In 2015, almost half of low birth weight babies in the world were born in Southern Asia. It is contributed by multiple factors including maternal exposure to the elements in the environment during the antenatal period. Particulate matter (PM10) pollution in Southeast Asian region have been extensively studied with known attributions and sources. It is also known that PM10 is able to restrict foetal growth at molecular level. This review intends to investigate if the unborn in Asia are affected by air pollutants indirectly through their mothers. Methods Publications from Scopus and Science Direct digital databases in Asian region from 2015 onwards were reviewed. Details collected were the year of publication and study location, the study design, investigated air pollutants, exposure estimation methods used, the timing of exposure in relation to pregnancy, pregnancy outcome measured and the relative risk or odds of effect. Results A total of eight full text articles were included. Most of the studies were of cohort and quasi experimental designs, involving local air monitoring measurements to assign exposure. Conclusions There were more studies considered multiple air pollutants as contributing risk rather than a single pollutant. The exposure was measured according to stages of pregnancy and the trimester stratification is the most often method used. Modalities used in representing birth outcomes were not confined to birth weight alone but also included the length of gestation. Exposure to PM10 have been found to be associated with reduction in birth weight and increased risk for preterm birth in Asia.
Medical and health insurance provides financial protection against the consequences of the occurrences of health risks. Different perceptions have led to resistance to change, as well as the acceptance level from Malaysians. It is fundamental to study the reception and acceptance of all types of insurance schemes by Malaysians and to identify the knowledge and information pertaining to reception by Malaysians. A systematic search was performed from six major search engines from 2013– 2018 in searches of published articles on factors that influence the demand or willingness to pay for health insurance among Malaysians. There were nine articles included, in which personal factor was found to influence the most when demanding for health insurance. Higher education level, younger age group, and good knowledge were associated with higher demand for health insurance. Higher household monthly income and the cost to pay were among the positively significant economic determinant factors to demand for medical insurance. Education and promotion are important to understand why such policies were introduced and how they intend to serve the public before implementing major policies. These elements capture the essence of ‘health promotion’, which is about enabling people to take control over their health and thereby, improving their health.
Dengue fever is an illness by arthropod-borne viral disease that become known pandemic to the most tropical countries. In 2014, Malaysia reported 108 698 cases of dengue fever with 215 deaths which increased tremendously compared to 49 335 cases with 112 deaths in 2008 and 30 110 cases with 69 deaths in 2009. This study aimed to identify the best method in determining dengue outbreak threshold for Negeri Sembilan and hopefully these methods can be standardized as it can help to send uniform messages to inform the general public and make the outbreak analysis comparable within and between countries. Methodology : Using retrospective Negeri Sembilan country dataset from 1st epid week of 2011 till the 52nd epid week of 2016. The data were split into two periods: 1) a 3-year historic period (2011–2013), used to calibrate and parameterise the model, and a 1-year evaluation period (2014); 2) a 2-year historic period (2014–2016), used to calibrate and parameterise the model, and a 1-year evaluation period (2016), used to test the model. E-dengue is a registration system for confirm case dengue by Ministry of Health. Data include details of cases, district locality, records on the outbreak and epidemiological week (Sunday to Saturday). The variables were captured using the Excel spreadsheet. Analysis method included endemic channel method, moving average or deviation bar chart and recent mean. Result: Seremban as big district and facing with heavy dengue cases, all three methods (endemic curve, current mean and moving mean) showed promising results. Meanwhile comparing with small district of Port Dickson and Tampin with fewer dengue cases and outbreak recorded, the suitable method is by using endemic channel for epidemic threshold. Conclusion: Simpler methods such as the endemic channel, recent mean and moving mean may be more appropriate in urban district. Whereas in rural or district with minimal dengue cases, Endemic Channel would be the most suitable method for epidemic threshold. However, both methods require a consistent updated graph threshold as time progress.
