Acculturation and Its Effects on Health Risk Behaviors among Myanmar Migrant Workers: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

Abstract

Thailand hosts many workers who have migrated from neighboring countries and is facing a large burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Health screening for migrant workers routinely emphasizes infectious diseases but overlooks NCDs. We surveyed prevalent health behaviors for NCDs and their influencing factors, particularly cultural adaptation patterns among Myanmar migrant workers in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. A total of 414 migrant workers consented to participate in the study. Lack of exercise (75.8%), current alcohol consumption (40.8%), current smoking (26.9%), and central obesity (24.3%) were major lifestyle problems. Being female and uneducated was associated with a lack of exercise. Current alcohol consumption was significantly associated with being male and being of Myanmar ethnicity, with an integrative strategy for acculturation, and with a higher income. Male participants and participants with a lower mean score of marginalization were more likely to smoke. Central obesity was associated with being older than 40 years, being female, engaging in an assimilation strategy, and being uneducated. These findings highlight the need for gender inclusive health promotion, the screening of NCD risk behaviors, and timely health education for migrant workers. It may assist authorities to devise strategies to extend health promotion and universal health coverage to the migrant population.

How does migratory status affect non-communicable disease risk in a global context? A systematic review

“…Being female and uneducated was associated with a lack of exercise, while alcohol consumption was associated with male Myanmarese workers (Aung et al, 2020); at the same time, central obesity was associated with uneducated females over 40 years of age in the same study. Campostrini et al (2019) also demonstrates gender-related differences, particularly regarding attending preventive services: the prevalence is higher for Italian women and migrants.…”

“…This is particularly relevant given the study aims to study NCD reporting itself. Aung et al (2020) focused on a more general notion of risk factors and NCDs, but again these were based on self-reported measures, not objectively measured. Their methodology seems sound, however, especially considering their simple odds ratio analysis, and Pearson correlation calculations.…”

“…Lifestyle factors among migrants were identified, wherein large percentages of the migrant population in Thailand are smokers, drinkers, obese or do not exercise (Aung et al, 2020). These are suggested to play a future role in the host country’s premature death burden.…”

“…Lack of exercise, alcohol consumption, smoking and central obesity were identified as major lifestyle problems (Aung et al, 2020); one must consider the harsh conditions often faced by such workers in Northern Thailand, and whether the sample was a representative one for the purposes of this review. While the important health determinant that is socioeconomic status was lower for migrants than native-born Italians (Campostrini et al, 2019), the authors also detected a lower attendance in preventive services among that population.…”

Adaptation and Validation of a Short Acculturation Scale in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population

“…Few studies have assessed acculturation in Asia countries. A recent study [47] of acculturation and its associations with health outcomes among Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand adapted the East Asian Acculturation Measure (EAAM) scale, which was originally developed for East Asian immigrants in the US [48]. However, that study did not present a validation of the scale.…”