Development of a Dynamic Model of Quality Performance in Thai Construction Industry

Many quality performance tools are implemented in the construction industry to enhance the quality performance standard. This paper utilizes an ISO 9001 standard implementation to develop a dynamic model of construction quality performance in the Thai construction industry. The model consists of five sub-models, namely the Leadership, Plan, Do, Check, and Act sub-models. Five levels of performance maturity are also developed in this study to plan for long-term improvement. The simulation results reveal that a company takes seven years to proceed from level 1 to level 2 of maturity as it lacks experience and knowledge. With more experience, the company progresses through to higher maturity levels in a shorter period of time. The model achieves the perfect implementation score of 1,000 points at the end of year 23. This study results can be used to aid the construction industry in the effective planning for long-term quality improvement

Development of a Dynamic Model of Quality Performance in Thai Construction Industry

Many quality performance tools are implemented in the construction industry to enhance the quality performance standard. This paper utilizes an ISO 9001 standard implementation to develop a dynamic model of construction quality performance in the Thai construction industry. The model consists of five sub-models, namely the Leadership, Plan, Do, Check, and Act sub-models. Five levels of performance maturity are also developed in this study to plan for long-term improvement. The simulation results reveal that a company takes seven years to proceed from level 1 to level 2 of maturity as it lacks experience and knowledge. With more experience, the company progresses through to higher maturity levels in a shorter period of time. The model achieves the perfect implementation score of 1,000 points at the end of year 23. This study results can be used to aid the construction industry in the effective planning for long-term quality improvement

Socioeconomic status, sex, and obesity in a large national cohort of 15-87-year-old Open University students in Thailand

Background: As obesity increases, middle-income countries are undergoing a health-risk transition. We examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and emerging obesity in Thailand, and ascertain if an inverse relationship between SES and obesity has appeared. Methods: The data derived from 87 134 individuals (54% female; median age, 29 years) in a national cohort of distance-learning Open University students aged 15-87 years and living throughout Thailand. We calculated adjusted odds ratios for associations of SES with obesity (body mass index, ≥25) across 3 age groups by sex, after controlling for marital status, age, and urbanization. Results: Obesity increased with age and was more prevalent among males than females (22.7% vs 9.9%); more females were underweight (21.8% vs 6.2%). Annual income was 2000 to 3000 US dollars for most participants. High SES, defined by education, income, household assets, and housing type, associated strongly with obesity-positively for males and inversely for females-especially for participants younger than 40 years. The OR for obesity associated with income was as high as 1.54 for males and as low as 0.68 for females (P for tren

Analysis of Outcomes in Ischemic vs Nonischemic Cardiomyopathy in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation A Report From the GARFIELD-AF Registry

IMPORTANCE Congestive heart failure (CHF) is commonly associated with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (AF), and their combination may affect treatment strategies and outcomes