Introduction Community-based health promotion programme has been recognised to reduce modifiable lifestyle risk behaviours for non-communicable diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the proportion of the awareness, knowledge and acceptance of a community-based intervention programme, “Komuniti Sihat, Pembina Negara“ (KOSPEN) (Healthy Community, Developed Nation). This cross-sectional study employed a two-stage proportionate sampling method to select a representative sample of communities in the Southern states of Peninsular Malaysia, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, and Johor. Face-to-face interviews by trained research assistants using pre-validated questionnaires was the study tool applied. The study revealed that approximately two thirds of respondents were aware of the KOSPEN programme (65.5%) and almost half (45.4%) of them were involved in the health promotion activities, namely health screenings (84.8%), health talks (66.4%), and providing plain water in formal occasion (52.9%). About two thirds and one-quarter of them have a very good (73.4%) and good (24.1%) general view on this programme. Four out of ten respondents faced difficulties joining the activities. Lack of time (83.0%) was reported as the main barrier. The KOSPEN programme in overall was moderately accepted by the community. However, the need for future improvement has to be highlighted in order to enhance the involvement and participation of the communities.
Introduction: The Health Belief Model has gained widespread popularity and acceptance in the community,
yet little is known about its effectiveness as a basis for health behavior intervention. The purpose of this
study is to systematically review the evidence on the use of the model in health behavior for
Chronic Kidney Disease and the effectiveness of Health Belief Model as a model intervention for
facilitating health-related behavioral changes. Methods: The databases were manually searched
for references and gray literature. Overall, the methodological quality of trials was variable, and there
was limited evidence for the effectiveness of Health Belief Model in improving health
behavior. Results: There are few new trials published that describe the application of
Health Belief Model. Limited evidence supports any benefits of Health Belief Model for improving
health behavior. Conclusion: Studies on the usage of Health Belief Model need to be explored in depth
to assess the importance of Health Belief Model.
Air pollution, with a range of health consequences is known to cause major public health issues especially
to the respiratory system. Unfortunately, for those working in the cement industry, the respiratory system
is vulnerable to injury following airborne or hematogenous exposure to toxicants. This study was undertaken
to identify associated factors of occupational safety and health problems among quarry plant workers.
Various Universities databases and other databases were searched with specific search such as occupational
safety and health, quarry plant workers, cement, occupational exposure, respiratory symptoms. In the concrete
sector, cement dust is the most visible and the pollution of fugitive and stack is mostly throughout two ways.
The absorption of toxins into the human body and respiratory tract is a common occurrence where the air
passage narrowness (nose, pharynx, glottis, bronchi are filtered). Previous research has shown that there
is inadequate work safety procedures in quarry factories where the training and use of acceptable
PPEs and hazards / safety measures training is grossly deficient. There is an urgent need to redesign processes
in order to impose a barrier between danger and staff; to adopt safe working practices; to provide
appropriate training for people, to provide training or information to reduce the risk of adverse
health effects and/or harmful effects to people; and to implement personal protective equipment (PPE).
Introduction of electronic cigarette (EC) in the global market posed a new challenge to public health experts
in terms of controlling the widespread use of the device among general population. This systematic review aimed
to explore the trend of EC use among population of adults reported in literature across multiple regions. Using
Scopus search engine and several screening strategies, specific keywords were applied in the advanced search
field and the search have yielded a total of 33 articles. The key findings include i) the existence of dual users of EC
and conventional cigarette smokers and ii) the emergence of EC users who previously never smoked reported
among adult populations. The present study suggests that future tobacco control strategies should be strengthen
in preventing the initiation of nicotine addiction among non-smoking population and established nicotine
replacement therapy instead of EC should be further promoted smokers as a method to quit smoking.
Introduction: This paper provides an overview of chemical toxic pollution in Pasir Gudang industrial area Johor
Malaysia. It discussed the health symptoms, argument of the psychology manifestation among children and the
application of biomarkers and monitoring systems in chemical detection. Methods: The systematic search was
conducted for four digital scientific journal databases: Science Direct, SCOPUS, PubMed and Google Scholar
with a specified keyword. Results: Seven (7) chemicals were related to this incident namely; Methane,
Hydrogen chloride, Acrylonitrile, Acrolein, Benzene, Xylene, and Methyl mercaptan. These chemicals are
mainly generated from industrial activity and easily breakdown through interaction with other chemicals
and sunlight. Inhalation is the major route of exposure and the major symptoms of these chemicals are headache,
nausea, vomiting, breathing difficulties, eye irritation, chest tightness, and wheezing. There is no clear
evidence to indicate that the victims in this incident are having a psychological manifestation since all chemicals
involved are proven to cause the reported symptoms. Conclusion: Industrial chemicals are potential
to produce toxic gas in the air through reaction with other substances or rays and causes acute health symptoms.
