Background: Consistency and accuracy of results in assessing health risks due to vaping or e-cigarette use are difficult to achieve without established consumption data. The present report covers baseline data on vaping topography and reasons for use among local users in Klang Valley, Malaysia.
Methods: An 80-item survey regarding socio-demographic characteristics, smoking topography and reasons for e-cigarette use was employed to assess e-cigarette users recruited from several public universities and private organisations. The survey questionnaire was self-administered. Data were analysed using statistical software.
Results: Eighty-six current e-cigarette users participated with more than half (51.2%) of them aged ≥ 25 years old. Significant proportions of the sample were single (51.2%), had a tertiary education level (63.5%) and a household income of less than USD1000 per month (65.2%). Median duration of e-cigarette use was less than a year; users drew approximately 50 puffs per day and refilled twice a day. The majority (74%) used e-liquids containing nicotine with a concentration of 6 μg/mL. Daily users spent USD18-23 per month. Reasons for using the e-cigarette included enjoyment of the products (85.9%), perception of lower toxicity than tobacco (87%), and the fact that it was a cheaper smoking alternative (61%).
Conclusion: The data on e-cigarette smoking topography obtained in this study are novel. The reasons of usage were mainly users’ enjoyment of e-cigarettes, preparation for quitting smoking, perception of low toxicity and a healthier smoking substitute and cheapness in the long run. The results establish basic knowledge for the local vaping topography and reference material for future e-cigarette-related research.
A total of 356 doctors responded to a survey on the timing and stability of choice of medical specialty. The majority of doctors made their final decision while working as a medical officer. One hundred (48.5%) of the doctors had made an earlier choice as medical students, 63 (30.6%) during their internship and 43 (20.9%) made their final choice while they were medical officers. Working experience in the specialty was the most important factor in determining final choice of specialty. Advice from consultants/seniors, better financial prospects and parental influence were more important for the male doctors while marriage and family considerations were more important for the female doctors in making their final choice.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent chronic joint disease with an immense socioeconomic burden; however, no treatment has achieved complete success in effectively halting or reversing cartilage degradation, which is the central pathophysiological feature of OA. Chondrocytes loss or dysfunction is a significant contributing factor to the progressive cartilage deterioration as these sole resident cells have a crucial role to produce extracellular matrix proteins, thus maintaining cartilage structure and homeostasis. It has been previously suggested that death of chondrocytes occurring through apoptosis substantially contributes to cartilage degeneration. Although the occurrence of apoptosis in osteoarthritic cartilage and its correlation with cartilage degradation is evident, the causes of chondrocyte apoptosis leading to matrix loss are still not well-understood. Autophagy, an intracellular degradative mechanism that eliminates dysfunctional cytoplasmic components to aid cell survival in unfavourable conditions, is a potential therapeutic target to inhibit chondrocyte apoptosis and reduce OA severity. Despite accumulating evidence indicating significant cytoprotective effects of autophagy against chondrocyte apoptosis, the mechanistic link between autophagy and apoptosis in chondrocytes remains to be further explored. In this review, we summarize the relevant mechanistic events that perpetuate chondrocyte apoptosis and highlight the prominent role of autophagy in modulating these events to mitigate OA progression.
A cross-sectional study of the nutritional status of schoolchildren aged 7-10 years from the Kuala Betis Resettlement Scheme in Gua Musang, Kelantan was done. A total of 291 schoolchildren were examined but only 183 (62.9%) fecal samples were returned for geo-helminth infection analysis. The prevalence of stunting was 40.4% and underweight was 28.4%. A total of 127 schoolchildren (69.4%) were positive for at least one of the 3 geo-helminth infections. The most common geo-helminth was Ascaris lumbricoides (62.8%), followed by Trichuris trichiura (38.9%), and hookworm infection was relatively low (12.6%). All the anthropometric indices measured were lower in the geo-helminth infected children compared to the uninfected childen, except for the weight-for-height z-score. However the differences were insignificant Geo-helminth infections may not be a significant factor in malnutrition of these schoolchildren. However, with the availability of safe, efficacious and cheap broad spectrum anthelmintics, regular mass treatment should be given in selected areas where the prevalence of geo-helminth infections is still high, so that these schoolchildren will be able to achieve their growth potential during their school years.
A cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and some associated factors among primary one schoolchildren, aged 7 years from rural areas of Tumpat and Bachok in Kelantan was carried out. A total of 922 chiMren from 18 primary schools were examined. The parents completed self-administered questionnaires eliciting demographic and socio-economic information. The weight and height of each child was taken. The nutritional status was assessed by the z-scores of weight-for-age (WAZ) , height- or-age (HAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ). The prevalence of underweight was 25 .2% , stunting was 21 .1% and wasting was 6 .2%. Less than 1 .0% ofthe children were overweight. Risk factors of underweight were lueinga male (OR=l .4),
having an unemployed father (OR=2 .6) and a monthly family income of RM 251 -500 (OR=2 .0) . Being a male (OR=1 .6) was the only risk factor for stunning and working mother (OR=2 .0) was the only risk factor of wasting. In conclusion, there is still a high prevalence of undemutrition among primary one schoolchildren in rural areas of Tumpat and Bachok. This may be due to the poor socioeconomic status of the rural community and the lack of emphasis ofthe supplementary feeding program on the late preschool children. A comprehensive nutrition support program is essential, especially targeting the preschool children in these rural communities
A study of the prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminthiasis among pre-school children aged 0 to 7 years from an Orang Asli village resettlement scheme in Gua Musang, Kelantan was undertaken. The overall prevalence of soil transmitted helminthic (STH) infections was 56.0%. The predominant helminth found was Ascaris lumbricoides while the commonest type of infection was a mixed infection with Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura. The prevalence rates of Ascaris, Trichuris and hookworm infections were 47.5%, 33.9% and 6.2% respectively. The intensity of Ascaris infections were 64.5% light, 27.3% moderate and 8.3% heavy whilst the intensity of Trichuris infections were 80.5% light, 18.3% moderate and 1.2% heavy. However, the intensity of hookworm infections were 86.7% light, 13.3% moderate and no heavy infection. The prevalence of helminthiasis (STH) shows an-age dependent relationship, with the lowest prevalence in 0-< 1 year age group and highest in the 6-< 7 year age group.
Tendon injuries account up to 50% of all musculoskeletal problems and remains a challenge to treat owing to the poor intrinsic reparative ability of tendon tissues. The natural course of tendon healing is very slow and often leads to fibrosis and disorganized tissues with inferior biomechanical properties. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) therapy is a promising alternative strategy to augment tendon repair due to its proliferative and multilineage differentiation potential. Hypoxic conditioning of MSC have been shown to enhance their tenogenic differentiation capacity. However, the mechanistic pathway by which this is achieved is yet to be fully defined. A key factor involved in this pathway is hypoxia-inducible factor-1-alpha (HIF-1α). This review aims to discuss the principal mechanism underlying the enhancement of MSC tenogenic differentiation by hypoxic conditioning, particularly the central role of HIF-1α in mediating activation of tenogenic pathways in the MSC. We focus on the interaction between HIF-1α with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) and transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1) in regulating MSC tenogenic differentiation pathways in hypoxic conditions. Strategies to promote stabilization of HIF-1α either through direct manipulation of oxygen tension or the use of hypoxia mimicking agents are therefore beneficial in increasing the efficacy of MSC therapy for tendon repair.
