Understanding the factors influencing physical activity (PA) in the Asia-Pacific region is critical, given the high prevalence of inactivity in this area. The photovoice technique explores the types of PA and factors influencing PA among adolescents in Kuching, Sarawak. A total of 160 photographs were collected from participants (adolescents, n = 22, mean age = 14.27 ± 0.7 years, and parents, n = 8, mean age = 48 ± 6.8 years). Data analysis used constant comparison methods of a grounded theory. The Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity was used to categorize PA factors. Study findings were centered on the concept of safety, facilities, parental restriction, friends, cultural traits, media, community cohesiveness, and weather. The central theme was "feeling unsafe" when being outdoors. To promote PA behavior, provision of PA facilities needs to be supported by other programs that build on peer support, crime prevention, and traffic safety, together with other educational campaigns.
We examined the constitutional provisions on the right to health in the Western Pacific region countries and compared universal health coverage (UHC) achievement. In 9 of the 11 countries, the constitution had provisions related to health rights, of which 7 countries also included details related to the health care system. Additionally, 5 countries also had provisions for the vulnerable. The countries with weak state obligation and no clear provisions on health rights (China and Laos) all recorded low UHC achievement scores. Australia and Malaysia, which do not have constitutional provisions regarding health, have achieved high UHC achievement scores. Constitution is the supreme law of a country and the basis for developing and implementing health and medical laws and policies. In addition, laws or constitutions that regulate the rights to health can help gain access to health care. Follow-up research related to the constitutional right to health will be needed.
The diversity of protein food sources, animal and plant, may be a proxy measure of protein quality and adequate protein nutrition. A population-based sample of 1604 Malaysians aged ≥18 y completed one 24-h dietary recall and a new 29-item protein diversity indicator (PDI). Socio-demographic data were obtained by self-report. Mean total protein intakes were 75.2 g/d from 24-h recalls and 74.9 g/d from PDI. Protein diversity indicator-estimated protein intakes were 36.2% from meat and poultry, 8.8% from fish, 16.0% from eggs and dairy, and 39.0% from plants. Intakes of animal proteins varied with socioeconomic status and ethnicity and were associated with higher protein quality, defined as the adequacy of essential amino acids (EAAs) relative to protein requirements. Protein intakes and protein quality in Malaysia were generally adequate. Protein diversity indicator metrics can complement current methods of dietary assessment and may be useful for monitoring protein diversity and quality in other countries currently undergoing nutrition transition.
A cross sectional study was conducted to investigate the effects of pesticide exposure (organophosphate and carbamate) using nerve conductive velocity, current perception threshold (CPT). Cluster random sampling was employed to recruit 64 paddy farmers and 22 fishermen in June 2006. The duration of pesticide exposure was between (5-20) years. The CPT values were measured using Neurometer CPT/Eagle, on the index finger and the great toe with three neuroselective frequencies range (2000, 250, and 5 Hz). The results showed that at the three different frequencies, the CPT values were significantly elevated among farmers on both the medial and peroneal nerves (P < .002). The measurement of CPT can be used as a biomarker to determine and monitor the effects of organophosphate and carbamate exposure among workers who may have been exposed.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practices concerning dengue and its vector Aedes mosquito among selected rural communities in the Kuala Kangsar district from 16-25th June, 2002. It was found that the knowledge of the community was good. Out of the 200 respondents, 82.0% cited that their main source of information on dengue was from television/radio. The respondents' attitude was found to be good and most of them were supportive of Aedes control measures. There is a significant association found between knowledge of dengue and attitude towards Aedes control (p = 0.047). It was also found that good knowledge does not necessarily lead to good practice. This is most likely due to certain practices like water storage for domestic use, which is deeply ingrained in the community. Mass media is an important means of conveying health messages to the public even among the rural population, thus research and development of educational strategies designed to improve behaviour and practice of effective control measures among the villagers are recommended.
Injuries are a major public health problem in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study on the profile of injuries was conducted in four villages in the Jasin District of Malacca using a prepared questionnaire among the residents. A sample of 199 households was selected from the total of 385 by using the simple random method and personal interviews were carried out. Injuries were common (56%) among the family members within the period of one year prior to the survey. Home and residential injuries were the most common type (60.2%) followed by road traffic injuries and injuries at work place. Among the home injuries (68 cases), falls were the most common type of injuries encountered with most occurring in the evenings within the house compounds. For all types of injuries (113 cases), the majority (46.9%) preferred to seek treatment at government clinics and hospitals. Among the road injuries (29 cases), most occurred in the evenings and at nights. They were more severe in nature and some required admission to the hospital. The extremities were the most severe injuries among the home and road ones. Preventive strategies should be targeted towards the home and road injuries by environmental and behavioural changes together with community participation on injury prevention and control at district level.
