Impact of age and gender differences in the prevalence and patterns of multimorbidity in the Thai Cohort Study.

Background: The study aims to identify the common patterns of multimorbidity and their distribution by age and gender.

Method: This cross-sectional study collected self-reported data from 42 785 Thai Cohort Study members through mailed questionnaires. Employing prevalence-based analysis, it identified common multimorbidity (coexistence of two or more chronic conditions) patterns, analysing the three most common patterns stratified by age and sex.

The Impact of Multimorbidity on All-Cause Mortality: A Longitudinal Study of 87,151 Thai Adults.

To investigate associations between multimorbidity, socio-demographic and health behaviour factors, and their interactions (multimorbidity and these factors) with all-cause mortality among Thai adults. Associations between multimorbidity (coexistence of two + chronic diseases) and mortality between 2005 and 2019 were investigated among Thai Cohort Study (TCS) participants ( = 87,151). Kaplan-Meier survival curves estimated and compared survival times.

Reviewing Publicly Available Reports on Child Health Disparities in Indigenous and Remote Communities of Australia.

Developing programs that ensure a safe start to life for Indigenous children can lead to better health outcomes. To create effective strategies, governments must have accurate and up-to-date information. Accordingly, we reviewed the health disparities of Australian children in Indigenous and remote communities using publicly available reports.

Association between greenness and cardiovascular risk factors: Results from a large cohort study in Thailand.

Background: The risk of cardiovascular diseases may be reduced by residing in green environments. However, there are relatively few longitudinal cohort studies, especially in Southeast Asia, that focused on the health benefits of long-term greenness exposure in young adults. The present study examined the association between long-term exposure to residential greenness and self-reported morbidities in participants of the Thai Cohort Study (TCS) in Thailand from 2005 to 2013.

How do cohabitation and marital status affect mortality risk? Results from a cohort study in Thailand.

Objective: To examine the relationship between baseline union status (ie, including marriage and cohabitation) and mortality, paying attention to gender differentials, through an 11-year follow-up of a large cohort in Thailand.

Design: Cohort data from Thai Cohort Study (TCS) were linked official death records over an 11-year follow-up period.

Setting: Community-based adults in Thailand.

Long-term air pollution exposure and self-reported morbidity: A longitudinal analysis from the Thai cohort study (TCS).

Background: Several studies have shown the health effects of air pollutants, especially in China, North American and Western European countries. But longitudinal cohort studies focused on health effects of long-term air pollution exposure are still limited in Southeast Asian countries where sources of air pollution, weather conditions, and demographic characteristics are different. The present study examined the association between long-term exposure to air pollution and self-reported morbidities in participants of the Thai cohort study (TCS) in Bangkok metropolitan region (BMR), Thailand.

Dietary patterns associated with hypertension risk among adults in Thailand: 8-year findings from the Thai Cohort Study.

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.

Nutrition label experience, obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood lipids in a cohort of 42,750 Thai adults.

Introduction: Nutrition labels have been promoted for nearly two decades in Thailand to educate people about healthy eating and to combat nutrient-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). But little is known about how nutrition labels are experienced and whether they are linked with better health. Our objective was to investigate the associations between nutrition label experience, obesity and nutrient-related NCDs in Thai consumers.

Social Demography of Transitional Dietary Patterns in Thailand: Prospective Evidence from the Thai Cohort Study.

In recent decades, a health-risk transition with changes in diet and lifestyle in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) led to an emergence of chronic diseases. These trends in Southeast Asian LMICs are not well studied. Here, we report on transitional dietary patterns and their socio-demographic predictors in Thai adults.

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.

Body mass index and type 2 diabetes in Thai adults: defining risk thresholds and population impacts.

Background: Body mass index (BMI) cut-off values (>25 and >30) that predict diabetes risk have been well validated in Caucasian populations but less so in Asian populations. We aimed to determine the BMI threshold associated with increased type 2 diabetes (T2DM) risk and to calculate the proportion of T2DM cases attributable to overweight and obesity in the Thai population.

Methods: Participants were those from the Thai Cohort Study who were diabetes-free in 2005 and were followed-up in 2009 and 2013 (n = 39,021).

Relationship between 8-year weight change, body size, and health in a large cohort of adults in Thailand.

Background: Overweight and obesity have been shown to be risk factors for a range of non-communicable diseases, especially cardio-metabolic conditions, worldwide. But less is known about the effects of weight change on adults' overall health and wellbeing, particularly in transitional low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to assess the relationship between 8-year weight change and measures of self-assessed health among Thai adults.

