Prevalence and associated factors with scrub typhus infection among hill tribe people in Mae Fah Luang district, Chiang Rai province, Thailand

Name: Nidanuch Tasak

keyword: Hill Tribe

MeSH: Hill tribes

Classification :.DDC: e-Theses

; Scrub Typhus

MeSH: Hill tribes -- Health and hygiene -- 306036

MeSH: Tsutsugamushi disease -- 306037

LCSH: Hill tribes

LCSH: Hill tribes -- Health and hygiene -- 306036

LCSH: Tsutsugamushi disease -- 306037

Abstract: Scrub typhus is a significant tropical disease, afflicting particularly the lower socioeconomic status populations and those that have difficulty accessing medical care. A large proportion of the hill tribe people in Thailand falls within this category, where they have limited education, and do not have adequate healthcare access. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and determine the factors associated with scrub typhus infection among hill tribe people in northern Thailand. A cross-sectional study design was used to gather information from hill tribe people aged 18 years and over living in ten hill tribe villages in Mae Fah Luang, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. Participants who met the inclusion criteria were invited to participate in the study. A validated questionnaire and a 5-mL blood specimen were used as research instruments. Orientia tsutsugamushi IgM and IgG were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and then confirmed by imunofluorescence assay (IFA). Logistic regression was used to detect the associations between variables at the significance level of α = 0.05. A total of 485 hill tribe people participated in the study; 57.1% were female, 29.9% were over the age of 60 years, 46.4% were Akha, and 74.2% never attended a school. The overall prevalence of scrub typhus infection was 48.0%. In the multivariate model, five variables were found to be associated with scrub typhus infection. Those aged over 60 years had a 4.31-fold increase (95% CI = 1.73-10.72) of scrub typhus infection compared to those who are younger than age 30. Those who were illiterate had 3.46-times (95% CI = 1.93-6.21) higher scrub typhus infection than those who had at least primary education. The Akha had 2.20-times (95% CI = 1.31-3.72) higher scrub typhus infection than the Lahu tribe. Subjects who have a history of grass-cutting had a 1.85-fold (95% CI = 1.20-2.84) increase of scrub typhus infection. Those who never wearing gloves for framing had 2.12-times (95% CI = 1.28-3.49) of scrub typhus infection than those who would do daily. The hill tribe people in Thailand are living with a high prevalence of scrub typhus infection. Effective public health interventions to promote scrub typhus awareness and prevention are urgently needed in these populations.

Mae Fah Luang University. Learning Resources and Educational Media Center

Address: CHIANG RAI

Email: library@mfu.ac.th

Name: Tawatchai Apidechkul

Role: Advisor

Created: 2023

Modified: 2023-08-25

Issued: 2023-08-25

วิทยานิพนธ์/Thesis

application/pdf

CallNumber: e-Theses

eng

Spatial: Chiang Rai

Spatial: Thailand

DegreeName: Master of Public Administration

Level: Master's Degree

Descipline: Border Health Management

Grantor: Mae Fah Luang University

©copyrights Mae Fah Luang University

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