Environmental sanitation and hygiene of elderly workers in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Thailand

INTRODUCTION: Thailand will become a completely aged society in 2021 and a super-aged society in 2030, resulting in a high proportion of older people. Living environments, especially at home, play an essential health determinant for the elders. METHODS: This cross-sectional analytical study evaluated 319 households in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province according to the standard of housing sanitation for elders and assessed biological contamination in food, water, and indoor air in the homes. RESULTS: The housing assessment results revealed some issues that are necessary to be improved, i.e., the wet and dry areas in bathrooms were not separated (89.4%), there was no anti-slip sheet in the bathrooms (97.2%), and handrails were not suitably installed (96.2%). The proportion of coliform bacteria contamination in the samples of cooked rice, side dish, dish, spoon, elderly hand, and drinking water was 93.3, 83.9, 82.5, 88.1, 78.0 and 97.5%, respectively. The average total bacteria count in bedrooms and kitchens was 111 CFU/m(3) and 149 CFU/m(3), respectively. The average total fungi count was 83 CFU/m(3) in bedrooms and 93 CFU/m(3) in kitchens. Most indoor air quality parameters complied with the standards. CONCLUSIONS: Significant health risks for the elderly workers while living at home were injuries due to slipping fall in the house, especially in the bathroom, as well as foodborne and waterborne diseases. The health risks should be communicated to the elders. Prevention of the risks should be performed by the cooperation of relevant government agencies and the older adults in the study area.