Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 750 in total

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  1. Fulltext Heavy Metal in Paddy Soil and its Bioavailability in Rice Using In Vitro Digestion Model for Health Risk Assessment
    Zulkafflee NS, Mohd Redzuan NA, Hanafi Z, Selamat J, Ismail MR, Praveena SM, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 11 28;16(23).
    PMID: 31795132 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16234769
    Rice ingestion is one of the major pathways for heavy metal bioaccumulation in human. This study aimed to measure the heavy metal content of paddy soils and its bioavailability in paddy grain in order to assess the health risk. In total, 10 rice samples (50 g each) of paddy plants were harvested from the Selangor and Terengganu areas of Malaysia to assess the bioavailability of heavy metal (As, Cd, Cu, Cr, and Pb) using the in vitro digestion model of Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu. The bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations in rice samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The findings showed the bioavailability of heavy metal concentrations was decreased in the order Cr > Cu > Pb > As > Cd. Chromium was found to be the most abundant bioavailable heavy metal in cooked rice, which was the result of its high content in paddy soil. Hazard Quotient values for the bioavailability of the heavy metal studied were less than one indicating no non-carcinogenic health risks for adults and children. Meanwhile, the total Lifetime Cancer Risk exceeded the acceptable value showing a potential of carcinogenic health risk for both adults and children. The application of in vitro digestion model in assessing bioavailability of heavy metal produces a more realistic estimation of human health risks exposure. However, a regular monitoring of pollution in Selangor and Terengganu areas is crucial since the exposure of heavy metals through rice consumption poses the potential non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic health risk to the local residents.
  2. Fulltext Developing an Ensemble Predictive Safety Risk Assessment Model: Case of Malaysian Construction Projects
    Sadeghi H, Mohandes SR, Hosseini MR, Banihashemi S, Mahdiyar A, Abdullah A
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 11 13;17(22).
    PMID: 33202768 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17228395
    Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)-related injuries are vexing problems for construction projects in developing countries, mostly due to poor managerial-, governmental-, and technical safety-related issues. Though some studies have been conducted on OHS-associated issues in developing countries, research on this topic remains scarce. A review of the literature shows that presenting a predictive assessment framework through machine learning techniques can add much to the field. As for Malaysia, despite the ongoing growth of the construction sector, there has not been any study focused on OHS assessment of workers involved in construction activities. To fill these gaps, an Ensemble Predictive Safety Risk Assessment Model (EPSRAM) is developed in this paper as an effective tool to assess the OHS risks related to workers on construction sites. The developed EPSRAM is based on the integration of neural networks with fuzzy inference systems. To show the effectiveness of the EPSRAM developed, it is applied to several Malaysian construction case projects. This paper contributes to the field in several ways, through: (1) identifying major potential safety risks, (2) determining crucial factors that affect the safety assessment for construction workers, (3) predicting the magnitude of identified safety risks accurately, and (4) predicting the evaluation strategies applicable to the identified risks. It is demonstrated how EPSRAM can provide safety professionals and inspectors concerned with well-being of workers with valuable information, leading to improving the working environment of construction crew members.
  3. Fulltext The Use of Stents in Children with Nasolacrimal Duct Obstruction Requiring Surgical Intervention: A Systematic Review
    Tai ELM, Kueh YC, Abdullah B
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 02 07;17(3).
    PMID: 32046207 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17031067
    Nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) is the most common cause of childhood epiphora. It is managed conservatively in the first year of life, after which surgical treatment is classically based on a stepwise paradigm of probing, intubation, and dacryocystorhinostomy. This systematic review aims to present the current role of intubation in the management of children with NLDO requiring surgical intervention. A search for English-language articles from the electronic databases PubMed, SCOPUS, and the COCHRANE library was conducted over a period of five months in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and the Cochrane Handbook. The following keywords were used to aid retrieval: stents, children, lacrimal intubation, endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy, external dacryocystorhinostomy, NLDO, dacryocystitis, congenital, acquired. The primary outcome was defined as the success of the intervention, determined by resolution of symptoms and patency of the lacrimal anatomy confirmed by the fluorescein dye disappearance test or syringing. Secondary outcomes included the presence of complications. A total of 144 articles were identified; of these, 35 fulfilled the study criteria. The majority of the included studies involved lacrimal intubation alone, followed by intubation as an adjunctive procedure to balloon dacryoplasty and dacryocystorhinostomy. The overall success rate of these procedures ranged from 41.1% to 100%. Post-operative complications were reported in 65.7% of the included studies. Lacrimal intubation was most commonly performed as a primary procedure in children with NLDO, with high success rates. The main complication was stent dislodgement. There is lack of evidence regarding the benefit of intubation over probing as primary treatment of congenital NLDO. In the absence of high-quality evidence, the decision of whether to perform lacrimal intubation in children with NLDO requiring surgical intervention depends on clinical judgement and other low-level evidence, such as observational non-randomised trials.
