No population-based cancer registry exists in Malaysia; thus our main sources of incidence data were biopsy series. We determined the frequency of cancers by body site, sex, and ethnic group from biopsy records of the Division of Pathology of the Institute for Medical Research in Kuala Lumpur for the years 1969-71. We then made comparisons of leading sites with data from the Singapore Cancer Registry. Relative risk values for 21 sites indicated significant differences among ethnic groups for cancers of the nasopharynx, larynx, lung, bone, skin, cervix, ovary, prostate, and penis and for lymphomas.
Malaysia and Hawaii have several advantages for epidemiologic and laboratory studies on nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Both have multiethnic populations with different incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and different life-styles. Malaysia has large populations of Chinese, Malaya, and Indians, and the number of cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at any one time is comparatively large. Incidence rates for 1968--72, age-standardized to the World population, for Guangdong hua (Cantonese Chinese) in Malaysia were 24.3/100,000 for males and 12.0/100,000 for females. In Hawaii, the ratio was 12.9/100,000 for males and 6.7/100,000 for females. The small number of cases in Hawaii would require that research in that State be conducted in collaboration with research elsewhere with larger case numbers.
To determine the extent of hand transmitted vibration exposure problems, particularly hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS), among construction workers in Malaysia.
In this paper we first present methods and preliminary results of pilot surveys of "serious" mental retardation (IQ less than or equal to 55); the surveys included screening and diagnostic components and were carried out in the less-developed world. Next we discuss two problems raised by these surveys: one is the diagnosis of a case and its clinical dimensions, and the other is the interpretation of prevalence. In the next section we illustrate epidemiological approaches to the analysis of such data, in particular their relevance to prevention. Lastly, we propose that the two-stage survey approach developed in the course of the pilot work can provide a valuable basis for planning and prevention, if certain key conditions can be met.
Quantitative understanding of the transmission dynamics of lymphatic filarial parasites is essential for the rational planning of control strategies. One of the most important determinants of transmission dynamics is the relationship between parasite yield, the success rate of ingested microfilariae (mf) becoming infective larvae in a mosquito vector, and mf density in the source of the human blood meal. Three types of relationship have been recognized in human filaria/mosquito couples--limitation, facilitation and proportionality; facilitation has hitherto been observed only in the couple Wuchereria bancrofti/Anopheles gambiae in Burkina Faso, in experimental studies on a high density mf carrier. The present paper demonstrates facilitation in W. bancrofti/An. gambiae and W. bancrofti/An. arabiensis in lower mf density carriers in The Gambia and Tanzania, and in W. bancrofti/An. funestus in Tanzania. Facilitation was not found in An. melas in The Gambia nor in An. merus in Tanzania. Analysis of published data shows limitation at low level mf densities in W. bancrofti/Culex quinquefasciatus in Sri Lanka, and in the same couple in India. Limitation also occurs in Brugia malayi/Aedes togoi in experimental cats; proportionality occurs in B. malayi/Mansonia bonneae in Malaysia. The epidemiological significance of these host/parasite relationships is discussed, and supporting evidence for its validity is presented from the published results of large-scale control programmes.
Tobacco smoking has been shown to be a major risk factor for tooth loss. The present study was designed to examine tooth mortality and the patterns of tooth loss in smokers and nonsmokers over a wide age range in a selected population from Sana'a, Yemen.
Analysis of mothers' recall data collected in 1976-1977 by a probability survey in Peninsular Malaysia shows an association between breastfeeding up to six months of age and improved survival of infants throughout the first year of life. Inappropriate sample selection and inadequate control of confounding can introduce large biases in these analyses. The magnitude and direction of these biases are presented. Even when these biases are dealt with, unsupplemented breastfeeding appears more beneficial than supplemented breastfeeding. The younger the infant and the longer the breastfeeding, the greater the estimated benefits in terms of deaths averted. The use of powdered infant formula did not appear to offset the detrimental effects of early weaning and supplementation. The positive relationships found in these analyses between breastfeeding and survival are not due to death precluding or terminating breastfeeding. Nor are they likely to be due to a shift away from breastfeeding because of recent illness, which was also controlled in the analyses. Nor are they likely to be due to other factors that both increase mortality risk and shorten breastfeeding; when such factors are taken into account, the beneficial effects of breastfeeding become stronger and imply that, if there had been no breastfeeding in this sample, twice as many babies would have died after the first week of life.
INTRODUCTION: Despite the high prevalence of sexual dysfunction among male schizophrenia patients, there is still a paucity of research on this area.
