Abstract
This health status and quality of life study was a cross-sectional descriptive one. It was aimed at
exploring the health status and quality of life and their related factors in the study population: 943 people
living near one of the petrochemical plants in Rayong Province. Data were collected during July and
October 2008, using an interview questionnaire and WHOQOL-BREF-THAI. Data were analyzed by
descriptive statistics (frequency, percent, mean) and inferential statistics (chi-square).
Results revealed that the majority of the study population were females (76.8%) with a mean age of
46 years, and having had a primary school education (57.8%). Of the total, 27.9 percent were traders, 16.5
percent consumed alcohol, 8.7 percent smoked, and 48.9 percent did exercise. The distance between their
house and the petrochemical plant was less than 5 kilometers (59.4%). In the past three months, 6.8
percent of them got ill and sought care at hospitals. In the past month, 61.8 percent of them had respiratory
symptoms, 57.2 percent had neurological symptoms, and 53.7 percent had dermatological symptoms.
Regarding their family members, 26.9 percent were allergic to dust or had hay fever. In the past
month, 59.8 percent of them experienced chemical odors: 52.3 percent a gas-like odor, 21.5 percent a
pungent odor, and 15.6 percent an odor similar to a ripe guava. A third of them experienced these odors
in the evening (33.3%); 23.2 percent smelled the odor during the day and 17.2 percent did so at dawn.
The majority of them (68.6%) had a moderate level of quality of life, 31.3 percent had a good level of
quality of life, and 0.1 percent had a poor level of quality of life. Factors related to quality of life were
personal factors (gender, education, job, exercise), health status (getting ill and family illness), and distance
from the petrochemical plant. In addition, respiratory, neurological, and dermatological symptoms
in the previous year and the previous month were significantly related to experiencing the chemical
odors.
This study emphasizes the concern that experiencing chemical odors in ambient air relates to health
and may affect people’s quality of life. Health authorities should develop and enhance measures, especially
short-term and long-term surveillance, and monitor the health status and quality of life of the
people living around industrial zones.
