Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 230 in total

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  1. Massard J
    Tiers Monde, 1985 4 1;26(102):359-70.
    PMID: 12340322
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class*
  2. Nebenfuhr E
    Demogr Inf, 1991;?(?):48-52, 154.
    PMID: 12343124
    PIP:
    In the Philippines the number of children per woman is envisioned to be 2 by the year 2000 to reach simple replacement level. The crude birth rate had dropped from 43.6% in 1960 to 32.3% during 1980-85 corresponding to 4.2 children/woman. However, the corresponding rates for Thailand and Malaysia were 28% and 32.1%, respectively. The total fertility rate (TFR) was still a high 4.7% in 1988. In 1980 TFR was 3 in Manila, but 3/4 of the provinces still had TFR of 5-6.8 in 1985. Yet the World Fertility Survey of 1970 indicated that the total married fertility rate had decreased from 9.6 in 1970 to 9.1 in 1977. Married women had an average of 4.5 children in 1968 and still 4 children in 1983. Only 1/2 of married women aged 15-45 used contraception. In 1983, only 26.2% of all fertile married women used effective contraception. 63% of Moslim women, 70% of Catholics and Protestants, and 83% of members of the Church of Christ advocate modern contraceptives. From 1967 the National Population Outreach Program of the state sent out family planning advisers to unserviced areas. In 1983 only 37% of married women knew about such a service within their locality, and in 1988 a World Bank investigation showed that 67% could not afford contraceptives. The education, employment, income, urbanization of the household as well as medical care of women and children strongly influenced reproduction. The lifting of living standards and improvement of the condition of women is a central tenet of Philippine family planning policy. A multiple regression analysis of the World Fertility Survey proved that professional women tended to have smaller family size, however, most women worked out of economic necessity not because of avocation. The higher the urban family income, the lower marital fertility; but the reverse is true in rural areas where traditionally large families have had more income, and children have provided future material security. In 1983 1/3 of women with children over 18 received regular financial remittances from them. Thus, appropriate family planning program evaluation has to be concerned with the relationships of fertility and rural areas, the economic development of the community, and the physical access to a family planning clinic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  3. Osman A, Suhardi A, Khalid BA
    Med J Malaysia, 1993 Mar;48(1):76-82.
    PMID: 8341176
    This study was done to determine the anthropometric measurement patterns of Malay children from wealthy families in Malaysia and to make a comparison with NCHS reference population. A population of 900 children aged between 3-12 years old from Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur (TDI), were examined but only 871 of them were eligible for the study. Weight, height, mid-arm circumference and skin fold thickness were measured. The increment pattern of anthropometric measurements of TDI children was quite similar to NCHS except for having a lower median weight for age and height for age. There was prepubescent increase in skin folds thickness in both sexes, followed by a midpubescent decrease and a late pubescent increase. The study indicated that Malay children from a wealthy background have growth rates comparable to children in the West, hence NCHS percentile charts are suitable as a reference for comparing the nutritional status of Malay children in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  4. Chan CMH, Wong JE, Yeap LLL, Wee LH, Jamil NA, Swarna Nantha Y
    BMC Public Health, 2019 Jun 13;19(Suppl 4):608.
    PMID: 31196025 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6859-1
    BACKGROUND: 1Little is known of the extent of workplace bullying in Malaysia, despite its growing recognition worldwide as a serious public health issue in the workplace. Workplace bullying is linked to stress-related health issues, as well as socioeconomic consequences which may include absenteeism due to sick days and unemployment. We sought to examine the prevalence of workplace bullying and its association with socioeconomic factors and psychological distress in a large observational study of Malaysian employees.

    METHODS: This study employed cross-sectional, self-reported survey methodology. We used the 6-item Kessler screening scale (K6) to assess psychological distress (cutoff score ≥ 13, range 0-24, with higher scores indicating greater psychological distress). Participants self-reported their perceptions of whether they had been bullied at work and how frequently this occurred. A multivariate logistic regression was conducted with ever bullying and never bullying as dichotomous categories.

