Sam‐ang Seubsman
Biographic Data
| ID | 4813739 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sam‐ang Seubsman |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sam‐ang |
| FAMILY NAME | Seubsman |
| SIGNATURE | SEUBSMAN S A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7451-3218 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 33 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 50 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 33 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| H-INDEX | 5 |
Predictors and burden of injury mortality in the Thai cohort study 2005–2015
This study identifies that a history of drink driving, but not regular alcohol consumption, increased injury risk. The associations between smoking and depression, and injury mortality also need further consideration
Dietary patterns associated with hypertension risk among adults in Thailand
Objective Dietary intake is a leading risk factor for hypertension. We aimed to assess longitudinal associations between overall dietary patterns and incident hypertension among adults in Thailand. Design Prospective large Thai Cohort Study (TCS) conducted nationwide from 2005 to 2013. Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis based on usual intake of fourteen food groups. Multivariable logistic regression assessed associations betwe…
Health Risk Transition and Low Mortality Patterns Among a National Cohort of Aspirational Thai Open University Students
In the last 50 years Thailand has achieved advanced demographic and health transitions. Many infectious diseases are controlled and infant and maternal mortality rates are among the lowest in the region. Within such a low mortality setting, however, substantial variations in health persist, with education being a major driver. This paper assesses the ongoing mortality transition in Thailand, examining relationships between risk factors and mortal…
Body mass index and type 2 diabetes in Thai adults
A BMI cut-point of 22 kg/m 2 , one point lower than the current 23 kg/m 2 , would be justified for defining T2DM risk in Thai adults. Lowering obesity prevalence would greatly reduce T2DM incidence
Caregiving and mental health among workers
Our findings provide evidence on caregiving and associated risk for psychological distress among working Thais. This adds to the limited existing literature in middle-income countries and highlights the potential pressure among caregivers in balancing work and care while preserving their own mental health
Physically and psychologically hazardous jobs and mental health in Thailand
This paper investigates associations between hazardous jobs, mental health and wellbeing among Thai adults. In 2005, 87 134 distance-learning students from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University completed a self-administered questionnaire; at the 2009 follow-up 60 569 again participated. Job characteristics were reported in 2005, psychological distress and life satisfaction were reported in both 2005 and 2009. We derived two composite variables g…
Psychosocial job characteristics, wealth, and culture
BACKGROUND: Most research on the influence of psychosocial job characteristics on health status has been conducted within affluent Western economies. This research addresses the same topic in a middle-income Southeast Asian country, enabling comparison with a Western benchmark. METHODS: We analysed and compared the Health Survey for England conducted in 2010 and the Thai Cohort Study data at 2005 baseline for workers aged 35-45 years. Multivariat…
Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and health disparities
Our findings add to current knowledge on the impact of active and passive smoking on health in a transitional economy. Promotion of smoking cessation programs both in public and at home could also potentially reduce adverse disparities in health and wellbeing in middle and lower income settings such as Thailand
Alcohol consumption patterns in Thailand and their relationship with non-communicable disease
Heavy alcohol consumption of 4 or more glasses per occasion, even if the occasions were infrequent, was associated with elevated risk of NCDs in Thailand. These results highlight the need for strategies in Thailand to reduce the quantity of alcohol consumed to prevent alcohol-related disease. Thailand is fortunate that most of the female population is culturally protected from drinking and this national public good should be endorsed and supporte…
Early life urban exposure as a risk factor for developing obesity and impaired fasting glucose in later adulthood
Early life urban exposure was associated with increased risk of developing obesity in adulthood. These findings support public health intervention programs to prevent obesity starting from early ages
Food and nutrition labelling in Thailand
This paper reviews the evolution of Thai food and nutrition label policies and Thailand's international role relating to food product safety and standards. The historical record has been interpreted to identify future trends and challenges related to food labelling. These challenges are arising in Thailand and many similar emerging economies. Thailand has a good reputation in world food markets and is now becoming a global leader in food producti…
