Abstract:
The main objective of the study was to assess the accessibility to, perceptions on, and preferences for, HIV-related health education among Myanmar migrant workers in Ranong Province, Thailand. A cross-sectional study design with structured questionnaire and an open-ended question was used, and 357 subjects were interviewed. Non-parametric tests and bivariate correlation were used for hypothesis testing. In all, 245 workers (68.6%) had received HIV-related health education, and both males and females had very similar access. Longer length of stay in Ranong was associated with greater access, but youth (15-25 yr.) had less access than older subjects. There was no significant difference in access when comparing the high-risk occupational group with other occupations, but when fishery-related workers were excluded, high-risk workers had more frequent access than others. Regarding perceptions, only 6.2% agreed that they had adequate access, and only 11.6% were satisfied with level of access. However, all believed that HIV/AIDS is an important matter. All preferred participatory types of HIV-related education over nonparticipatory ones. This preference was significantly stronger in the high-risk group than in others. However, subjects also preferred some non-participatory methods, especially condoms and lubricants, cartoon/comic booklets, real-life photo story booklets, pamphlet/leaflets/ brochures, TV drama, and TV spots. The migrant workers strongly preferred to receive HIV-related health education in any place except government health centers and border gates. The majority of the supplementary qualitative information from the open-ended question reinforced the quantitative findings of the study. It is expected that the results of this study would to be useful for the review and planning of health education, health promotion, development of information, education and communication (IEC) and training materials, and behavior change communication (BCC) interventions regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and control among Myanmar migrant workers in similar settings in Thailand and elsewhere.
