is a serious problem. Recognizing not only the toxicological but also the emotional and psychosocial impacts of these drugs on Thai youth is an integral part of approaching the problem.

A Cross-Cultural Three-Step Process Model for Assessing Motivational Interviewing Treatment Fidelity in Thailand

The provision of culturally relevant yet evidence-based interventions has become crucial to global HIV prevention and treatment efforts. In Thailand, where treatment for HIV has become widely available, medication adherence and risk behaviors remain an issue for Thai youth living with HIV. Previous research on motivational interviewing (MI) has proven effective in promoting medication adherence and HIV risk reduction in the United States. However, to test the efficacy of MI in the Thai context a feasible method for monitoring treatment fidelity must be implemented. This article describes a collaborative three-step process model for implementing the MI Treatment Integrity (MITI) across cultures while identifying linguistic issues that the English-originated MITI was not designed to detect as part of a larger intervention for Thai youth living with HIV. Step 1 describes the training of the Thai MITI coder, Step 2 describes identifying cultural and linguistic issues unique to the Thai context, and Step 3 describes an MITI booster training and incorporation of the MITI feedback into supervision and team discussion. Throughout the process the research team collaborated to implement the MITI while creating additional ways to evaluate in-session processes that the MITI is not designed to detect. The feasibility of using the MITI as a measure of treatment fidelity for MI delivered in the Thai linguistic and cultural context is discussed.

Habitual Difference in Fashion Behavior of Female College Students between Japan and Thailand

The purpose of this study is to elucidate a role of the street fashion as a habitual communication tool for the youth through the comparative study on the habitual behavior of the Japanese and Thai youths. The questionnaires concerning the fashion behavior were submitted to a total of 363 female college students in Japan and Thailand in 2011. The results revealed the significant differences in fashion behavior between the two countries, which were affected by the climate, personal income, and traditional lifestyle. The Japanese youths care much about their personal surroundings and adapt fashion as a communication tool for social networking to be accepted in a group. The Thai youths care less about fashion and seek for other tools for social networking. By the time of the survey, the Japanese street fashion has been already matured as a communication tool with a variety of expression ways and is transfiguring spontaneously by repeated diversification and integration of several fashion elements. On the other hand, Thai street fashion is in the early stage and has not yet fully developed to affect a way of personal communication. However, the Thai youths have been increasing interest in fashion as confirmed by the increasing popularity of domestic fashion magazines, and provide a potential for Thai street fashion to develop.

Violence among high school students in Thailand: Cultural perspectives

The objectives of this study were to explore the prevalence and severity of violent behavior among high school students in Thailand, in relation to their family, peers, school and neighborhoods. The sample consisted of 2897 youths. Seven scales were used to measure violence. Males were found to be more violent than females, and the strongest predictor of own violence was violence in the youth's environment, followed by peer effects and personal characteristics. The results indicate that besides some unique influences, which could explain emphasis or differences in type, range and frequency of violent behaviors among Thai youth, compared with youth from other cultures, risk factors for youth violence reported in Western studies are applicable also to Thai youths. The results were interpreted in light of the cultural characteristics of Thailand.

Attitudes toward dating violence among Israeli and Thai youth

The objectives of this research were to assess the prevailness and severity of attitudes toward dating violence among Jewish, Arabs, and Thai male and female adolescents. The random samples consisted 9th to12th grade pupils. The study assessed attitudes toward psychological, physical, and sexual dating violence. Jewish youth reflected lower endorsement of dating violence than Thai and Arab participants. The Thai youths held the highest support toward dating violence, with no difference between the Thai and Arab youths on psychological attitudes toward dating violence. While females reported less endorsement of dating violence than males, differences among the three female subgroups on attitudes toward dating violence were indicated. The discussion focuses on explanations for the differences between the three ethno cultural groups and genders, and presents the theoretical and practical implications of the study.