    RESULTS: There were a total of 5235 participants (62.3% female). Participant ages ranged from 18 to 85, mean ± standard deviation (M ± SD): 33.88 ± 8.83. A total of 2045 (39.1%) participants reported ever being bullied. Of these, 731 (14.0%) reported being subject to at least occasional bullying, while another 194 (3.7%) reported it as a common occurrence. Across all income strata, mean scores for psychological distress were significantly higher for ever bullied employees (M ± SD: 8.69 ± 4.83) compared to those never bullied (M ± SD: 5.75 ± 4.49). Regression analysis indicated significant associations (p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class*
  5. Adnan MH
    Media Asia, 1987;14(4):194-203.
    PMID: 12281076
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  6. Mak J, Abramsky T, Sijapati B, Kiss L, Zimmerman C
    BMJ Open, 2017 Aug 11;7(8):e015835.
    PMID: 28801409 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-015835
    OBJECTIVES: Growing numbers of people are migrating outside their country for work, and many experience precarious conditions, which have been linked to poor physical and mental health. While international dialogue on human trafficking, forced labour and slavery increases, prevalence data of such experiences remain limited.

    METHODS: Men from Dolakha, Nepal, who had ever migrated outside of Nepal for work were interviewed on their experiences, from predeparture to return (n=194). Forced labour was assessed among those who returned within the past 10 years (n=140) using the International Labour Organization's forced labour dimensions: (1) unfree recruitment; (2) work and life under duress; and (3) impossibility to leave employer. Forced labour is positive if any one of the dimensions is positive.

    RESULTS: Participants had worked in India (34%), Malaysia (34%) and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (29%), working in factories (29%), as labourers/porters (15%) or in skilled employment (12%). Among more recent returnees (n=140), 44% experienced unfree recruitment, 71% work and life under duress and 14% impossibility to leave employer. Overall, 73% experienced forced labour during their most recent labour migration.Forced labour was more prevalent among those who had taken loans for their migration (PR 1.23) and slightly less prevalent among those who had migrated more than once (PR 0.87); however the proportion of those who experienced forced labour was still high (67%). Age, destination and duration of stay were associated with only certain dimensions of forced labour.

    CONCLUSION: Forced labour experiences were common during recruitment and at destination. Migrant workers need better advice on assessing agencies and brokers, and on accessing services at destinations. As labour migration from Nepal is not likely to reduce in the near future, interventions and policies at both source and destinations need to better address the challenges migrants face so they can achieve safer outcomes.

    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  7. Cheong AT, Khoo EM, Liew SM, Chinna K
    PLoS One, 2018;13(8):e0201931.
    PMID: 30092064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201931
    BACKGROUND: There is a need to improve public's participation in health checks for early identification of individuals at high risk of CVD for prevention. The objective of this study is to identify significant determinants associated with individuals' intention to undergo CVD health checks. These determinants could be used to develop effective strategies to improve CVD health check participation.

    METHODS: This was a cross sectional survey using mall intercept interviews. It was carried out in a hypermarket surrounded by housing estates with a population of varying socioeconomic backgrounds. Inclusion criteria were Malaysian nationality and age 30 years and older. The validated CVD health check questionnaire was used to assess participants' intention and the determinants that influenced their intention to undergo CVD health checks.

    RESULTS: A total of 413 participants were recruited. The median age of the participants was 45 years (IQR 17 years) and 60% of them were female. Participants indicated they were likely (45.0%) or very likely (38.7%) to undergo CVD health checks while 16.2% were not sure, unlikely or very unlikely to undergo health checks. Using ordinal regression analysis, perception of benefits, drawbacks of CVD health checks, perception of external barriers and readiness to handle outcomes following CVD health checks were the significant determinants of individuals' intention to undergo CVD health checks.

    CONCLUSIONS: To improve individuals' participation in CVD health checks, we need to develop strategies to address their perception of benefits and drawbacks of CVD health checks, the perceived external barriers and their readiness to handle outcomes following CVD health checks.

    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  8. Bennett CL, Pei GK, Ultmann JE
    West. J. Med., 1996 Jul-Aug;165(1-2):37-42.
    PMID: 8855683
    Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia are initiating health care reform to meet the changing demands of populations with improved socioeconomic status and access to modern technologies and who are living longer than in previous generations. Hong Kong, in particular, is facing a unique set of circumstances as its people prepare for the transition in 1997 from a British colony to a Special Administrative Region of China. While spending only 4% of its gross domestic product on health care, it has a large and regulated public hospital system for most inpatient medical care and a separate, loosely regulated private health care system for most outpatient medical care. In 1993 the Secretary for Health and Welfare of Hong Kong initiated a year-long process to debate the pros and cons of 5 fundamental programs for health care reform. After a year of open consultation, options were chosen. We describe the Hong Kong health care system, the fundamental changes that have been adopted, and lessons for reformers in the United States.
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  9. Palafox B, McKee M, Balabanova D, AlHabib KF, Avezum AJ, Bahonar A, et al.
    Int J Equity Health, 2016 12 08;15(1):199.
    PMID: 27931255
    BACKGROUND: Effective policies to control hypertension require an understanding of its distribution in the population and the barriers people face along the pathway from detection through to treatment and control. One key factor is household wealth, which may enable or limit a household's ability to access health care services and adequately control such a chronic condition. This study aims to describe the scale and patterns of wealth-related inequalities in the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in 21 countries using baseline data from the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiology study.

