Journal of Public Health and Health Sciences Research

Thesis/Independent Study Author Declaration Form

2025-12-26T17:53:41+07:00

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2025-12-26T17:48:04+07:00

Author Declaration Form for Publication in Journal of Public Health and Health Sciences Research

2025-12-26T17:51:01+07:00

Full Issue

2025-12-24T11:10:33+07:00

Applying a spatial analysis method for epidemiological studies: Advancing public health research with geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) using R

2025-12-09T14:09:02+07:00

Public health research increasingly involves spatial analysis to identify disease patterns, assess context-specific risk factors, and inform evidence-based decision-making for specific areas. However, conventional statistical models such as Poisson regression assume spatial stationarity, limiting their ability to compute for geographic heterogeneity in the relationships between health outcomes and explanatory variables. This paper introduces geographically weighted Poisson regression (GWPR) as an
advanced spatial analytical technique that addresses these limitations by allowing regression coefficients to vary across each spatial unit of the study region, enabling the identification of localized patterns of disease occurrence and influencing risk factors. By incorporating spatial weighting based on specified kernel functions and localized parameter estimation, GWPR enables the identification of region-specific associations and enhances the accuracy of epidemiological modeling. This review article elucidates the theoretical foundation of GWPR, its methodological framework, and its application in public health research, along with a comprehensive, step-by-step guide for implementing GWPR in R. The guide includes data preparation, bandwidth optimization, model fitting, diagnostics, and visualization of spatially varying coefficients. By making GWPR more accessible to researchers and public health practitioners, this method can be effectively integrated into real-world spatial health data analysis. Ultimately, it supports the development of targeted, data-driven public health strategies based on robust, location-specific evidence.

Editorial

2025-12-24T11:17:36+07:00

The effects of the health believe model program on stoke preventive behaviors and blood pressure levels among adult workers with uncontrolled hypertension in Kamphaeng Phet Province

2025-02-13T13:26:29+07:00

This quasi-experimental research aimed to evaluate the effects of the health believe model program on stroke preventive behaviors and blood pressure levels among adult workers with uncontrolled hypertension in Kamphaeng Phet Province. The sample consisted of 62 working-age individuals with uncontrolled blood pressure, divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group participated in the Health Belief Model-based program for 8 weeks. The data collection tool was a stroke prevention behavior questionnaire, which had a content validity of 1.00 and a reliability coefficient of 0.84. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, paired t-test, and independent t-test.
The results of the study found that after the implementation of the stroke prevention program, the experimental group had a significantly higher mean score for stroke prevention behaviors (Mean diff. = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.27-1.63, p-value < 0.05) compared to the control group (Mean diff. = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.27-0.38, p-value < 0.05). The experimental group had significantly lower mean systolic blood pressure after the intervention (Mean diff. = 3.23, 95% CI = 2.68-3.78, p-value < 0.05), and significantly
lower mean diastolic blood pressure (Mean diff. = 1.94, 95% CI = 1.65-2.22, p-value < 0.05). It was concluded that the health believe model-based program had a positive effect on stroke prevention behaviors and blood pressure control.

The factors predicting tuberculosis preventive behaviors among household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients primary health care network management area Lat Yao Hospital, Nakhon Sawan Province

2025-04-09T16:39:36+07:00

This study aimed to examine tuberculosis prevention behavior and the predictive factors influencing tuberculosis prevention behavior among household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients in the contracted unit for primary care area of Lat Yao hospital, Nakhon Sawan Province. The sample consisted of 248 individuals who had lived in the same household as pulmonary tuberculosis patients for at least one month and were registered at Lat Yao Hospital. Data were collected between January to April 2024 using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and stepwise multiple regression statistics.
The results showed that the overall tuberculosis prevention behavior among household contacts of pulmonary tuberculosis patients was at a high level (Mean = 4.18, S.D.= 0.75). The factors that significantly predicted tuberculosis prevention behavior among people living in the same household as tuberculosis patients, at the 0.05 level included environmental management (b = 0.485, = 0.302), sufficiency of income (b = 0.233, = 0.149), and perceived risk of tuberculosis infection (b = 0.133, = 0.133). These factors collectively explained 17.8% of the variance in tuberculosis prevention behavior among household contacts in the area served by the contracted unit for primary care at Lat Yao Hospital, Nakhon Sawan Province . Therefore, efforts should be made to enhance the capacity of household contacts of tuberculosis patients by improving their knowledge, awareness, and perception, which would lead to appropriate behavioral changes in tuberculosis prevention that are suitable for the context of each area.

