Alcohol use disorders among Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the prevalence of Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs) among Myanmar male migrant workers (> 15 years) living in Mae Sot, Thailand, and their patterns of drinking.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey was administered to 512 participants to measure AUDs and drinking patterns. ANOVA and χ² analyses were performed to assess demographic differences between abstainers, harmful and hazardous drinkers (HHDs) (those showing signs of AUDs) and non-harmful drinkers.

Findings

Results showed that 12.3 percent of male Myanmar migrants were HHDs, a rate only slightly higher than in Thai men (9.1 percent), but much higher than in men still living in Myanmar (2.7 percent) (WHO, 2014). Also, 19 percent of alcohol-consuming Myanmar male migrant workers reported patterns of heavy episodic drinking, which is markedly higher than in alcohol-consuming Thai (4.7 percent) and Myanmar men (1.5 percent) (WHO, 2014).

Originality/value

Given the health risks associated with AUDs and heavy episodic drinking, the findings of this study suggest a need for appropriate alcohol-related health education and intervention for Myanmar male migrant workers.

Citation

Gaitan, D., Daw Tin Shwe, V., Bajcevic, P. and Gagnon, A. (2019), "Alcohol use disorders among Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 15 No. 4, pp. 306-319. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-11-2018-0075