    METHODS: A cross-section of 163,397 adults aged 35 to 70 years were recruited from 661 urban and rural communities in selected low-, middle- and high-income countries (complete data for this analysis from 151,619 participants). Using blood pressure measurements, self-reported health and household data, concentration indices adjusted for age, sex and urban-rural location, we estimate the magnitude of wealth-related inequalities in the levels of hypertension awareness, treatment, and control in each of the 21 country samples.

    RESULTS: Overall, the magnitude of wealth-related inequalities in hypertension awareness, treatment, and control was observed to be higher in poorer than in richer countries. In poorer countries, levels of hypertension awareness and treatment tended to be higher among wealthier households; while a similar pro-rich distribution was observed for hypertension control in countries at all levels of economic development. In some countries, hypertension awareness was greater among the poor (Sweden, Argentina, Poland), as was treatment (Sweden, Poland) and control (Sweden).

    CONCLUSION: Inequality in hypertension management outcomes decreased as countries became richer, but the considerable variation in patterns of wealth-related inequality - even among countries at similar levels of economic development - underscores the importance of health systems in improving hypertension management for all. These findings show that some, but not all, countries, including those with limited resources, have been able to achieve more equitable management of hypertension; and strategies must be tailored to national contexts to achieve optimal impact at population level.

    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class*
  10. Hakim HM, Khan HO, Hamzah HH, Othman MF, Nelson BR, Chambers GK, et al.
    Data Brief, 2019 Oct;26:104449.
    PMID: 31667222 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.104449
    This article provides violent crime data in Malaysia from 2006 to 2017. The violent crimes include murder, rape, gang robbery, robbery and voluntarily causing hurt cases. A total of 330,395 violent crime cases were reported in this 12 year period and the data were tabulated state by state for all thirteen states of Malaysia, including two states in Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) and one federal territory (Kuala Lumpur). In general, violent crimes show a decreasing trend from 2006 to 2017 in Malaysia. However, armed gang robbery and armed robbery show a fluctuating pattern from 2008 to 2011. A similar pattern was also recorded for unarmed gang robbery from 2008 to 2010. The violent crime data deposited here are available for further analysis, e.g., for identifying risk factors such as demography, lifestyle, socio-economic status, government policies etc. which may be associated with violent crime incidence and pattern across the country.
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  11. Ho JJ, Amar HSS, Ismail R
    Med J Malaysia, 2001 Sep;56(3):331-5.
    PMID: 11732079
    The Griffiths Scales for Mental Development were used to assess a group of 60 normal 2-year old Malaysian children (25 Indian, 23 Malay and 12 Chinese). The mean GQ was 104.2 (SD 9.3). This was significantly higher than the test mean of 100, p < 0.001. The mean score for Malaysian children was significantly higher on the locomotor, personal social, performance and practical reasoning subscales while they were significantly lower on the hand eye subscale and did not differ from the test mean on the hearing and speech subscale. There was a significant correlation between GQ and social class, r = -0.39, p < 0.05. Scores were lower than those currently obtained on British children, p < 0.001. Minor difficulties due to language and cultural factors arose over the interpretation of several items but with standardisation of these items the test is useful in Malaysian children.
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  12. Agus MR
    Warasan Prachakon Lae Sangkhom, 1990 Jan;2(2):205-21, 242-3.
    PMID: 12283536
    The focus of this study is on urbanization in Malaysia. "This paper is divided into three parts. The first part examines the trend of uneven urban development in West Malaysia. The second part discusses the change [in] ethnic composition of urban population between 1970 and 1980 intercensal period. The third part analyses the impact of the urbanization process on the Malays in the context of housing problems of the lower income groups." (SUMMARY IN THA)
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  13. Nor NA, Yusof ZY, Shahidan MN
    J Dent Educ, 2011 Dec;75(12):1611-9.
    PMID: 22184601
    The Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia has called for the implementation of a soft skills module in all public universities in Malaysia. In response to this and as part of curriculum development efforts for a new integrated program for 2011, a study was undertaken to improve the University of Malaya (UM) Faculty of Dentistry's communication skills course. One of the study objectives was to investigate dental students' attitudes towards communication skills learning and the association between their attitudes and demographic and education-related characteristics. A cross-sectional survey--using a self-administered twenty-four-item adapted Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS) that contained both positive (PAS) and negative (NAS) attitude subscales--was carried out targeting all final-year dental students at the UM and the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). A total of 148 students completed the survey, yielding a response rate of 88.1 percent. Overall, UKM students had significantly more positive attitudes towards communication skills learning (PAS score: mean=48.69, SD=4.48, p<0.001) than UM students (mean=46.03, SD=4.22). There was no statistically significant difference in negative attitudes between the two groups. UKM students with more positive attitudes tended to be female (p<0.05). UM students with more negative attitudes perceived themselves as poor communicators (p<0.05), and UKM students with more negative attitudes tended to have poor English proficiency (p<0.05). This study found that both UM and UKM final-year dental students have positive and negative attitudes towards learning communication skills. These attitudes were significantly associated with certain background and education-related attributes. Outcomes of this study served as a valuable guide in strengthening the communication skills course for the UM's new, integrated dental curriculum.
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  14. UNESCO. Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific
    PMID: 12342774
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  15. Kong YC, Wong LP, Ng CW, Taib NA, Bhoo-Pathy NT, Yusof MM, et al.
    Oncologist, 2020 06;25(6):497-504.
    PMID: 31922332 DOI: 10.1634/theoncologist.2019-0426
    BACKGROUND: A diagnosis of cancer negatively impacts the financial wellbeing of affected individuals as well as their households. We aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the financial needs following diagnosis of breast cancer in a middle-income setting with universal health coverage.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve focus group discussions (n = 64) were conducted with women with breast cancer from two public and three private hospitals. This study specifically focused on (a) health costs, (b) nonhealth costs, (c) employment and earnings, and (d) financial assistance. Thematic analysis was used.