Effect of health literacy program on the prevention of unintended pregnancy among female high school students in Nakhon Sawan Province

2025-04-10T14:45:12+07:00

Promoting health literacy enhances fundamental skills that lead to positive health behaviors. This quasi-experimental study aimed to examine the effect of a health literacy program on promoting behaviors that prevent unintended pregnancy. A quasi-experimental study was conducted, in which a total of 90 female high school students were selected through simple random sampling and divided into two groups: an experimental group and a comparison group, with 45 participants in each. The results were measured at two time points: before and after the intervention. The 11-week intervention included educational
lectures, internet-based information searches, interactive quiz games via a website, educational videos on unintended pregnancy prevention, and role-playing activities. Data were collected through an online questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, minimum, maximum, mean, and standard deviation. Repeated measures ANCOVA was employed to assess
differences between groups.
The results revealed that after the intervention, the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores in unintended pregnancy prevention behaviors than the comparison group (Mean diff. = 5.88; p-value < 0.001; 95% CI: 3.28-8.60). This finding suggests that female secondary school students demonstrated a tendency toward improved health literacy.

Factors affecting self-care behaviors among tuberculosis patients, Phichit Province

2025-04-30T13:20:11+07:00

This study is a cross-sectional analytical study aimed to examine self-care behaviors and the factors affecting self-care behaviors among tuberculosis patients in Phichit Province. The study consisted of 250 new tuberculosis patients selected through systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire that included personal factors, knowledge about tuberculosis, perceived susceptibility to tuberculosis transmission, perceived severity of tuberculosis, perceived self-efficacy in preventing tuberculosis transmission, perceived outcomes of preventing tuberculosis transmission, and self-care behaviors. The questionnaire’s content validity ranged from 0.67 to 1.00, and reliability coefficients ranged from 0.742 to 0.891. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and stepwise multiple regression analysis at a significance level of 0.05
The results revealed that the majority of the tuberculosis patients demonstrated a high level of self-care behavior 91.6% (Mean = 3.51, S.D. = 0.36). The variables that significantly predicted self-care behavior among tuberculosis patients were perceived self-efficacy in preventing tuberculosis transmission ( = 0.601, p-value < 0.001) and alcohol consumption ( = -0.125, p-value = 0.013), together accounting for 37.1% of the variance in self-care behaviors. Health personnel can use the results of this study to promote health among tuberculosis patients to change their self-care behavior to prevent the spread of the disease to others, especially promoting perceived self-efficacy in preventing the spread of tuberculosis and reducing or quitting alcohol consumption.

Study of the antibacterial activity of the Tri-Kasorn-Mas remedy extracted using percolation technique

2025-04-18T11:05:44+07:00

The “Tri-Kasorn-Mas” has properties of stimulating appetite, nourishing the body’s elements, balancing internal systems, strengthening the body, and relieving diarrhea. It consists of Jatropha multifida L. (Fin-Ton), Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (Bua-Luang) and Aegle marmelos (L.) (Ma-Toom). Literature review reveals that the Tri-Kasorn-Mas herbal has strong antioxidant properties, and the individual herbs in the formulation also show significant antibacterial effects. However, past studies commonly used 95.0% ethanol maceration, which does not correspond with traditional Thai medicine preparation, where it involves infusing the powdered herbs in hot water. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the antibacterial activity against seven standard strains, both Gram-positive and Gramnegative, including: 1) Staphylococcus aureus, 2) Bacillus cereus, 3) Escherichia coli, 4) Salmonella ser. typhi
5) Salmonella typhimurium, 6) Shigella sonnei, and 7) Enterococcus faecalis. The extract was obtained through percolation with water solvent, a technique that simulates the traditional herbal infusion method.
The results showed that the extraction yield of the Tri-Kasorn-Mas formula was 18.6 ± 0.2%. The extract exhibited antibacterial activity against three bacterial strains, with the strongest inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus, followed by Bacillus cereus and Enterococcus faecalis. This study supports traditional Thai medicine knowledge and provides a foundation for further development of the
Tri-Kasorn-Mas remedy as a treatment for acute diarrhea.