Diagnose all post-emergency illnesses including mental and physical health is needed. Biomarker testing should
consider a specified period after exposure occurs as the reactivity of some types of chemical and its short half-life,
rendered limited for use as markers of exposure in the body.
Introduction: Soil pollution with heavy metals inadvertent to food contamination resulting from root-soil
heavy metal uptake is of great concern. The aim of this study was to determine the concentration of
heavy metals such as lead (Pb), iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) and cadmium (Cd), in soil and vegetables.
Methods: Using systematic grid sampling, 54 soil samples and 18 vegetable samples were collected from
Kampung Binjai Manis, Kota Bharu and Kampung Aman, Kandis, Bachok, Kelantan. Soil and vegetables samples
were dried, extracted by acid digestion process and analysed using Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy.
Results: The overall mean concentration of heavy metal in soil measured in descending order in
Kampung Binjai Manis was Fe (958.53 mg/kg) > Pb (26.07 mg/kg) > Cu (11.83 mg/kg) > Cd (0.66 mg/kg).
Whereas, the overall mean concentration of heavy metal measured in descending order in Kampung Aman
was Fe (461.18 mg/kg) > Cu (8.25 mg/kg) > Pb (2.48 mg/kg) > Cd (0.27 mg/kg). There were significant different
in the mean concentration of Pb, Fe and Cd between Kampung Binjai Manis and Kampung Aman.
In vegetables, only Cu shows significant different between Kampung Binjai Manis and Kampung Aman.
Significant correlations were found between soil and vegetables in Kampung Binjai Manis for
Cu (r= 0.861, p= 0.003) and Cd (r= 0.933, p= 0.001). Conclusion: The mean concentration of heavy
metal in soil and vegetables at Kampung Binjai Manis and Kampung Aman were above the permissible
limit as set by the Department of Environment and World Health Organisation.
Introduction: Banana is a perishable fruit and rapidly overripe which can cause food waste problems to
occur if not used to prepare other foods. Drying would be useful to overcome this problem by converting
the overripe banana into a value-added product. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of different
temperatures for foam mat drying on overripe banana puree. Besides, the sensory attributes and acceptability of banana cakes produced will be evaluated. Methods: The overripe banana puree was subjected to
foam mat drying and the dried powder was subjected to banana cake production. Physical analysis,
chemical analysis, and sensory evaluation were carried out for the banana cakes. Results: A significant
different (p
Introduction: Discrepancies of nicotine content labelling of e-liquid products has been reported and it may
have existed to circumvent legal requirements that imposes restrictions on the sale of nicotine-containing
products in the market. Mandatory labelling requirement of e-liquid products is still pending in Malaysia.
This case study aimed to examine labelling discrepancies of e-liquid refill products declared as nicotine-free
sold in e-commerce platform in Malaysia. Methods: A total of 10 Malaysian-made e-liquid refill samples
were purchased via a popular e-commerce platform available to Malaysian. The e-liquid refills were
specifically chosen because it was declared to contain zero-nicotine. Nicotine concentrations were
measured using a Gas-chromatography with flame-ionisation detector (GC-FID). Results: About 80% (n = 8)
of the purchased e-liquid samples were contained nicotine despite being declared as nicotine-free.
The average nicotine levels were 1.092 (0.989) mg/mL. Conclusion: This case study confirmed the
presence of labelling discrepancies which non-comply with the existing Malaysian Poison Act.
Such non-compliance will contribute to the sale of unrestricted nicotine products. As a result, it will increase
addiction among novice smokers because e-liquid refills declared as “nicotine free” contained nicotine.