  4. Fulltext Management of Traumatic and Non-Traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea-Experience from Three Southeast Asian Countries
    Zahedi FD, Subramaniam S, Kasemsiri P, Periasamy C, Abdullah B
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Oct 25;19(21).
    PMID: 36360727 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113847
    BACKGROUND: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea requires proper management to avoid disastrous consequences. The objectives of this study were to ascertain the patient characteristics, etiologies, sites of defect, skull base configurations, methods of investigation, and management outcomes of CSF rhinorrhea.

    METHODS: A retrospective study was performed over 4 years involving three surgeons from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Hospital records were reviewed to determine the patients' characteristics, the causes and sites of leaks, methods of investigation, skull base configurations, choices of treatment, and outcomes.

    RESULTS: A total of 15 cases (7 traumatic and 8 non-traumatic) were included. Imaging was performed in all cases. The most common site of leakage was the cribriform plate (9/15 cases). The mean ± SD of the Keros heights were 4.43 ± 1.66 (right) and 4.21 ± 1.76 mm (left). Type II Keros was the most common (60%). The mean ± SD angles of the cribriform plate slope were 51.91 ± 13.43 degrees (right) and 63.54 ± 12.64 degrees (left). A class II Gera configuration was the most common (80%). All except two patients were treated with endonasal endoscopic surgical repair, with a success rate of 92.3%. A multilayered repair technique was used in all patients except one. The mean ± SD postoperative hospital stay was 9.07 ± 6.17 days.

    CONCLUSIONS: Non-traumatic CSF rhinorrhea outnumbered traumatic CSF rhinorrhea, with the most common site of leak at the cribriform plate. Imaging plays an important role in investigation, and Gera classification appears to be better than Keros classification for evaluating risk. Both conservative and surgical repairs are practiced with successful outcomes. Endonasal endoscopic CSF leak repair is the mainstay treatment.

  5. Factors Associated with Symptom Burden in Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Hemodialysis: A Prospective Study
    Gunarathne TGNS, Tang LY, Lim SK, Nanayakkara N, Damayanthi HDWT, Abdullah KL
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 May 03;19(9).
    PMID: 35564935 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095540
    People with end stage renal disease and undergoing hemodialysis experience a high symptom burden that impairs quality of life. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, dynamicity and determinants of symptom burden among middle-aged and older adult hemodialysis patients. A descriptive cross-sectional study together with a longitudinal assessment was used. A total of 118 and 102 hemodialysis patients were assessed at baseline and at a 6-month follow-up. Validated questionnaires were used to assess the symptom burden, stress, illness perception and social support. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with symptom burden. The median number of symptoms experienced was 21 (Interquartile Range (IQR); 18−23) and 19 (IQR; 13−22) at baseline and 6 months, respectively. Having elevated stress (β = 0.65, p ≤ 0.005) and illness perception (β = 0.21, p = 0.02) were significantly predicted symptom burden at baseline (F (4, 112) = 55.29, p < 0.005, R2 = 0.664). Stress (β = 0.28, p = 0.003), illness perception (β = 0.2, p = 0.03), poor social support (β = −0.22, p = 0.01) and low body weight (β = −0.19, p = 0.03) were the determinants for symptom burden at 6 months (F (5, 93) = 4.85, p ≤ 0.005, R2 = 0.24). Elevated stress, illness perception level, poor social support and low post-dialysis body weight were found to be determinants for symptom burden. Attention should be given to psychosocial factors of hemodialysis patients while conducting assessment and delivering care to patients.
