Displaying publications 361 - 380 of 1316 in total

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  1. Factors affecting life expectancy: evidence from 1980-2009 data in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand
    Chan MF, Devi MK
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Mar;27(2):136-46.
    PMID: 22865722 DOI: 10.1177/1010539512454163
    The authors aim to examine the impact of demographic changes, socioeconomic inequality, and the availability of health care resources on life expectancy in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This is a cross-country study collecting annual data from 3 Southeast Asian countries from 1980 to 2008. Life expectancy is the dependent variable with demographics, socioeconomic status, and health care resources as the 3 main determinants. A structural equation model is used, and results show that the availability of more health care resources and higher levels of socioeconomic advantages are more likely to increase life expectancy. In contrast, demographic changes are more likely to increase life expectancy by way of health care resources. The authors suggest that more effort should be taken to expand and improve the coverage of health care programs to alleviate regional differences in health care use and improve the overall health status of people in these 3 Southeast Asian countries.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  2. Fulltext A commentary on delayed presentation of breast cancer in Singapore
    Chang G, Chan CW, Hartman M
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(6):1635-9.
    PMID: 22126512
    Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Singaporean women and the rate of increase in incidence is one of the highest in the world. In view of the significant contribution of delayed presentation to the disease burden in South East Asia, we reviewed the incidence of late presentation of breast cancer and the contributing factors in Singapore. Disease presentation was analysed using studies based on the Singapore Cancer Registry 2004-2008 and with data from women with breast cancer at the National University Hospital (NUH) in Singapore 1990-2007. Available literature from Singapore on factors contributing to delayed presentation was reviewed and presented here. The overall age-standardized 5-year relative survival for Singaporean women was 70% with only half diagnosed with localized cancer. Of all women diagnosed at NUH close to 20% presented at Stages III and IV. Given the magnitude of the problem of women presenting with more advanced stages of breast cancer, the National University of Singapore has joined a collaborative team with the University of Leeds (UK), the University of Malaya, and University of UAE to set up the UK-SEA-ME Psychosocial-Cultural Cancer Research Network to better understand late presentation.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  3. Retrospective study on tension-free vaginal tape obturator (TVT-O)
    Rajendra M, Han HC, Lee LC, Tseng LA, Wong HF
    Int Urogynecol J, 2012 Mar;23(3):327-34.
    PMID: 21892684 DOI: 10.1007/s00192-011-1552-7
    INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We aim to report the 3-year outcome and complications of the tension-free vaginal tape obturator (TVT-O) in treating female stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

    METHODS: Retrospective analysis for complications and outcome of surgery was performed in 419 women undergoing the TVT-O from 2004 to 2006.

    RESULTS: Three patients (0.8%) with an isolated TVT-O had a blood loss of more than 200 ml. Two patients (0.5%) had bladder perforation. Out of 11 readmitted patients (2.6%), 10 were due to voiding difficulty. Six patients (1.4%) required tape loosening or division. Persistent pain occurred in 3.6% and erosion in 2.4% of patients. One hundred eighty-five patients (44.2%) came for follow-up at 3 years. The actual subjective and objective success rates were 89.7% and 99.9% at 3 years follow-up, respectively. With imputation, the 3-year subjective and objective success rates were 86.9% and 97.4%, respectively.

    CONCLUSIONS: The TVT-O is effective in treating female SUI with minimal complications.

