Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 95 in total

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  1. Nazahiyah R, Yusop Z, Abustan I
    Water Sci Technol, 2007;56(7):1-9.
    PMID: 17951862
    Sampling of urban runoff was carried out in a small catchment, which represents a residential area (3.34 ha) in Skudai, Johor. One hundred and seventeen runoff samples from ten storm events were analysed. Runoff quality showed large variations in concentrations during storms, especially for SS, BOD5 and COD. Concentrations of NO3-N, NO2-N, NH3-N, and P were also high. Lead (Pb) was also detected but the levels were low (<0.001 mg/L). In general, the river quality is badly polluted and falls in Class V based on the Malaysian Interim National Water Quality Standards. Event mean concentrations for all parameters were found to vary greatly between storms. The values (mg/L) were BOD5 (72), COD (325), SS (386), NO3-N (2.5), NO2-N (0.58), NH3-N (6.8), P (3.4), respectively. First flush phenomena were observed for BOD, COD, SS, NO3-N, NH3-N and P. The first 20-30% of the runoff volume evacuated between 20-59% BOD, 15-69% COD, 15-78% SS, 14-49% NO3-N, 14-19% NO2-N, 23-53% NH3-N and 23-43% P.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health
  2. Talib R, Agus MR
    PMID: 1342763
    One of the main characteristics of urbanization in Asia is the very rapid increase in population movement from rural to urban centers. This phenomenon has led to changing population structure, its composition and lifestyles in the cities and its fringes. As a consequent of population pressure on urban system and infrastructure, compounded by the nature of the composition of the in-migrant population, the urban concentrates are faced with several social and socio-economic problems. Although there has been a lot of interests among researchers to study the causes and effects or urbanization, there is a vacuum in the area of health implications. Planners and administrators usually give priority to the physical aspects of the urban and urbanities. Social problems and health implications thereof receives very little attention either at the level of administration or research. This paper therefore is a brave attempt to focus and draw some attention to this neglected area by looking at selected social problems and the health consequences.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health/trends*
  3. Ding CH, Ismail Z, Sulong A, Wahab AA, Gan B, Mustakim S, et al.
    Malays J Pathol, 2020 Dec;42(3):401-407.
    PMID: 33361721
    INTRODUCTION: Rifampicin is a key first-line antimycobacterial agent employed for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). This study sought to obtain prevalence data on rifampicin-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis among smear-positive PTB patients in the Klang District of Malaysia.

    MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 103 patients from the Chest Clinic of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah with sputum smears positive for acid-fast bacilli were included in this cross-sectional study. All sputa were tested using Xpert MTB/RIF to confirm the presence of M. tuberculosis complex and detect rifampicin resistance. Sputa were also sent to a respiratory medicine institute for mycobacterial culture. Positive cultures were then submitted to a reference laboratory, where isolates identified as M. tuberculosis complex underwent drug susceptibility testing (DST).

    RESULTS: A total of 58 (56.3%) patients were newly diagnosed and 45 (43.7%) patients were previously treated. Xpert MTB/RIF was able to detect rifampicin resistance with a sensitivity and specificity of 87.5% and 98.9%, respectively. Assuming that a single resistant result from Xpert MTB/RIF or any DST method was sufficient to denote resistance, a total of 8/103 patients had rifampicinresistant M. tuberculosis. All eight patients were previously treated for PTB (p<0.05). The overall prevalence of rifampicin resistance among smear-positive PTB patients was 7.8%, although it was 17.8% among the previously treated ones.

    CONCLUSION: The local prevalence of rifampicin-resistant M. tuberculosis was particularly high among previously treated patients. Xpert MTB/RIF can be employed in urban district health facilities not only to diagnose PTB in smear-positive patients, but also to detect rifampicin resistance with good sensitivity and specificity.