  6. Fulltext Synthesis of Nano-Magnetite from Industrial Mill Chips for the Application of Boron Removal: Characterization and Adsorption Efficacy
    Abba MU, Che Man H, Syahidah Azis R, Idris AI, Hazwan Hamzah M, Abdulsalam M
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 Feb 03;18(4).
    PMID: 33546264 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18041400
    The present study synthesized nano-magnetite (Fe3O4) from milled steel chips using the high energy ball milling (HEBM) method, characterized it, and then utilized it as a sorbent to remediate boron concentration at various pH (4-9), dosages (0.1-0.5 g), contact times (20-240 min), and initial concentrations (10-100 mg/L). The nano-sorbents were characterized based on SEM structure, elemental composition (EDX), surface area analysis (BET), crystallinity (XRD), and functional group analysis (FTIR). The highest adsorption capacity of 8.44 mg/g with removal efficiency of 84% was attained at pH 8, 0.5 g dosage, contact time of 180 min, and 50 mg/L initial concentration. The experimental data fit best with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with R2 of 0.998, while the Freundlich adsorption isotherm describes the adsorption process with an R2 value of 0.9464. A regeneration efficiency of 47% was attained even after five cycles of reusability studies. This efficiency implies that the nano-magnetite has the potential for sustainable industrial application.
  7. Fulltext Transformation of Children's Paintings into Public Art to Improve Public Spaces and Enhance People's Happiness
    Luo N, Ibrahim R, Abidin SZ
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 14;19(24).
    PMID: 36554658 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416780
    Characteristics of children's paintings have been suggested considered for application in public art since they are known to positively evoke a sense of well-being when people see them. This study aims to understand the impact of artistic features from children's drawings on people's well-being; then analyzing the adaptive design principles of 3D public art featuring children's paintings on people's happiness; and finally, exploring the influence of 3D public art featuring children's paintings on improving public spaces and enhancing people's well-being. The results lead to proposing a conceptual framework for public artworks in public spaces for improving people's happiness. The proposed conceptual framework recommends that, by applying the visual and thinking features of children's paintings to public art, artists can design high-quality artworks suitable for a city, which could improve people's happiness in public spaces. This study recommends further research into how public art can promote public spaces and shape the urban culture. It contributes to enhancing the quality of public art and public spaces, and inspiring a sense of well-being among citizens through the use of appropriate public art. The results are significant because they will help artists to create more high-quality public artworks for urban public spaces in order to evoke people's happiness.
  8. Fulltext The Influence of Traffic-Related Air Pollution (TRAP) in Primary Schools and Residential Proximity to Traffic Sources on Histone H3 Level in Selected Malaysian Children
    Suhaimi NF, Jalaludin J, Abu Bakar S
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 07 28;18(15).
    PMID: 34360284 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18157995
    This study aimed to investigate the association between traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exposure and histone H3 modification among school children in high-traffic (HT) and low-traffic (LT) areas in Malaysia. Respondents' background information and personal exposure to traffic sources were obtained from questionnaires distributed to randomly selected school children. Real-time monitoring instruments were used for 6-h measurements of PM10, PM2.5, PM1, NO2, SO2, O3, CO, and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). Meanwhile, 24-h measurements of PM2.5-bound black carbon (BC) were performed using air sampling pumps. The salivary histone H3 level was captured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). HT schools had significantly higher PM10, PM2.5, PM1, BC, NO2, SO2, O3, CO, and TVOC than LT schools, all at p < 0.001. Children in the HT area were more likely to get higher histone H3 levels (z = -5.13). There were positive weak correlations between histone H3 level and concentrations of NO2 (r = 0.37), CO (r = 0.36), PM1 (r = 0.35), PM2.5 (r = 0.34), SO2 (r = 0.34), PM10 (r = 0.33), O3 (r = 0.33), TVOC (r = 0.25), and BC (r = 0.19). Overall, this study proposes the possible role of histone H3 modification in interpreting the effects of TRAP exposure via non-genotoxic mechanisms.
