Predictive Factors of Growth Among Preterm MigrantChildren in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand

Abstract

This research soughtto study the predictive factors of the duration of exclusive breastfeeding, mother’sfeeding behaviors,and health service accessibility onthe growth of preterm migrant children in Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. The subjects were 156 Burmese migrant mothers with preterm children 18-24 months old who received health check-upsat well-baby clinics in Kanchanaburi Province. The data analysis was performed utilizingdescriptive and multiple logistic regression statistics. The results revealed that although premature infants should reach normal growth the same as full-term children at 2 years old,41%of the child subjects were underweight, and 46.8%had stunted growth. Also, 53.2% of the mothers exclusively breastfed for less than 6 months due to the mothers having to returnto work. Upon performing multiple logistic regression analysis, it was found that exclusive breastfeeding from birth to the age of 6 months old and the feeding behaviors of the mothers were the most significantpredictorsinfluencing the growth of premature migrant children.In comparison, health service accessibility did not affectthe growth of premature migrant childrensince the majority of migrant mothers (88.5%) regularly brought their preterm children forhealth check-ups. Ourfindings strongly suggested that the education of migrant mothers should be continuously promoted to emphasize the importance of exclusive breastfeeding of their preterm children, including in their workplace, and to encourage migrant mothers to recognize the importance of providing complementary foods to suit their migrant Burmese lifestyle.

Factors Influencing the Quality of Life and Nutritional Status of 0-2 Years Old Children

“…As a result of Thailand's low-cost healthcare insurance for migrant workers and their families to have access to healthcare services. 13 Therefore, no variation in access to healthcare scores, resulting in non-significant relationship between healthcare access and nutritional status.…”

“…The explanation may be that preterm infants are more susceptible to infections, resulting in a poorer child growth rate, and unemployed migrant mothers employed exclusive breastfeeding for their child. 13…”

Transportation Barriers on Healthcare Utilization Among Elderly Population Living in Mahasarakham Province Thailand

“…Our study found a lower rate of healthcare utilization in urban area than rural area. In contrast, (Netithanakul and Soonthorndhada 2009)found people who live in urban areas use health care services more frequently than those in rural areas. A possible explanation is that elderly in urban area is able to access to some other health cares for their treatment such as drugstores and private clinic.…”