Perception about health risk and health protection from crops and forest fire smoke among high school students in nan province, Thailand

Abstract

Background: The study was carried out among high school students in Nan Province, Thailand with the objective of determining the current situation of receiving information, perception, and health protection of crops and forest fire smoke.

Methods: Two hundred and seventy eight students were randomly selected and provided with self-administrated questionnaire.

Results: About 60% of the students were female. The mean age was 16.1±1.7 years. Nearly 65% were studying in senior high school level. The public information sources such as television, local radio, newspaper, and advertisement were the most common sources which the respondents used to receive the crops and forest fire smoke information. Most students had sometimes received all items of information about crops and forest fire smoke. They had moderate level of receiving information (mean score = 19.2±4.3) and moderate level of perception (mean score = 27.0±4.2). Most students had moderate of health protection (mean score = 6.5±2.2) and they used all of the health protection measures to protect them from the crops and forest fire smoke including resident environmental adaptation; personal lifestyle modification; and community participation. This study found that health protection was significantly associated with studying level (p <0.05), receiving information (p <0.05), and perception (p <0.001). Moreover the perception was significantly associated with receiving information (p <0.05). Receiving information was the important factor of increasing the health risk perception and health protection from crops and forest fire smoke among the high school student. Health risk perception was the most important factor of health protection to avoiding and reducing the crops and forest fire smoke exposure.

Conclusions: Therefore, increasing the received information need to be developed to make the perception which in turn will influence students to modify their behavior.