Unhappiness and mortality
BACKGROUND: A relationship between happiness and mortality might seem obvious, but outside of affluent settings in developed countries there is almost no actual evidence that this is so. FINDINGS: We report our findings on happiness and mortality in Buddhist Southeast Asia. Our data are derived from a prospective nationwide cohort study of 60,569 Thai adults reporting in 2009 and followed up for all-cause mortality over the next four years (296 d…
The associations between unhealthy behaviours, mental stress, and low socio-economic status in an international comparison of representative samples from Thailand and England
BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status is a recognised determinant of health status, and the association may be mediated by unhealthy behaviours and psychosocial adversities, which, in developed countries, both aggregate in low socioeconomic sectors of the population. We explored the hypothesis that unhealthy behavioural choices and psychological distress do not both aggregate in low socioeconomic status groups in developing countries. METHODS: Our stu…
Self-reported health and subsequent mortality
In Thailand, SRH is a good predictor of population mortality due to internal causes (e.g. CVD). SRH is holistic, simple to measure and low cost; when repeated it measures dynamic health status. In many developing countries chronic diseases are emerging and morbidity information is limited. SRH could help monitor such transitions in burdens and trends of population health
Traditional, modern or mixed? Perspectives on social, economic, and health impacts of evolving food retail in Thailand
Transnational food retailers expanded to middle-income countries over recent decades responding to supply (liberalized foreign investment) and demand (rising incomes, urbanization, female workforce participation, and time poverty). Control in new markets diffuses along three axes: socio-economic (rich to poor), geographic (urban to rural), and product category (processed foods to fresh foods). We used a mixed method approach to study the progress…
Inequalities in Risks and Outcomes in a Health Transitioning Country
This article reviews inequalities in health risks and outcomes based on a large longitudinal cohort study of distance-learning adult students enrolled at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University ( n = 87,134). The study began in 2005 and the first follow-up was completed in 2009. Risks analyzed for health inequalities were divided into demographic, socioeconomic, geographical, behavioral, and environmental groups. Unequal risks and outcomes identif…
Evolving food retail environments in Thailand and implications for the health and nutrition transition
Objective To investigate evolving food retail systems in Thailand. Design Rapid assessment procedures based on qualitative research methods including interviews, focus groups discussions and site visits. Setting Seven fresh markets located in the four main regions of Thailand. Subjects Managers, food specialists, vendors and shoppers from seven fresh markets who participated in interviews and focus group discussions. Results Fresh markets are und…
Physical and mental health among caregivers
Adult caregivers in Thailand experienced a consistent adverse physical and mental health burden. A dose-response effect was evident, with odds ratios higher for full-time caregivers than for part-time, and non-caregivers. Our findings should raise awareness of caregivers, their unmet needs, and support required in Thailand and other similar middle-income countries
Coital Experience Among Adolescents in Three Social-Educational Groups in Urban Chiang Mai, Thailand
This article compares coital experience of Chiang Mai 17-20-year-olds who were: (1) out-of-school; (2) studying at vocational schools; and (3) studying at general schools or university. Four-fifths, two-thirds and one-third, respectively, of males in these groups had had intercourse, compared to 53, 62 and 15 per cent of females. The gender difference for general school/university students, but not vocational school students, probably reflects HI…
Secular changes and predictors of adult height for 86 105 male and female members of the Thai Cohort Study born between 1940 and 1990
BACKGROUND: Height trends can be useful indicators of population health but, despite Thailand's rapid socioeconomic development since the 1950s, few studies have examined accompanying secular changes in adult height or the effects of the transition on the heights of rural versus urban populations. This study therefore sought to document average heights in different age groups of rural and urban Thais and to investigate factors associated with att…
Relationship of obesity to physical activity, domestic activities, and sedentary behaviours
Domestic activities and sedentary behaviours are important in relation to obesity in Thailand, independent of exercise-related physical activity. In this setting, programs to prevent and treat obesity through increasing general physical activity need to consider overall energy expenditure and address a wide range of low-intensity high-volume activities in order to be effective
