Displaying publications 281 - 300 of 523 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Fulltext Prevalence and associated risk factors of Giardia infection among indigenous communities in rural Malaysia
    Choy SH, Al-Mekhlafi HM, Mahdy MA, Nasr NN, Sulaiman M, Lim YA, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2014;4:6909.
    PMID: 25366301 DOI: 10.1038/srep06909
    This study was carried out to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of Giardia infection among indigenous people in rural Malaysia. Faecal samples were collected from 1,330 participants from seven states of Malaysia and examined by wet mount and formalin-ether sedimentation methods while demographic, socioeconomic and environmental information was collected using a pre-tested questionnaire. The overall prevalence of Giardia infection was 11.6% and was significantly higher among those aged ≤ 12 years compared to their older counterparts. Multivariate logistic regression identified age of ≤ 12 years, lacking of toilet at household, not washing hands before eating, not washing hands after playing with animals, not boiling water before consumption, bathing in the river, and not wearing shoes when outside as the significant risk factors of Giardia infection among these communities. Based on a multilocus genotyping approach (including tpi, gdh and bg gene sequences), 69 isolates were identified as assemblage A, and 69 as assemblage B. No association between the assemblages and presence of symptoms was found. Providing proper sanitation, as well as provision of clean drinking water and proper health education regarding good personal hygiene practices will help significantly in reducing the prevalence and burden of Giardia infection in these communities.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  2. Fulltext Comparison of the health implications on the use of As and Cd contaminated water supply between urban and rural communities
    Zailina H, Najibah H, Aiezzati AN, Praveena SM, Patimah I
    Biomed Res Int, 2014;2014:797603.
    PMID: 25530970 DOI: 10.1155/2014/797603
    A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) concentrations in blood, urine, and drinking water as well as the health implications on 100 residents in an urban and a rural community. Results showed the blood As, urinary Cd, DNA damage, and water As and Cs were significantly (P < 0.001) higher in the rural community. Findings showed significant (P < 0.005) correlations between blood As and DNA damage with household income, years of residence, and total glasses of daily water consumption among the rural residents. The urinary NAG concentrations, years of residence, milk powder intake (glass/week), and seafood intake (per week) were significantly correlated (P < 0.005) with urinary Cd concentrations among respondents. In addition, urinary Cd level significantly influenced the urinary NAG concentrations (P < 0.001). The rural respondents experienced significantly higher lymphocyte DNA damage and blood As influenced by their years of residence and water consumption. The Cd in drinking water also resulted in the rural respondents having significantly higher urinary NAG which had a significant relationship with urinary Cd.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  3. Fulltext Knowledge and awareness about STDs among women in Bangladesh
    Hossain M, Mani KK, Mohd Sidik S, Shahar HK, Islam R
    BMC Public Health, 2014;14:775.
    PMID: 25081860 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-775
    BACKGROUND:
    Knowledge and awareness concerning sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has become the burning issue of the day. Although STDs pose serious risks to health security, there is very little literature quantifying the knowledge and awareness of these diseases and their principal socioeconomic determinants. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of different socio-economic and demographic factors on knowledge and awareness about STDs among women in Bangladesh.

    METHODS:
    This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2011. It involves 10,996 women in six divisions of Bangladesh - Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna and Sylhet. In this study, the percentage distribution and logistic regression model are used to identify which factors are associated with knowledge and awareness among women in Bangladesh about STDs.

    RESULTS:
    There is a significant association between geographic division (Dhaka: OR = 1.669, 95% CI = 0.89-2.10, Khulna: OR = 2.234, 95% CI = 1.2-3.2); places of residence (Rural: OR = 0.363, 95% CI = 0.20-1.08), respondent's age (20-29 years: OR = 1.331; 95% CI = 0.98-2.31); education (Primary: OR = 2.366, 95% CI = 1.98-3.1, secondary: OR = 10.089, 95% CI = 8.98-12.77, higher: OR = 20.241, 95% CI = 18.33-22.65); listening to radio (OR = 1.189, 95% CI = 1.29-3.12) and watching TV (OR = 2.498, 95% CI = 2.22-4.09) with knowledge and awareness among women in Bangladesh about STDs.

