Developing a Model to Promote Substance Health Literacy Using Community Participation, Mae Hong Son Province

10.30207/AHLA.202312.0023

Chainarong Chaichana

Addiction ； Community participation ； Health Literacy ； Model development ； Substance abuse

The Proceeding of the 9th AHLA International Health Literacy Conference: Health Literacy and Social Resilience

2023（2023 / 12 / 01）

24 - 24

英文

Background: Mae Hong Son Province borders several Myanmar states and Thai provinces. Drug access can be convenient in places, and drug smuggling by cartels remains a problem. As a result, each target group should have specific drug prevention recommendations. Strengthening drug immunity according to the target populations of children, adolescents and laborers will lead to proper awareness and skills, so they will no longer be involved in drug abuse. Objectives: This study aimed to develop a model for promoting substance health literacy using community participation based on the health literacy concept. Method: Phase 1, involving group discussion and in-depth interview was conducted with 35 participants to explore the problems and needs for promoting substance health literacy in the community. Totally, 4 community leaders, 25 individuals (teachers, students and youth) and 6 healthcare providers were selected. Phase 2 created a model for promoting substance health literacy. Results: The laborers and forest hunters of the community became the center of a methamphetamine epidemic, and individuals combined methamphetamines and alcohol. As a result, people start acting out inappropriately and rioting and the elderly start smoking opium with their pension money. Youth smoked cigarettes and used marijuana openly. Most were ignorant of the risks associated with smoking. Additionally, raising community health awareness regarding drugs and addictive substances was ambiguous and insufficient. The model for promoting substance health literacy consisted of knowledge bases for developing skills in 5 areas: accessibility, comprehension, questioning, decision-making, and application skills. Following the model's implementation, substance health literacy significantly increased in the target group. (p<.05) Conclusion: Developing substance health literacy models using community participation could raise health literacy and help reduce the occurrence of drug and substance abuse in the community.