2008 – FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONNAIRE
Thai and Australian investigators met in March 2008 to finalise content for a long follow-up questionnaire which was then translated into Thai, pre-tested and completed by September. Throughout 2007 and 2008 the cohort address database was kept updated by responses from cohort members and by cross-checking with the University’s records. Mailout of the questionnaire began in October 2008 and proceeded in increasing waves through to mid-2009. Non-responders were systematically telephoned to re-check addresses and to encourage participation. The final response rate was nearly 70%.
The data from this follow-up questionnaire are currently (August 2009) being cleaned and prepared and will be ready to be used by 2010.
2008 – STOU DEVELOPMENTS
STOU has supported the Thai team in developing the “Health Promotion Research Centre” which will improve infrastructure for the study team and creates opportunities for more scientific staff.
2007 – MASTERS STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THAILAND
3 Thai students were enrolled in STOU’s Family and Social Development Masters program. Research topics include factors affecting food consumption behaviour, influence of advertising on alcoholic drink consumption, and patterns of plastic bag usage.
2007 – SHORT QUESTIONNAIRE
A 2 page questionnaire seeking information on incidence of frequent or important events including injury and incidence of 25 common diseases was sent to a 10% sample of the cohort. This received around a 50% response rate. The intention was to probe the cohort, elicit some useful longitudinal data and develop experience of follow-up strategies and expected problems in preparation for the 4-year follow-up in 2009.
2007 STRATEGIES FOR COHORT FOLLOW-UP
Cohort follow-up in 2006 was via articles in the Thai newspaper Kom Chad Luek (KCL) and the STOU newsletter.
In 2007, more targetted feedback was carried out. Cohort feedback consists of a package sent to each member of the cohort (N= 87,134) with highlights of the cohort baseline analysis, a notebook-diary, general information on the 8 most common medical conditions reported at cohort baseline, and a brief review of the fundamentals of first aid.
LOOK BACK STUDY (LBS) PUBLICATION 2007
The Thai team have published a 335-page LBS in Thai with an English Summary of National Plans and associated health outcomes: Karn Plien Plang Pan Bujjai Siang Tang Sukaparb Kon Thai: Bot Rian Jark Adit Su Sen Tang Anakot (Look Back Study on the Thai Health-Risk Transition ), Thai Health-Risk Transition Project Team (Seubsman S, Vilainerun D, Khamman S, Somboonsook B) . Nonthaburi, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University Press. (In Thai with English summary.) ISBN 978-974-9943-66-3.
MINI PROJECT ON DIETARY DIVERSITY AND THE NUTRITION TRANSITION IN THAILAND: CASE STUDY IN KHON KAEN (KK) - 2005-06 (continued in 2007-08).
This project aims to study food variety and dietary diversity in the Khon Khaen region to ascertain the changes underway in the Thai food system and provide insights into food availability and the nutrition transition.
As dietary diversity is considered important in the prevention of chronic diseases, this mini project is focussing on recent changes in the availability and consumption of food variety and will examine whether food supply diversity and dietary diversification are features of the nutrition transition in Thailand. The Thai investigators on this mini project are Sam-ang Seubsman (STOU), Wundee Kanponai (Khon Kaen school teacher), Suttinan Pangsap (STOU) and - from Australia - Jane Dixon (NCEPH), Cathy Banwell (NCEPH), Sharon Friel (NCEPH), and Robert MacLennan (QIMR). Research questions include: who and what has been responsible since 1988 for increasing food variety available in Khon Kaen; who is consuming the variety; where the food comes from and what are the major distribution channels. Interviews of Khon Kaen market stall vendors, focus group discussions with older residents and key informant interviews with a range of Khon Kaen leaders took place in February 2006 to determine: major sources of food acquisition and any changes over time in dependency on different sources of food; changes in the food supply over the last 15 years or more; how contemporary food availability is reflected in Isan culinary culture. Questionnaires on food frequency and children's nutritional intake and food preferences have been distributed to three schools across Khon Kaen.
Here we provide a pictorial comparison of changes to food availability in Khon Kaen between 1988 and 2005. The early images were taken by Professor MacLennan when he was visiting Khon Kaen in conjunction with a nutrition epidemiology conference. The recent images were taken as part of the pilot work for the study.
The results of the 2006 Khon Kaen fieldwork have now been published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
Update: In 2007 and 2008 rapid ethnographic appraisals were conducted at fresh markets in all regions of the country. These appraisals involved interviewing stall holders and consumers and attempting to determine changes in the foods which were available at the markets over the preceding decades as well as changes in consumer preferences. The affect of the growing number of super and hyper markets on the more traditional retailers was also examined. This research was complied into a research paper which is now (August 2009) being considered for publication.
COLLABORATOR'S WORKSHOP NOVEMBER 2005
The second collaborator's workshop was conducted in November 2005 at NCEPH, ANU, where basic analysis of cross-sectional data from the baseline survey were presented, discussion, group work and planning for look back studies, work in progress, project activities, cohort follow up and maintenance, timelines and next steps were also conducted. group photo
The Deputy-Director of Public Relations (PR) at STOU was invited to and attended the Thai Study November 2005 workshop. As a result of this collaboration, a comprehensive media and PR plan to follow up cohort participants has been implemented at STOU, including the design of a specific cohort newsletter to be launched later in 2006. Cohort contact and maintenance commenced in early 2006 following plans drawn up at the November 2005 workshop.
Regular (fortnightly) articles are published in a leading Thai national newspaper. Articles will also appear in the quarterly STOU newsletter, which is circulated to all STOU enrolled students and will therefore reach cohort members.
THAI LANGUAGE CLASSES - 2005
Thai language classes have been undertaken by Thai Cohort study members and research students since February 2005. Each week, Ajarn Chintana and Ross have attempted to teach Thai language to the team, including many aspects of Thai culture and traditions, such as Muay Thai - the traditional art of Thai kick boxing. Photos
QUESTIONNAIRE IS LAUNCHED ! - 2005
A 20 page questionnaire was developed in the second half of 2004, incorporating topics that affect health transitions. This was a multidisciplinary cross-cultural effort between Australia and Thailand. The questionnaire was prepared and launched in Thailand, including procurement of equipment and recruitment of the baseline cohort survey in March 2005. A national media campaign about the project was aimed at the general public as well as potential respondents.
The questionnaire was pre-tested by students at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University (STOU) December 2004, with inputs from the Thai team. Commercial tenders were sought for the enormous print job (201,000 copies of questionnaires, folders and envelopes) and postage, to reach potential cohort members throughout Thailand, who are all STOU students. By late February 2005 the mailout was ready and distribution plans complete. Mailout took place in early March 2005. Both the NCEPH and Thai teams have worked well together to make this possible.
Five PhD students have been awarded scholarships and are about to join the Study: three are Thai and two Australian - arriving from Geneva, Thailand, Afghanistan and Sydney.
The project started in June 2004 and is funded by NHMRC and Wellcome Trust. Thai Cohort Study office premises were established in Thailand July 2004. The project is on schedule and objectives have been achieved to date – with official support and endorsement at all times from the President of STOU.
Images of the preparation, production and advertising of the questionnaire
THAI OFFICE OPENS- 2004
Powerpoint display of the official opening of the Thai Health-Risk Project office in the School of Human Ecology, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, Nonthaburi, Thailand.
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