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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health problem among women worldwide. In Thailand, risk factors of CVD in rural Thai women have not yet been examined. The purpose of this predictive correlational study was to examine risk factors of CVD in rural Thai women. Non-modifiable risk factors, modifiable risk factors (physiological, behavioral, and psychological risk factors), contextual risk factors, as well as, coping were conceptualized as major variables in this study.The sample consisted of 149 rural Thai women who had been diagnosed with CVD and resided in rural northern Thailand. A set of questionnaires and physiological measures were used to obtain data. The Chi-square test and the Pearson correlation technique, as well as the Multiple regression were used for data analysis.The results revealed that age, hypertension, cigarette smoking, stress, depression, and poverty had positive relationships with the severity of CVD. BMI, physical activity, education level, and family income were inversely related to the severity of CVD. However, total cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, menopause status, alcohol consumption, distance to hospital, transportation to health care, and coping had no relationship to the severity of CVD. A few of the physiological and behavioral risk factors were significant predictors of the severity of CVD in rural Thai women. These included high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and physical inactivity. Notably, psychological stress and the contextual risk factors of income and poverty were also significant predictors of the severity of CVD in these women. Moreover, there were the significant moderator effects in predicting to the severity of CVD: total serum cholesterol and family income, diabetes and distance to a hospital, BMI and transportation, menopause and income, cigarette smoking and transportation, and depression and poverty.In conclusion, the findings from this study suggested that few of traditional risk factors of CVD were significant risk factors for CVD. Noteworthy findings demonstrated that psychological stress and contextual risk factors played an important role in contributing to CVD in rural Thai women. It is suggested that specific and effective interventions are needed for these women in order to reduce their morbidity and mortality rates of CVD.

Thailand is a nation of some 60 million people, 2 million of whom are estimated to be HIV/AIDS infected and, of those who are infected, 80-90% were infected through heterosexual intercourse and 10-20% are women. In this research, the author discusses the situation in some detail.The experiences of HIV/AIDS infected Thai wives and widows in the rural north of the country are studied.A major contributing factor is the differential constructions of male and female status and sexuality in traditional Thai culture.These constructions are rooted in Theravada Buddhism, ancient mythology and folklore. Data was obtained from 24 participants in Chiangmai Province. The findings of the study revealed several problems with which participants were confronted and the processes they used to address them.It is suggested in the findings that any serious therapeutic interventions and interventionist research studies must be congruent with traditional Thai culture / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Little is known about domestic violence experienced by Thai pregnant women. This exploratory descriptive study aimed to investigate the prevalence of domestic violence during pregnancy and immediate postpartum period among Thai women aged between 18 and 45 years. The study also aimed to investigate maternal and neonatal outcomes for childbearing women, the ways in which they dealt with domestic violence, barriers that inhibited them from seeking help or resisting violence, as well as the needs and support that would be helpful in dealing with domestic violence. A cohort of 421 women in their third trimester of pregnancy was recruited from two tertiary public hospital antenatal clinics located in Khon Kaen Province, Northeastern Thailand. Structured questionnaires were used. Participants were again contacted at six weeks postpartum either in person at the family planning clinics or by telephone. Two hundred and seventy-four women were able to be contacted. The results showed that 53.7% of women reported psychological abuse, 26.6% experienced threats of and/or acts of physical abuse, and 19.2% experienced sexual violence during the current pregnancy. In the postpartum period, 35.4% of women reported psychological abuse, 9.5% reported threats of and/or acts of physical abuse, and 11.3% experienced sexual abuse. Women who were abused during pregnancy showed significantly poorer health status compared to non-abused women in role emotional functioning, vitality, bodily pain, mental health and social functioning. Women who experienced postpartum abuse reported significantly lower mean scores in mental health and social functioning than women who did not. Antepartum haemorrhage was also found to be statistically associated with physical abuse. No statistical differences were found between abuse status and neonatal outcomes. There were several strategies used by abused women in dealing with domestic violence to maximize their safety including crying, keeping quiet, leaving violent situations and temporarily staying with relatives, seeking help from others, and notifying local authorities. Support services that would be helpful for abused women in dealing with the problem included emotional support, social legal assistance, and community health promotion. Domestic violence during pregnancy and after birth is an increasing but under-recognized problem in Thailand. It has pervasive consequences on maternal health. The findings from this study suggest more interventions and urgent domestic violence support services need to be established in this remote area of Thailand. This study also suggests routine screening for domestic violence should be established to provide effective early intervention and prevention of adverse consequences of violence, as pregnancy is a time when most pregnant women seek health care.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and causes 529.000 cases of cervical cancer every year. Nowadays, there are vaccines available to prevent infection. Knowledge of HPV influence the attitude towards the vaccine and is therefore a factor of accepting the vaccine. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the knowledge of HPV and attitudes towards HPV-vaccine among Thai female university students. Method:  Descriptive and cross-sectional study with quantitative method using a questionnaire. Purposive sampling was used. The sample consisted of students from two different universities in Bangkok, Thailand and out of the 201 students whom filled in the questionnaire, 192 questionnaires were used. Result: There were 64.6% of the participants that had heard of HPV previously. Of these, the most common source of information was health professionals. The HPV-vaccine was known by 42.6% of the participants and 17.4% had taken the vaccination. Over 90% of the participants had a poor or moderate knowledge of HPV. In total, most of the participants in the sample were found to have a positive level of attitude towards the vaccine (72.4%). Almost all participants wanted to know more about HPV and the HPV-vaccine and 88.5% thought it was necessary for them to get the vaccination. Conclusion: As some gaps in knowledge among the participants were shown, the information to young women should be improved and aim to increase the motivation towards the use of preventive methods, such as taking the HPV-vaccine.

