Kyaw Soe Thant. Knowledge, attitude, and preventive behaviors related to hiv/aids and sexually transmitted infections among myanmar migrants in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. Master's Degree(). Chiang Mai University. Library. : Chiang Mai University, 2024.
Knowledge, attitude, and preventive behaviors related to hiv/aids and sexually transmitted infections among myanmar migrants in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand
Abstract:
Despite the significant progress in understanding and managing HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), these health challenges persist globally with 38 million people living with HIV and millions affected by STIs annually. Thailand is one of the major migration hubs in Southeast Asia. Due to the vulnerable nature of migrants, there is a risk of getting and spreading infectious diseases among the community. This study aimed to examine the association between knowledge, attitude and preventive behaviors related to HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections among Myanmar migrants in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. A cross-sectional study was conducted among Myanmar migrants aged 18-45 years in Chiang Mai province, Thailand, from October to December 2023. A total of 424 migrant workers who visited to hospital for health screening and community gathering places were recruited by a convenience sampling method. Descriptive statistics was used to examine the status of knowledge, attitude, and preventive behaviors among migrants. The factors associated with preventive behaviors were explored by multiple logistic regression analysis. The mean age of the participants was 29.92±7.9 years, married (56.8%), and primary or lower education (67.5%). The average duration of living in Chiang Mai was 8 years and the average monthly income was less than 10,000 THB (47.6%). The majority of participants had a good level of HIV knowledge (63.2%), a poor level of STI knowledge (80%) and a good level of attitude (53.5%). Among those who had sex before, 91% had a good level of preventive behavior and 43.8% always used condoms with their non-regular partner in the last 12 months. Furthermore, 85.1% had discriminatory attitudes toward people living with HIV/AIDS. Based on the multivariate analysis, migrants with occupation categorized as Others, neither construction workers nor daily workers, were significantly less likely to have preventive behaviors (AOR=0.210, 95%CI: 0.046-0.972, p=0.046) compared to construction workers. Additionally, migrants residing in Chiang Mai for more than 10 years were less likely to engage preventive behaviors (AOR=0.067, 95%CI: 0.010 0.465, p=0.006) compared to those with less than 5 years of residency. Moreover, a good attitude (AOR=4.575, 95%CI: 1.226 17.073, p=0.024) weas statistically associated with preventive behaviors. Low level of STI knowledge, poor level of attitude toward condom usage and high level of stigma toward people living with HIV were identified. Culturally sensitive interventions and comprehensive sexual health education are important for enhancing the well-being of migrant populations and subsequently in mitigating the spread of HIV/AIDS and STI infections in the region.