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Original ArticleOpen Access
Screening Assessment of Persons 40-59 Years of Age in Rural Thailand by a Mobile Health Unit
Swaddiwudhipong W 
,
Mahasakpan P ,
Chaovakiratipong C ,
Nguntra P ,
Tatip Y ,
Koonchote S ,
Boonmak C ,
Tharmaphornpilas P
,
Mahasakpan P ,
Chaovakiratipong C ,
Nguntra P ,
Tatip Y ,
Koonchote S ,
Boonmak C ,
Tharmaphornpilas P This paper reports a screening survey using a mobile unit to determine the prevalence of
chronic disorders among persons aged 40-59 years in rural Thailand. A total of 4,812 persons from
all the 54 rural villages in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, northern Thailand, were interviewed
and examined in 1995. A higher proportion (59.3%) of men were current tobacco smokers than
among women (40.4%). A higher proportion (69.6%) of men were current alcohol drinkers
compared with women (38.6% ). Cutting/piercing was the most frequently reported injury,
followed by falls. About half (47.9%) of the persons surveyed had a body mass index (BMI)
between 20 and 24.9 and only 2.6 per cent had a BMI of 30 or over. The overall prevalence
rates of hypertension and diabetes in the persons surveyed were 13.3 per cent and 2.4 per cent
respectively. Of the persons screened, 28.8 per cent had borderline-high blood cholesterol
(200-239 mg/dl) and 12.9 per cent had high blood cholesterol (≥240 mg/dl). About 61 per cent of hypertensive
persons, 92 per cent of diabetic persons, and nearly all of those with dyslipidaemia
were first detected during this screening programme. Five women with breast cancer and 22 with
benign breast disorders were also identified during the survey. A screening programme using a
mobile unit may be useful in identifying treatable disorders in rural areas, where existing
screening services cannot effectively cover the population at risk.
Key word : Screening Assessment, Mobile Health Unit, Thailand
chronic disorders among persons aged 40-59 years in rural Thailand. A total of 4,812 persons from
all the 54 rural villages in Mae Sot District, Tak Province, northern Thailand, were interviewed
and examined in 1995. A higher proportion (59.3%) of men were current tobacco smokers than
among women (40.4%). A higher proportion (69.6%) of men were current alcohol drinkers
compared with women (38.6% ). Cutting/piercing was the most frequently reported injury,
followed by falls. About half (47.9%) of the persons surveyed had a body mass index (BMI)
between 20 and 24.9 and only 2.6 per cent had a BMI of 30 or over. The overall prevalence
rates of hypertension and diabetes in the persons surveyed were 13.3 per cent and 2.4 per cent
respectively. Of the persons screened, 28.8 per cent had borderline-high blood cholesterol
(200-239 mg/dl) and 12.9 per cent had high blood cholesterol (≥240 mg/dl). About 61 per cent of hypertensive
persons, 92 per cent of diabetic persons, and nearly all of those with dyslipidaemia
were first detected during this screening programme. Five women with breast cancer and 22 with
benign breast disorders were also identified during the survey. A screening programme using a
mobile unit may be useful in identifying treatable disorders in rural areas, where existing
screening services cannot effectively cover the population at risk.
Key word : Screening Assessment, Mobile Health Unit, Thailand
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