Disease diagnoses linked to selective behavior change in Thailand
A diabetes diagnosis was linked to a 3.6-percentage-point reduction in current alcohol use compared with periods without that diagnosis.
Limit: Disease diagnoses were self-reported
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In an observational study, researchers analyzed four survey waves from 2015–2022 covering 2,891 adults aged 45 or older in Thailand. Participants reported no diagnosis of cancer, diabetes or cardiovascular disease at the start. The analysis compared each person’s behaviors across survey waves.
When researchers grouped the diseases together, diagnosis was not clearly associated with changes in smoking, drinking, physical activity or weight-related measures. A diabetes diagnosis was associated with a 3.6-percentage-point reduction in current alcohol use. Both diabetes and cancer diagnoses were linked to reductions in frequent drinking. Analyses suggested larger diagnosis-associated reductions in selected drinking outcomes among men, but the statistical evidence varied by outcome and disease.
Why it matters
The authors called for structured counseling and follow-up after diagnosis in aging middle-income populations, with prevention efforts tailored to men and women.
Caveats
This observational analysis cannot show that diagnosis caused behavior changes, and diagnoses were self-reported. The findings concern adults aged 45 or older who reported none of the three disease diagnoses at baseline.
The paper
Diagnosis is not enough: Selective behavior change after chronic disease onset in Thailand
Chulalongkorn University; University of Oxford
PLOS One, Oct 30, 2026, CC BY
