Publications by authors named "Soudavanh Nathavong"
Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of and attitudes to smoking among third year medical, pharmacy, dentistry and nursing students in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR).
Design: A cross-sectional survey conducted among third year university level, health professional students. The survey used a self-administered questionnaire which was originally developed by WHO, and modified to suit the setting.
Article Synopsis
- Respiratory illness (RI) is a significant public health issue in Laos, with a study showing that 3.5% of households experienced RI symptoms in the previous month, more common in rural areas (6.2%) than peri-urban ones (2.4%).
- The study involved surveys of 1,751 households and focus group discussions to gather comprehensive data on RI and healthcare-seeking behaviors.
- Key findings indicate that 71% of those with RI sought treatment, with preferences shifting towards private clinics in peri-urban areas and village health volunteers in rural settings; factors influencing healthcare access included distance, cost, and availability of services.