A cross-sectional survey of the nutritional status of children aged 1-10 years old from the Kuala Betis resettlement villages was carried out. A total of 620 children were examined, of which 329 were preschool children and 291 were schoolchildren. The age was determined and anthropometric measurements such as weight, height and MUAC were taken. The nutritional status was assessed by looking at the distributions of the z-scores of weight-for-age (WAZ), height-for-age (HAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ) in relation to the growth charts of the National Center for Health Statistics reference population. It was found that the nutritional status of the Orang Asli children was poor, with a prevalence of 33.7-65.3% underweight, 55.3-74.4% stunting and 4.4-29.7% wasting based on the NCHS reference values. The prevalence of malnutrition among the Malay children was lower, underweight--7.3-34.1%, stunting--9.8-34.1% and wasting--1.7-17.1%. The nutritional status of the Orang Asli children were poorer compared to the Malay children. More preschool Orang Asli children were stunted compared to the Orang Asli schoolchildren. This may be due to the poor economic base of the Orang Asli community during the transformation period after resettlement. A comprehensive primary health care program is essential, especially targeting the preschool Orang Asli children in these resettlement villages.
A survey of specialisation choices was conducted for two batches of medical officers applying to the local medical schools for specialisation in Malaysia. A total of 359 doctors responded, giving a response rate of 71%, with 169 male (44.4%) and 187 female (55.6%) respondents. Surgery ranked highest among the male doctors followed by orthopaedic surgery and internal medicine. Family medicine ranked highest among female doctors followed by public health and anaesthesiology. Among the other specialties, the male doctors preferred otorhinolaryngology while female doctors preferred Pathology. Both male and female doctors chose to be a clinical consultant in a general hospital as the first choice. They prefer to work in or near their hometowns.
Despite awareness of the detrimental effects of smoking, many adolescents initiate or continue to smoke. One possible explanation for smoking 13 the belief that it can control body weight. The objective of this study was to determine the association between Body Mass Index and smoking among Malay adolescents in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. A cross·sectional study was conducted between January to June 2005 among 1364 students selected from ten co»educational government secondary schools in Kota Bharu using stratified multistage cluster sampling. Guided self-administered questionnaire and anthropometric measurement were taken. Data was entered using SPSS 12.0 and analysed using STATA 8.0. The overall prevalence of smoking was 6. 7%. The prevalence of smoking among boys was 13.8% and among girls was 1.1%. There was no association between Body Mass Index and smoking. However, the findings may not be generalized to out-of·school youth and other ethnic groups in this country. The study was not conducted anonymously and the use of questionnaire to report smoking status can lead to measurement bias. Strategies aimed at correcting the belief that smoking can reduce weight should be included as one of the components in the prevention of smoking.
Overweight during adolescence has many psychological consequences and low self·esteem is the immediate detrimental effect observed. Adolescents with low self»esteem are at risk for many emotional and behavioural disorders while high self-esteem adolescents experience an incremental improvement in their quality of life. The objective of this study was to compare seh'-esteem between overweight and non-overweight Malay adolescents in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. A cross-sectional study was conducted between January to ]une 2005 among 1364 students selected from ten co-educational government secondary schools in Kota Bharu using stratified multistage cluster sampling. A set of guided self-administered questionnaire which included a Malaysian version of Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Body Mass Index measurement was used. Data was entered using SPSS 12.0 and analysed using STATA 8. O. The prevalence of overweight among secondary school students in Kota Bharu was 12.5% and there was no significant difference in self-esteem between overweight and non-overweight students. However, the findings may not be generalized to out-of-school youth and other ethnic groups in this country. Infomation on other modifers, such as parental acceptance or lack of concern regarding the child’ obesity was not elicited in this study. It is an important protective factor for self-esteem and need to be included in future studies.