    CONCLUSION:
    There is a need to improve the education in Bangladesh about STDs particularly among those in the rural areas and older ages of women (30-49 years). Formal, informal and special educational knowledge and awareness programmes may be implemented to educate people concerning STDs in Rajshahi, Sylhet and Chittangong division. Campaigns and mass media can be used to increase the knowledge and awareness among the community, especially among women. Policies concerning the issue of STDs need to be improved and can be emphasized in collaboration with government agencies to ensure the success of these campaigns.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  4. Chronic pain and pattern of health care utilization among Malaysian elderly population: National Health and Morbidity Survey III (NHMS III, 2006)
    Mohamed Zaki LR, Hairi NN
    Maturitas, 2014 Dec;79(4):435-41.
    PMID: 25255974 DOI: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2014.08.014
    OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to report prevalence of chronic pain and to examine whether chronic pain influence healthcare usage among elderly Malaysian population.
    METHODS: This was a sub-population analysis of the elderly sample in the Malaysia's Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) 2006, a nation-wide population based survey. A subset of 4954 elderly aged 60 years and above was used in the analysis. Chronic pain, pain's interference and outcome variables of healthcare utilization (hospital admission and ambulatory care service) were all measured and determined by self-report.
    RESULTS: Prevalence of chronic pain among elderly Malaysian was 15.2% (95% CI: 14.5, 16.8). Prevalence of chronic pain increased with advancing age, and the highest prevalence was seen among the old-old group category (21.5%). Across young-old and old-old groups, chronic pain was more prevalent among females, Indian ethnicity, widows/widowers, rural residency and those with no educational background. Our study showed that chronic pain alone increased hospitalization but not visits to ambulatory facilities. Presence of chronic pain was significantly associated with the frequency of hospitalization (aIRR 1.11; 95% CI 1.02, 1.38) but not ambulatory care service.
    CONCLUSIONS: Chronic pain is a prevalent health problem among the elderly in Malaysia and is associated with higher hospitalization rate among the elderly population. This study provides insight into the distribution of chronic pain among the elderly and its relationship with the patterns of healthcare utilization.
    KEYWORDS: Chronic pain; Elderly; Health care utilization; Malaysia
    Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2006)
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  5. Fulltext Clinical breast examination as the recommended breast cancer screening modality in a rural community in Malaysia; what are the factors that could enhance its uptake?
    Farid ND, Aziz NA, Al-Sadat N, Jamaludin M, Dahlui M
    PLoS One, 2014;9(9):e106469.
    PMID: 25188003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106469
    Breast cancer is the most common cause of deaths and the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of breast cancer screening, specifically on clinical breast examination, and the predictors of its uptake among women in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was carried out in five selected districts whereby women aged between 20 to 64 years old, from a total of 1000 households were interviewed. A total of 1192 women responded to the survey of which 53.3% reported had ever done clinical breast examination. Significant associations with clinical breast examination were noted for income and distance from the hospital. These factors should be considered in developing interventions aimed at promoting clinical breast examination. In particular, healthcare providers should be proactive in raising awareness about clinical breast examination among women in Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  6. Exploring cancer development in adulthood: cholinesterase depression and genotoxic effect from chronic exposure to organophosphate pesticides among rural farm children
    How V, Hashim Z, Ismail P, Md Said S, Omar D, Bahri Mohd Tamrin S
    J Agromedicine, 2014;19(1):35-43.
    PMID: 24417530 DOI: 10.1080/1059924X.2013.866917
    Children are the vulnerable group in the agricultural community due to their early exposure to pesticides through the dynamic interplay between genetic predisposition, environment, and host-related factors. This study aims to identify the possible association between the depression in blood cholinesterase level and genotoxic effect among farm children. The results of micronuclei assay and comet assay showed that the reduced blood cholinesterase level from organophosphate pesticide exposure is significantly associated with an increase in chromosome breakage and DNA strand breaks. These genotoxicity end points suggest that farm children's cells experience early DNA damage that may lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation during their adulthood. Thus, farm children who grow up near pesticide-treated farmland have a higher probability of developing cancer than children with minimal or zero exposure to pesticides.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  7. Fulltext Cardiovascular disease risk factors and socioeconomic variables in a nation undergoing epidemiologic transition
    Rasiah R, Yusoff K, Mohammadreza A, Manikam R, Tumin M, Chandrasekaran SK, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2013;13:886.
