The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its associated risk factors is expected to rise alongside the rapidly increasing global population of older adults. A new trend in CKD management emphasises the adoption of self-management (SM) approaches. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the proportion of self-management of health behaviors (SMHB) and identify the factors influencing SMHB among older adults with CKD in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand. The study sample comprised 408 individuals aged ≥ 60 years, selected using a multi-stage sampling method. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted from April to June 2024 and analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s product-moment correlation, Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, simple linear regression and multiple regression analysis. The average age of the participants was 70.0 ± 6.7 years, with over one-third (38.5%) reporting CKD stage 2 and 32.4% at stage 1. The findings indicated a good proportion of SMHB (79.4%) among older adults with CKD in Chiang Rai Province, with an average SMHB score of 44.0 ± 12.8. Multiple regression analysis revealed that self-condition management for health promotion (SCMHP), maintaining self-care for health (MSCH), participation in social health activities (PSHA), health literacy related to self-care practices (HLSCP) and occupation were significant predictors of SMHB. Collectively, these factors explained over half of the variance in SMHB levels (R² = 0.619, p < 0.05). Consequently, the study suggests that promoting sustainable SMHB among older adults with CKD should be a healthcare priority for precautionary prevention.

The prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is rising in Thailand, but there is still a lack of adequate diagnosis, reporting, and management. This study aimed to assess alcohol consumption and its association with demographic variables, biochemical markers, and quality of life among adults living in rural northern Thailand. A cross-sectional design was adopted, and the participants were 405 adult participants aged ≥ 20 years from ethnic groups in Phayao Province, Northern Thailand. Participants were selected using a random sampling technique. Two standardized questionnaires translated into Thai were employed: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL–BREF–THAI). The biochemical indicators were Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1C) and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), which were measured objectively through blood sample tests. The mean age of participants was 50.9 years. A total of 43 individuals (10.6%) had a high level of alcohol consumption risk, whereas 37.3% had a low level of risk. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between ALT enzyme levels and AUDIT scores among female participants (r _s = 0.802, p < 0.01). Among male participants, AUDIT scores were positively correlated with ALT levels (r _s = 0.718, p < 0.01) and HbA1c levels (r _s = 0.303, p < 0.01) but negatively correlated with QoL scores (r _s = − 0.306, p < 0.01). Linear regression analysis showed statistically significant associations between alcohol consumption risk and ALT levels in both females and males. Alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with HbA1c levels in the adjusted model. Additionally, abnormal ALT (B = − 2.62) and abnormal HbA1c (B = − 4.29) were significantly associated with lower QoL scores in the adjusted model. Patterns of alcohol consumption were associated with biochemical indicators and quality of life among residents, with sex-specific differences observed. Community empowerment and the development of practical approaches by public health agencies and local policy makers are essential for reducing alcohol-related health problems.

The prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is rising in Thailand, but there is still a lack of adequate diagnosis, reporting, and management. This study aimed to assess alcohol consumption and its association with demographic variables, biochemical markers, and quality of life (QoL) among adults living in rural Northern Thailand. A cross-sectional design was adopted, and 405 adults aged ≥ 20 years from ethnic groups in Phayao Province, Northern Thailand were included in the study. Participants were selected using a random sampling technique. Two standardized questionnaires translated into Thai were employed: the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL–BREF–THAI). The biochemical indicators were Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) and Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), which were measured objectively through blood sample tests. The mean age of participants was 50.9 years. A total of 43 individuals (10.6%) had a high level of alcohol consumption risk, whereas 37.3% had a low level of risk. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between ALT enzyme levels and AUDIT scores among female participants (r_s = 0.802, p < 0.01). Among male participants, AUDIT scores were positively correlated with ALT levels (r_s = 0.718, p < 0.01) and HbA1c levels (r_s = 0.303, p < 0.01) but negatively correlated with QoL scores (r_s = − 0.306, p < 0.01). Linear regression analysis showed statistically significant associations between alcohol consumption risk and ALT levels in both females and males. Alcohol consumption was not significantly associated with HbA1c levels in the adjusted model. Additionally, abnormal ALT (B = − 2.62) and abnormal HbA1c (B = − 4.29) were significantly associated with lower QoL scores in the adjusted model. Patterns of alcohol consumption were associated with biochemical indicators and QoL among residents, with sex-specific differences observed. Community empowerment and the development of practical approaches by public health agencies and local policy makers are essential for reducing alcohol-related health problems.