AIMS: The study aims to determine the prevalence of sexual dysfunction and any association between male patients with schizophrenia in remission and the sociodemographic profile, medication, depression, anxiety, psychopathology of illness, body mass index, and waist circumference.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study with nonprobability sampling method was conducted in a psychiatric outpatient clinic in Taiping Hospital (Perak, Malaysia) over a 7-month period. A total of 111 remitted male schizophrenia patients were recruited. The validated Malay version of the International Index of Erectile Function (Mal-IIEF-15) was administered to the patients and assessed over 4-week duration in the domains of erectile function, orgasmic function, sexual desire, intercourse satisfaction, and overall satisfaction. Logistic regression analysis was employed.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence and associated factors for sexual dysfunction in each domain are the main outcome measures.
RESULTS: All five domains of sexual functioning in patients showed a high prevalence of dysfunction ranging from 78.4% to 97.1% with orgasmic dysfunction being the least impaired and intercourse satisfaction the worst impaired. Among the domains, only orgasmic dysfunction was significantly associated with race, i.e., Chinese at lower risk for impairment than the Malays (OR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.76; P = 0.018); education, i.e., patients with education higher than primary level were at higher risk for dysfunction (OR = 6.49; 95% CI: 1.32, 32.05; P = 0.022); and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS)-positive subscale, i.e., higher PANSS-positive score was a protective factor for orgasmic dysfunction (OR = 0.54; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.89; P = 0.015).
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of sexual dysfunction was generally high. Malay patients and those with education higher than primary level were at higher risk for orgasmic dysfunction whereas higher PANSS-positive score was protective against the impairment. The high rate of sexual dysfunction in schizophrenia patients warrants a routine inquiry into patients' sexuality and the appropriate problems being addressed.
Study site: Psychiatric clinic, Hospital Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
Objective: To translate and validate the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI into the Malay language for use in Malaysia.
Methodology: The 6-Likert scale GOHAI was translated into the Malay language and self-administered on 189 subjects aged 60+. All subjects underwent oral status assessment. The measure was assessed for construct and discriminant validity, for test-retest reliability and principal component factor.
Findings: Mean GOHAI score was 46.2 (SD 9.7, range 17-60). The Cronbach's alpha was 0.79. Mean GOHAI scores increased with more positive self-rated oral health and general health. The elderly with no perceived dental treatment need had higher mean GOHAI scores than those with perceived needs. There were slightly stronger inverse correlations between GOHAI scores and caries experience, number of teeth present, and number of pathologically mobile teeth. The measure demonstrated strong test-retest reliability. Eight of the 12 items had Spearman's r3 0.7. Only one principal factor was found at eigenvalue > 1. Using ANCOVA, self-rated perception of oral health and perceived need for dental treatment had the most significant impact on the GOHAI score.
Conclusion and recommendations: The Malay language version of the GOHAI demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability and will be an important instrument to measure oral health-related quality of life among Malay-speaking Malaysians. Use of the Malay language version GOHAI should also be pursued among diverse adult age groups.
Mothers' recall data collected in Malaysia in 1976-1977 are analyzed to study correlates of mortality of 5471 infants. Respondent population is 1262 women living in 52 primary sampling units of Peninsular Malaysia. Lengths of unsupplemented and supplemented breastfeeding and presence of piped household water and toilet sanitation are related to infant mortality in regressions that also control other correlates. The analysis is disaggregated into three periods of infancy. Through six months of feeding, unsupplemented breastfeeding is more strongly associated with fewer infant deaths than is supplemented breastfeeding. Type of sanitation is generally more strongly associated with mortality than is type of water supply. The effects of breastfeeding and the environmental variables are shown to be strongly interactive and to change systematically during the course of infancy. Breastfeeding is more strongly associated with infant survival in homes without piped water or toilet sanitation. In homes with both modern facilities, supplemented breastfeeding has no significant effect, and unsupplemented breastfeeding is statistically significant only for mortality in days 8-28. Presence of modern water and sanitation systems appears unimportant for mortality of infants who are breastfed without supplementation for six months.
To compare morphological and positional variations of the hyoid bone in unoperated infants with cleft lip and palate (CL/P) with those in noncleft infants.
A survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis in 1352 Chinese children between the ages of 6-12 years from the three National Type Chinese Primary Schools in Pulau Ketam in 1988, using the scotch-tape technique on three successive days. The overall prevalence was high (56.88%). The prevalence in Sin Bin School was significantly lower (50.86%) compared to the other two schools (56.60% and 61.04%). Prevalence was significantly higher amongst the 6-7 years age group (61.61%-70.18%) compared to other age groups (47.9%-59.29%). There was no difference in the prevalence between the boys and girls being 56.15% and 57.55% respectively.
Being a rapidly developing country, a study was needed to see how we faired in treating head and neck cancer patients compared with international standards. Although being a retrospective study, this research shows that there is still a lot to be done in our developing nation in educating the general public about head and neck cancers as most of them presented in the later stages to us. There also needs to be a proper review about the treatment modality offered to patient as our survival results are far behind in certain categories of cancers compared with the developed nations.