    PMID: 24066906 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-886
    Cardiovascular disease (CVD) related deaths is not only the prime cause of mortality in the world, it has also continued to increase in the low and middle income countries. Hence, this study examines the relationship between CVD risk factors and socioeconomic variables in Malaysia, which is a rapidly growing middle income nation undergoing epidemiologic transition.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  8. Evaluating household food insecurity: applications and insights from rural Malaysia
    Cooper EE
    Ecol Food Nutr, 2013;52(4):294-316.
    PMID: 23802913 DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2012.707419
    Hunger is complex, encompassing experiences ranging from a family's forced acceptance of a monotonous diet to individual physiological pain. I evaluate the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) as a means of capturing the universal elements of hunger without doing violence to its culturally-specific expressions within two Malay communities. The HFIAS is assessed conceptually by comparing its assumptions and concept-to-measurement gap with competing indicators and practically with respect to village conditions and practices. This case study recommends the HFIAS for this site and for communities that similarly lack maternal buffering, while highlighting the unique features of the local hunger experience.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  9. 'They treat you like you are not a human being': maltreatment during labour and delivery in rural northern Ghana
    Moyer CA, Adongo PB, Aborigo RA, Hodgson A, Engmann CM
    Midwifery, 2014 Feb;30(2):262-8.
    PMID: 23790959 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2013.05.006
    to explore community and health-care provider attitudes towards maltreatment during delivery in rural northern Ghana, and compare findings against The White Ribbon Alliance's seven fundamental rights of childbearing women.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  10. Fulltext Unusual developing sites of dengue vectors and potential epidemiological implications
    Dieng H, Saifur RG, Ahmad AH, Salmah MR, Aziz AT, Satho T, et al.
    Asian Pac J Trop Biomed, 2012 Mar;2(3):228-32.
    PMID: 23569903 DOI: 10.1016/S2221-1691(12)60047-1
    To identify the unusual breeding sites of two dengue vectors, i.e. Aedes albopictus (Ae. albopictus) and Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti).
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  11. Public knowledge and beliefs about depression among urban and rural Chinese in Malaysia
    Loo PW, Furnham A
    Asian J Psychiatr, 2012 Sep;5(3):236-45.
    PMID: 22981052 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2012.02.003
    The study compared knowledge and beliefs about depression among urban and rural Chinese in a Malaysian sample. A total of 409 participants were asked to identify cases of depression varying in intensity from two vignettes and rate their beliefs regarding a list of possible causes and treatments for depression. The urban Chinese were more likely to identify depression as the problem in the vignette. Beliefs about causes of depression were factored into five components, whereas beliefs about treatment for depression factored into four components. The results indicated that the causes most strongly endorsed were stress and pressure, and standard treatments rated the highest as treatments for depression. Overall, depression literacy was moderate for Chinese Malaysians. The results are discussed in relation to Chinese cultural beliefs about depression. Limitations of this preliminary study were acknowledged.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  12. Fulltext Cognitive impairment among the elderly Malays living in rural Malaysia
    Rashid AK, Azizah AM, Rohana S
    Med J Malaysia, 2012 Apr;67(2):186-9.
    PMID: 22822641 MyJurnal
    Cognitive impairment is a common psychiatric problem among the elderly. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment among the elderly Malays living in a rural community in north Malaysia. A cross sectional study was conducted among the elderly population of 22 villages in north Malaysia. Elderly cognitive assessment questionnaire was used to determine the cognition status. Analysis was done using SPSS version 13. The prevalence of cognitive impairment among the older adults in these villages was 11% (n=46). There was an increasing prevalence of cognitive impairment with increasing age (p < 0.05). Being unmarried (OR 2.31), unemployed (OR 2.74) and living alone (OR 2.32) were significantly associated with the risk of being cognitively impairment. Being unemployed (OR 2.29) was a significant predictor variable for cognitive impairment. Similar to other studies conducted in Malaysia the prevalence of cognitive impairment was high.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  13. Fulltext Prevalence of sleep disordered breathing symptoms among Malay school children in a primary school in Malaysia
    Fadzil Abdullah AA, Jamalludin AR, Norrashidah AW, Norzila MZ, Asiah Kassim K, Rus Anida A, et al.
