Community perceptions of health determinants in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand.

Local health determinants, perceived by a local community in Mueang District, Khon Kaen Province, were explored using a qualitative approach during November 2006. Health determinants could be classified into three categories: environmental, individual and family, and institutional factors. Community perspectives on health determinants included flooding, habits of lottery buying, fluctuation of vegetable market prices, and job opportunities. Community participants gave high value to the social determinants of health as opposed to environmental/biomedical factors, considering that such conditions could positively build social cohesion and even lead to better well-being. They prioritized flooding as a major environmental health determinant that affected villagers' physical and mental health, as well as family income. For social health determinants, they also indicated that many villagers were addicted to lottery buying that led to mental and financial problems within families.