Asia-Pacific journal of public health
-
Asia Pac J Public Health · Jan 2010
The role of health insurance in improving health services use by Thais and ethnic minority migrants.
In Thailand, a universal coverage health care scheme for Thai citizens and a foreign worker health insurance program for registered foreign workers have been implemented since 2001. This study uses the 2000-2004 panel data of the Kanchanaburi Demographic Surveillance System to explore the role of health insurance in influencing the use of health care for Thai, Thai ethnic minority, and ethnic minority migrants from 2000 to 2004. ⋯ However, a gap still existed in 2004 between health insurance and health care use by ethnic minority migrants and by Thais. The results suggest that improving health insurance status for ethnic minority migrants should be encouraged to reduce the ethnic gap in the use of health care.
-
Asia Pac J Public Health · Jan 2010
Review Comparative StudyReview paper: epidemiology of traumatic spinal cord injury: comparisons between developed and developing countries.
A review of global epidemiological studies of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) within 2 decades was undertaken to compare the incidence, mortality rate, patients' age, gender, causes, and severity of injury between developed countries and developing countries. The incidence rates varied greatly, and there was also a 2-fold difference between the highest mortality rate in developing countries and that in developed countries. ⋯ Traffic accidents are the leading cause of injury in developed countries, whereas falls are the leading cause in developing countries. To clarify regional differences, future studies should contain long-term data about TSCI characteristics in a region-based population.