Implementation of stringent legal requirement on the nicotine content of local e-liquid products is
urgently needed as it will support the accomplishment of Malaysian Tobacco Endgame.
Introduction: Rapid ongoing industrialisation particularly in developing countries has triggered an
increased risk of occupational noise-related disease occurrence. Machinery and work tasks in metal fabrication
processes may produce high noise levels that can be harmful to hearing. This study aimed to investigate the
workers’ exposure to noise at a fabrication plant and their perceptions toward hearing loss symptoms and its association.
Methods: This study was conducted at a Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning fabrication plant in Johor.
With a 31% response rate, 50 respondents who were selected using purposive sampling answered a
questionnaire regarding demographic background, noise exposure and perceived hearing loss symptoms. Noise
measurements were also conducted among 30 of them based on the concept of sampling the maximum
risky workers. The noise was measured using a sound level meter IEC 60651 Class 2. Minimum (Lmin)
and maximum (Lmax) sound pressure levels were measured for 5-minute and repeated for three exposure
periods (morning, afternoon, evening). Results: 68% and 32% of the workers were 20-30 years old and had
been employed for 3-5 years, respectively. Average noise exposure level observed was 63.3-101.5 dBA. 25%
of the workers reported that they were sometimes experienced the symptoms of hearing loss. These include
difficulty in understanding conversation and ringing in the ear. However, noise exposure and hearing loss
symptoms were not significantly associated. Conclusion: The study findings suggest that the workers have a risk
of developing hearing loss. Intervention programme and enforcement on hearing protection of the workforce
are highly recommended.
Despite pulmonary cryptococcosis showing good response to antifungal treatment, making accurate diagnosis in a timely manner remains a challenge. Tissue for fungal culture is less sensitive, nonspecific, and time-consuming to allow for prompt diagnosis. We herein report a case of 31-year-old woman with no known medical illness but presented with history of cough and haemoptysis for two months. The chest X-ray and bronchoscopy revealed left lung mass. While tuberculosis showed negative result and no growth observed in the tissue culture, the histopathological examination (HPE) finding was suggestive of fungal infection. The formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue was sent for molecular testing, which revealed Cryptococcus neoformans. This report emphasises on the advantages and limitations of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as an alternative method to confirm the diagnosis in cases of culture-negative fungal infection.
Malaria and dengue are among the most important public health threats in Malaysia. These two-arthropod borne diseases have overlapping mosquito biotopes and clinical manifestations, and co-infections have been associated with increased severity notably on the haematological abnormalities. Dengue caused by four dengue virus (DENV) serotypes has been highly endemic in Malaysia. However, malaria due to Plasmodium ovale (P. ovale) has been rarely reported among Malaysian population. Nonetheless, climate change and increased influx of international travellers and migrants have shifted the parasite boundaries to non-endemic countries. Thus, diagnosis and management of imported malarial infections should rely on the geographical knowledge on the origin of potential Plasmodium species, prompt laboratory testing and public health intervention. Moreover, it would be difficult to clinically differentiate dengue fever (DF) with a potential relapse or partially treat- ed case of P. ovale, and there is absolutely no transmission of this Plasmodium species in our country. Hence, we believed that this case deserved to be reported.
Pneumonia is a common lung infection. Common bacterial cause of this serious lung infection includes Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Haemophilus parahaemolyticus pneumonia is an uncommon cause of bacterial pneumonia, occurring mainly as an opportunistic pathogen in immunocompromised patients as in this case, diabetes mellitus. Therefore, this case report will look at a case of 49-year-old man who was diagnosed with this uncommon pathogen which was successfully eradicated with antibiotics. This case report will look at a case of 49 years old who was diagnosed with this uncommon pathogen which was successfully eradicated with antibiotics.
Suppurative BCG lymphadenitis can easily be overlooked, as it mimics other diseases such as tuberculous lymphadenitis. A case of a three-month old female infant who received the BCG vaccination at birth presented with isolated left axillary mass at two months of age. She was initially treated as lymph node abscess but was referred to the hospital due to the increasing size of the swelling. Needle aspiration was done and the microbiology analysis came out positive for acid-fast bacilli. She was planned for syrup isoniazid; however, the management team withheld treatment until they were certain of the identity of the bacteria. The bacteria was confirmed by the molecular method to be Mycobacterium bovis BCG strain. The case report highlights the importance of the microbiology investigations for appropriate management in this case.
