Community Participation in Cholangiocarcinoma Prevention in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand: Relations with Age and Health Behavior

A high prevalence of Opisthorchis viverrini infection is usually found in wetland geographical areas ofThailand where people have traditional behavior of eating uncooked freshwater fish dishes which results incholangiocarcinoma (CCA) development. There were several approaches for reducing opisthorchiasis-linkedCCA, but the prevalence remains high. To develop community participation as a suitable model for CCAprevention is, firstly, to know what factors are related. We therefore aimed to investigate factors associated withthe community participation in CCA prevention among rural residents in wetland areas of Ubon Ratchathani,Thailand. This was a cross-sectional analytic study. All participants were 30-69 years of age, and only onemember per house was invited to participate. A total of 906 participants were interviewed and asked to completequestionnaires. Independent variables were socio-demographic parameters, knowledge, health belief and behaviorto prevent CCA. The dependent variable was community participation for CCA prevention. Descriptive statisticswere computed as number, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Associations were assessed using logisticregression analysis with a P-value <0.05 considered statistically significant. Of all the participants, more than 60%had regularly participated in activities to prevent CCA following health officials advice. Age and health behaviorto prevent CCA were factors associated with community participation for CCA (p<0.001). Both factors will betaken into consideration for community participation approaches for CCA prevention through participatoryaction research (PAR) in future studies.