    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  4. Self reported pain severity among multiethnic older Singaporeans: does adjusting for reporting heterogeneity matter?
    Chan A, Malhotra C, Do YK, Malhotra R, Ostbye T
    Eur J Pain, 2011 Nov;15(10):1094-9.
    PMID: 21646030 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpain.2011.05.006
    The objective of this paper is to test and correct for systematic differences in reporting of pain severity among older adults by age, gender, ethnic group and socio-economic status using anchoring vignettes. Data from a national survey of community-dwelling older Singaporeans (aged 60 years and over) conducted in 2009 was used. Respondents were asked to rate the severity of their own pain as well as that of others described in the vignettes on a five-point scale ranging from none to extreme. An ordered probit model was used to estimate the coefficients of the independent variables (age, gender, ethnic group, education, housing type) on self-reported pain. Reporting heterogeneity in pain severity was then corrected using a Hierarchical Ordered Probit model. The results showed that before correcting for reporting heterogeneity, women, those older, and those of Malay ethnicity reported greater severity of pain, while there was no association of reported pain severity with housing type and education. However, after correcting for reporting heterogeneity, while women and those older were found to have an even greater severity of pain than what they had reported, Malays were found to have a lower severity of pain than what they had reported. We conclude that there are systematic differences in reporting pain severity by age, gender and ethnic group. We propose that pain management may be improved if medical professionals take into account reporting heterogeneity for pain severity among various population sub-groups in Singapore.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  5. Hypertension, hypertension control, and chronic kidney disease in a Malay population in Singapore
    Sabanayagam C, Shankar A, Lim SC, Tai ES, Wong TY
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2011 Nov;23(6):936-45.
    PMID: 20460283 DOI: 10.1177/1010539510361637
    Studies conducted in Western populations demonstrate that blood pressure (BP) is a major risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). The authors examined the cross-sectional association between BP and CKD in 3280 adults of Malay ethnicity aged 40 to 80 years living in Singapore. CKD was defined as (1) estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and (2) presence of microalbuminuria/macroalbuminuria. They observed a dose-dependent positive association between BP and CKD (P trend < .0001). In multivariable-adjusted analysis, compared with participants with normal BP, the odds ratio (OR; 95% confidence interval [CI]) of eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) was 1.85 (0.95-3.62), 2.95 (1.55-5.64), and 4.96 (2.63-9.37) for prehypertension, and stage 1 and stage 2 hypertension, respectively. Similar results were obtained for microalbuminuria/macroalbuminuria. Stage 2 hypertension had the greatest population-attributable risk of CKD (23%). The strong positive association of hypertension with CKD emphasizes the need to control BP in Asian populations to reduce the burden of kidney disease.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore; Singapore/epidemiology
  6. Ethnic differences in higher-order aberrations: Spherical aberration in the South East Asian Chinese eye
    Lim KL, Fam HB
    J Cataract Refract Surg, 2009 Dec;35(12):2144-8.
    PMID: 19969221 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrs.2009.06.031
    PURPOSE: To determine the distribution of higher-order corneal and ocular aberrations in a healthy refractive surgery population.
    SETTING: Island Hospital, Penang, Malaysia.
    METHODS: In this prospective observational study, 1 eye of ethnic Chinese refractive surgery patients was evaluated with an Orbscan II corneal topographer and a Zywave Hartmann-Shack aberrometer with a 6.0 mm pupil. Height data were analyzed to derive the higher-order aberrations (HOAs) from the 3rd to 5th Zernike order.
    RESULTS: The mean spherical equivalent in the 70 eyes evaluated was -6.46 diopters +/- 3.10 (SD). The mean total corneal HOA was 0.574 +/- 0.218 microm (range 0.269 to 1.249 microm) and the mean total ocular HOA, 0.525 +/- 0.354 microm (range 0.138 to 2.145 microm). There was no statistically significant correlation with age. The mean 3rd-order ocular aberration was 0.399 +/- 0.287 microm; the mean 4th-order, 0.297 +/- 0.223 microm; and the mean 5th-order, 0.108 +/- 0.101 microm. Corneal spherical aberration was greater than ocular spherical aberration (mean 0.312 +/- 0.114 microm versus 0.200 +/- 0.170 microm). Multilinear regression showed that the only dependent that predicted ocular spherical aberration was anterior corneal asphericity (r(2) = 0.227, F = 17.95, P