The development policy and plans of the Thai government have emphasized economic growth aimed at 'modernising' the country, enacted through agricultural modernisation and industrialisation under the name 'rural development'. Women In Development (WID) approaches based on the modernisation model have been added to 'development' plans more recently. Examination of the effects of these WID programmes upon rural women demonstrates that poor women are disempowered by the 'top-down' rural development programmes. This study is an attempt to test collaborative action research (CAR) as a methodology to empower rural women to become the decision makers in the rural development process. CAR was carried out in Sandee Village, northern Thailand. This suggests that rural women can be empowered through continuous cycles of the collaborative learning process of planning, acting, observing and critical reflection with the researcher acting as a facilitator. Through this learning process, rural women have increased their capacity to make choices, to deal with existing constraints and to create changes. In this respect 'development' can be initiated from within. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Flera olika källor har fastställt att många av Malmös thaimassagesalonger erbjudersexuella tjänster mot betalning. Syftet med denna studie har varit att delsundersöka hur omfattande den påstådda problematiken är samt att tydliggöravilken utsatthet en del av kvinnorna på salongerna lever i. En viktig del i studienhar varit att lyfta fram vilket stöd som professionella aktörer kan erbjuda dessakvinnor. Erfarenheter och kunskaper från de professionella aktörerna, bådefrivilligorganisationer, kommunala verksamheter samt myndigheter, har legat tillgrund för studiens resultat. Informationen har hämtats genom kvalitativaintervjuer med personal från ovan nämnda aktörer. Det framgår tydligt att detförekommer försäljning av sex på thaimassagesalonger i Malmö.Samtliga respondenter i intervjuerna bekräftar att många av kvinnorna på Malmösthaimassagesalonger lever i en särskild utsatthet. En beroendeställning gentemotsin arbetsgivare eller sin svenska man, tillsammans med en bristande kunskap omsvenska lagar och rättigheter, har varit det som bidragit till kvinnornaslivssituation. En rädsla för att mista sitt uppehållstillstånd har varit en faktor somökat deras beroendeställning. Enligt en del intervjupersoner kan arbetet med att nåut till denna målgrupp bli väsentligt mycket bättre. / Multiple sources determine that many of Malmö’s Thai massage parlours offersexual services. The goal of this study has been to investigate how extensive thealleged problem is, and to clarify the type of vulnerable situations some of thewomen working in the massage parlours live in. An important part on this studyhas been to highlight the type of support professionals can offer these women.Experiences and knowledge from professionals, voluntary organizations, andmunicipalities has been the bases for this study. Data has been gained throughqualitative interviews with professionals from the above mentioned actors. Theinterviews show that sexual services are sold in Thai massage parlours in Malmö.The interviewees confirm that many of the women that work in Thai massageparlours live in especially vulnerable situations. A combination of dependency ontheir employer, on a Swedish husband and a lack of understanding of Swedishlaws and rights, have contributed to these women’s vulnerability. A fear of losingtheir residency is a factor that has increased their dependency. According toseveral interviewees, outreach work toward this group can become substantiallyimproved.

Les nouvelles technologies, tel l’Internet, nous permettent d'obtenir tout ce que l'on désire en appuyant sur une simple touche. Elles procurent des plateformes inédites de communication, comme des espaces virtuels de rencontre, aux gens en quête d'un époux ou d’une épouse et ainsi permettent aux agences virtuelles spécialisées dans ce type d'union de proliférer. Ces nombreux sites de rencontre offrent aux hommes de rencontrer une femme peu importe d'où elle vient. Les femmes de l'Asie du sud-est sont très populaires auprès de ces hommes. Bon nombre d’études ont démontré que des difficultés économiques jouent un rôle de prime importance dans une décision de faire appel à ces agences pour émigrer par le biais d’un mariage avec un étranger. Par contre, en Asie du sud-est, la Thaïlande se distingue par ses réussites économiques régionales et par sa tradition matrilinéaire. Dans ce contexte, qu’est-ce qui induit des femmes thaïlandaises à chercher un mari à l'étranger ? Je tenterai de répondre à cette question en examinant les influences des facteurs suivants: hiérarchie sociale (ethnique et régionale); facteurs économiques (classes sociales); matrilinéarité; conception locale de l'amour, du sexe et du mariage et, enfin, l'importance du trajet personnel de chaque femme dans son évaluation des facteurs influents menant à son choix d’épouser un étranger. / New technologies, such as Internet, allow us to obtain anything we desire almost immediately by a simple click. They provide a novel platform for encounters, new meeting spaces for people wishing to find a marriage partner through Internet correspondence and provide a flourishing business to agencies specialized in this type of union. These countless web sites allow foreign men to meet women from every part of the world. Southeast Asian women are particularly popular among these men. A number of studies have demonstrated that the economic difficulties of countries in this region play an important role in the women’s decision to call upon these agencies in order to marry and to emigrate. In Southeast Asia, Thailand differentiates itself by its regional economic success and by its matrilineal tradition. In light of this, what induces Thai women to look for a husband abroad? I will attempt to answer this question by examining the influences of the following factors: social hierarchy (ethnic and regional); economic factors (social class); matrilinearity, local conception of love, sex and marriage and, finally, the importance of each woman’s personal path to determine which factors influence their choice of marrying a foreigner.