    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health Services
  4. Mohd Sidik S, Arroll B, Goodyear-Smith F, Ahmad R
    Singapore Med J, 2012 Jul;53(7):468-73.
    PMID: 22815016
    Depression affects more women than men in Malaysia. The objective of this paper was to determine the prevalence of depression and its associated factors among women attending a government primary care clinic.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health Services
  5. Majid HA, Amiri M, Mohd Azmi N, Su TT, Jalaludin MY, Al-Sadat N
    Sci Rep, 2016 07 28;6:30544.
    PMID: 27465116 DOI: 10.1038/srep30544
    Insufficient physical activity and growing obesity levels among Malaysian adolescents are becoming a public health concern. Our study is to identify the trends of self-reported physical activity (PA) levels, blood lipid profiles, and body composition (BC) indices from a cohort of 820 adolescents. The self-reported PA was assessed using a validated Malay version of the PA Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Fasting blood samples were collected to investigate their lipid profiles. Height, weight, waist and hip circumferences as well as body fat percentage were measured. The baseline and the first follow-up were conducted in 2012 and 2014, respectively. A downward trend in the PA level was seen in all categories with a significant reduction among all rural adolescents (P = 0.013) and more specifically, PA among girls residing in rural areas dropped significantly (P = 0.006). Either a significant reduction in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) or a significant increment in BC indices (i.e., body mass index [BMI], waist circumference [WC], hip circumference, and body fat percentage [BF %]) were seen in this group. Female adolescents experienced more body fat increment with the reduction of physical activity. If not intervened early, adolescents from rural areas may increase their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases earlier.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health
  6. Esa R, Razak IA, Allister JH
    Community Dent Health, 2001 Mar;18(1):31-6.
    PMID: 11421403
    Data on malocclusion and orthodontic treatment need in Malaysia are limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate malocclusion and orthodontic treatment need in a sample of 12-13-year-old schoolchildren using the Dental Aesthetic Index (DAI), and to assess the relationship between malocclusion and socio-demographic variables, perceptions of need for orthodontic treatment, aesthetic perception and social functioning.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health/statistics & numerical data
  7. Suresh K, Salim HR, Jamaiah I, Anuar AK
    Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg, 2001 10 3;95(4):377-8.
    PMID: 11579877
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health
  8. Sulaiman S, Othman MZ, Aziz AH
    J Vector Ecol, 2000 Jun;25(1):90-3.
    PMID: 10925800
    Four species of synanthropic flies were trapped in downtown Kuala Lumpur: Chrysomya megacephala, Chrysomya rufifacies, Musca domestica, and Musca sorbens. Burkholderia pseudomallei, the organism causing melioidosis, was the dominant bacteria isolated from Chrysomya megacephala. Klebsiella oxytoca, commonly associated with nosocomial infections, was commonly isolated from Chrysomya megacephala, Musca domestica, and Musca sorbens. Aeromonas hydrophila, the bacteria causing gastroenteritis, was predominantly isolated from Chrysomya megacephala and also from Musca domestica and Musca sorbens. A total of 18 bacterial species was isolated from the synanthropic flies trapped. Burkholderia pseudomallei had been reported for the first time.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health
  9. Badri MA
    PMID: 1342764
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health/trends*
  10. Baracskay D
    Glob Public Health, 2012;7(4):317-36.
    PMID: 22043815 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2011.621962
    Global public health policies span national borders and affect multitudes of people. The spread of infectious disease has neither political nor economic boundaries, and when elevated to a status of pandemic proportions, immediate action is required. In federal systems of government, the national level leads the policy formation and implementation process, but also collaborates with supranational organisations as part of the global health network. Likewise, the national level of government cooperates with sub-national governments located in both urban and rural areas. Rural areas, particularly in less developed countries, tend to have higher poverty rates and lack the benefits of proper medical facilities, communication modes and technology to prevent the spread of disease. From the perspective of epidemiological surveillance and intervention, this article will examine federal health policies in three federal systems: Australia, Malaysia and the USA. Using the theoretical foundations of collaborative federalism, this article specifically examines how collaborative arrangements and interactions among governmental and non-governmental actors help to address the inherent discrepancies that exist between policy implementation and reactions to outbreaks in urban and rural areas. This is considered in the context of the recent H1N1 influenza pandemic, which spread significantly across the globe in 2009 and is now in what has been termed the 'post-pandemic era'.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health
