Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 152 in total

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  1. Subramaniam, Ponnusamy, Shazli Ezzat Ghazali, Mahadevan, Raynuha, Chin, Hak Ying, Sinniah, Aishvarya
    ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2009;10(1):32-42.
    MyJurnal
    Objective: This study examined the symptoms of PTSD among survivors of the December 26th 2004 Malaysian tsunami disaster, as well as differences among sexes in terms of coping styles and availability of social support. Methods: A total of 64 (28 males and 36 females) respondents from several affected districts of Kuala Muda and Langkawi in Kedah and Batu Maung, Pulau Pinang were recruited through purposive sampling. The Detailed Assessment of Posttraumatic Stress (DAPS) was used to measure the posttraumatic stress disorder/symptoms, while the Social Support Questionnaire and Significant Others Scale (Form A) were used to measure the quality and quantity of social support. The COPE Questionnaire was used to measure two coping styles; adaptive and maladaptive coping. Results: Fifty two (81%) respondents did not fulfill the DAPS-PTSD criteria while only 12 (19%) fulfilled the criteria. There was no significant difference between men and women in terms of posttraumatic stresstotal, and the quantity and quality of social support. However, there is a significant difference in adaptive and maladaptive coping styles among victims who fulfill the PTSD diagnosis and those who did not. It was also found that there is no relationship between PTSD symptoms and emotional support, whereas there is a significant
    relationship between PTSD symptoms and practical support. Conclusion: This research showed that only a small number of respondents fulfilled the diagnosis of PTSD following their experience of a disaster. There were no difference between genders in terms of PTSD symptoms and social support. Among victims who fulfill the PTSD diagnosis and those who do not, there is a significant difference in the adaptive and maladaptive coping styles. As for the relationship between PTSD symptoms and social support, there is a significant
    relationship between PTSD symptoms and practical support but not with emotional support.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters
  2. Pereira, J.J., Hunt, J.C.R., Chan, J.C.L.
    ASM Science Journal, 2014;8(1):1-10.
    MyJurnal
    The role of science and technology (S&T) in preventing disasters and building resilience to climate change is featured in this paper, drawing primarily on the presentations and discussion of researchers, practitioners and policy makers from 31 institutions in 17 countries during the Workshop on Natural Disasters and Climate Change in Asia, held on 5–7 November 2012 in Bangi, Malaysia. Issues highlighted include advances in climate modelling and weather forecasts, with emphasis on information gaps; hazards and its cascading effects, focusing on current research and approaches; and the potential for land-based mitigation-adaptation strategies. Progress in mobilizing S&T to support disaster prevention and climate resilience is hindered by factors such as absence or lack of research, incomplete and non-existent scientific records, restricted access to data and capacity to innovate and transmit S&T, among others. The establishment of an Asian Network for Climate Science and Technology is proposed to provide and facilitate exchange of information and aid development of research co-ordination projects led by Asian researchers and possibly to act as a one-stop repository of global climate change related research too. The scope of the network would cover climate research with particular relevance to disaster resilience, including scientific capacity, which is all very distinct in Asia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters
  3. Azrul Ghazali, Sivadass Thiruchelvam, Kamal Nasharuddin Mustapha, Ahmad Kamal Kadir, Fatin Faiqa Norkhairi, Nora Yahya, et al.
    ASM Science Journal, 2018;11(2):117-123.
    MyJurnal
    Series of catastrophic floods that we have witnessed over the last decade in Malaysia have necessitated the adoption of reliable early warning system. Ultimate concern during any event of natural or manmade disaster would be information dissemination to lessen the disaster impact on lives and property. The Bertam Valley incident in the wee hours of 23rd October 2013 has been considered as the game changer of how we view the role of vulnerable communities in facing dam-related disasters. Empowerment of local communities has been considered as vital in disaster management, as they are often the first responders to disaster. Local Community-Based Early Warning System (CBEWS) is a smart mechanism operated by the communities. This study revolves around the actual implementation of such system in Cameron Highlands in the effort of increasing human resilience towards damrelated disasters. While establishing the system, the Bertam Valley community has received support from different individuals and organisations. It is paramount that the community develops and maintains close coordination and strong links with these stakeholders. The performance of early warning systems can be evaluated via key parameters such as timeliness, accuracy, reliability, user friendliness, flexibility, and costs & benefits.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters
