Consumption Behavior Risks Survey by Integration of Community Participation Technique in Tambon Som Poi and Tambon Dan, Rasi Salai District, Sisaket Province

Abstract

            In general, the determination of consumption behavior risks for health product use in Sisaket province was done by store survey and complaints from consumers. These techniques could entrap only a few risks and some of the risks were not related to consumer behaviors. This study were aimed at determining consumption behavior risks of consumers by integration of village community participation technique and to develop a risk surveillance system in a community. The data was collected during January - May 2011. Samples were 400 consumers in Som Poi and Dan Subdistricts. They were selected by convenience sampling. The risks were collected by5 techniques: household interview by health volunteers, the village community, survey research, store survey, and complaint survey. After the risks were determined, the village community had a meeting to determine the most important risks for the community and to develop solutions. The results from the study showed the first 3 top consumption risks found for each data collection methods were; by the household interview, buying drugs in the store when they had fever, taking drugs that had high risk of steroid contamination, consuming of cosmetics based on advertisement; by the village community, over using of pain-relief drugs and drug allergy, taking drug possibly laced by steroid, and buying drugs from peddle cars; by the survey research, buying and consumption of products based on advertisement, eating half-cooked food, and ignoring Food Safety labels when buying products; by the store survey, selling prohibited drugs in a local store, and selling food products with no label; by the complaint survey, over advertisement of mangosteen extracts, supplementary food and medicinal herbs, and drug advertisement via radio. The Dan village community meeting indicated that the most urgent risk that needed to be resolved was buying drugs form local stores and peddle cars; for the Som Poi village community meeting was problems of overuse and incorrect use of pesticide. After a meeting, the village communities set up a community surveillance system including young food and drug surveillance in school and a core of health volunteers to protect consumers in the communities. This study identified more risks and helped the communities to be aware of important problems in the community. In addition, the study could encourage the communities to set up a strong network for surveillance and protect the consumer in the community.

Key words: risks finding, behavior consumer community risk, village community