A liver fluke, Opisthorchis viverrrini (OV), is the major cause of the high incidence of cholangiocarcinoma in North-eastern Thailand. The prevalence of OV infection remains high in various parts of the country, especially in wetland rural areas where a large proportion of the community work in agriculture and continue the traditional practice of eating raw or uncooked cyprinoid fish products. The national control program seems to have had little impact in many of these areas, and it has been difficult to make precise assessments of the overall effectiveness of the program. Therefore there is a need for a community-based approach to prevent infection with the parasite, ideally involving as many players as possible. Here we document an attempt to assess the best means to prevention on the basis of a community intervention in three villages in north-east Thailand, with participation of representatives of Health Promotion Hospitals of the Ministry of Public Health with dedicated staff, but also school teachers, independent government sponsored village health volunteers, and housewives responsible for cooking and diet selection. An action plan was followed, allowing detailed discussions of practical proposals, their introduction and then repeated reflection and further proposals at the individual village level.

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The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of brain-based learning (BBL) and animated cartoons on video compact discs (VCDs) in enhancing the healthy habits of school children. A representative sample of 1085 school children in the first through the third grades at 16 schools was selected by multistage random sampling. Knowledge of healthy habits and self-reported adoption of practices were assessed by a questionnaire. BBL and VCD, either combined or as single-intervention techniques, led to improved knowledge and practice of healthy behavior, whereas conventional teaching did not. As a single-intervention technique, BBL on its own led to a greater improvement in healthy practices than VCD, but the addition of BBL to VCD made no difference, and there was no difference between BBL and VCD in terms of improvements in knowledge. In conclusion, both BBL and VCD are effective, but VCD requires fewer resources. Recommendations are made for further research.

Background: Human behaviour contributes significantly to global warming (GW), significantly adding to ill-health and disease. As a result, efforts should be made to enlist the support of school-aged children in preventive behaviour. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the effects of a school-network intervention using Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (3Rs) to improve primary students’ GW preventive behaviour. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post and control group study was conducted. The experimental group ( n = 359) and the comparison group ( n = 331) comprising fifth and sixth grade primary students. School network members (SNMs), who included school principals, teachers, parents and community leaders, worked with the pupils for 4 months using the 3Rs approach. Data were collected by means of a self-administered questionnaire measuring knowledge, attitudes and practices. A paired t-test and an independent t-test were used to analyse the data. In-depth interviews and focus groups took place with SNMs to assess the perceived effectiveness of the 3Rs intervention. Results: Significant post-intervention improvements in students’ knowledge, attitudes and practice were found in the experimental group. The 3Rs programme received significant support from SNMs. Green living sub-projects including waste product recycling, planting, school energy conservation and changes in school lunch programmes to include more green food, were established by children. Conclusions: The 3Rs model, complemented by school networking, was perceived to have had a positive impact on students’ GW prevention activities.

Background:Colorectal cancer is an important public health problem worldwide. Although progress in screening and treatment has considerably improved the prognosis in the developed world, in developing countries colorectal cancer mortality rate remains relatively high. Colorectal cancer screening literacy is an important initial step in overcoming this problem. Development of a validated assessment instrument is therefore important for implementation of appropriate health education programs to facilitate early detection. Objectives:This study focused on generation and validation of a colorectal cancer screening literacy scale for Thai people in northeastern Thailand. Methods:This methodological study was carried out in two phases: (1) literature reviews and semi-structured interviews were used to select items, then the content and face validity were checked; and (2) a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test construct validity and reliability. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from Thai people aged 50-65 in June 2017. Results:For the total of 400 participants who responded (response rate 100 %), the age ranged from 50 to 65 years old (mean = 57.3, SD = 4.616). The colorectal cancer screening literacy scale was designed to include 6 domains and it was shown to have good internal consistency, and CFA demonstrated the model to fit data adequately (Chi-squared/degree of freedom = 1.079, p = 0.061, CFI = 1.00, GFI = 0.93, AGFI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.014 and SRMR = 0.036). The final version of its, consisting of 57 items across the 6 domains covering key aspects of colorectal cancer screening literacy, demonstrated good psychometric properties for this population. Conclusions:Use of the colorectal cancer screening literacy scale in Thai people could lead to improved educational programs for optimizing colorectal cancer screening.