  9. Fulltext Erratum: Wong, L.P., et al. The Self-Regulation Model of Illness: Comparison between Zika and Dengue and Its Application to Predict Mosquito Prevention Behaviours in Malaysia, a Dengue-Endemic Country Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 1210
    Wong LP, Alias H, Aghamohammadi N, Sam IC, Abu Bakar S
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2017 04 19;14(4).
    PMID: 28422053 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14040433
    n/a.
  10. Fulltext Surveillance of Injury Types, Locations, and Intensities in Male and Female Tennis Players: A Content Analysis of Online Newspaper Reports
    Musa RM, Hassan I, Abdullah MR, Azmi MNL, P P Abdul Majeed A, Abu Osman NA
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 12 01;18(23).
    PMID: 34886410 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312686
    The popularity of modern tennis has contributed to the increasing number of participants at both recreational and competitive levels. The influx of numerous tennis participants has resulted in a wave of injury occurrences of different types and magnitudes across both male and female players. Since tennis injury harms both players' economic and career development, a better understanding of its epidemiology could potentially curtail its prevalence and occurrences. We used online-based tennis-related injury reports to study the prevalence, location types, and injury intensities in both male and female tennis players for the past five years. It is demonstrated from the chi-square analysis that injury occurrences are significantly associated with a specific gender (χ2(18) = 50.773; p = 0.001), with male players having a higher risk of injury manifestation (68.10%) as compared with female players (31.90%). Nonetheless, knee, hip, ankle, and shoulder injuries are highly prevalent in both male and female players. Moreover, the injury intensities are distributed across gender (χ2(2) = 0.398; p = 0.820), with major injuries being dominant, followed by minor injuries, whilst a few cases of career-threatening injuries were also reported. It was similarly observed that male players recorded a higher degree of both major, minor, and career-threatening injuries than female players. In addition, male players sustained more elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, and thigh injuries than female players. Whereas, female players mostly suffered from Achilles and back injuries, ankle and hamstring injuries affected both genders. The usage of online newspaper reports is pivotal in characterizing the epidemiology of tennis-related injuries based on locations and gender to better understand the pattern and localization of injuries, which could be used to address the problem of modern tennis-related injuries.
  11. Fulltext The Effects of a Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Body Image Intervention on Girls in Intermediate Schools in Saudi Arabia
    Ahmad Bahathig A, Abu Saad H
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Sep 08;19(18).
    PMID: 36141585 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811314
    This cluster-randomized study aimed to evaluate the effects of an intervention focused on physical activity, nutrition, and body image perception among girls in intermediate schools in Saudi Arabia. A seminar was delivered to the mothers of the girls in the experimental group. The experimental group then attended six interactive sessions within 3 months featuring physical activity, nutrition, and body image perception, followed by a 3-month follow-up period. A total of 138 respondents (68 in the experimental group and 70 in the control group) completed the intervention. Each participant's body mass index-for-age z-score and waist circumference were measured, and they completed a physical activity, sedentary behavior, and body image perception questionnaires before and after the intervention and at the follow-up. The intervention was evaluated using within- and between-groups generalized estimating equations. There were no significant changes in the respondents' body mass index-for-age z-score or waist circumference (p > 0.05). However, immediate significant improvements were seen in physical activity, sedentary behavior, and body image satisfaction among the experimental group, and these improvements remained at follow-up (p < 0.001). These differences were more significant among the experimental group than among the control group. We found this intervention effective. Future studies can adapt this intervention for adolescent boys and extend its duration to improve the body mass index outcome.
  12. The Self-Regulation Model of Illness: Comparison between Zika and Dengue and Its Application to Predict Mosquito Prevention Behaviours in Malaysia, a Dengue-Endemic Country
    Wong LP, Alias H, Aghamohammadi N, Sam IC, AbuBakar S
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2016 12 06;13(12).