This study explores contraceptive practice and decision making of women who have experienced abortion in Malaysia. In-depth interviews were carried out with 31 women who had abortions. Women in this study did adopt some method of modern contraception prior their abortion episodes. However, challenges to use a method consistently were experiences and fear of side effects, contraceptive failure, partner's influence, lack of confidence, and cost. The decision to adopt contraception was theirs but the types of contraceptive methods to adopt were influenced by their spouses/partners. The women wanted to use modern contraception but were faced with challenges that hampered its use. More proactive contraceptive promotion is needed to educate people on the array of contraceptive methods available and made accessible to them, to correct misconceptions on safety of modern contraception, to increase men's involvement in contraceptive choices, and to encourage consistent contraceptive use to prevent unintended pregnancies.
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of sickness absenteeism among the three types of agencies, government, semi-government (boards) and private (public) companies. The methodology involved eliciting retrospective data on medical leave over the year 1990 by requesting the agencies to fill up a questionnaire (Appendix I), and calculating the indices of absenteeism from this data. The results show that the private agencies scored higher for all the indices but only the "lost time" percentage was significantly increased. Females also had significantly higher severity of sickness absenteeism rates in all the agencies. Overtime work was associated with higher absenteeism indices, markedly noted in the private agencies. In conclusion, agencies showed work out their own indices of absenteeism so that it could be compared with national rates.
Malaysia has an abortion law, which permits termination of pregnancy to save a woman's life and to preserve her physical and mental health (Penal Code Section 312, amended in 1989). However, lack of clear interpretation and understanding of the law results in women facing difficulties in accessing abortion information and services. Some health care providers were unaware of the legalities of abortion in Malaysia and influenced by their personal beliefs with regard to provision of abortion services. Accessibility to safer abortion techniques is also an issue. The development of the 2012 Guidelines on Termination of Pregnancy and Guidelines for Management of Sexual and Reproductive Health among Adolescents in Health Clinics by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, is a step forward toward increasing women's accessibility to safe abortion services in Malaysia. This article provides an account of women's accessibility to abortion in Malaysia and the health sector response in addressing the barriers.
Malaysia was slow to begin its COVID-19 immunization program for various reasons. However, it is one of the fastest developing countries to vaccinate 80% of its adult population. Nontraditional health leadership played a large role in the implementation of the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (NCIP). Independent opinions from academia also helped the NCIP and may be useful as a way of pushing forward recommendations that may otherwise be difficult to make.
The use of tobacco by adolescents is a major public health concern worldwide. There are 1.2 billion smokers globally, of which more than 50% are young people. The Southeast Asian countries have about 600 million tobacco smokers within the global burden of tobacco users. Most smokers begin at early stage of life and persist through adulthood. Malaysia alone has about 5 million smokers, 20% of whom are younger than 18 years old. Many factors are implicated in the continuous rising trend of tobacco use among adolescents in Southeast Asia. A triad of family, environmental, and individual factors synergistically acts to motivate adolescents toward smoking. This article discusses the current trends of tobacco use and implications of increasing rise in adolescent smoking in the Southeast Asia region.
Adolescent tobacco use (ATU) is on the rise worldwide and the problem is particularly severe in developing countries. Based on nationally representative data, this study aims to investigate the association between ATU and its possible correlates for Bangladesh, where the prevalence rate of ATU is high. The data set is extracted from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey for Bangladesh conducted in 2007. The survey collected information from a total of 3113 students from 52 schools, with a response rate of 100% at the school level, while a response rate of 88.9% was achieved from the students. Students covered in the survey were in grades 7, 8, 9, and 10, with age ranging from 11 to 17 years. The prevalence rate of ATU at the time of the survey was 8.4%, while 35.6% of the students had used at least a type of tobacco products before. Logistic regressions were used to obtain the odds ratios (ORs) in favor of ATU for each of the possible determinants and the confidence intervals (CIs) of these ratios. Use of tobacco among friends (OR = 3.46; CI = 2.37-5.05), the experience of seeing others smoking at home (OR = 2.10; CI = 1.36-3.22) or other places (OR = 1.6; CI = 1.02-2.57), receiving pocket money (OR = 7.6; CI = 4.59-13.28), receiving free tobacco from vendors (OR = 2.3; CI = 1.44-3.78), and exposure to advertisements and promotions of tobacco products (OR = 1.83; CI = 1.23-2.79) were associated with a higher likelihood of ATU. Increased awareness of health hazards of tobacco use through education in schools helped mitigate the problem of ATU. The findings of this study have ramifications for tobacco control prevention strategies in Bangladesh.
The objective of this study was to establish baseline data about air pollutants potentially related to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in the Federal Territory and Selangor, Malaysia. During 1991-1993, ambient air quality was monitored at 42 work sites representing ten industrial sectors: adhesive manufacturing, foundries, latex processing, metalworking, plywood/veneer milling, ricemilling, rubber tire manufacturing, sawmilling, shoemaking, and textile related industries. At each work site, aerosol particle size distributions and concentrations of formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, isopropyl alcohol, and furfural were measured. Mean aerosol particle concentrations ranged from 61 micrograms/m3 in foundries to 5,578 micrograms/m3 in ricemills, with five industries (adhesives, metalworking, ricemilling, sawmilling, and shoemaking) exceeding the US EPA 24-hr ambient air standard for PM-10. Formaldehyde concentrations exceeded the threshold limit value (TLV) in adhesives factories. Other vapours and elements measured were well below TLVs.