  4. Samah AA, Zaremohzzabieh Z, Shaffril HAM, D'Silva JL, Kamarudin S
    Am J Disaster Med, 2019 8 24;14(1):51-63.
    PMID: 31441028 DOI: 10.5055/ajdm.2019.0315
    There have been an increasing number of studies conducted on community preparedness, particularly on changing individual health behaviors in ways that minimizes individual risk to cope with the stress of a natural disaster. A variety of behavioral change theories and models used by disaster academics scrutinize the manner in which individual behavior is sought and transformed into disaster preparedness. This reflects the lack of knowledge about how these models identify certain behaviors regarding natural disaster preparation. This article seeks to address this lack of knowledge. It presents a set of health behavioral change models that can be used by scholars to comprehend variation in the nature and extent of individual disaster preparedness. The purpose of this study is to provide a review of the existing models on the subject, and also to present a comparative analysis of the models that may contribute to ways of understanding the investigation on natural disaster preparedness behaviors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters
  5. Truijens SE, Boerekamp CA, Spek V, van Son MJ, Oei SG, Pop VJ
    Am J Epidemiol, 2015 Sep 1;182(5):426-30.
    PMID: 26173773 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwv161
    On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down, a tragedy that shocked the Dutch population. As part of a large longitudinal survey on mental health in pregnant women that had a study inclusion period of 19 months, we were able to evaluate the possible association of that incident with mood changes using pre- and postdisaster data. We compared mean Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDS) scores from a group of women (n = 126 cases) at 32 weeks' gestation during the first month after the crash with mean scores from a control group (n = 102) with similar characteristics who completed the EDS at 32 weeks' gestation during the same summer period in 2013. The mean EDS scores of the 126 case women in the first month after the crash were significantly higher than the scores of 102 control women. There were no differences in mean EDS scores between the 2 groups at the first and second trimesters. The present study is among the first in which perinatal mental health before and after the occurrence of a disaster has been investigated, and the results suggest that national disasters might lead to emotional responses.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters*
  6. Khalid HM, Helander MG, Hood NA
    Appl Ergon, 2013 Sep;44(5):671-9.
    PMID: 22944486 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2012.06.005
    The purpose of this study was to analyze people's attitudes to disasters by investigating how people feel, behave and think during disasters. We focused on disasters induced by humans, such as terrorist attacks. Two types of textual information were collected - from Internet blogs and from research papers. The analysis enabled forecasting of attitudes for the design of proactive disaster advisory scheme. Text was analyzed using a text mining tool, Leximancer. The outcome of this analysis revealed core themes and concepts in the text concerning people's attitudes. The themes and concepts were sorted into three broad categories: Affect, Behaviour, and Cognition (ABC), and the data was visualized in semantic maps. The maps reveal several knowledge pathways of ABC for developing attitudinal ontologies, which describe the relations between affect, behaviour and cognition, and the sequence in which they develop. Clearly, terrorist attacks induced trauma and people became highly vulnerable.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters*
  7. Hossain MZ, Munawar KM, Rahim ZH, Bakri MM
    Arch Oral Biol, 2016 Apr;64:85-91.
    PMID: 26803673 DOI: 10.1016/j.archoralbio.2016.01.001
    Stature estimation is an important step during medico-legal and forensic examination. Difficulty arises when highly decomposed and mutilated dead bodies with fragmentary remains are brought for forensic identification like in mass disaster or airplane crash. The body remains could be just a jaw with some teeth. The objective of this study was to explore if the stature of an individual can be determined from the tooth crown dimensions.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters
  8. Sulaiman Z, Mohamad N, Ismail TA, Johari N, Hussain NH
    Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2016;25(3):625-30.
    PMID: 27440698 DOI: 10.6133/apjcn.092015.08
