Tuberculosis (TB) is a public health issue that relies on the participation of health networks and the care of tuberculosis patients systematically and effectively. This study aimed to investigate the effects of social stigma on continuous tuberculosis patient care. This qualitative research study employed a case study approach to investigate the effects of social stigma on the continuous tuberculosis patient care in Maha Sarakham Province, Thailand. The current study also explored tuberculosis patients’ health service information. An interview form was used as a research instrument to collect data. Interviews were conducted to collect the data from 42 tuberculosis patients and eight members of the tuberculosis caregiver community network. The research results revealed that the tuberculosis patients who received ongoing consultations and treatments from public health officers could develop positive incentives and expectations of the tuberculosis treatments. Family members had improved their supportive skills and could lower the stigma of their household patients. Consequently, people in the community built a network of mental health care and social support to reduce the stigmatization of tuberculosis patients. Counseling skills and knowledge of patient care are essential in caring for mental health patients. When people who are close to the patients develop essential skills for patient care, the stigmatization of tuberculosis patients can be reduced.

Health-related quality of life (QoL) has become an essential outcome measure for patients with chronic kidney disease CKD. People with CKD experience reduced QoL because of the high symptom and treatment burden. However, many factors can be improved to support QOL. This study aimed to assess QoL among pre-dialysis CKD patients in the Northeast of Thailand and determine the factors associated with their QOL using stratified random sampling to respond to a self-administered structured questionnaire. The multiple linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with quality of life. Moderate QoL (49.1%) was diagnosed in 347 pre-dialysis CKD patients. The multiple linear regression observed that factors associated with moderate QoL including depression (95%CI = 0.2.92,2.20; p < 0.001), income (95%CI = 0.00,0.00; p < 0.001), age (95%CI = -0.36-0.09; p = 0.001), sex (95%CI = -8.48-1.59; p = 0.004), co-disease (95%CI = -6.39-1.10; p = 0.006), and caregiver (95% CI = 0.56,13.16; p = 0.033), all variables can be predicted 049.3%. The findings indicate an issue that should be addressed to improve the patients’ QoL. Therefore, public health interventions should be developed and implemented to improve QoL among pre-dialysis CKD patients by focusing on older female patients with depression, low income, co-disease, and caregivers. These findings provided insight into several associations between pre-dialysis patient variables and their QoL. Healthcare providers should be aware of low QoL among elderly females with pre-dialysis chronic kidney disease, depression, low income, co-disease, and patients without caregivers to improve their quality of life.

This study investigated the prevalence of Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and identified a predictive statistical model for the HBV exposure among people in the community, Yasothon, Thailand. A cross-sectional study was performed on participants over 26 years old and living in Muang district, Yasothon province, Thailand. The research was conducted from July to August 2019. All 1,258 participants were verbally screened. Four hundred and fifty nine people were the risk group and tested for HBsAg, and 18 cases were positive for HBsAg (3.9% [95%CI 3.5-4.4]). For the predictive model, the HBV exposure connected with sex, marital status, alcohol, smoking, and knowledge. The area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve was 61.8 % (95%CI, 58.6 to 65.0). At cut-off-point -0.66, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 72.6%, 42.4 % and 53.4%, respectively. HBV infection was a serious health problem, it can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer in the future. The predictive model of five variables can predict risk exposure of HBV which may had other relevant factors. Verbal screening by questionnaire to classify HBsAg risk group can lower the implement cost.

Multicultural social competences are essential for life in the 21st century and understanding of coexistence in society equally without stigmatization and discrimination against those who are different from oneselves. Therefore, education management focusing on developing learners' skills of coexistence and understanding the diversity and differences of people in society is important, especially in Thailand's three southern border provinces facing problems with the unrest affecting the daily life of their people, especially the issue of different beliefs in the practice of religious principles, traditions, and way of life. This research aimed to study the composition of multicultural social competences of community college students in the three southern border provinces. It was conducted among 575 students of community colleges in the three southern border provinces of Thailand. Exploratory component analysis was applied to the data. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed seven components of multicultural social competence in the community college (MSCCC): kindness, multicultural attitude, acceptance of diversity in society, cultural knowledge, skills in coexistence, cultural communication, and social equality. These will formulate issues for the development of multicultural social competence of community college students in the three southern border provinces.

Generally, older adults are highly at risk of falls resulting in severe injuries such as fractured bones or death. Injury from falls amongst the elderly is widely accepted as a critical health problem. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and health correlations of falls in a rural population-based community-dwelling sample of older people in Maha Sarakham. A cross-sectional study was carried out in 10 sub-districts of Maha Sarakham, and 1,519 people aged > 50 years were systematically randomly selected. The sample provided information about sociodemographic and various health variables, including falling down history in last year. Overall, 12.1% had one or more falls in the past year; 15.5% of women and 8.7% of men. In a binary logistic regression model, having two or more chronic conditions (Adj. OR=2.08, 95%CI=1.3, 3.33, p-value=0.002), a vision problem (Adj. OR=1.85, 95%CI=1.20, 2.84, p-value=0.005), and sleep impairment (Adj. OR=1.56, 95%CI=1.03, 2.37, p-value=0.034) were potential risk factors of having fallen during the past year. This study highlights several older people with fall risk in rural areas of Maha Sarakham. Several risk factors were identified that could help in designing fall-prevention strategies. The health care providers at primary care units in Maha Sarakham’s rural areas should be aware of health promotion for fall prevention, and there needs to be more concern about a routine screening of falls in the older adult population.