Explanation of inequality in utilization of ambulatory care before and after universal health insurance in Thailand
Thailand implemented a Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) of national health insurance in April 2001 to finance equitable access to health care. This paper compares inequalities in health service use before and after the UCS, and analyses the trend and determinants of inequality. The national Health and Welfare Surveys of 2001 and 2005 are used for this study. The concentration index for use of ambulatory care among the population reporting a recent…
P2-550 Epidemiological associations of vision impairment and health among a national cohort of 87 134 adults in Thailand
Background To date, over 300 million people worldwide live with low vision and blindness from all causes, which imposes social and economic burdens on individual and families. This study examines the association between vision impairment and health outcomes in Thailand. Methods Data derived from a national cohort of 87 134 adults residing throughout Thailand. We report ORs from logistic regression as well as Population Attributable Fractions (PAF…
P2-549 Epidemiological associations of hearing impairment and health among a national cohort of 87 134 adults in Thailand
Background Socioeconomic and epidemiological effects of hearing impairment have been investigated in rich countries. But in most of the developing world, including middle income countries of Southeast Asia, evidence is still quite scarce. This study examines the association between hearing impairment and health outcomes in Thailand. Methods Data derived from a cohort of 87 134 Open University adults residing throughout Thailand. Multivariate logi…
Social capital and health in a national cohort of 82,482 Open University adults in Thailand
We report associations between social capital and health among 82,482 adults in a national cohort of Open University students residing throughout Thailand.After adjusting for covariates, poor self-assessed health was positively associated with low social trust (OR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.76-2.01) and low social support (OR = 1.79; 95% CI 1.63-1.95). In addition, poor psychological health was also associated with low social trust (OR = 2.52; 95% CI 2.41-…
Personal Wellbeing Index in a National Cohort of 87,134 Thai Adults
Satisfaction with life correlates with other measures of subjective wellbeing and correlates predictably with individual characteristics and overall health. Social indicators and subjective wellbeing measures are necessary to evaluate a society and can be used to produce national indicators of happiness. This study therefore aims to help close the gap in wellbeing data for Thailand. The specific aims are to: (1) calculate the Thai PWI and domain …
Social capital and health in a national cohort of 82,482 Open University adults in Thailand
We report associations between social capital and health among 82,482 adults in a national cohort of Open University students residing throughout Thailand.After adjusting for covariates, poor self-assessed health was positively associated with low social trust (OR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.76-2.01) and low social support (OR = 1.79; 95% CI 1.63-1.95). In addition, poor psychological health was also associated with low social trust (OR = 2.52; 95% CI 2.41-…
Secular changes and predictors of adult height for 86 105 male and female members of the Thai Cohort Study born between 1940 and 1990
BACKGROUND: Height trends can be useful indicators of population health but, despite Thailand's rapid socioeconomic development since the 1950s, few studies have examined accompanying secular changes in adult height or the effects of the transition on the heights of rural versus urban populations. This study therefore sought to document average heights in different age groups of rural and urban Thais and to investigate factors associated with att…
Food and nutrition labelling in Thailand
This paper reviews the evolution of Thai food and nutrition label policies and Thailand's international role relating to food product safety and standards. The historical record has been interpreted to identify future trends and challenges related to food labelling. These challenges are arising in Thailand and many similar emerging economies. Thailand has a good reputation in world food markets and is now becoming a global leader in food producti…
Has universal health insurance reduced socioeconomic inequalities in urban and rural health service use in Thailand
This study analyses urban and rural health service use before and after the introduction of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS). Using data from the Thai national health surveys of 2001 and 2005, the study utilises age-sex adjusted concentration indices to measure within-area differences in use of health services among populations distinguished by socioeconomic status. Between 2001 and 2005, the UCS substantially reduced Thailand's uninsured popu…
Explanation of inequality in utilization of ambulatory care before and after universal health insurance in Thailand