    The flood that hit Kelantan in December 2014 was the worst in Malaysian history. Women and their infants accounted for a large proportion of the people at risk who were badly affected, as almost half of the population in Kelantan was in the reproductive age group. This report serves to raise awareness that breastfeeding mothers and infants are a special population with unique needs during a disaster. Four of their concerns were identified during this massive flood: first, the negative impact of flood on infant nutritional status and their health; second, open space and lack of privacy for the mothers to breastfeed their babies comfortably at temporary shelters for flood victims; third, uncontrolled donations of infant formula, teats, and feeding bottles that are often received from many sources to promote formula feeding; and lastly, misconceptions related to breastfeeding production and quality that may be affected by the disaster. The susceptibility of women and their infant in a natural disaster enhances the benefits of promoting the breastfeeding rights of women. Women have the right to be supported which enables them to breastfeed. These can be achieved through monitoring the distribution of formula feeding, providing water, electricity and medical care for breastfeeding mothers and their infants. A multifaceted rescue mission team involving various agencies comprising of local government, including the health and nutrition departments, private or non-governmental organizations and individual volunteers have the potential to improve a satisfactory condition of women and infants affected by floods and other potential natural disasters.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters
  9. Krishnaswamy S, Subramaniam K, Indran T, Low WY
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2012 Jul;24(4):710-8.
    PMID: 22790355 DOI: 10.1177/1010539512453261
    Disasters, natural or man-made, bring numerous health care challenges. In any crisis, mental health programs are a requirement during both the acute and postemergency phases. In the Asian tsunami on December 26, 2004, some of the northwestern coastal areas of Malaysia, particularly the island of Penang, were affected with devastating effects on the residents. Such disasters can predispose to mental health problems among the affected people. An early mental health intervention program was carried out in Balik Pulau, Penang, an area badly affected by the tsunami. The objective of the intervention program was to identify the victims, counsel them, make referrals if necessary, and provide help and resources to prevent the development of mental health problems. Penang residents identified as tsunami victims by the local health authorities were recruited. A group of health care workers, school teachers, village authorities, and volunteers were trained to carry out the crisis intervention program by health care workers experienced in crisis interventions. A total of 299 adults participated in the crisis intervention program, with follow-up assessments being made 4 to 6 weeks later. At the follow-up assessment, 1% of the victims had a problem and they were then referred for further medical assessment. This indicates that the intervention program in the first 2 weeks after the tsunami disaster with referrals to medical services may have helped stabilize the victims.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters*
  10. Hashim JH, Hashim Z
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2016 Mar;28(2 Suppl):8S-14S.
    PMID: 26377857 DOI: 10.1177/1010539515599030
    The Asia Pacific region is regarded as the most disaster-prone area of the world. Since 2000, 1.2 billion people have been exposed to hydrometeorological hazards alone through 1215 disaster events. The impacts of climate change on meteorological phenomena and environmental consequences are well documented. However, the impacts on health are more elusive. Nevertheless, climate change is believed to alter weather patterns on the regional scale, giving rise to extreme weather events. The impacts from extreme weather events are definitely more acute and traumatic in nature, leading to deaths and injuries, as well as debilitating and fatal communicable diseases. Extreme weather events include heat waves, cold waves, floods, droughts, hurricanes, tropical cyclones, heavy rain, and snowfalls. Globally, within the 20-year period from 1993 to 2012, more than 530 000 people died as a direct result of almost 15 000 extreme weather events, with losses of more than US$2.5 trillion in purchasing power parity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters/statistics & numerical data*
  11. Binns C, Low WY
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Jul;27(5):484-5.
    PMID: 26116652 DOI: 10.1177/1010539515593015
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters*
  12. Mahdi SS, Jafri HA, Allana R, Battineni G, Khawaja M, Sakina S, et al.
    BMC Emerg Med, 2023 May 24;23(1):52.
    PMID: 37226121 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-023-00824-8
    INTRODUCTION: The simulation exercise (SimEx) simulates an emergency in which an elaboration or description of the response is applied. The purpose of these exercises is to validate and improve plans, procedures, and systems for responding to all hazards. The purpose of this study was to review disaster preparation exercises conducted by various national, non-government, and academic institutions.

