Adolescent health and development situation in Thailand
Issued Date
2007
Resource Type
Language
eng
ISBN
9789741108176
Rights
Mahidol University
Suggested Citation
Aree Prohmmo (2007). Adolescent health and development situation in Thailand. Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/52453
Title
Adolescent health and development situation in Thailand
Author(s)
Abstract
It is tempted to assume that adolescents are the healthiest part of the population. However, some behaviours common among adolescents such as alcohol consumption, smoking, eating disorders, substance abuse, unsafe sex, and limited exercise put them at risk. Adolescents’ access to health services, particularly reproductive health services, is relatively poor. Health publications seldom provide data on adolescents as a distinct group. WHO defines “adolescence” as ages 10-19 years and “youth” as ages 15-24 years and “young people” as ages 10-24 years. In 2004, Thailand has 10.4 million adolescents (17 percent of the total population) and 10.5 million youth (17.3 percent). As in many countries, Thai youth currently spend longer in school than past generations. However, in 2003 only 60 percent of people in the appropriate age group attended upper secondary school. Increase cost of education is the main reason that prevents many young people to continue their education after completing compulsory school. Half of out-of-school youth aged 15-24 are employed. The most common occupation for those who are employed is agriculture. Delayed married is becoming more common. Two third of males aged 20-24 years were unmarried in 1970. By 2000, the proportion unmarried had increased to three quarters. The corresponding figures for females were one third and over one half. However, adolescent fertility is higher in Thailand than in many neighbouring countries. Seventy percent of Thais aged 9-14 live with both parents, 15 percent live with only one parent, and 15 percent live with no parents. Only 5 percent of youth are not covered by any health insurance scheme. The common source of insurance is the Thirty Baht Scheme. Many youth do not spend their spare time productively. On average Thais aged 10-24 spend three hours a day watching television. Many young people have insufficient exercise. Only one in twelve young women aged 20-24 exercise at least three times per week. Forty four percent of males aged 20-24 smoke, and ten per cent drink alcohol most days. IX The most important cause of serious illness and death among youth is accidents. Each month one percent of Thai young people aged 10-24 suffer injuries requiring rest or medical treatment. The leading cause of injuries is traffic accidents. Injury rates are 2-3 times higher among males than females. The second most important cause of death, besides traffic accidents, is HIV/AIDS. During the epidemic of HIV/AIDS, young men were about three times more likely to be infected than young women. However, recent trends have shown that there has been increased in the incidence of HIV/AIDS among female youth. In 2004, youth accounted for at least 10 percent of new case of AIDS. One reason for the high morbidity and mortality from traffic accidents is limited use of protective devices. Almost 50 percent of Thais aged 10-14 who ride in the front of cars or ride motorbikes never wear seatbelts or wear motorcycle helmets. The dangerous behaviours is hammered by alcohol consumption of the drivers of motor vehicle as at least five percent (60,000 youth) always drink and drive. Surprisingly high proportion of both male and female youth (at least two third) reported that they or their partners are currently using contraceptive methods. The two most common methods are pills and injectables. None of male youth reported that they or their partners used condoms as a method for pregnancy prevention whilst 3.5 percent of female youth or partners did so. Youth reported having used condom for protection against sexual transmitted infection including HIV/AIDS is particularly of concern. According to surveys, only 20-30 percent of sexually active young people use condoms consistently. Despite the Hundred Percent Condom Programme, only half to two-thirds of conscripts and male factory workers report that they use condoms every time they have sex with a commercial sex worker. A study by Ministry of Public Health in 1999 found that 41 percent of women treated for complications from abortion were aged less than 25 years. Among young persons, the main reason for having an abortion was avoiding interrupting education. In terms of mental health of youth, the recent national survey on mental health reveals that the three most common mental disorders in youth are alcohol use disorders, major depressive disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder. Alcohol use disorders are more prevalent among male youth, about seven times higher than that of females. Whilst many more females are suffer from depressive disorders. X Adolescents’ health-related behaviours indicate great needs for information and service provision. Good coverage of health services increase in health facilities and resources, high coverage of health insurance in young people are positive move in the health policy in Thailand. Increase attention has been paid to the issues of adolescent health and development. The current national health plan places emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention to all people providing a broad framework for putting plan into action. In addition inter-sectoral collaboration between principal government agencies responsible for young people such as MOPH and MOE has taken place. The Department of Health and Department of Mental Health have been working closely with MOE in designing curriculum and teaching materials as well as training of school teachers in specific concern matters have certainly indicate that adolescent issues are put at the heart of development. Current programmes for adolescent health and development are being implemented by various organizations both GOs and NGOs. The NGOs programmes, however, are project basic and tend to cover only small and specific group of population. GOs programmes, in contrast, have larger coverage but operate in conventional ways and not designed specifically to meet the need of young and sensitive people. Counseling services, for example, have been offering to all people including adolescent concerning sex and reproductive health issues and drug abuse in most public hospitals across the country, the services are underutilized. Studies have shown that major barriers for adolescents to use the services include lack privacy and confidentiality, lack of counseling skill of staff, and inconvenient place or time of services operation. Many programmes are concentrated in the education institutions for example sex education. This left nearly 40 per cent of out-of-school adolescents with little choices of information resources and services as many engage in non-formal employment. In addition NGOs’ and GOs’ programmes heavily focuses on the issues of reproductive health and sexuality, and drugs abuse, however, little programmes are dealing with problems such as traffic accident, mental health, and nutrition. To achieve the ultimate goal for adolescent health and development as outline above, a holistic and development approach is recommended. Not only adolescents should fully participate throughout the process including planning and implementing, but also the family, schools, community, media, and various organizations at both local and national levels. More importantly need assessment of adolescents is crucial for improve adolescents’ knowledge and skills appropriate to enabling them to have healthy development and prevent health problems, and to increase access to health services to meet their needs. XI This profile outlined the major interventions of which the government and non-government organizations should be focusing on to improving the health and development of adolescents. These include increase access to information and skills; increase access to health services and counseling; policy and legislation to support safe and supportive environment; family and community; schools, colleges and universities; media and entertainment; improve information system and resources for adolescent health. Youth development approach whereby adolescents and youth proactively involve as part of efforts to promote their health is recommended. Moreover, multilevel approach rather than concentrating on changing the knowledge and behaviours of individual adolescents are the keys to improve their health and development. To conclude, adolescent health and development are closely linked with their behaviour and life styles. The context in with they live their family, their schools, their workplaces and their communities also help shaping young people lives. To achieve better overall health for young people means working on a number of fronts simultaneously. Families, schools, and workplaces as well as local and central government agencies all have a role to play in improving young people's health and development.
Description
94 p.
Sponsorship
the World Health Organization South East Asia Reeional Office
With support from the World Health Organization South East Asia Reeional Office
With support from the World Health Organization South East Asia Reeional Office