A survey of smoking habits among the students attending the Student Health Clinic for various ailments showed:
(1) Smoking in women is very uncommon (only 2 out of 79; 2.53%)
(2) About 30% of men smoke (106 out of 322; 32.9%)
3. The majority of these had commenced smoking before they entered the university.
4. The majority smoked filter tipped brands.
5. Where the mothers in the family smoked, the sons seem to take to smoking more readily.
6. Knowledge of the effects of smoking on health was poor, but equal in all three groups viz in women and in both smoking and non-smoking men.
In a study during 1972 of smoking habits of Malaysian medical students, smoking rates of medical students was seen to be higher than that of students in four other faculties in the University of Malaya. Male Malaysian medical students had higher smoking rates than their counterparts in Glasgow in 1971 (UM 20.3%, Glasgow 19.1%) but Malaysian females had very low smoking rates (male 25.2%, female 1.6%). Despite the fact that in the medical curriculum students are made aware of the scientific evidence on the health hazards of smoking, smoking rates were higher in students int their later years of study. Ethnicity was associate with smoking rates although father's smoking habit was not - and Malays had the highest smoking rates (malay 28.2%, chinese 16.3%, indian and others 23.5%).
A pilot study on the epidemiology of hypertension was carried out in 3 out of the 8 districts in the state of Selangor, namely Klang, Sabak Bernam and UIu Langat. stratified random sampling, 435 households were selected for the study. Eventually 312 (72%) households were surveyed: 963 (94%) out of the 1,030 persons aged 15 years and above living in the selected households were interviewed, and 957 of them were examined. The mean age of the respondents was 33 years. Taking a systolic pressure of more than 140 mmHg and/or diastolic pressure of more than 90 mmHg as hypertension, 1 in every 7 of those equal and mor.e than 15 years of age had hypertension, i.e. 140/0. 5.40/0 had a systolic pressure of equal and more than 160 mmHg, and 4.7% had a diastolic pressure of equal and more than 95 mmHg. The study showed that there was a significant rise in the prevalence rates with age in both sexes. There was no significant difference in the prevalence rates among. the sexes, ethnic groups (Malays, Chinese and Indians) and urban and rural areas. The mean systolic pressure ranged from 112-147 mmHg and diastolic from 69 - 73 mmHg. Hypertension was significantly more common among smokers (18.1%) than nonsmokers. There was no significant relationship between hypertension and tea, coffee and alcohol consumption. Hypertension was significantly more common among those with no physical activity (34.8%) as compared with those with physical activity (13.5%). 67% of the hypertensives were aware of their illness but only 36.1% of them were under treatment.
A postal questionnaire survey was carried out among military doctors during June to August 1979 on habits and attitudes to smoking. An 87% response rate was obtained. Smoking prevalence was found to be 50%. 45% of medical officers are heavy smokers. Age at starting influence the amount smoked. Service life had no influence on smoking habits. Attitudes to smoking vary between the different categories of doctors. The habits and attitudes indicate a mental revolution on the part of doctors is required prior to any anti-smoking programme as they have to be sufficiently motivated to lead the fight.
A representative sampling of the secondary school population of two states of Malaysia (sample size 16166) indicated that 11% of students had had experience of drug use. Use of a single drug was the common pattern, with cannabis reported most often by older students, and sedatives most often by younger students. A quarter of those who had used drugs reported experience with four or more substances and were likely to have progressed rapidly to heroin. This progression may be facilitated by the ready availability of heroin and the local tradition of smoking or inhaling rather than injecting opiates. Descriptions of drug migration patterns based on Western samples are not fully appropriate worldwide, because the youthful abuser is much influenced both by local market forces and by cultural traditions, even though the epidemic of youthful drug abuse is itself worldwide.
This is a retrospectioe study of epidemiological and riskfactors ofischaemic heart disease in Malay patients admitted into the Coronary Care Unit, General Hospital, Kuala Lumpur between October 1977 and December 1979 unth. proven myocardial infarction. Ofthe 116patients (M/F sex ratio 9.5 : 1), the incidence of various risk factors were smoking 82 percent, hypertension 42 percent, hypercholesterolemia 23 percent, diabetes mellitus 20 percent and family history 9 percent. Anterior infarctions were more common than inferior. Hyperuricemia was detected in 19 percent and 96 percent had at least one major riskfactor. In terms ofoccupation, a majorproportion ofthose afflicted were pensioners, security personnel and businessmen.
We conducted a case-control study of nasopharyngeal carcinoma among Malaysian Chinese to test inhalants, salted fish consumption, and use of tobacco, alcohol, and nasal ointments as risk factors for the disease. Interviews with 100 cases and 100 controls indicated that salted fish consumption during childhood was a significant risk factor (relative risk, 3.0; p = 0.04); childhood daily consumption of this food item compared to nonconsumption carried a relative risk of 17.4 [95% confidence interval = (2.7, 111.1)]. Occupational exposure to smokes (relative risk, 6.0; p = 0.006) and to dusts (relative risk, 4.0; p less than 0.001) was also significantly associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The two risk factors (consumption of salted fish and exposure to smoke and/or dust) were independent of each other. There was no association between nasopharyngeal carcinoma and tobacco, alcohol, or nasal ointments.
Anti-smoking measures, adopted by local authorities before the guideline on the ban of cigarette advertisement and anti-smoking campaign launched by the Government, are limited in scope and area. The activity is limited mainly to a ban on cigarette advertisements in theatres. Legislative measures are instituted only in the City Council, Municipal Councils and 2 ofthe 20 district councils surveyed. There is an awareness among several local authorities on the need for an increase in anti-smoking activities but action. is lacking. A population of 7.4 million. people lioe in areas controlled by the local authorities. The local authorities are expected to play a more active role along with other Government departments following a directive in August 1982 from the Chief Secretary to the Government.
This study was conducted on 506 firemen in Singapore. Interviews, pulmonary function tests and audiometry were conducted. With regard to pulmonary function, the results showed that forced vital capacity (FVC) increased up to the age of 25-30 years for both Chinese and Malays. Both FVC and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1.0) increased with standing height over the whole age range studied. The mean values of FVC and FEV1.0 were higher in Chinese. It was also found that the FEV1 of the subjects in the study showed a greater decline in rate with age than other workers studied by the authors previously. The hearing threshold of 83 fire fighters showed a prominent upward shift of 6-8 KHz at ages 20-30. This upward shift was more pronounced in the right ear. The implications of the findings are discussed and a comparison with results of other similar studies in other countries is made.
The results of 2449 investigations of the upper gastrointestinal tract were analysed to determine the incidence of disease. Abnormalities were detected in 53% of patients who had endoscopy, but were found in only 24% of patients who had barium studies (p <= 0.001). Altogether 916 patients had abnormal findings. Duodenal ulcer accounted for 42% of cases, gastric ulcer 16% and gastric cancer 9%. The prevalence of perforated ulcer was 13%. The annual incidence/1000 in males and females (>14 years) were respectively, for duodenal ulcer 1.66 and 0.42, for gastric ulcer 0.57 and 0.25, for perforated ulcer 0.36 and 0.05, and for gastric cancer 0.29 and 0.14. Most types of gastro-duodenal disease were less common in Malays than expected (p = <0.001). However oesophageal cancer and varices were more common in Indians compared to Malays and Chinese (p = <0.001). This study showed that the pallern of perforating ulcers was not the same as that of non-peforating ulcers, suggesting a differing pathogenesis. Identification of the factors causing a different prevalence of disease between the three ethnic groups would help in the understanding of the causes of upper gastrointestinal disease.