112. The Nationwide Study to Compare Life Assets Among Juvenile Detention Center Youth with Illegality in Substance Abuse and High School Students in Thailand

The problem of drug addiction is a severe issue that directly penetrates into Thai youth's risky behavior presently. To fix it is to effectively fortify and strengthen children's life with the process of improving their life assets, which is a positive reinforcement or protection factors. This study was designed to compare life assets among juvenile detention center's youth with illegality in substance abuse and high school students and set up an effective anti-drug strategy for youngsters.

Language Learning Strategies Used by Thai and Vietnamese University Students

Based on several standardized tests, previous studies show that Vietnamese youths have higher proficiency in English than Thai youths in spite of the latter’s social advantages. An explanation for the discrepancy is probably that the two groups use different strategies in learning English. This study reports the results of an investigation into language learning strategies commonly used by Thai and Vietnamese university students, using the Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) developed by Oxford (1990) and semi-structured interviews. A comparison of the patterns of language learning strategies used by the two student groups revealed some resemblances and differences, illustrating what teachers and students should know to successfully teach and learn English, respectively. It is hoped that the findings of this study will be of particular benefit to educational planners, methodologists, and classroom teachers; they will not only help them better understand the strategies used by Thai students in learning English, but also facilitate the process of improving English education in Thailand.

Correlates of Precoital Behaviors, Intentions, and Sexual Initiation Among Thai Adolescents

This paper examines the risk and protective factors associated with sexual behaviors among Thai youth ages 13-14 (N=420) living in Bangkok, Thailand. Cross-sectional data were collected using a random sample of households methodology. Three outcomes were assessed: (1) intention to engage in sexual intercourse, (2) pre-coital behaviors, and (3) sexual initiation. Bivariate analysis indicated that parental disapproval of sex, exposure to pornographic media, refusal self-efficacy and having a boyfriend/girlfriend had the strongest relationships with all three outcomes. Multivariate analyses found that parental disapproval of sex and exposure to pornographic media (internet or TV) were significantly associated with all three outcomes. Having a boyfriend or girlfriend was associated with pre-coital behaviors and intentions and sexual refusal self efficacy was correlated with pre-coital behaviors only. The potential competing influences of parent disapproval and exposure to pornographic media on adolescent sexual behaviors should be considered when adapting HIV prevention interventions for Thai youth.

Applying the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model in Medication Adherence Among Thai Youth Living with HIV: A Qualitative Study

With disproportionately higher rates of HIV/AIDS among youth and increasing access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Thailand, there is a growing urgency in understanding the challenges to medication adherence confronting this population and in developing theory-based interventions to address these challenges. One potentially relevant model, the information-motivation-behavioral skills (IMB) model of adherence, was developed in Western settings characterized by a more individualistic culture in contrast to the more collectivistic culture of Thailand. We explored the application and adaptability of IMB on ART adherence among HIV-positive Thai youth through the analysis of qualitative data from a pilot motivational interviewing study. Twenty-two interview sessions from 10 HIV-positive Thai youth (17-24 years) were analyzed; 6 youth were on ART. Data support the utility of IMB as a potential framework for understanding ART adherence in this population. However, data indicate a consideration to expand the motivation construct of IMB to incorporate youths' perceived familial and social responsibilities and the need to adhere to medications for short- and long-term well-being of self, family, and society in a context of Buddhist values. These modifications to IMB could be relevant in other cultural settings with more collectivistic worldviews.

Thai Youths and Global Warming: Media Information, Awareness, and Lifestyle Activities

This study examines the exposure of Thai youths to media information on global warming, the relationship between exposure to global warming information and awareness of global warming, and the relationship between that awareness and lifestyle activities that contribute to global warming. A focus group of eight Thai youths provided information that was used to construct a questionnaire, which was administered to 2,500 Thai youths. In-depth interviews with academics and mass communication experts were also conducted. The study took place from early 2008 to mid-2009 in various parts of Thailand. Analysis of the questionnaire responses indicate that most of the Thai youths in the study obtained information about global warming primarily from television; often, however, they do not understand the information.