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  7. Asian population frequencies and haplotype distribution of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) genes among Chinese, Malay, and Indian in Singapore
    Lee YC, Chan SH, Ren EC
    Immunogenetics, 2008 Nov;60(11):645-54.
    PMID: 18668235 DOI: 10.1007/s00251-008-0321-3
    Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) gene frequencies have been shown to be distinctly different between populations and contribute to functional variation in the immune response. We have investigated KIR gene frequencies in 370 individuals representing three Asian populations in Singapore and report here the distribution of 14 KIR genes (2DL1, 2DL2, 2DL3, 2DL4, 2DL5, 2DS1, 2DS2, 2DS3, 2DS4, 2DS5, 3DL1, 3DL2, 3DL3, 3DS1) with two pseudogenes (2DP1, 3DP1) among Singapore Chinese (n = 210); Singapore Malay (n = 80), and Singapore Indian (n = 80). Four framework genes (KIR3DL3, 3DP1, 2DL4, 3DL2) and a nonframework pseudogene 2DP1 were detected in all samples while KIR2DS2, 2DL2, 2DL5, and 2DS5 had the greatest significant variation across the three populations. Fifteen significant linkage patterns, consistent with associations between genes of A and B haplotypes, were observed. Eighty-four distinct KIR profiles were determined in our populations, 38 of which had not been described in other populations. KIR haplotype studies were performed using nine Singapore Chinese families comprising 34 individuals. All genotypes could be resolved into corresponding pairs of existing haplotypes with eight distinct KIR genotypes and eight different haplotypes. The haplotype A2 with frequency of 63.9% was dominant in Singapore Chinese, comparable to that reported in Korean and Chinese Han. The A haplotypes predominate in Singapore Chinese, with ratio of A to B haplotypes of approximately 3:1. Comparison with KIR frequencies in other populations showed that Singapore Chinese shared similar distributions with Chinese Han, Japanese, and Korean; Singapore Indian was found to be comparable with North Indian Hindus while Singapore Malay resembled the Thai.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  8. Prevalence of pseudoexfoliation in Malay population in Singapore
    Sumasri K, Raju P, Aung T, Tin A, Wong TY
    Am J Ophthalmol, 2008 Apr;145(4):766-7; author reply 767.
    PMID: 18358854 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajo.2007.12.028
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  9. The emergence of Nipah virus, a highly pathogenic paramyxovirus
    Lo MK, Rota PA
    J Clin Virol, 2008 Dec;43(4):396-400.
    PMID: 18835214 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcv.2008.08.007
    Nipah virus first emerged in Malaysia and Singapore between 1998 and 1999, causing severe febrile encephalitis in humans with a mortality rate of close to 40%. In addition, a significant portion of those recovering from acute infection had relapse encephalitis and long-term neurological defects. Since its initial outbreak, there have been numerous outbreaks in Bangladesh and India, in which the mortality rate rose to approximately 70%. These subsequent outbreaks were distinct from the initial outbreak, both in their epidemiology and in their clinical presentations. Recent developments in diagnostics may expedite disease diagnosis and outbreak containment, while progress in understanding the molecular biology of Nipah virus could lead to novel therapeutics and vaccines for this deadly pathogen.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  10. Fulltext Clinicopathological study of dentigerous cysts in Singapore and Malaysia
    Yeo JF, Rosnah BZ, Ti LS, Zhao YY, Ngeow WC
    Malays J Pathol, 2007 Jun;29(1):41-7.
    PMID: 19105328 MyJurnal
    This was a retrospective study of dentigerous cysts in people from the Singapore-Malaysian region. The purpose of this study was to present the clinicopathologic features of dentigerous cysts in the Oriental population and to compare these data with those from other reported studies. Biopsy records from 1981 to 1993 of 119 cases of dentigerous cysts from patients in Malaysia and Singapore showed that 36.1% of patients were female and 63.9% patients were male. Among patients with cysts, 70.5% were Chinese, 23.2% were Malays, 2.7% were Indian and 3.6% were other ethnic groups. The mean age of these patients was 30.2 +/- 17.3 years with a peak incidence occurring in the second and third decades. The location of the lesions was almost equal to the maxilla (50.9%) and the mandible (49.1%). There was a marked predilection for the posterior mandible (42.7%) followed by the anterior maxilla (38.2%). Histologically, 90.8% of the cysts