Development of a Model for Reducing the Use of Ya-Chud in Community by the Council of Community Organization in Tambon Ban-Ku, Yangsisurat District, Mahasarakham

Abstract

Objective: To develop a model for reducing the use of Ya-chud by the council of Tambon community organization and to study the effect of such model. Method: This study was a participatory action research. The research was divided into 4 phases. Phase 1 was the building of partnership. The researchers conducted an in-depth interview with the community leaders, namely the chairman of council of Tambon Ban Ku’s community organization, and president of the Sub-district Administrative Organization. The community leaders selected 6 active community members as a research team. Phase 2 was a participatory problem analysis. The sub-district community organization council concluded after a meeting that the problem with top priority was Ya-chud. Subsequently, an action plan was formulated to reduce the use of Ya-chud in the community with Ban Non Rang village being chosen as the pilot site before expanding the model to every village in the following years. Phase 3 was planning for participatory action study. Ban Non Rang Community meeting set local rules and action plan to reduce the use of Ya-chud in the community. This phase was quasi-experimental study with pre and post-test. The study purposively selected 107 subjects. The intervention was carried out by training community leaders and village health volunteers (VHVs). Subsequently, community leaders and VHVs educated all households, distributed related information through local channel for news announcement, educated the owners of grocery stores, monitor the distribution of drugs in the grocery stores, and posted the signs prohibiting mobile cars selling Ya-chud. Phase 4 stage was a participatory action research and conclusion of the lesson learned. After the implementation of the plan, conclusion of the lesson learned was conducted through community forums and meetings of the council of Tambon community organization. Results: Knowledge and attitude scores on Ya-chud after the implementation of the activities significantly increased from 7.53 ± 0.32 to 11.32 ± 0.13 points (full score of 14) and from 5.99 ± 0.23 to 8.12 ± 0.11 (full score of 9), respectively (P <0.001). Every subject did not use Ya-chud in the next episode of illness after intervention. No groceries distributed Ya-chud, whereas three of four groceries did so before the intervention. Key success factors included community leaders, community involvement, and empowerment of community. Conclusion: Council of Sub-District Community Organization at Ban Ku was able to resolve the problem of Ya-chud within the community with the budget from the local health insurance fund.