In recent years, there has been concern that non-smokers may also be at risk from secondhand smoke exposure, especially children. This study was done to determine the prevalence of secondhand smoke exposure at home and the association between secondhand smoke exposure and respiratory symptoms among primary schoolchildren in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. This was a comparative cross-sectional study involving children, aged 10·12 years. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain the information on sociodemographic, respiratory symptoms and smokers in the house. A random sample of 10 from 95 primary schools in Kota Bharu was included. Six classes were randomly selected from each school, two classes each from each school year of primary 4·6. A total of 795 children completed the questionnaire during September 2003 till March 2004. 386 of children (48.6%) were boys and 409 children (51.4%) were girls. Most of the children were Malay (99.9%). A total of 442 (55.6%) children lived with at least 1 smoker in the house mainly from the smoking fathers. Significantly increased odds ratios due to secondhand smoke exposure were observed for most of the respiratory symptoms. The odds ratios (95% confidence interval) were 1.67 (1.18, 2.39) for cough in the morning, 1.59 (1.10, 2.30) for cough at night, 1.76 (1.16, 2.65) for cough most days for the previous 3 months, 1.57 (1.14, 2.17) for phlegm in the morning, 1.49 (1.08, Z.07) for phlegm during daytime or at night, 1.38 (1.03, 1.86) for nose problems in the morning, 1.40 (1.03, 1.90) for nose problems at night and 1.78 (1.14, 2.78) for throat problems at night, 1.55 (1.06, 2.26) for ever wheeze or diagnosed asthma by doctor, 1.57 (1.05, 2.36) for throat problems in the morning and 1.81 (1.15, 2.85) for throat problems during daytime. The odds ratios increased with increasing number of smokers at home for cough in the morning, cough most days for the previous 3 months, phlegm in the morning, ever wheeze or diagnosed asthma by doctor, throat problems in the morning, throat problems during daytime and throat problems at night. In view of the significant health risks posed to children by secondhand smoke, public health policies are needed to protect this vulnerable population. The aim of such policies Ls to ensure the right of every child to grow up in an environment free of tobacco smoke.
A demographic and obstetric profile of pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinics in Kelantan over period of one year was determined by a retrospective study of 10,032 registered pregnant mothers. The prevalence of risk factors related to the age of the mother, parity, weight, haemoglobin level, bad obstetric history and pregnancy related diseases were determined. Prevalence of teenage pregnancy and primigravida accounted for 4.3 and 17.2 percent respectively. Nearly 3.9 percent of the mothers weighed less than 40 kg and 44.5 percent of mothers were found to be anaemic (Hb less than 11g/d) at the first antenatal visit. Only 3.2 percent of the mothers did not have any designated risk factor. Previous bad obstetric history and pregnancy related disease accounted for 17.1 and 3.5 percent of mothers respectively.
Study site: Antenatal clinics, klinik kesihatan, Kelantan, Malaysia
This is a cross-sectional study to determine the association between religious perception and smoking behavior of secondary male students in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted on 526 secondary four male students from eight randomly selected schools in Kota Bharu. There were 182 (34.6%) students who were current smokers, 12 (2.3%) were ex-smokers and 332 (63.1%) were non·smokers. More than half of the current smokers (53.4%) smoked regularly. Student’s perceptions on the religious opinion on smoking were signihcantly associated with smoking behavior. Other significant risk factors were having close friends who smoke, their perceptions on benefits and negative effects of smoking and the level of
y relationship with their fathers. These factors were also found to be good predictors of student's smoking status. Health education programs to control smoking should include the religious aspect of smoking to improve it’s effectiveness.
Cellulose is one of the most abundant natural polymers with excellent biocompatibility, non-toxicity, flexibility, and renewable source. Regenerated cellulose (RC) products result from the dissolution-regeneration process risen from solvent and anti-solvent reagents, respectively. The regeneration process changes the cellulose chain conformation from cellulose I to cellulose II, leads the structure to have more amorphous regions with improved crystallinity, and inclines towards extensive modification on the RC products such as hydrogel, aerogel, cryogel, xerogel, fibers, membrane, and thin film. Recently, RC products are accentuated to be used in the agriculture field to develop future sustainable agriculture as alternatives to conventional agriculture systems. However, different solvent types and production techniques have great influences on the end properties of RC products. Besides, the fabrication of RC products from solely RC lacks excellent mechanical characteristics. Thus, the flexibility of RC has allowed it to be homogenously blended with other materials to enhance the final products' properties. This review will summarize the properties and preparation of potential RC-based products that reflect its application to replace soil the plantation medium, govern the release of the fertilizer, provide protection on crops and act as biosensors.