    METHODOLOGY: Several databases, including PubMed (Medline), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), BioMed Central, and Google Scholar, were used to review the literature. Information was retrieved using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and documents were selected according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). To assess the quality of the selected articles, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) technique was utilized.

    RESULTS: A total of 29 papers were selected for final review based on PRISMA guidelines and the NOS quality assessment. Studies have shown that many forms of SimEx commonly used in disaster management including tabletop exercises, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises have their benefits and limitations. There is no doubt that SimEx is an excellent tool for improving disaster planning and response. It is still necessary to give SimEx programs a more rigorous evaluation and to standardize the processes more thoroughly.

    CONCLUSIONS: Drills and training can be improved for disaster management, which will enable medical professionals to face the challenges of disaster management in the 21st century.

    Matched MeSH terms: Disaster Planning*; Disasters*
  13. Chew KS, Wong SS, Tarazi ISB, Koh JW, Ridzuan NA'B, Wan Allam SASB
    BMC Med Educ, 2023 Jun 12;23(1):432.
    PMID: 37308907 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-023-04356-4
    BACKGROUND: Although tabletop exercise is a commonly used method for disaster response training, it is labor-intensive, requires a tutor for facilitation and may not be ideal in a pandemic situation. Board game is a low-cost and portable alternative that can be utilized for this purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare the perception of interaction engagement and behavioral intention to use a newly developed board game with tabletop exercise for disaster training.

    METHODS: Using the Mechanics-Dynamics-Aesthetics' (MDA) framework, a new, tutorless educational board game known as the Simulated Disaster Management And Response Triage training ("SMARTriage") was first developed for disaster response training. Subsequently, the perceptions of 113 final year medical students on the "SMARTriage" board game was compared with that of tabletop exercise using a crossover design.

    RESULTS: Using Wilcoxon signed rank test, it was that found that tabletop exercise was generally rated significantly higher (with p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters*
  14. Mohd Tariq MN, Shahar HK, Baharudin MR, Ismail SNS, Manaf RA, Salmiah MS, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2021 09 24;21(1):1735.
    PMID: 34560858 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11719-3
    BACKGROUND: Flood disaster preparedness among the community seldom received attention. Necessary intervention must be taken to prevent the problem. Health Education Based Intervention (HEBI) was developed following the Health Belief Model, particularly in improving flood disaster preparedness among the community. The main objective of this study is to assess the effect of HEBI on improving flood disaster preparedness among the community in Selangor. This study aims to develop, implement, and evaluate the impact of health education-based intervention (HEBI) based on knowledge, skills, and preparedness to improve flood disaster preparedness among the community in Selangor.

    METHOD: A single-blind cluster randomized controlled trial will conduct at six districts in Selangor. Randomly selected respondents who fulfilled the inclusion criteria will be invited to participate in the study. Health education module based on Health Believed Theory will be delivered via health talks and videos coordinated by liaison officers. Data at three-time points at baseline, immediate, and 3 months post-intervention will be collected. A validated questionnaire will assess participants' background characteristics, knowledge, skill, and preparedness on disaster preparedness and perception towards disaster. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be applied for data analysis using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. Longitudinal correlated data on knowledge, skills, preparedness, and perception score at baseline, immediate post-intervention, and 6 months post-intervention will be analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE).

    DISCUSSION: It is expected that knowledge, skills, preparedness, and flood disaster perception score are more significant in the intervention group than the control group, indicating the Health Education Based Intervention (HEBI).

    TRIAL REGISTRATION: Thai Clinical Trial TCTR20200202002 .

    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters*
  15. Al-Hunaishi W, Hoe VC, Chinna K
    BMJ Open, 2019 10 17;9(10):e030547.
    PMID: 31628126 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-030547
    OBJECTIVES: Willingness to participate in disasters is usually overlooked and not addressed in disaster preparedness training courses to ensure health service coverage. This will lead to issues during the disaster's response. This study, therefore, aims to assess healthcare workers willingness to participate in biological and natural disasters, and to identify its associated factors.

    DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to 1093 healthcare workers. The data were analysed using multiple logistic regression with significance level p<0.05. Ethical clearance and consent of the participants were duly obtained.

    SETTING: In three public hospitals that provide tertiary-level healthcare in Sana'a City, Yemen.

    PARTICIPANTS: There were 692 nurses and doctors (response rate 63.3%) completed the questionnaires.

    RESULTS: Almost half of the participants 55.1% were nurses and 44.9% were doctors. The study found that self-efficacy was associated with willingness to participate in disaster response for any type of disasters (OR 1.319, 95% CI 1.197 to 1.453), natural disasters (OR 1.143, 95% CI 1.069 to 1.221) and influenza pandemic (OR 1.114, 95% CI 1.050 to 1.182). The results further show that willingness is associated with healthcare workers being young, male and having higher educational qualifications.

    CONCLUSION: Self-efficacy has been found to be an important factor associated with willingness. Improving self-efficacy through training in disaster preparedness may increase willingness of healthcare workers to participate in a disaster.