    Med J Malaysia, 2012 Apr;67(2):181-5.
    PMID: 22822640 MyJurnal
    Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is increasingly being diagnosed in children. However, there is no prevalence study done in Malaysia. The study objective was to evaluate the prevalence of SDB symptoms based on parental reports and associated risk factors among Malay school children aged 6 to 10 years old in a primary school using a translated University Michigan Paediatric Sleep Questionnaire (Malay UM-PSQ). The children whose parents responded to the questionnaire and consented were examined, documenting height, weight, skin fold thickness, neck and abdominal circumference, tonsillar size, nostril examination and presence of micrognathia or retrognathia. There were 550 respondents. The prevalence of parental report of SDB symptoms was 14.9 % (95 % CI 11.9, 17.9). Two hundred and eighty-five (51.8%) school children were males with mean age of 8.5 years (SD 1.1). The associated risk factors for SDB symptoms are male, obesity, large neck and waist circumference, positive history of asthma, history of recurrent tonsillitis, enlarged tonsil (> 4+) and enlarged nasal turbinate. Multivariate analysis showed that male gender is the only significant independent risk factor of SDB symptoms
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  14. Who are eating and not eating fruits and vegetables in Malaysia?
    Yen ST, Tan AK
    Int J Public Health, 2012 Dec;57(6):945-51.
    PMID: 22331314 DOI: 10.1007/s00038-012-0343-3
    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the roles of sociodemographic factors in fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in Malaysia.

    METHODS: Data are obtained from the Malaysia Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance-1. Logistic regressions are conducted using a multiracial (Malay, Chinese, Indian and other ethnic groups) sample of 2,447 observations to examine the factors affecting individual decisions to consume FV on a daily basis.

    RESULTS: Based on the binary outcomes of whether individuals consumed FV daily, results indicate that work hours, education, age ethnicity, income, gender, smoking status, and location of residence are significantly correlated with daily fruit consumption. Daily vegetable consumption is significantly correlated with income, gender, health condition, and location of residence.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our results imply the need for programs to educate and motivate consumers to make healthier dietary choices. Interventions to increase FV consumption by changing behaviors should be considered, as should those that increase public awareness of the dietary benefits of FV. These intervention programs should be targeted at and tailored toward individuals who are less educated, younger, less affluent, males, smokers, and metropolitan dwellers.

    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  15. Fulltext Blastocystis sp.: waterborne zoonotic organism, a possibility?
    Lee LI, Chye TT, Karmacharya BM, Govind SK
    Parasit Vectors, 2012;5:130.
    PMID: 22741573 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-5-130
    Blastocystis sp. is a common intestinal parasite found in faecal sample surveys. Several studies have implicated human-to-human, zoonotic and waterborne transmissions by Blastocystis sp. However, there has been no study providing evidence interlinking these three transmissions in a community. We have previously shown a high prevalence of Blastocystis sp. subtype 4 amongst village dwellers in Bahunipati, Nepal, and the present study extends the observation to assess if the same subtype of Blastocystis sp. occurs in animals they rear and rivers they frequent.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  16. Sex differences in educational encouragement and academic achievement
    Khan A
    Psychol Rep, 2012 Aug;111(1):149-55.
    PMID: 23045856
    Sex differences in educational encouragement and their predictiveness of academic achievement were examined among 442 secondary school students (M age = 13.2 yr., SD = 1.9). Education-related encouragement received from mothers, fathers, friends, and teachers was assessed. Academic achievement was based on student self-reports and grades. Female adolescents reported receiving statistically significantly more educational encouragement from their mothers, fathers, friends, and teachers than did male adolescents. In regression, sex and educational encouragement from parents, friends, and teachers were found to be significant predictors of academic achievement.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  17. Attitudes toward menstruation, menstrual-related symptoms, and premenstrual syndrome among adolescent girls: a rural school-based survey
    Wong LP
    Women Health, 2011 Jun 21;51(4):340-64.
