Work

Drug use among agriculture-related workers in Thailand

Year: 2019

Type: article

Abstract: Objectives : To examine drug use prevalence and to explore the associations of cluster environment characteristics with drug use among agriculture-related workers in Thailand. Methods : This was a cross-sectional study involving 2936 agriculture-related workers from 10 clusters in 4 regions throughout Thailand. Trained interviewers conducted semi-structured interviews. Additionally, the drug-use patterns and behaviors of 124 current users were structurally observed. A multilevel binary logistic regression model was used to estimate the effects of the cluster environment on drug use. Results : The annual prevalence was 58.73%. Illicit drugs, non-prescription drugs, or over the counter medicines were widely used. Age, sex, and non-prescription behavior were associated with substance use that was statistically significant. Contextual clustering was found to significantly affect drug use among agriculture-related workers. A 1-unit increase in treatment rate predicted 12.7-times higher illicit drug use and 15.3-times higher methamphetamine use. Conclusions : Agricultural work facilitated the spread of drug use The design of the surveillance system should be considered.

Source: F1000Research

DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.18994.1

Authors: Narumon Janma, Manop Kanato, Poonrut Leyatikul

Institutions: Khon Kaen University, Vongchavalitkul University

Language: English

Topic: Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,350