Thailand implemented a Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) of national health insurance in April 2001 to finance equitable access to health care. This paper compares inequalities in health service use before and after the UCS, and analyses the trend and determinants of inequality. The national Health and Welfare Surveys of 2001 and 2005 are used for this study. The concentration index for use of ambulatory care among the population reporting a recent…
Competition, adaptation and mutation
The speed at which international supermarkets chains have integrated themselves into Thai diets and food practices is without prior historical precedent. This article uses ethnographic data from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to examine how values surrounding food and food cultures are being sustained, are adapting and are being transformed. It examines both supermarkets and fresh markets as places where the values unfold in different ways. In discussing …
Body mass index and health-related behaviours in a national cohort of 87 134 Thai open university students
BACKGROUND: Thailand is undergoing a health-risk transition with overweight and obesity emerging as an important population health problem. This paper reports on a study of the transition, focusing on "lifestyle" factors such as diet (fried foods, soft drinks, Western-style fast foods) and physical activity (mild, moderate, strenuous exercise, housework/gardening and screen time). METHODS: A baseline survey was administered to 87 134 adult studen…
Coital Experience Among Adolescents in Three Social-Educational Groups in Urban Chiang Mai, Thailand
This article compares coital experience of Chiang Mai 17-20-year-olds who were: (1) out-of-school; (2) studying at vocational schools; and (3) studying at general schools or university. Four-fifths, two-thirds and one-third, respectively, of males in these groups had had intercourse, compared to 53, 62 and 15 per cent of females. The gender difference for general school/university students, but not vocational school students, probably reflects HI…
Associations between urbanisation and components of the health-risk transition in Thailand. A descriptive study of 87,000 Thai adults
BACKGROUND: Social and environmental changes have accompanied the ongoing rapid urbanisation in a \nnumber of countries during recent decades. Understanding of its role in the health-risk transition is important \nfor health policy development at national and local level. Thailand is one country facing many of the health \nchallenges of urbanisation. \nOBJECTIVE: To identify potential associations between individual migration between rural and ur…
Associations between urbanisation and components of the health-risk transition in Thailand. A descriptive study of 87,000 Thai adults
BACKGROUND: Social and environmental changes have accompanied the ongoing rapid urbanisation in a number of countries during recent decades. Understanding of its role in the health-risk transition is important for health policy development at national and local level. Thailand is one country facing many of the health challenges of urbanisation. OBJECTIVE: To identify potential associations between individual migration between rural and urban area…
Body mass index and health-related behaviours in a national cohort of 87 134 Thai open university students
BACKGROUND: Thailand is undergoing a health-risk transition with overweight and obesity emerging as an important population health problem. This paper reports on a study of the transition, focusing on "lifestyle" factors such as diet (fried foods, soft drinks, Western-style fast foods) and physical activity (mild, moderate, strenuous exercise, housework/gardening and screen time). METHODS: A baseline survey was administered to 87 134 adult studen…
Personal Wellbeing Index in a National Cohort of 87,134 Thai Adults
Satisfaction with life correlates with other measures of subjective wellbeing and correlates predictably with individual characteristics and overall health. Social indicators and subjective wellbeing measures are necessary to evaluate a society and can be used to produce national indicators of happiness. This study therefore aims to help close the gap in wellbeing data for Thailand. The specific aims are to: (1) calculate the Thai PWI and domain …
Health, Well-being, and Social Indicators Among Monks, Prisoners, and Other Adult Members of an Open University Cohort in Thailand
This study has brought together two seemingly socially extreme population subgroups to compare their health and social well-being. These groups had in common restricted living arrangements and aspirational enrollment. As well, they are part of the population-based Thai Cohort Study (TCS) of 87,134 adult Open University students residing throughout the country. Analysis was restricted to men aged 20-39 years resulting in 711 monks, 195 prisoners a…
The association between overall health, psychological distress, and occupational heat stress among a large national cohort of 40,913 Thai workers