  11. Acuin CS, Khor GL, Liabsuetrakul T, Achadi EL, Htay TT, Firestone R, et al.
    Lancet, 2011 Feb 05;377(9764):516-25.
    PMID: 21269675 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62049-1
    Although maternal and child mortality are on the decline in southeast Asia, there are still major disparities, and greater equity is key to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. We used comparable cross-national data sources to document mortality trends from 1990 to 2008 and to assess major causes of maternal and child deaths. We present inequalities in intervention coverage by two common measures of wealth quintiles and rural or urban status. Case studies of reduction in mortality in Thailand and Indonesia indicate the varying extents of success and point to some factors that accelerate progress. We developed a Lives Saved Tool analysis for the region and for country subgroups to estimate deaths averted by cause and intervention. We identified three major patterns of maternal and child mortality reduction: early, rapid downward trends (Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand); initially high declines (sustained by Vietnam but faltering in the Philippines and Indonesia); and high initial rates with a downward trend (Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar). Economic development seems to provide an important context that should be coupled with broader health-system interventions. Increasing coverage and consideration of the health-system context is needed, and regional support from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations can provide increased policy support to achieve maternal, neonatal, and child health goals.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health Services
  12. Talukder S, Capon A, Nath D, Kolb A, Jahan S, Boufford J
    Lancet, 2015 Feb 28;385(9970):769.
    PMID: 25752169 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60428-7
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health/trends*
  13. Khambalia AZ, Lim SS, Gill T, Bulgiba AM
    Food Nutr Bull, 2012 Mar;33(1):31-42.
    PMID: 22624296
    For many developing countries undergoing rapid economic growth and urbanization, trends in nutritional status indicate a decrease in malnutrition with an associated rise in the prevalence of obesity. An understanding of the situation among children in Malaysia is lacking.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health
  14. Yusoff N, Jaafar N, Razak IA, Chew YY, Ismail N, Bulgiba AM
    Community Dent Health, 2008 Mar;25(1):55-8.
    PMID: 18435236
    To determine the prevalence, distribution, severity and treatment need of enamel opacities among 11-12 year-old school children in a fluoridated urban community.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health/statistics & numerical data
  15. Oliveira JA, Doll CN, Siri J, Dreyfus M, Farzaneh H, Capon A
    Cad Saude Publica, 2015 Nov;31 Suppl 1:25-38.
    PMID: 26648361 DOI: 10.1590/0102-311X00010015
    The term "co-benefits" refers to positive outcomes accruing from a policy beyond the intended outcome, often or usually in other sectors. In the urban context, policies implemented in particular sectors (such as transport, energy or waste) often generate multiple co-benefits in other areas. Such benefits may be related to the reduction of local or global environmental impacts and also extend into the area of public health. A key to identifying and realising co-benefits is the adoption of systems approaches to understand inter-sectoral linkages and, in particular, the translation of this understanding to improved sector-specific and city governance. This paper reviews a range of policies which can yield health and climate co-benefits across different urban sectors and illustrates, through a series of cases, how taking a systems approach can lead to innovations in urban governance which aid the development of healthy and sustainable cities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health*
  16. Siri JG, Newell B, Proust K, Capon A
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2016 Mar;28(2 Suppl):15S-27S.
    PMID: 26219559 DOI: 10.1177/1010539515595694
    Extreme events, both natural and anthropogenic, increasingly affect cities in terms of economic losses and impacts on health and well-being. Most people now live in cities, and Asian cities, in particular, are experiencing growth on unprecedented scales. Meanwhile, the economic and health consequences of climate-related events are worsening, a trend projected to continue. Urbanization, climate change and other geophysical and social forces interact with urban systems in ways that give rise to complex and in many cases synergistic relationships. Such effects may be mediated by location, scale, density, or connectivity, and also involve feedbacks and cascading outcomes. In this context, traditional, siloed, reductionist approaches to understanding and dealing with extreme events are unlikely to be adequate. Systems approaches to mitigation, management and response for extreme events offer a more effective way forward. Well-managed urban systems can decrease risk and increase resilience in the face of such events.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health*
  17. Chapman R, Howden-Chapman P, Capon A
    Environ Int, 2016 Sep;94:380-387.
