This study aims to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the daily lives, agricultural working lives, and mental health of farmers in northern Thailand. This cross-sectional study was carried out in September and October 2021 by interviews. From the stratified random sampling, 2046 farmers responded. There were five sections on the interview form, including demographics, daily life, agricultural working life, stress, and depression experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that COVID-19 negatively affected the daily lives of the farmers, making it worse by 61.2%. COVID-19 increased the cost of planting (57.4%) and the cost of agrochemicals and fertilizers (69.9%). It also decreased the prices of agricultural products (73.5%) as well as agricultural extensions (66.5%). The markets and logistics of agricultural products during the pandemic were more difficult than before it (72.8% and 65.1%, respectively). Half of the farmers (50.3%) had moderate stress, and the highest scores were for the loss of household income (mean ± SD = 3.92 ± 0.94) and increased household expenses (mean ± SD = 3.92 ± 0.98). With regard to depression, 19.6% of farmers had depressive symptoms, and the multivariate analysis shows that the mental health of farmers was associated with the changes in their daily and agricultural working lives, as well as with financial problems. The remarkable findings indicate that the farmers who had high and extremely high stress levels had a higher prevalence of depression than the farmers who had no stress (adj.OR = 10.10 and 22.45, respectively). Our results lead to the conclusion that the COVID-19 crisis had an impact on the daily lives, agricultural working lives, and mental health of farmers. The results of this study can be used to provide pertinent guidance, and they have implications for government and other relevant organizations in their COVID-19 efforts to improve agricultural systems and sustain the mental health of farmers.

Objectives: This study compared the epidemiological and clinical manifestations of patients hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at a tertiary care hospital in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand.Methods: This retrospective observational study utilized data from all cases of laboratory-confirmed RSV infection at Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital from January 2016 to December 2021. Differences in the clinical presentation of RSV infection before (2016 to 2019) and during (2020 to 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed and compared.Results: In total, 358 patients hospitalized with RSV infections were reported from January 2016 to December 2021. During the COVID-19 pandemic, only 74 cases of hospitalized RSV infection were reported. Compared to pre-pandemic levels, the clinical presentations of RSV infection showed statistically significant decreases in fever on admission (p=0.004), productive cough (p=0.004), sputum (p=0.003), nausea (p=0.03), cyanosis (p=0.004), pallor (p<0.001), diarrhea (p<0.001), and chest pain (p<0.001). Furthermore, vigilant measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including lockdowns, also interrupted the RSV season in Thailand from 2020 to 2021.Conclusions: The incidence of RSV infection was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, which also changed the clinical presentation and seasonal pattern of RSV infection in children.

Human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is an important cause of acute respiratory infection, especially in children. Few studies have investigated molecular epidemiology of hRSV infection in Thailand. The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence and genotype diversity of hRSV in children with acute respiratory infection (ARI) in Thailand. A total of 383 nasopharyngeal swabs collected from children with ARI from October 2020 to September 2021 were screened for hRSV and nucleotide sequences of the hypervariable region 2 (HVR2) of G gene of the detected hRSV were analysed. Of 383 nasopharyngeal swabs, 104 (27.2 %) were positive for hRSV, of which 51 (49.0 %), 43 (41.3 %), and 10 (9.6 %) were hRSV-A, hRSV-B, and untypeable strains, respectively. All hRSV-A and hRSV-B were ON1 genotype and BA9 genotype, respectively. Most of the hRSV strains were detected in the cool months, November 2020 to February 2021. Phylogenetic analysis of the HVR2 sequence of G gene revealed three clusters of hRSV-A (ON1 genotype) and two clusters of hRSV-B (BA9 genotype). The hRSV-A strains in cluster 1 and 3 were closely related to the hRSV-A reference strains reported previously from other regions of Thailand whereas those in cluster 2 were closely related to the hRSV-A reference strains reported previously from Europe and Africa. For the hRSV-B strains, both clusters 1 and 2 were closely related to the hRSV-B reference strains reported previously from Europe, Australia, and Taiwan. The predicted N- and O-linked glycosylation sites were found along the length of HVR2 of G protein, mostly in the hRSV-B strains. The ON1 and BA9 were the only two hRSV genotypes that were co-predominant and solely detected in this study. The findings indicated that the ON1 and BA9 are the only two hRSV genotypes currently circulating in children with ARI in northern Thailand.

Objectives: Falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among older adults, often resulting in severe injuries and a loss of independence. Dual-task training, which integrates cognitive and motor exercises, has emerged as a promising intervention for fall prevention. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a structured cognitive and motor dual-task training program on fall risk, balance, and cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults.Methods: Seventy-two participants aged 60 years or older were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (IG, n=36) or a control group (CG, n=36). The IG underwent 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks (totaling 24 sessions) that incorporated simultaneous cognitive and motor exercises, while the CG continued their usual total body stretching exercise. Assessments were conducted at baseline, week 4, and week 8, and included gait speed (10-meter walk test), functional performance (Timed Up and Go test), cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment).Results: Participants in the IG demonstrated significant improvements in functional performance (p<0.05) and enhanced cognitive function compared to the CG after both 4 weeks and 8 weeks of training. Functional performance and cognitive function significantly improved after 8 weeks of training (p<0.01). However, the intervention did not produce changes in gait speed or quality of life.Conclusions: Integrating cognitive and motor dual-task training into fall prevention programs may enhance functional stability and cognitive resilience in older adults. Future studies should investigate long-term adherence and determine the optimal training intensity.

[Purpose] Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common joint condition in older adults that causes pain, disability, and reduced quality of life. Although there is no known cure for KOA, exercise therapy is strongly recommended as a primary non-drug treatment. This study aimed to assess the effect of combining proprioceptive training with physical therapy on pain, balance, and osteoarthritis symptom severity in patients with KOA.[Methods] A total of 34 patients with primary KOA (aged 50-65) were assigned to either intervention or control groups (n = 17 each). The intervention group received conventional physical therapy combined with proprioceptive training for 3 days a week for 8 weeks. The Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and Modified Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire were administered before and after 8 weeks intervention.[Results] After the intervention, the TUG and TSK scores improved significantly more in the intervention group than in the control group (p < 0.05). Significant differences were also observed in Numerical Rating Scale and WOMAC scores (pain, stiffness, function, and total WOMAC scores).[Conclusion] The integration of proprioceptive training with physical therapy resulted in significant improvements in balance, reduced fall risk, and decreased movement-related fear after 8 weeks of intervention.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the prevalence and factors related to cognitive impairment among hill-tribe older people in Chiang Rai province, Thailand. A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst 459 hill-tribe older people aged 60 years and above. A Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) Thai 2002 version was used for cognitive screening. A questionnaire and medical records were used for demographic and clinical data collection while descriptive statistics were used to analyze characteristic data. Potential factors related to cognitive impairment were analyzed by using univariate logistic regression analysis. The prevalence of cognitive impairment amongst the participants was 49.89 percent (95% CI 45.32%, 53.47 percent). Factors related to cognitive decline included no occupation (OR=1.49, 95% CI 1.10–2.03, p<0.04) and a history of amphetamine use (OR=1.57, 95% CI 1.09–2.33, p<0.04). Cognitive decline should be a cause for concern amongst Thai hill-tribe older people, especially amongst those in the group with a history of amphetamine use. However, Thai health care professionals need to be aware of the potential cultural bias in the MMSE Thai 2002 version as a cognition test targeted at the hill-tribe population as the questionnaire may not provide a true reflection of their cultural experience and background.