Background/Objectives: Knowledge of emergency medical services (EMS) and awareness of emergency contact numbers are important for emergency preparedness among older patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their caregivers. This study aimed to assess self-reported EMS knowledge, awareness of Thailand’s emergency number 1669, previous EMS utilization, prior EMS training, and associated factors among both groups in rural Northern Thailand. Methods: A cross-sectional study included 828 participants comprising independently recruited older patients with chronic diseases (n = 414) and caregivers (n = 414). Data were collected using structured questionnaires and clinical assessments. Associations with self-reported EMS knowledge and awareness of the emergency number 1669 were examined using multivariable binary logistic regression separately for each group. Results: Among older patients, 60.1% reported familiarity with EMS, 57.7% were aware of the emergency number 1669, 11.8% had previously used EMS, and 8.0% had received EMS training. The corresponding proportions among caregivers were 48.3%, 39.6%, 9.4%, and 17.6%, respectively. Among patients, educational attainment, receipt of NCD-related information, and HbA1c levels were associated with self-reported EMS knowledge, while educational attainment and NCD-related information were associated with awareness of 1669. Among caregivers, age, occupation, and underlying medical conditions were associated with self-reported EMS knowledge, while age, occupation, underlying medical conditions, and poster exposure were associated with awareness of 1669. Conclusions: Self-reported EMS knowledge and awareness of the emergency number 1669 varied between older patients with chronic diseases and caregivers. These findings highlight the importance of targeted community-based educational initiatives to improve EMS-related knowledge and emergency number awareness in rural communities.

Background/Objectives: Sleep disorders are common among older adults and have been increasingly linked to metabolic abnormalities and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, evidence on the relationship between sleep quality and health-related clinical outcomes and biomarkers in rural Northern Thailand remains limited. This study aimed to assess the association between sleep quality and health-related clinical outcomes and biomarkers among older adults in rural Northern Thailand. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 older adults in Phayao Province, rural Northern Thailand. Quota sampling was employed to ensure equal representation of participants with and without NCDs (n = 212 per group). Sleep quality was assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Physical health status was evaluated through measurements of blood pressure (BP), including systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and fasting blood sugar (FBS). Results: The participants’ mean PSQI score was 8.03 ± 4.86, and 29.7% had poor sleep quality (PSQI > 5). Hypertension (35.4%) and diabetes mellitus (17.5%) were the most common underlying diseases. The mean fasting blood sugar level was 116.33 ± 30.84 mg/dL, with 21.0% of participants presenting abnormal levels (≥126 mg/dL). Multivariable binary logistic regression demonstrated that each one-point increase in the overall PSQI score was significantly associated with higher odds of having an underlying disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.00–2.81), hypertension (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.37–1.66), diabetes mellitus (AOR = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.28–1.58), other non-communicable diseases (AOR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.64–2.29), abnormal fasting blood sugar (AOR = 1.47; 95% CI: 1.33–1.63), elevated systolic blood pressure (AOR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.28–1.51), and elevated diastolic blood pressure (AOR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.19–1.43). Subjective sleep quality, sleep duration, and habitual sleep efficiency were also significantly associated with multiple health-related clinical outcomes and biomarkers. Although sparse data and quasi-complete separation may have influenced the precision of some regression estimates, the overall pattern of associations remained consistent and should be interpreted with appropriate caution. Conclusions: Higher overall PSQI scores were significantly associated with adverse health-related clinical outcomes and biomarkers among older adults in rural Northern Thailand. These findings highlight the clinical importance of routinely assessing sleep quality in older adults, particularly those with chronic conditions or increased cardiometabolic risk. Because of the cross-sectional design and the statistical uncertainty associated with sparse data in some regression models, the findings should be interpreted as evidence of associations rather than causal relationships. The observed associations are consistent with the likely bidirectional relationship between sleep disturbances and chronic diseases. Integrating sleep quality screening into routine health assessments, alongside comprehensive chronic disease management, may facilitate the early identification of older adults at increased cardiometabolic risk and support evidence-based health promotion strategies.