    PMID: 27126780 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.04.014
    Understanding cities comprehensively as systems is a costly challenge and is typically not feasible for policy makers. Nevertheless, focusing on some key systemic characteristics of cities can give useful insights for policy to advance health and well-being outcomes. Moreover, if we take a coevolutionary systems view of cities, some conventional assumptions about the nature of urban development (e.g. the growth in private vehicle use with income) may not stand up. We illustrate this by examining the coevolution of urban transport and land use systems, and institutional change, giving examples of policy implications. At a high level, our concern derives from the need to better understand the dynamics of urban change, and its implications for health and well-being. At a practical level, we see opportunities to use stylised findings about urban systems to underpin policy experiments. While it is now not uncommon to view cities as systems, policy makers appear to have made little use so far of a systems approach to inform choice of policies with consequences for health and well-being. System insights can be applied to intelligently anticipate change - for example, as cities are subjected to increasing natural system reactions to climate change, they must find ways to mitigate and adapt to it. Secondly, systems insights around policy cobenefits are vital for better informing horizontal policy integration. Lastly, an implication of system complexity is that rather than seeking detailed, 'full' knowledge about urban issues and policies, cities would be well advised to engage in policy experimentation to address increasingly urgent health and climate change issues.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health*
  18. Chee HL
    Med J Malaysia, 1992 Sep;47(3):170-81.
    PMID: 1491642
    In a study of mild to significant malnutrition in an urban squatter settlement, the weights for age of 297 children between birth and ten years, and the heights for age and weights for height of 197 children between two to ten years were analysed. Using NCHS standards, the overall prevalence of underweight was found to be 18.9%, stunting 15.2%, and wasting 11.2%. Age and ethnicity were significantly associated with the prevalence of underweight and stunting. The growth achievement of children below the age of two years were significantly better off than the older children, and Chinese children significantly better off than Malay and Indian children.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health*
  19. Loh DA, Hairi NN, Choo WY, Mohd Hairi F, Peramalah D, Kandiben S, et al.
    BMC Geriatr, 2015;15:8.
    PMID: 25887235 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-015-0002-7
    The ability of older people to function independently is crucial as physical disability and functional limitation have profound impacts on health. Interventions that either delay the onset of frailty or attenuate its severity potentially have cascading benefits for older people, their families and society. This study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of a multiComponent Exercise and theRApeutic lifeStyle (CERgAS) intervention program targeted at improving physical performance and maintaining independent living as compared to general health education among older people in an urban poor setting in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health
  20. Azmoude E, Aradmehr M, Dehghani F
    Malays J Med Sci, 2018 May;25(3):120-128.
    PMID: 30899193 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2018.25.3.12
    Objectives: Midwives have a crucial role in providing optimal care for pregnant women. One of the most important policies for quality improvement in maternity care is implementation of evidence-based practice. However, the application of evidence-based practice within the maternity health care setting faces many challenges. The purpose of this study was to describe Iranian midwives' attitude and perceived barriers of evidence based practice in maternity care.

    Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, a census sample of 76 midwives from two public hospitals and urban health centers in Torbat Heydariyeh, a city east of Iran were surveyed. Data collection tools were two reliable and valid questionnaires that measure midwives' attitudes and barriers of implementation of evidence-based practice. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16.

    Results: The mean age and years of experience were 29.30 ± 4.86 and 5.22 ± 4.21 years, respectively. The mean score of attitude was 40.85 ± 4.84 (range = 30-60). This study also found time constraints (2.70 ± 0.92), inadequate facilities (2.64 ± 0.72), non-compilation of literature in one place (2.59 ± 0.92), lack of cooperation of physicians (2.48 ± 1.06) and the feeling of inadequate authority (2.45 ± 0.88) as the top five barriers to implementing EBP.

    Conclusion: Survey participants demonstrated a positive attitude toward EBP. Organisational comprehensive strategies such as time efficiency, adequate material and human resources, familiarity with organisations such as the Cochrane Collaboration and managerial support for increasing professional legitimate authority are recommended to promote the use of Evidence-Based Practice in Iran.

    Matched MeSH terms: Urban Health
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