Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study
Background Low fruit and vegetable intake is a major public health concern, especially among marginalized populations. Myanmar migrants in Thailand are vulnerable to poverty and poor diets, but their food environment and behavior have not been studied. The objective of this study was to describe and...
| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
2026
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180394 |
| _version_ | 1855542543179055104 |
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| author | Suvanbenjakule, P. Schreinemachers, P. Von Goh, E. |
| author_browse | Schreinemachers, P. Suvanbenjakule, P. Von Goh, E. |
| author_facet | Suvanbenjakule, P. Schreinemachers, P. Von Goh, E. |
| author_sort | Suvanbenjakule, P. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Background
Low fruit and vegetable intake is a major public health concern, especially among marginalized populations. Myanmar migrants in Thailand are vulnerable to poverty and poor diets, but their food environment and behavior have not been studied. The objective of this study was to describe and analyze the fruit and vegetable intake of Myanmar migrant workers in Bangkok.
Methods
The study combined a quantitative survey of 199 Myanmar migrants working in factories, construction sites, and service industries with in-depth qualitative interviews of 10 migrants. The study analyzed psychological and food environment factors.
Results
The average fruit and vegetable consumption was 195 g/day, about half the WHO-recommended amount. About a quarter of meals were purchased, and the rest were home-cooked. Quantitative results revealed that home cooking, number of market visits, self-efficacy, and intention are statistically significant predictors of intake. While fresh fruits and vegetables are generally available, key constraints identified in the qualitative analysis included limited mobility, the high cost of fruits and vegetables relative to earned incomes, and long working hours that compel people to prioritize convenience over healthy eating.
Conclusions
Fruit and vegetable intake is low among migrant workers in Bangkok, putting them at risk of non-communicable disease. There is a need for more targeted strategies to improve migrants’ access to healthy food options. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace180394 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1803942026-01-23T02:17:08Z Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study Suvanbenjakule, P. Schreinemachers, P. Von Goh, E. health diet food choice food environment thailand urban diet quality healthy diet Background Low fruit and vegetable intake is a major public health concern, especially among marginalized populations. Myanmar migrants in Thailand are vulnerable to poverty and poor diets, but their food environment and behavior have not been studied. The objective of this study was to describe and analyze the fruit and vegetable intake of Myanmar migrant workers in Bangkok. Methods The study combined a quantitative survey of 199 Myanmar migrants working in factories, construction sites, and service industries with in-depth qualitative interviews of 10 migrants. The study analyzed psychological and food environment factors. Results The average fruit and vegetable consumption was 195 g/day, about half the WHO-recommended amount. About a quarter of meals were purchased, and the rest were home-cooked. Quantitative results revealed that home cooking, number of market visits, self-efficacy, and intention are statistically significant predictors of intake. While fresh fruits and vegetables are generally available, key constraints identified in the qualitative analysis included limited mobility, the high cost of fruits and vegetables relative to earned incomes, and long working hours that compel people to prioritize convenience over healthy eating. Conclusions Fruit and vegetable intake is low among migrant workers in Bangkok, putting them at risk of non-communicable disease. There is a need for more targeted strategies to improve migrants’ access to healthy food options. 2026-01-12 2026-01-22T11:03:00Z 2026-01-22T11:03:00Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180394 en Open Access application/pdf Suvanbenjakule, P., Schreinemachers, P., & Von Goh, E. (2026). Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study. Research Square, 1-25. |
| spellingShingle | health diet food choice food environment thailand urban diet quality healthy diet Suvanbenjakule, P. Schreinemachers, P. Von Goh, E. Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study |
| title | Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study |
| title_full | Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study |
| title_fullStr | Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study |
| title_short | Barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in Bangkok: a mixed-methods study |
| title_sort | barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption among migrant workers in bangkok a mixed methods study |
| topic | health diet food choice food environment thailand urban diet quality healthy diet |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180394 |
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