were lined by a non-keratinised stratified squamous epithelium. The cyst linings were mainly thin (90.0%) with 38.7% of cases having a mixed thick and thin lining. Mucous metaplasia was observed in 9 (7.6%) cases. Rushton bodies were seen in 3.4% of cases. Cholesterol clefts in the epithelial lining and lumen were found in 16.8% cases while 12.6% of cases exhibited cholesterol clefts in the cyst wall. Other cellular structures within the cyst wall were lymphocytes (66.4%), plasma cells (52.1%), Russell bodies (16.0%) and histiocytes (4.2%). Odontogenic keratocysts were observed in 5.0% of cases. One case of adenomatoid odontogenic tumour was also observed. Epithelial atypia was seen in 9.2% of cases, islands of stratified squamous epithelial cells in 8.4% of cases while one case showed a combination of these two features. In conclusion, some clinical features seen in this study are similar to that for the Caucasian population such as prevalence in male, peak incidence in the second and third decades and the predilection for the posterior mandible and anterior maxilla. Histopathologically, odontogenic keratocyst and adenomatoid odontogenic tumour were observed in dentigerous cysts.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  11. Ethnic differences in the time trend of female breast cancer incidence: Singapore, 1968-2002
    Sim X, Ali RA, Wedren S, Goh DL, Tan CS, Reilly M, et al.
    BMC Cancer, 2006;6:261.
    PMID: 17078893
    From 1968 to 2002, Singapore experienced an almost three-fold increase in breast cancer incidence. This increase appeared to be different across the three main ethnic groups: Chinese, Malays and Indians. This paper used age-period-cohort (APC) modelling, to determine the effects of age at diagnosis, calendar period, and birth cohort on breast cancer incidence for each ethnic group.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  12. Aggression in Asian patients with first-episode psychosis
    Verma S, Poon LY, Subramaniam M, Chong SA
    Int J Soc Psychiatry, 2005 Dec;51(4):365-71.
    PMID: 16400911
    The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence and severity of aggression in patients with first-episode psychosis and to identify the association between aggression and sociodemographic and clinical factors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  13. [Nipah virus--another product from the Asian "virus factory"]
    Ternhag A, Penttinen P
    Lakartidningen, 2005 Apr;102(14):1046-7.
    PMID: 15892474
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  14. Occlusal status in Asian male adults: prevalence and ethnic variation
    Soh J, Sandham A, Chan YH
    Angle Orthod, 2005 Sep;75(5):814-20.
    PMID: 16279828
    The purpose of this study was to determine the occlusal status in young Asian male adults of three ethnic groups. Study models of a sample of male army recruits (N = 339, age 17-22 years) with no history of orthodontic treatment were assessed. The ethnic proportions of the sample were Chinese 76.1% (n = 258), Malay 17.7% (n = 60), and Indian 6.2% (n = 21). British Standard Institute (BSI) and Angle's classification were used to determine incisor and molar relationships, respectively. Chi-square test or Fisher's Exact test was performed to compare the occlusal traits between ethnic groups. The distribution of incisor relationships of the total sample consisted of Class I = 48.1%, Class II/1 = 26.3%, Class II/2 = 3.2%, and Class III = 22.4%. Right Angle's molar relationships were 49.9%, 24.5%, and 24.2% whereas left Angle's molar relationships were 53.1%, 25.1%, and 21.2% for Class I, II, and III, respectively. Comparison between ethnic groups found that Indian subjects were more likely to have Class II/1 malocclusions and clinically missing permanent teeth (P < .05). The study found that the overall prevalence of malocclusion (BSI) was Class I, Class II/1, Class III, and Class II/2 in descending order of proportions. Angle's Class I molar was most prevalent followed by Class II and Class III relations. A significant difference in occlusal status between the ethnic groups was found regarding incisor relationship and missing permanent teeth (P < .05).
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  15. Fulltext Human melioidosis reported by ProMED
    Nasner-Posso KM, Cruz-Calderón S, Montúfar-Andrade FE, Dance DA, Rodriguez-Morales AJ
    Int J Infect Dis, 2015 Jun;35:103-6.
    PMID: 25975651 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2015.05.009
    OBJECTIVE: There are limited sources describing the global burden of emerging diseases. A review of human melioidosis reported by ProMED was performed and the reliability of the data retrieved assessed in comparison to published reports. The effectiveness of ProMED was evaluated as a source of epidemiological data by focusing on melioidosis.