This study was proposed to identify specific radiological appearances in Malaysian patients with bronchial asthma. All consecutive patients, seen in the Medical Unit, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia between 1976 and 1979, satisfying the American Thoracic Society [1962] criteria for bronchial asthma formed the subjects of this study. Analysis of 207 patients led to the following conclusion. There are specific radiological changes present in a proportion of bronchial asthmatics during the acute episode. These changes are more frequent in the younger age group and in those in which the age of onset are early, The duration of asthma seems to have some bearing to the radiological changes.
Iodine is an essential micronutrient for normal physical and mental development. Iodine deficiency is endemic in 130 countries worldwide, including Malaysia. This is a cross-sectional study done to determine the prevalence and risk factors of iodine dejiciency among 342 rural mothers attending antenatal clinics in Bachok, Kelantan. A self-adrninistered questionnaire on the knowledge, attitudes, practices and other risk factors relating to iodine deficiency was done. Physical examination for thyroid enlargement was carried out and urine samples were taken for urine iodine determination. The prevalence of iodine deficiency based on urine iodine Q level of less than 100 mcg/l was 63.0 % (95% CI: 57.8, 68.2). The mean urinary iodine level was 87.3 mcg/l with a median of 78.0 mcg/l. However, the goiter prevalence was only 9.4%. The total mean scores of knowledge, attitudes and practices were generally low at 58.6 (SD 7.9), 52.9 (SD 7.9) and 42.9 (SD 10.9) respectively. Logistic regression analysis found that a smoking husband is a risk for iodine deficiency (OR=2.0). In conclusion, iodine deficiency disorders among rural antenatal mothers were still prevalent in Bachok. Their level of knowledge on the causes, effects, prevention and clinical presentations of Q iodine deficiency disorders were poor. In addition, having a husband who is a smoker increases the risk of the antenatal mothers developing iodine denciency.
Study site: Antenatal clinic (klinik kesihatan), Bachok, Kelantan, Malaysia
Despite growing number of intraocular lens power calculation formulas, there is no evidence that these formulas have good predictive accuracy in pediatric, whose eyes are still undergoing rapid growth and refractive changes. This study is intended to compare the prediction error and the accuracy of predictability of intraocular lens power calculation in pediatric patients at 3 month post cataract surgery with primary implantation of an intraocular lens using SRK II versus Pediatric IOL Calculator for pediatric intraocular lens calculation. Pediatric IOL Calculator is a modification of SRK II using Holladay algorithm. This program attempts to predict the refraction of a pseudophakic child as he grows, using a Holladay algorithm model. This model is based on refraction measurements of pediatric aphakic eyes. Pediatric IOL Calculator uses computer software for intraocular lens calculation.
Exposure to secondhand smoke has consistently been linked to adverse health effects in children, including reduced lung function and various respiratory diseases. There is also increasing evidence that secondhand smoke exposure is associated with cognitive impairment and behavioral problems in children, This cross sectional study was done on 795 chiildren to determine the association between secondhand smoke exposure and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) and cognitive performance among the primary school children in Kota Bharu Kelantan. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demography and smoking status of the household. The PEER was measured using a child Mini Wright peak expiratory flow meter while cognitive performance was assessed by four subtests of Weschler Intelligence Scale For Children (WISC III). Data analysis was done using SPSS version 11. Children were classified as exposed to secondhand smoke when at least one househoH member smoked. There were 442 (55 .6%) children exposed to secondhand smoke at home. The mean (SD) PEFR for unexposed and exposed children were 266.18 (60.80) l/min and 266 .06 (57. 70) l/min respectively, The mean (SD) scores for Digit Span Forward, Digit Span Backward Coding and Arithmetic in unexposed chiMren were 6.84 (1.80), 4.Z7(1.68), 45.25 (9,99) and 8.04 (1.04) respectively. The mean (SD) scores for exposed children were 6.73 (1 .77). 4.07 (l .65), 45.1 I (1 I ,03) and 8.13 (1 .00) respectively. Multivariate analysis of variance showed no signincant dijference in the PEFR (p=O.816) and the cognitive scores between exposed and unexposed primary school children in Kota Bharu, Kelantan