    PMID: 21707338 DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2011.574792
    Folk culture surrounding menstrual-related matters has considerable implications for symptom expression and treatment-seeking behavior. A cross-sectional survey of 1,295 rural adolescent girls aged 13 to 19 years was conducted between February 4 and April 16, 2009 to examine these associations. With a higher score indicating a more positive attitude toward menstruation, the mean attitude score was 3.84 (SD ± 1.62) out of a maximum of six. No significant association was observed between the severity of menstrual symptoms and attitudes. Most (63.1%) of the participants identified themselves as having premenstrual symptoms, and 61.1% viewed premenstrual symptoms as a normal part of menstrual cycle. Participants with a higher severity of symptoms in the premenstrual (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01-1.10) and menstrual phase (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01-1.07), were more likely to consult a physician for premenstrual symptoms, and having a divorced/separated parents was associated with a reduced odds of consulting a physician compared to those having parents that were married (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05-0.83). The findings imply the need for education to help adolescent girls manage menstrual symptoms and increase awareness of the benefit of treating them. Given that menstrual-related information was widely available from mothers, family, and social culture are potentially important in shaping good menstrual attitudes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  18. Fulltext The burden of moderate-to-heavy soil-transmitted helminth infections among rural malaysian aborigines: an urgent need for an integrated control programme
    Ahmed A, Al-Mekhlafi HM, Choy SH, Ithoi I, Al-Adhroey AH, Abdulsalam AM, et al.
    Parasit Vectors, 2011;4:242.
    PMID: 22208559 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-4-242
    Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, among the most common neglected tropical diseases, continue to be a major threat to the health and socioeconomic wellbeing of infected people especially children in developing countries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  19. Urinary bisphenol A concentrations and their implications for human exposure in several Asian countries
    Zhang Z, Alomirah H, Cho HS, Li YF, Liao C, Minh TB, et al.
    Environ Sci Technol, 2011 Aug 15;45(16):7044-50.
    PMID: 21732633 DOI: 10.1021/es200976k
    Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical used in the manufacture of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins. Due to the potential of this compound to disrupt normal endocrinal functions, concerns over human exposure to BPA have been raised. Although several studies have reported human exposure to BPA in Western nations, little is known about exposure in Asian countries. In this study, we determined total urinary BPA concentrations (free plus conjugated) in 296 urine samples (male/female: 153/143) collected from the general population in seven Asian countries, China, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Vietnam, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). On the basis of urinary BPA concentrations, we estimated the total daily intake. The results indicated that BPA was detected in 94.3% of the samples analyzed, at concentrations ranging from <0.1 to 30.1 ng/mL. The geometric mean concentration of BPA for the entire sample set from seven countries was 1.20 ng/mL. The highest concentration of BPA was found in samples from Kuwait (median: 3.05 ng/mL, 2.45 μg/g creatinine), followed by Korea (2.17 ng/mL, 2.40 μg/g), India (1.71 ng/mL, 2.09 μg/g), Vietnam (1.18 ng/mL, 1.15 μg/g), China (1.10 ng/mL, 1.38 μg/g), Malaysia (1.06 ng/mL, 2.31 μg/g), and Japan (0.95 ng/mL, 0.58 μg/g). Among the five age groups studied (≤ 19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and ≥ 50 years), the highest median concentration of BPA was found in urine samples from the age group of ≤ 19 years. There was no significant difference in BPA concentrations between genders (male and female) or domicile of residence (rural and urban). The estimated median daily intakes of BPA for the populations in Kuwait, Korea, India, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Japan were 5.19, 3.69, 2.90, 2.13, 2.01, 1.80, and 1.61 μg/day, respectively. The estimated daily intake of BPA in the seven Asian countries was significantly lower than the tolerable daily intake recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This is the first study to document the occurrence of and human exposure to BPA in several Asian countries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
  20. Fulltext Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal parasitism in rural and remote West Malaysia
    Ngui R, Ishak S, Chuen CS, Mahmud R, Lim YA
    PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2011;5(3):e974.
    PMID: 21390157 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0000974
    Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have a worldwide distribution and have been identified as one of the most significant causes of illnesses and diseases among the disadvantaged population. In Malaysia, IPIs still persist in some rural areas, and this study was conducted to determine the current epidemiological status and to identify risk factors associated with IPIs among communities residing in rural and remote areas of West Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Rural Population
Related Terms
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links