Impact of socio - economic characteristics and health risk behaviors on labor force age health outcome in Kanchanaburi Demographic Surveillance System, Thailand

Abstract

This research examines the impact of socio-economic characteristics, which are measured by level of education, type of occupation, and residential area and, health risk factors e.g. alcohol consumption and smoking on labor force aged health outcome in Kanchanaburi Demographic Surveillance System (KDSS) area. The analysis reveals that the differential in level of education has produced the differential in health outcome. People who have higher level of education i.e. university or higher, probabilities of having a high risk of chronic disease are higher than any other level of education, such as secondary, primary, and no education levels. Likewise, those who are jobless have a higher risk or probability of some chronic disease more than other comparison groups. Further, place of residence context has revealed empirical evidence that those who live in cash crops areas are more likely to have a higher risk to get some chronic disease than those who live in other places such as upland, rice area, mixed area, and urban area. Similarly, addiction habit such as alcohol consumption and smoking behavior also affect health outcome.