    METHODS: Using the keyword 'melioidosis' in the ProMED search engine, all of the information from the reports and collected data was reviewed using a structured form, including the year, country, gender, occupation, number of infected individuals, and number of fatal cases.

    RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-four entries reported between January 1995 and October 2014 were identified. A total of 4630 cases were reported, with death reported in 505 cases, suggesting a misleadingly low overall case fatality rate (CFR) of 11%. Of 20 cases for which the gender was reported, 12 (60%) were male. Most of the cases were reported from Australia, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Malaysia, with sporadic reports from other countries.

    CONCLUSIONS: Internet-based reporting systems such as ProMED are useful to gather information and synthesize knowledge on emerging infections. Although certain areas need to be improved, ProMED provided good information about melioidosis.

    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  16. Encephalitis in the 21 st century
    Marra CM
    Semin Neurol, 2000;20(3):323-7.
    PMID: 11051296
    As the 21st century begins, several outbreaks of encephalitis have been reported. An examination of these outbreaks brings into focus important epidemiological developments. Specifically, urbanization and encroachment on natural environments, the ease of world travel, and global trade can lead to spread of vectors and viruses from the developing world to the developed world. This review focuses on two recent epidemics of encephalitis: West Nile virus encephalitis in the eastern United States and Nipah virus encephalitis in Malaysia and Singapore. These examples demonstrate spread of a known viral agent from an endemic area to an area in which it had not previously been found and identification of a new viral agent. Infectious diseases in the developed world once considered "exotic" are now potential threats to all patients.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  17. WHO plans to improve training for blood-bank personnel
    AIDS Policy Law, 2001 Oct 26;16(20):3.
    PMID: 11692478
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  18. Phylogenetic analysis of enterovirus 71 strains isolated during linked epidemics in Malaysia, Singapore, and Western Australia
    McMinn P, Lindsay K, Perera D, Chan HM, Chan KP, Cardosa MJ
    J Virol, 2001 Aug;75(16):7732-8.
    PMID: 11462047
    Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is a frequent cause of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) epidemics associated with severe neurological sequelae in a small proportion of cases. There has been a significant increase in EV71 epidemic activity throughout the Asia-Pacific region since 1997. Recent HFMD epidemics in this region have been associated with a severe form of brainstem encephalitis associated with pulmonary edema and high case fatality rates. In this study, we show that four genetic lineages of EV71 have been prevalent in the Asia-Pacific region since 1997, including two previously undescribed genogroups (B3 and B4). Furthermore, we show that viruses belonging to genogroups B3 and B4 have circulated endemically in Southeast Asia during this period and have been the primary cause of several large HFMD or encephalitis epidemics in Malaysia, Singapore, and Western Australia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  19. Ethnic differences in acute myocardial infarction in Singapore
    Mak KH, Chia KS, Kark JD, Chua T, Tan C, Foong BH, et al.
    Eur Heart J, 2003 Jan;24(2):151-60.
    PMID: 12573272
    AIMS: We compare the myocardial infarction (MI) event and mortality rates among Chinese, Malay and Indian residents of Singapore.

    METHODS: Residents, aged 20 to 64 years, with an MI event were identified from hospital discharge listings, postmortem reports, and the Registry of Births and Deaths. All pathology laboratories flagged patients with elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) levels. Modified MONICA (multinational monitoring of trends and determinants in cardiovascular disease) criteria were used for determining MI events.

    RESULTS: From 1991 to 1999, 12 481 MI events were identified. Chinese patients were older and less likely to have typical symptoms or previous MI. Malays had the highest peak CPK level. Among all three ethnic groups, MI event and age-adjusted case-fatality rates declined. Compared with Chinese, MI event rates were >2-fold and >3-fold higher, and age-standardized coronary mortality rates were 2.4 and 3.0 higher times for Malays and Indians, respectively. Malays have the highest 3.1-year case-fatality, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.26 (95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.38) compared with Chinese.

    CONCLUSION: We found strong ethnic differences in MI event, case-fatality and coronary mortality rates among the three ethnic groups in Singapore. While Indians have the greatest MI event rates, Malays have the highest case-fatality.

    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
  20. Trends and ethnic differences in hospital admissions and mortality for congestive heart failure in the elderly in Singapore, 1991 to 1998
    Ng TP, Niti M
    Heart, 2003 Aug;89(8):865-70.
    PMID: 12860859
    To describe trends in hospital admissions and mortality from congestive heart failure in the elderly population aged 65 years and over in Singapore, 1991 to 1998.
    Matched MeSH terms: Singapore/epidemiology
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