    Matched MeSH terms: Disaster Planning; Disasters*
  16. Muhamad Yaakub Arifin
    MyJurnal
    PHC services particularly the ambulance call is traditionally a hospital-based system. Within the Kota Kinabalu area, there are 3 tertiary hospitals that provide the ambulance call service; and also provide the interfacility transfer, disaster management and medical team standby. How about the health clinics? Health clinics play a major role for primary healthcare and the interfacility transfer of patient from the health clinics to the hospital.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters
  17. Xu Y, Herrman H, Bentley R, Tsutsumi A, Fisher J
    Bull World Health Organ, 2014 May 1;92(5):348-55.
    PMID: 24839324 DOI: 10.2471/BLT.13.124677
    To assess whether having a subsequent child had an effect on the mental health of Chinese mothers who lost a child during an earthquake.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters
  18. Chen HY, Ahmad CA, Abdullah KL
    Chin J Traumatol, 2021 Jul;24(4):237-248.
    PMID: 34112591 DOI: 10.1016/j.cjtee.2021.04.002
    PURPOSE: Malaysian disaster relief volunteers have a long and proud history of participating in relief missions within and outside the country. Despite of a plethora of researches into the various areas of disaster relief, there has been a little scholarly activity looking into the experiences of the medical volunteers worldwide and even less research on the experiences of the relief volunteers in Malaysia. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify the effect of disaster relief works on volunteers in Malaysia.

    METHODS: This is a non-experimental cross-sectional design study, which was conducted using survey questionnaire to examine the incidence of burnout, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and the quality of life (QOL) among the disaster relief volunteers. And the study also examined the socio-demographic variables of the participants. In addition, the association between the sociodemographic variable and the preferred coping strategies was also investigated through self-reporting checklist.

    RESULTS: The findings of this study revealed that 90.9% volunteers (n = 312) experienced some levels of recurring stress throughout their lives, which led to burnout. Also, 96.8% (n = 332) of the participants were categorized as having at least some symptoms of PTSD. However, self-reporting QOL measurements indicated that the participants are, in general, satisfied with their lives. Significant associations between the incidence of burnout, incidence of PTSD and QOL were identified. Both positive coping measures and behavioral or avoidant coping measures were also identified. Furthermore, a number of socio-demographic factors were also seen to interact significantly with burnout, PTSD and QOL.

    CONCLUSION: This study provides some insights into the psychological challenges of disaster relief volunteers in Malaysia, and this impact can last a long time after the volunteers return to their hometowns. Several recommendations including practice development, policy and research were discussed in the study.

    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters*
  19. Rafiey H, Momtaz YA, Alipour F, Khankeh H, Ahmadi S, Sabzi Khoshnami M, et al.
    Clin Interv Aging, 2016;11:1791-1795.
    PMID: 27994445
    BACKGROUND: Despite the growing interest in the study of disasters, there is limited research addressing the elderly population that lead to prejudiced beliefs that older adults are more vulnerable to disasters than younger adults. This study aimed to compare positive mental health between elderly and young earthquake survivors.

    METHOD: Data for this study, consisting of 324 earthquake survivors, were obtained from a population-based cross-sectional survey conducted in Iran, 2015. The long-term effect of earthquake was assessed using the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form questionnaire. A one-way multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) using SPSS (version 22) was used in data analysis.

    RESULTS: Older adults scored significantly a higher level of overall positive mental health (mean [M]=34.31, standard deviation [SD]=10.52) than younger age group (M=27.48, SD=10.56, t=-4.41; P<0.001). Results of MANCOVA revealed a statistically significant difference between older and young adults on the combined positive mental health subscales (F(3,317)=6.95; P<0.001), after controlling for marital status, sex, and employment status.

    CONCLUSION: The present findings showing a higher level of positive mental health among elderly earthquake survivors compared with their younger counterparts in the wake of natural disasters suggest that advancing age per se does not contribute to increasing vulnerability.

    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters/statistics & numerical data*
  20. Musa R, Draman S, Jeffrey S, Jeffrey I, Abdullah N, Halim NA, et al.
    Compr Psychiatry, 2014 Jan;55 Suppl 1:S13-6.
    PMID: 23318005 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2012.12.002
    In 2004, the province of Aceh, Indonesia was rocked by tsunami and in September 2009, West Sumatra, Indonesia was hit by an earthquake. The aim of this study was to determine the long-term psychological impact on the residents inhabiting these regions and to identify factors associated with it.
    Matched MeSH terms: Disasters
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