BACKGROUND: Occupational heat stress is a well-known problem, particularly in tropical countries, affecting workers, health and well-being. There are very few recent studies that have reported on the effect of heat stress on mental health, or overall health in workers, although socioeconomic development and rapid urbanization in tropical developing countries like Thailand create working conditions in which heat stress is likely. OBJECTIVE: This s…
Has universal health insurance reduced socioeconomic inequalities in urban and rural health service use in Thailand
This study analyses urban and rural health service use before and after the introduction of the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS). Using data from the Thai national health surveys of 2001 and 2005, the study utilises age-sex adjusted concentration indices to measure within-area differences in use of health services among populations distinguished by socioeconomic status. Between 2001 and 2005, the UCS substantially reduced Thailand's uninsured popu…
Competition, adaptation and mutation
The speed at which international supermarkets chains have integrated themselves into Thai diets and food practices is without prior historical precedent. This article uses ethnographic data from Chiang Mai, Thailand, to examine how values surrounding food and food cultures are being sustained, are adapting and are being transformed. It examines both supermarkets and fresh markets as places where the values unfold in different ways. In discussing …
Relationship of obesity to physical activity, domestic activities, and sedentary behaviours
Domestic activities and sedentary behaviours are important in relation to obesity in Thailand, independent of exercise-related physical activity. In this setting, programs to prevent and treat obesity through increasing general physical activity need to consider overall energy expenditure and address a wide range of low-intensity high-volume activities in order to be effective
Explanation of inequality in utilization of ambulatory care before and after universal health insurance in Thailand
Thailand implemented a Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) of national health insurance in April 2001 to finance equitable access to health care. This paper compares inequalities in health service use before and after the UCS, and analyses the trend and determinants of inequality. The national Health and Welfare Surveys of 2001 and 2005 are used for this study. The concentration index for use of ambulatory care among the population reporting a recent…
P2-550 Epidemiological associations of vision impairment and health among a national cohort of 87 134 adults in Thailand
Background To date, over 300 million people worldwide live with low vision and blindness from all causes, which imposes social and economic burdens on individual and families. This study examines the association between vision impairment and health outcomes in Thailand. Methods Data derived from a national cohort of 87 134 adults residing throughout Thailand. We report ORs from logistic regression as well as Population Attributable Fractions (PAF…
P2-549 Epidemiological associations of hearing impairment and health among a national cohort of 87 134 adults in Thailand
Background Socioeconomic and epidemiological effects of hearing impairment have been investigated in rich countries. But in most of the developing world, including middle income countries of Southeast Asia, evidence is still quite scarce. This study examines the association between hearing impairment and health outcomes in Thailand. Methods Data derived from a cohort of 87 134 Open University adults residing throughout Thailand. Multivariate logi…
Social capital and health in a national cohort of 82,482 Open University adults in Thailand
We report associations between social capital and health among 82,482 adults in a national cohort of Open University students residing throughout Thailand.After adjusting for covariates, poor self-assessed health was positively associated with low social trust (OR = 1.88; 95% CI 1.76-2.01) and low social support (OR = 1.79; 95% CI 1.63-1.95). In addition, poor psychological health was also associated with low social trust (OR = 2.52; 95% CI 2.41-…
Physical and mental health among caregivers
Adult caregivers in Thailand experienced a consistent adverse physical and mental health burden. A dose-response effect was evident, with odds ratios higher for full-time caregivers than for part-time, and non-caregivers. Our findings should raise awareness of caregivers, their unmet needs, and support required in Thailand and other similar middle-income countries
Coital Experience Among Adolescents in Three Social-Educational Groups in Urban Chiang Mai, Thailand
This article compares coital experience of Chiang Mai 17-20-year-olds who were: (1) out-of-school; (2) studying at vocational schools; and (3) studying at general schools or university. Four-fifths, two-thirds and one-third, respectively, of males in these groups had had intercourse, compared to 53, 62 and 15 per cent of females. The gender difference for general school/university students, but not vocational school students, probably reflects HI…
Secular changes and predictors of adult height for 86 105 male and female members of the Thai Cohort Study born between 1940 and 1990