Intergenerational Perspectives on Education and Employment in the Zambian Copperbelt

Previous articleNext article No AccessIntergenerational Perspectives on Education and Employment in the Zambian CopperbeltMonisha BajajMonisha Bajaj Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Comparative Education Review Volume 54, Number 2May 2010 Sponsored by the Comparative and International Education Society Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/651138 Views: 129Total views on this site Citations: 16Citations are reported from Crossref History © 2010 by the Comparative and International Education Society. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:Taeko Okitsu, D. Brent Edwards, Peggy Mwanza, Scott Miller Low-fee private preschools as the symbol of imagined ‘modernity’? – Parental perspectives on early childhood care and education (ECCE) in an urban informal settlement in Zambia, International Journal of Educational Development 97 (Mar 2023): 102723.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2022.102723Brendan P. Carmody Zambia’s Poorest Progressively Left Behind: Well-Being Denied, (Apr 2022).https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.95570 Bibliography, (May 2020): 149–162.https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78756-559-320201009Amita Chudgar, Youngran Kim, Alyssa Morley, Jutaro Sakamoto Association between completing secondary education and adulthood outcomes in Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda, International Journal of Educational Development 68 (Jul 2019): 35–44.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2019.04.008James Underwood, Thanh Truong Conceptualising Teachers’ Knowledge when Crossing National Boundaries, Polish Journal of Educational Studies 72, no.11 (Apr 2020): 145–161.https://doi.org/10.2478/poljes-2019-0010Susanne Ress Race as a Political Issue in Brazilian South-South Cooperation in Higher Education, Comparative Education Review 62, no.33 (Jun 2018): 409–428.https://doi.org/10.1086/698307Karen Ross Untangling the Intervention-Context Dyad through Horizontal Comparison: Examples from Israeli Peacebuilding Organizations, Comparative Education Review 61, no.22 (Mar 2017): 327–353.https://doi.org/10.1086/691092Clive Harber Educational Outcomes, (Jul 2017): 229–256.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57382-3_11Laura Vega, Monisha Bajaj The right to education in protracted conflict: teachers’ experiences in non-formal education in Colombia, Globalisation, Societies and Education 14, no.33 (Jun 2016): 358–373.https://doi.org/10.1080/14767724.2015.1121380Katherine V Gough, Francis Chigunta, Thilde Langevang Expanding the scales and domains of (in)security: Youth employment in urban Zambia, Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space 48, no.22 (Nov 2015): 348–366.https://doi.org/10.1177/0308518X15613793Alla Korzh Fieldwork Dilemmas, (Jan 2015): 241–259.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-052-9_12Matthew A.M. Thomas, Carolyn M. Thomas, Elisabeth E. Lefebvre Dissecting the teacher monolith: Experiences of beginning basic school teachers in Zambia, International Journal of Educational Development 38 (Sep 2014): 37–46.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2014.05.006Kristin D. Phillips Dividing the Labor of Development: Education and Participation in Rural Tanzania, Comparative Education Review 57, no.44 (Jul 2015): 637–661.https://doi.org/10.1086/671795Kim Korinek and Sureeporn Punpuing The Effect of Household and Community on School Attrition: An Analysis of Thai Youth, Comparative Education Review 56, no.33 (Jul 2015): 474–510.https://doi.org/10.1086/666911Carolyn M. Thomas, Matthew A.M. Thomas Zambian teachers’ perceptions of expert teaching: resourcefulness, punctuality, and sobriety, International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education 25, no.55 (Aug 2012): 583–600.https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2011.605077Diane Brook Napier African socialism, post-colonial development, and education: Change and continuity in the post-socialist era, (Mar 2015): 369–399.https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3679(2010)0000014017

Youth Attitudes Toward Dating Violence in Thailand

This study assessed the occurrences and intensity of psychological, physical, and sexual attitudes toward dating violence among Thai youths, and examined possible variables related to the formation of these attitudes.The random sample consisted of 1,296 male and female adolescents from high school, vocational school, and out-of-school groups. Thai youths in general reported attitudes that were supportive of dating violence. The variables more closely related to attitudes toward dating violence were personal variables. Peer influence, partner relationships, and family characteristics were related to higher support for dating violence. Females reported higher endorsement of dating violence than males. The theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed, and recommendations for policy makers are drawn.