Abstract
The research aims to explore and describe the Urbanites’ Accessibility, Understanding, Evaluation and Application of Health Information for their Self Care in Emerging Infectious Disease International Spreading. Mixed method was used in collecting data including in-depth interview of doctors, public health facilitators, village health volunteers (Or Sor Mor) and local press in the 4 provinces where immigration checkpoints are--Chiangrai, Nong Khai, Ubon Ratchathani and Songkhla—and administration of questionnaire for survey research on sample group living either Amphoe Mueang (a capital district of a province) or an Amphoe (districts) where immigration checkpoint or international airports is located. Those areas belong to the 7 provinces namely Bangkok, Chiangrai, Tak, Songkhla, Nong Khai, Ubon Ratchathani and Phuket. The overall data was collected from 1,400 samples in total. The finding indicated that Thai Ministry of Public Health has a well-developed system and strong policy and control measures on the management of infectious diseases spread internationally as well as beneficial cooperation between Thailand and other countries. Measures on disease surveillance, control and prevention together with risk communication plan have been installed and are actively used. The finding revealed the people become more aware when infectious diseases start to spread closer into the country and their hometown. The level of awareness fluctuates in accordance with the severity level of diseases. Usually, people’s awareness level rises high during the first period of news announcement about infectious diseases and gradually lowers as media ceases to report about diseases. On the other hand, when there is news report on the severity of infectious diseases, lack of treatment and mortality number of the infected combined with insufficient amount of information, the awareness level soars up and turns into panic. This can be alleviated by news informing people of government’s countering measures and procedures in screening, preventing and controlling contagious diseases. The health information about emerging infectious diseases spreading internationally are both news reports by the press and media created by Public Health facilities. Information sent are consisted of both arousing information of the severity of diseases warning them to change their behaviors and plain information of diseases aiming for understanding and procedures to follow for their safety. It is found that people access information about emerging infectious diseases spreading internationally through various media; mass media, personal media such as village health volunteers, neighbors, specialization media, local press and online media. The survey result shows that the overall frequency of people media exposure is medium. The most frequent media used is television. Radio, newspaper, friends, public health facilitators, village health volunteers, Facebook, LINE, news website, health care website, vinyl banners, pamphlets and broadcast towers have medium usage frequency. The accessibility level to the information of infectious diseases internationally spreading is medium. However, the number of channels accessed by the people and frequency of follow ups are low. The eagerness and content engagement are at medium level. Overall, the level of understanding is high. The most understanding of well-informed topic for the sample group are the chance of getting infected, the lack of treatment and the importance of following news trailed by following instructions. The survey result indicated that level of value and correctness of information evaluation is medium. Looking closely, sample group indicated that they mostly evaluate on the benefits of information in ensuring personal safety, however, they set up basic assumptions and check the validity of information, so these two topics are at medium level. Application of information is found to be at high level. Sample group usually use the information learnt to protect themselves from infectious diseases, practice sanitary behaviors, self-observe for sickness and find further news and information. The result of a test on the hypothetic relationship reveals that the frequency of information access is positively correlate to understanding of content. Also, the mean of access to information varies positively correlate to evaluation of value and correctness of information. Both pairs have significant relationships shown statistically at .05 In addition, the information accessibility, understanding and evaluation of value and correctness of information all have significant positive relationship with application of information shown statistically at .05 It is found from comparative hypothesis testing that information accessibility, understanding, evaluation and application vary significantly between age groups and levels of education at .05 based on statistic.