BACKGROUND: Height trends can be useful indicators of population health but, despite Thailand's rapid socioeconomic development since the 1950s, few studies have examined accompanying secular changes in adult height or the effects of the transition on the heights of rural versus urban populations. This study therefore sought to document average heights in different age groups of rural and urban Thais and to investigate factors associated with att…
Inequalities in Risks and Outcomes in a Health Transitioning Country
This article reviews inequalities in health risks and outcomes based on a large longitudinal cohort study of distance-learning adult students enrolled at Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University ( n = 87,134). The study began in 2005 and the first follow-up was completed in 2009. Risks analyzed for health inequalities were divided into demographic, socioeconomic, geographical, behavioral, and environmental groups. Unequal risks and outcomes identif…
Evolving food retail environments in Thailand and implications for the health and nutrition transition
Objective To investigate evolving food retail systems in Thailand. Design Rapid assessment procedures based on qualitative research methods including interviews, focus groups discussions and site visits. Setting Seven fresh markets located in the four main regions of Thailand. Subjects Managers, food specialists, vendors and shoppers from seven fresh markets who participated in interviews and focus group discussions. Results Fresh markets are und…
Unhappiness and mortality
BACKGROUND: A relationship between happiness and mortality might seem obvious, but outside of affluent settings in developed countries there is almost no actual evidence that this is so. FINDINGS: We report our findings on happiness and mortality in Buddhist Southeast Asia. Our data are derived from a prospective nationwide cohort study of 60,569 Thai adults reporting in 2009 and followed up for all-cause mortality over the next four years (296 d…
The associations between unhealthy behaviours, mental stress, and low socio-economic status in an international comparison of representative samples from Thailand and England
BACKGROUND: Socioeconomic status is a recognised determinant of health status, and the association may be mediated by unhealthy behaviours and psychosocial adversities, which, in developed countries, both aggregate in low socioeconomic sectors of the population. We explored the hypothesis that unhealthy behavioural choices and psychological distress do not both aggregate in low socioeconomic status groups in developing countries. METHODS: Our stu…
Self-reported health and subsequent mortality
In Thailand, SRH is a good predictor of population mortality due to internal causes (e.g. CVD). SRH is holistic, simple to measure and low cost; when repeated it measures dynamic health status. In many developing countries chronic diseases are emerging and morbidity information is limited. SRH could help monitor such transitions in burdens and trends of population health
Traditional, modern or mixed? Perspectives on social, economic, and health impacts of evolving food retail in Thailand
Transnational food retailers expanded to middle-income countries over recent decades responding to supply (liberalized foreign investment) and demand (rising incomes, urbanization, female workforce participation, and time poverty). Control in new markets diffuses along three axes: socio-economic (rich to poor), geographic (urban to rural), and product category (processed foods to fresh foods). We used a mixed method approach to study the progress…
Physically and psychologically hazardous jobs and mental health in Thailand
This paper investigates associations between hazardous jobs, mental health and wellbeing among Thai adults. In 2005, 87 134 distance-learning students from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University completed a self-administered questionnaire; at the 2009 follow-up 60 569 again participated. Job characteristics were reported in 2005, psychological distress and life satisfaction were reported in both 2005 and 2009. We derived two composite variables g…
Psychosocial job characteristics, wealth, and culture
BACKGROUND: Most research on the influence of psychosocial job characteristics on health status has been conducted within affluent Western economies. This research addresses the same topic in a middle-income Southeast Asian country, enabling comparison with a Western benchmark. METHODS: We analysed and compared the Health Survey for England conducted in 2010 and the Thai Cohort Study data at 2005 baseline for workers aged 35-45 years. Multivariat…
Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and health disparities
Our findings add to current knowledge on the impact of active and passive smoking on health in a transitional economy. Promotion of smoking cessation programs both in public and at home could also potentially reduce adverse disparities in health and wellbeing in middle and lower income settings such as Thailand
Medicine (28 works) · Environmental health (23 works) · Demography (21 works) · Gerontology (18 works) · Cohort (17 works) · Cohort study (15 works) · Health disparities and outcomes (15 works) · Population (14 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Public health (12 works)