Sporotrichosis is a relatively uncommon fungal infection in human as compared to other fungal infectiction such as tinea corporis or cruris. The fungus can be found in the environment and on plant matter. Sporotrichosis usually results from trauma to the skin followed by exposure to the fungus. It can also be spread by cat scratch or bite. Sporotrichosis usually presents as multiple skin nodules arranged in a linear fashion over the limbs, often with associated lymphadenopathy. This calls for importance of full physical examination and a high index of suspicion in order to diagnose this infection that can either involve the skin or the lymphatic channel or both. If misdiagnosed, treatment can be delayed and lead to prolonged suffering of the patient. This is an interesting case report about a 43-year-old woman who presented with left axillary swelling and decreased range of movement of the correspond- ing shoulder which was feared initially to be linked to breast cancer. However, good clinal acumen lead to the actual diagnosis of sporotrichosis.
We report a rare case of Ochrobactrum anthropi bacteremia in a previously healthy young man who was admitted for severe dengue. O. anthropi is a rarely encountered Gram negative organism which is resistant to commonly used beta-lactam antibiotics. This organism is usually interpreted as a contaminant as it is ubiquitous in the environment. Isolation of this organism upon admission suggested a community-acquired infection. He had persistent bacteremia and had to be treated with a prolonged course of meropenem and ciprofloxacin. This case report highlights the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment of this otherwise contaminant as previous reports showed this organism can be an opportunistic pathogen which may lead to severe infection.
Introduction: Chlamydia trachomatis is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection world wide caused by the bacterial agent named Chlamydia trachomatis. Long term chlamydial infection has a negative impact on the female reproductive system and often leads to infertility. We determined the prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis and its associated factors among subfertile couples attending the Lembaga Penduduk dan Pembangunan Keluarga Negara (LPPKN) Subfertility Clinic. Method: Blood samples were collected from 95 couples (190 respondents) for Chlamydia trachomatis IgG antibody testing. The Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique was used to detect outer membrane protein complexes of Chlamydia trachomatis in the assay. Results: Chlamydia trachomatis IgG antibody seropositivity was detected in 14 husbands (14.7%) and 17 wives (17.9%). The prevalence of Chlamydia trachomatis among these couples was 22.1%. Our findings found no significant association between Chlamydia trachomatis and its associated factors, but the prevalence rate among the studied population is of concern. Conclusion: The screening of Chlamydia trachomatis among couples is recommended for integration in the subfertility investigation procedure. It is crucial, particularly for women with tubal factor infertility (TFI).
Khairatul Ayyun Mohd Ramli, Siti Nur Balqis Shamsuri, Nur Najihah Mohd Raslam, Nurul Huda Nabilah Halim, Nursyafiqah Samad, Mohamad Saifullah Sulaiman, et al.
Introduction: Antibacterial products contain active ingredients that are used to prevent bacterial growth and contamination. Previous studies suggest that antibacterial products are no more effective at removing s kin pathogen compared to plain soap. It is essential to collect the data regarding the effectiveness of antibacterial products with the purpose of continuous surveillance in the detection of emerging resistance pattern. Method: In vitro antimicrobial activity of six products were established on four species of bacteria namely Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa that represent the bacterial pathogen commonly found on human skin and the surrounding environment. These pathogens are also implicated as the causative organisms for skin infections. Results: Product that contains triclosan has the highest bactericidal effect as it is effective against a broad spectrum of bacteria. Body washes without any antibacterial agent also exhibit bactericidal activity but at higher concentrations. Gram-positive bacteria showed more sensitivity compared to gram-negative bacteria. Conclusion: Antibacterial and non-antibacterial products have bactericidal effects at different concentration. Different active ingredients showed different antibacterial effects on tested bacteria. Extend usage of antibacterial products pose adverse effects on skin normal flora and can lead to antimicrobial resistance.