The development of an innovative solid waste management model through community participation in the Ban Ko Sub-District Administrative Organization Area, Mueang District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province

2025-05-22T17:37:03+07:00

This research is a participatory action research applying an Appreciation-Influence-Control (A-I-C) planning process to develop and evaluate an innovative community-based solid waste management model in the Ban Ko Sub-District Administrative Organization area, Mueang Nakhon Ratchasima District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. The sample included 17 participants in the solid waste management development group and 69 in the evaluation group. Data were collected through questionnaires, surveys, records, and interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and t-tests, while qualitative data were interpreted through content analysis.
The results showed that most waste in the community originated from households, with no systematic waste segregation in place. The developed model emphasized solid waste management through a mobile application innovation, enabling residents to correctly segregate waste at the source. It also established responsible agencies and implemented community policies and regulations as guidelines. The results of using this model showed that knowledge and the amount of solid waste before and after the implementation were significantly different (p-value < 0.05). After the implementation, the people had good waste management behavior (Mean = 2.71, S.D. = 0.45) and a high level of overall participation (Mean = 3.89, S.D. = 0.93). Therefore, this waste management model can be appropriately adapted to other areas by integrating the innovative mobile application for segregating waste into four categories following the 5Rs principle, alongside the formulation of policies and regulations aligned with community contexts. It can be used to develop and solve waste problems in other communities.

Factors influencing the health promoting behaviors of village health volunteers in Sukhothai Province

2025-06-04T19:47:39+07:00

This descriptive research aimed to examine the factors influencing the health promoting behaviors of village health volunteers (VHVs) in Sukhothai Province. The study sample comprised 486 VHVs selected by systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression analysis.
Results indicated that perceived susceptibility (Mean = 4.38, S.D. = 0.65), perceived severity (Mean = 4.37, S.D. = 0.67), perceived benefits (Mean = 4.41, S.D. = 0.65), and health-promoting behaviors among VHVs were at a high level (Mean = 3.95, S.D. = 0.48), whereas perceived barriers (Mean = 3.03, S.D. = 0.99) were at a moderate level. The strongest predictor of health-promoting behaviors among VHVs was perceived benefits (ฺβ = 0.30), followed by perceived susceptibility (β = 0.18), female gender (β = 0.13), upper secondary education or vocational certificate education level (β = 0.13), and duration of being a VHV (β = 0.10), respectively. These five predictors together explained 27.2% of the variance in health-promotion behaviors, with statistical significance at the 0.05 level. Based on the findings, relevant agencies should promote perceived benefits and perceived susceptibility as well as provide continuous support for health behavior modification to enable VHVs to sustain desirable health-promoting behaviors.

Factors influencing health promotion behaviors among socially active older adults Chong Lom Sub-District, Lan Krabue District, Kamphaeng Phet Province

2025-02-05T12:54:32+07:00

This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the level of health promotion behaviors and identify factors influencing health promotion behaviors among socially active older adults in Chong Lom Sub-District, Lan Krabue District, Kamphaeng Phet Province. The study sample comprised 256 socially active older adults aged 60 years and above, selected using systematic random sampling. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression analysis.
The findings revealed that the majority of socially active older adults had a moderate level of health promotion behaviors (83.6%). Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that social network support (β = 0.363, p-value < 0.001), knowledge of health promotion behaviors (β= 0.237, p-value < 0.001), health promoting environment and policy (β = 0.211, p-value < 0.001), perceived benefits of practice (β = 0.182, p-value < 0.001), and age (β= -0.184, p-value < 0.001) significantly influenced health promotion behaviors. These factors together accounted for 42.2% of the variance in health promotion behaviors among socially active older adults. The findings of this study highlight the importance of designing activities that focus on enhancing health literacy alongside motivating appropriate health behavior appropriately. Strengthening social support networks, promoting health-oriented public policies, and providing accessible and inclusive spaces for health-related activities are also essential. These factors play a crucial role in fostering sustainable health-promoting behaviors among older adults.