Nutrition label experience and consumption of transitional foods among a nationwide cohort of 42,750 Thai adults.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the usefulness of nutrition labels in Thailand during nutrition transition from traditional to modern diets that increase salt, sugar, and calorie intake and to note socio-demographic interactions and associations with consumption of transitional processed foods.

Design/methodology/approach: The authors studied 42,750 distance learning Open University adults aged 23-96 years in 2013 residing nationwide and participating in an ongoing community-based prospective cohort study. The authors used multivariable logistic regression to relate nutrition label experiences ("read", "good understand", "frequent use"), socio-demographic factors, and consumption of four transitional foods.

Low back pain and limitations of daily living in Asia: longitudinal findings in the Thai cohort study.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of disability throughout the world. However, longitudinal evidence to relate low back pain and functional limitations is mostly confined to Western countries. In this study, we investigate the associations between low back pain and functional limitations in a prospective cohort of Thai adults.

Caregiving and mental health among workers: Longitudinal evidence from a large cohort of adults in Thailand.

Background: As people in middle and lower income countries live longer, more people become sick, disabled, and frail and the demand for family caregiving grows. Thailand faces such challenges. This study investigates the relationship between caregiving and mental health among workers drawn from a large longitudinal cohort of Thai adults.

Incidence and risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in transitional Thailand: results from the Thai cohort study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasingly prevalent in countries undergoing rapid development, including Thailand. We assessed T2DM incidence over an 8-year period in a nationwide cohort of Thai adults.

Methods: Thai Cohort Study participants were surveyed in 2005, 2009 and 2013.

Psychological Distress following Injury in a Large Cohort of Thai Adults.

Introduction: Injury and psychological distress are public health priorities because of their high occurrence in the population. This study examines the longitudinal effects of injury characteristics on psychological distress.

Methods: Study participants were enrolled distance learning Thai adults (N = 42,785 at 2013 follow-up) residing nationwide.

Non-Fatal Injury in Thailand From 2005 to 2013: Incidence Trends and Links to Alcohol Consumption Patterns in the Thai Cohort Study.

Background: We analyzed population-based injury trends and the association between injury and alcohol consumption patterns in Thailand, a middle-income country undergoing rapid social change.

Methods: A nationwide cohort of 42 785 Thai adult Open University students, who were aged 15 to 87 years at enrolment, participated in cross-sectional assessments at baseline (2005) and 8 years later (2013). Incident non-fatal traffic and non-traffic injuries were recorded.

Alcohol consumption patterns in Thailand and their relationship with non-communicable disease.

Background: Heavy alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) but few studies have investigated drinking and disease risk in middle income, non-western countries. We report on the relationship between alcohol consumption and NCDs in Thailand.

Methods: A nationwide cross sectional survey was conducted of 87,151 Thai adult open university students aged 15 to 87 years (mean age 30.

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure and health disparities: 8-year longitudinal findings from a large cohort of Thai adults.

Background: In rich countries, smokers, active or passive, often belong to disadvantaged groups. Less is known of tobacco patterns in the developing world. Hence, we seek out to investigate mental and physical health consequences of smoke exposure as well as tobacco-related inequality in transitional middle-income Thailand.

Food and nutrition labelling in Thailand: a long march from subsistence producers to international traders.

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.

Smoking, smoking cessation, and 7-year mortality in a cohort of Thai adults.

Background: Smoking is a strong risk factor for mortality in both the developed and the developing world. However, there is still limited research to examine the impact of smoking cessation and mortality in middle-income Southeast Asian populations.

Methods: We use longitudinal data from a large Thai cohort of adult Open University students residing nationwide, linked with official death records to assess the association of smoking status and mortality risks during a 7-year follow-up.

Early life urban exposure as a risk factor for developing obesity and impaired fasting glucose in later adulthood: results from two cohorts in Thailand.

Background: Obesity and obesity related conditions, driven by processes such as urbanization and globalization, are contributing to pronounced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in developing countries. There is limited evidence on the influence of living in an urban environment in early life on obesity and obesity related conditions later in life in developing countries such as Thailand.

Methods: We used data from two cohort studies conducted in Thailand, the Thai Cohort Study (TCS) and the Chiang Mai University (CMU) Health Worker Study, to investigate the association between early life urban (vs rural) exposure and the later development of obesity.

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 progression of modern retail in Thailand on these three axes and consumer preferences for food retailing.