Use of Health Line Consultations among Myanmar Migrants, Thailand: A Descriptive Study

Abstract

This study was conducted to examine uses of health line consultations among Myanmar migrants in Thailand. Data were collected by phone interviews with semistructured data compilation forms from 15:00 to 22:00 hours daily during the period from July 2009 to May 2010. Age, sex, address, date and time of call, sources of information, health concern, health advice, and missed calls were recorded. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were applied. It was found that 208 Myanmar migrants would have liked to consult the health line, but only 132 Myanmar migrants were able to use it. Twenty-eight cases consulted it for family planning and reproductive health, ten cases were with musculoskeletal issues, four cases with dental problems, seven cases each for upper respiratory and urinary tract infections, sixteen cases with gastrointestinal issues, six cases with skin issues, nineteen cases with infectious diseases, four cases with cardiovascular conditions, ten cases with general debility, four cases with surgical conditions, and one case related to an eye problem. It was concluded that effective health line advertisements coinciding with health line consultations should be carried out to increase awareness and usage of said consultations.