    RESULTS: Financial needs related to cancer treatment and health care varied according to the participant's socioeconomic background and type of medical insurance. Although having medical insurance alleviated cancer treatment-related financial difficulties, limited policy coverage for cancer care and suboptimal reimbursement policies were common complaints. Nonhealth expenditures were also cited as an important source of financial distress; patients from low-income households reported transport and parking costs as troublesome, with some struggling to afford basic necessities, whereas participants from higher-income households mentioned hired help, special food and/or supplements and appliances as expensive needs following cancer. Needy patients had a hard time navigating through the complex system to obtain financial support. Irrespective of socioeconomic status, reductions in household income due to loss of employment and/or earnings were a major source of economic hardship.

    CONCLUSION: There are many unmet financial needs following a diagnosis of (breast) cancer even in settings with universal health coverage. Health care professionals may only be able to fulfill these unmet needs through multisectoral collaborations, catalyzed by strong political will.

    IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: As unmet financial needs exist among patients with cancer across all socioeconomic groups, including for patients with medical insurance, financial navigation should be prioritized as an important component of cancer survivorship services, including in the low- and middle-income settings. Apart from assisting survivors to understand the costs of cancer care, navigate the complex system to obtain financial assistance, or file health insurance claims, any planned patient navigation program should also provide support to deal with employment-related challenges and navigate return to work. It is also echoed that costs for essential personal items (e.g., breast prostheses) should be covered by health insurance or subsidized by the government.

    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  16. Hartini Yusof, Mohamed Kamel Abd. Ghani
    MyJurnal
    A cross-sectional study was conducted in February 2006 to determine the prevalence of Trichuris trichiura infection among Orang Asli (Aborigine) children at Pos Lenjang, Pahang. A total of 71 faecal samples were collected from the children (40 girls and 31 boys) aged between 1-12 years. The samples were examined for the presence of Trichuris trichiura ova using direct smear and formalin-ether concentration techniques. The result revealed that the overall prevalence of Trichuris trichiura infection was 43.7%. The infection was higher in males (51.6%) compared to females (37.5%), though not statistically significant (p > 0.05). According to age group, the school-aged children had higher prevalence of infection (56.8%) than preschool children (29.4%) (p < 0.05). Low socioeconomic status, large family size, poor environmental sanitation and poor personal hygiene are possible contributing factors that increase the prevalence of infection among the Orang Asli children at Pos Lenjang. In 31 samples positive for Trichuris trichiura, a detection rate of 100% was obtained using formalin-ether concentration, compared to 25.8% with direct smear technique. Thus, it is recommended that both techniques be performed in routine faecal examination for a more accurate diagnosis.
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  17. Sreeramareddy CT, Acharya K
    JAMA Netw Open, 2021 12 01;4(12):e2137820.
    PMID: 34878548 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.37820
    Importance: Tobacco companies have shifted their marketing and production to sub-Saharan African countries, which are in an early stage of the tobacco epidemic.