Development of a community engagement model for fall prevention among older adults in Sam Ngao District, Tak Province

2025-04-19T07:12:49+07:00

The purpose of this study was to examine the situation, risk factors, and needs related to fall prevention among older adults, which led to the development of a community engagement model for fall prevention in Sam Ngao District, Tak Province. The study employed a research and development design, consisting of two stages: (1) studying the past situation of falls, risk factors, and needs related to fall prevention among older adults through descriptive data collection, retrospective study, home visits, and focus group discussions; and (2) developing a community engagement model through participatory workshops and expert validation.
The results revealed that significant risk factors for falls among older adults were dementia, depression, osteoarthritis, malnutrition, multiple chronic diseases, and dependence on others for self-care. The needs for fall prevention included providing knowledge to caregivers on environmental conditions and care practices. The developed community engagement model for fall prevention consisted of four main levels of participation: individuals and families, communities, local administrative organizations, and public health agencies. Key activities included education, environmental modification, health surveillance, resource support, and coordination among local agencies. The expert evaluation of the developed model found that its appropriateness was rated at the highest level (Mean = 4.51, S.D. = 0.33), and its feasibility was rated at a high level (Mean = 4.37, S.D. = 0.42). It is recommended that this model be piloted in practice and its results evaluated to improve its effectiveness and applicability.

Factors related to rational drug use behavior of older adults with diabetes in Mueang Sakon Nakhon District, Sakon Nakhon Province

2025-05-06T09:09:51+07:00

This cross-sectional descriptive research aimed to study 1) examine the level of rational drug use behavior, 2) assess the level of medication literacy regarding diabetes, and 3) identify factors related to rational drug use behaviors among older adults with diabetes in Mueang District, Sakon Nakhon Province. The samples consisted of 322 older adults with diabetes selected through stratified random sampling based on primary care service units. The research instrument was a structured interview comprising general characteristics and health status, cognitive function, knowledge of diabetes, medication literacy, social support, and rational drug use behavior. The interview form was assessed for content validity by 3 experts. Its reliability ranged from 0.70 to 0.85. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test to examine associations between variables.
The results showed that 1) 48.1% of participants revealed a high level of rational drug use behavior, 2) 65.2% of the participants had a low level of diabetes medication literacy, and 3) factors significantly related to rational drug use among older adults diabetes patients at the 0.05 level included visual and sight problems (p-value = 0.029), cognitive ability (p-value < 0.001), knowledge about diabetes (p-value = 0.012), medication literacy (p-value < 0.001) and social support (p-value < 0.001). These findings suggest promoting medication literacy and rationale drug use behavior by considering these related factors.

Factors related with medication literacy among parents of children aged 0–5 years in Si Songkhram District, Nakhon Phanom Province

2025-05-23T13:17:57+07:00

This descriptive cross-sectional study aimed to examine the level of medication literacy use and identify factors related to medication literacy among parents of children aged 0-5 years in Si Songkhram District, Nakhon Phanom Province. The sample consisted of 327 parents of children aged 0-5 years, selected through stratified random sampling by subdistricts within Si Songkhram District. Data was collected using a questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square statistics to identify the factors related to medication literacy, at significant level 0.05.
The findings revealed that most parents had a moderate level of medication literacy (52.0%), followed by a high (35.2%) and a low level (12.8%). Factors significantly related to medication literacy included gender, education level, income, health service facility, experience in caring for a sick child, technology skills for searching, concerns about caring for a sick child, acceptance of community practices when children are ill, and awareness of information provided by medical personnel. Based on these findings, public health agencies can design strategies for enhancing medication literacy among parents. These strategies should consider individual, community, and healthcare-related factors
influencing medication literacy. Additionally, promoting the use of technology for information searching and ensuring access to appropriate information from healthcare professionals according to parents’ need
are recommended.