Perspectives on public health interventions in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand

Pan-ngum, Wirichada; Poomchaichote, Tassawan; Peerawaranun, Pimnara; Kulpijit, Natinee; Osterrieder, Anne; Waithira, Naomi; Mukaka, Mavuto; Naemiratch, Bhensri; Chanviriyavuth, Rita; Asarath, Supa-at; Ruangkajorn, Supanat; Kannika, Noppadon; Cheah, Phaik Yeong

doi:10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16293.1

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 9 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…This study finds that the majority of Thai respondents adopted the newly introduced personal protective measures and only 5% indicated that they have never adopted any of these guidelines during the early phase of the pandemic. This corresponds to the findings that indicated 92% of respondents changed their social behavior even before the implementation of government policy in late March, whereby 94% practiced social distancing, 97% used personal protective equipment such as masks and 97% reported using sanitizer products [ 39 ]. Social determinants of marital status, residential area, and degree of worry were found to be associated with the prediction for the adoption rate of personal protective measures in Thailand whereas sex, age, education, and income were found to have no impact.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…Recruitment of respondents was completed via social media platforms using existing personal and social contacts. The snowball technique was chosen because at the time of the data collection, the general public started to be aware of the COVID-19 outbreak and it was not convenient to come in contact with a large population due to safety concerns, especially in March when the cases started to soar [ 39 ]. Inclusion criteria were individuals who resided in Thailand.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Public Trust and Policy Compliance during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Professional Trust

Saechang

2021

Healthcare

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Previous research has shown that public trust is vital for promoting policy compliance, particularly in times of crisis. However, the literature supporting this notion remains scarce, especially in countries which have successfully contained a pandemic despite showing a generally low level of public trust in the government. To address this topic, we conducted a cross-sectional study between February and March of 2020 to examine the relationship between public trust and the compliance of the general public in adopting personal protective measures introduced during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Thailand. We report our result from a hierarchical regression. We find a positive and significant relationship between public trust in the government and the likelihood of respondents adopting these precautions, more importantly, this relationship was fully mediated by the professional trust as the effect of public trust in the government on policy compliance was reduced by 0.118, namely from (β = 0.133, p < 0.001) to (β = 0.015, p > 0.05). Married respondents residing in the capital city, with a higher degree of worry were also more likely to comply with these safety measures. In conclusion, the finding sheds light on the dynamic relationship between public trust and policy compliance and offers some implications in times of a global health crisis.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Public Trust and Policy Compliance during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Professional Trust

Saechang

2021

Healthcare

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Data were collected from 1 st May 2020 to 31 st May 2020 ( Underlying data 13 ). This represents the period in which the number of reported cases in the country was decreasing after the extensive restrictions by the government under the state of emergency announced at the end of April 2020.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perspectives on public health interventions in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand

Pan-ngum¹,

Poomchaichote²,

Peerawaranun³

et al. 2021

Wellcome Open Res

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Any government needs to react quickly to a pandemic and make decisions on healthcare interventions locally and internationally with little information regarding the perceptions of people and the reactions they may receive during the implementation of restrictions. Methods: We report an anonymous online survey in Thailand conducted in May 2020 to assess public perceptions of three interventions in the Thai context: isolation, quarantine and social distancing. A total of 1,020 participants, of whom 52% were women, responded to the survey. Results: Loss of income was the main concern among respondents (>80% for all provinces in Thailand). Traditional media and social media were important channels for communication during the pandemic. A total of 92% of respondents reported that they changed their social behaviour even before the implementation of government policy with 94% reporting they performed social distancing, 97% reported using personal protective equipment such as masks and 95% reported using sanitizer products. Conclusions: This study showed a high level of compliance from individuals with government enforced or voluntarily controls such as quarantine, isolation and social distancing in Thailand. The findings from this study can be used to inform future government measures to control the pandemic and to shape communication strategies.

show abstract

“…We have also conducted a preliminary analysis of unweighted Thai survey responses during May 2020, which includes more detailed breakdowns by regions within Thailand. 66…”

Section: Strengths and Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Economic and social impacts of COVID-19 and public health measures: results from an anonymous online survey in Thailand, Malaysia, the UK, Italy and Slovenia

et al. 2021

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ObjectivesTo understand the impact of COVID-19 and public health measures on different social groups, we conducted a mixed-methods study in five countries (‘SEBCOV—social, ethical and behavioural aspects of COVID-19’). Here, we report the results of the online survey.Study design and statistical analysisOverall, 5058 respondents from Thailand, Malaysia, the UK, Italy and Slovenia completed the self-administered survey between May and June 2020. Poststratification weighting was applied, and associations between categorical variables assessed. Frequency counts and percentages were used to summarise categorical data. Associations between categorical variables were assessed using Pearson’s χ2 test. Data were analysed in Stata 15.0ResultsAmong the five countries, Thai respondents reported having been most, and Slovenian respondents least, affected economically. The following factors were associated with greater negative economic impacts: being 18–24 years or 65 years or older; lower education levels; larger households; having children under 18 in the household and and having flexible/no income. Regarding social impact, respondents expressed most concern about their social life, physical health, mental health and well-being.There were large differences between countries in terms of voluntary behavioural change, and in compliance and agreement with COVID-19 restrictions. Overall, self-reported compliance was higher among respondents who self-reported a high understanding of COVID-19. UK respondents felt able to cope the longest and Thai respondents the shortest with only going out for essential needs or work. Many respondents reported seeing news perceived to be fake, the proportion varying between countries, with education level and self-reported levels of understanding of COVID-19.ConclusionsOur data showed that COVID-19 and public health measures have uneven economic and social impacts on people from different countries and social groups. Understanding the factors associated with these impacts can help to inform future public health interventions and mitigate their negative consequences.Trial registration numberTCTR20200401002.

show abstract

Perspectives on public health interventions in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand

Cited by 7 publications

References 9 publications

Public Trust and Policy Compliance during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Professional Trust

Public Trust and Policy Compliance during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Professional Trust

Perspectives on public health interventions in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand

Economic and social impacts of COVID-19 and public health measures: results from an anonymous online survey in Thailand, Malaysia, the UK, Italy and Slovenia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About