    Objective: To estimate changes in the prevalence of current tobacco use and socioeconomic inequalities among male and female participants from 22 sub-Saharan African countries from 2003 to 2019.

    Design, Setting, and Participants: Secondary data analyses were conducted of sequential Demographic and Health Surveys in 22 sub-Saharan African countries including male and female participants aged 15 to 49 years. The baseline surveys (2003-2011) and the most recent surveys (2011-2019) were pooled.

    Exposures: Household wealth index and highest educational level were the markers of inequality.

    Main Outcomes and Measures: Sex-specific absolute and relative changes in age-standardized prevalence of current tobacco use in each country and absolute and relative measures of inequality using pooled data.

    Results: The survey samples included 428 197 individuals (303 232 female participants [70.8%]; mean [SD] age, 28.6 [9.8] years) in the baseline surveys and 493 032 participants (348 490 female participants [70.7%]; mean [SD] age, 28.5 [9.4] years) in the most recent surveys. Both sexes were educated up to primary (35.7%) or secondary school (40.0%). The prevalence of current tobacco use among male participants ranged from 6.1% (95% CI, 5.2%-6.9%) in Ghana to 38.3% (95% CI, 35.8%-40.8%) in Lesotho in the baseline surveys and from 4.5% (95% CI, 3.7%-5.3%) in Ghana to 46.0% (95% CI, 43.2%-48.9%) in Lesotho during the most recent surveys. The decrease in prevalence ranged from 1.5% (Ghana) to 9.6% (Sierra Leone). The World Health Organization target of a 30% decrease in smoking was achieved among male participants in 8 countries: Rwanda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Benin, Liberia, Tanzania, Burundi, and Cameroon. For female participants, the number of countries having a prevalence of smoking less than 1% increased from 9 in baseline surveys to 16 in the most recent surveys. The World Health Organization target of a 30% decrease in smoking was achieved among female participants in 15 countries: Cameroon, Namibia, Mozambique, Mali, Liberia, Nigeria, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and Zambia. For both sexes, the prevalence of tobacco use and the decrease in prevalence of tobacco use were higher among less-educated individuals and individuals with low income. In both groups, the magnitude of inequalities consistently decreased, and its direction remained the same. Absolute inequalities were 3-fold higher among male participants, while relative inequalities were nearly 2-fold higher among female participants.

    Conclusions and Relevance: Contrary to a projected increase, tobacco use decreased in most sub-Saharan African countries. Persisting socioeconomic inequalities warrant the stricter implementation of tobacco control measures to reach less-educated individuals and individuals with low income.

    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class*
  18. Chongsuvivatwong V, Mo-Suwan L, Mahahing P
    PMID: 2075485
    A survey was carried out in a Malay-speaking Muslim community in southern Thailand to obtain baseline data for planning of long term multidisciplinary research and development. By using a 30-cluster sampling technique, 210 households of 1,308 subjects were studied in the post-Ramadan period. It was found that the community was in a social transition. The crude birth rate was 4% and 37.6% of the households had at least one migrant. About half of these migrants had been to Malaysia and mainly worked in rubber plantations. Ninety-five per cent of the households had electricity whereas only 23.8% had a latrine. Boiled or rain water was regularly drunk in only 13.3 per cent of the households. Home-grown agricultural products were not sufficient to provide adequate food. Twenty-six per cent of the adults were unemployed and 24.6% were illiterate. Of the pregnancies 26.7% had no antenatal care and complete tetanus toxoid was given to only 27.8%. Traditional birth attendants conducted 81.1% of the deliveries and only 28.9 and 24.4% of the umbilical cords were correctly cut and correctly dressed, respectively. Breast feeding was still a common (87.8%) practice. However, complete immunization was given to only 10.8%, and 37.8% of the infants had at least one diarrheal episode in the previous month. It was concluded that high birth rate, high migration, low education, low income and bad health of infants are major problems. These problems were interlinked and needed a special multidisciplinary approach. In addition to common obstacles for routine health delivery, migration may create international complications, particularly related to maternal and child care.
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  19. Hartog J
    Ment Hyg, 1971 Jan;55(1):35-44.
    PMID: 5549644
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
  20. Chua S, Viegas OA, Ratnam SS
    Asia Pac Popul J, 1990 Mar;5(1):125-34.
    PMID: 12283342
    Matched MeSH terms: Social Class
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