    PMID: 27929451
    Perceptions about illnesses may influence self-care and preventive health behaviours. Illness perceptions of the Zika virus (ZIKV) infection were investigated under the framework of the Self-Regulation Model of Illness. Illness perception differences between ZIKV and dengue fever were also examined. Lastly, associations between illness perceptions of ZIKV with mosquito prevention practices were studied. Samples were drawn from landline telephone numbers using computer-assisted telephone interviewing in Malaysia. A total of 567 respondents completed the survey between February 2015 and May 2016. The median and interquartile range (IQR) for the total six dimensions of illness perceptions score was higher for dengue (23.0 (IQR 17.0-28.0)) than ZIKV (20.0 (IRQ 11.0-28.0)), p < 0.001. Respondents who planned to have children (OR 1.670, 95% CI 1.035-2.694 vs. no intention to have children) and had friends or acquaintances who died of dengue (OR 2.372, 95% CI 1.300-4.327 vs. no friends who died of dengue) were more likely to have a higher total score for six illness perceptions for ZIKV compared to dengue. Multivariate analysis indicated that the best predictors for mosquito control practices after the ZIKV outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, in descending order, were causes, control, timeline, and consequences dimensions of illness perception. Understanding the context in which a person perceives ZIKV may contribute to developing interventions that influence prevention behaviours.
  13. Fulltext Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Prevention of Respiratory Tract Infections among Hajj and Umrah Pilgrims from Malaysia in 2018
    Dauda Goni M, Hasan H, Naing NN, Wan-Arfah N, Zeiny Deris Z, Nor Arifin W, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 11 18;16(22).
    PMID: 31752224 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16224569
    Respiratory tract infection (RTI) is a major public health challenge during the Muslim pilgrimage to Makkah. This study aims to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of Malaysian Hajj and Umrah pilgrims towards the prevention of RTIs in 2018 and determine correlations among three domains. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 225 Umrah and Hajj pilgrims. Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards RTI prevention was assessed by using a validated self-administered questionnaire among pilgrims attending a weekly orientation course organized by private Hajj/Umrah companies. Out of 225 participants, 65.9% of respondents were female with the mean (SD) age of 46.74 (13.38) years. The interquartile range (IQR) score for knowledge is 18.0 (6.0), the mean scores of attitude and practice are 32.65 (4.72) and 25.30 (4.9). respectively. Significant and negative linear correlations between knowledge and practice (r = -0.232, p < 0.001), and attitude and practice (r = 0.134, p = 0.045) were observed. Results from the current study showed good knowledge of RTIs among Malaysian pilgrims. However, a poor attitude was reflected in their preventive practice behaviors. This will further help in the prevention and management of RTIs during Hajj and Umrah. Therefore, an extensive educational health campaign should be provided to pilgrims to create awareness.
  14. Fulltext Automatic COVID-19 Detection Using Exemplar Hybrid Deep Features with X-ray Images
    Barua PD, Muhammad Gowdh NF, Rahmat K, Ramli N, Ng WL, Chan WY, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 07 29;18(15).
    PMID: 34360343 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18158052
    COVID-19 and pneumonia detection using medical images is a topic of immense interest in medical and healthcare research. Various advanced medical imaging and machine learning techniques have been presented to detect these respiratory disorders accurately. In this work, we have proposed a novel COVID-19 detection system using an exemplar and hybrid fused deep feature generator with X-ray images. The proposed Exemplar COVID-19FclNet9 comprises three basic steps: exemplar deep feature generation, iterative feature selection and classification. The novelty of this work is the feature extraction using three pre-trained convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in the presented feature extraction phase. The common aspects of these pre-trained CNNs are that they have three fully connected layers, and these networks are AlexNet, VGG16 and VGG19. The fully connected layer of these networks is used to generate deep features using an exemplar structure, and a nine-feature generation method is obtained. The loss values of these feature extractors are computed, and the best three extractors are selected. The features of the top three fully connected features are merged. An iterative selector is used to select the most informative features. The chosen features are classified using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier. The proposed COVID-19FclNet9 applied nine deep feature extraction methods by using three deep networks together. The most appropriate deep feature generation model selection and iterative feature selection have been employed to utilise their advantages together. By using these techniques, the image classification ability of the used three deep networks has been improved. The presented model is developed using four X-ray image corpora (DB1, DB2, DB3 and DB4) with two, three and four classes. The proposed Exemplar COVID-19FclNet9 achieved a classification accuracy of 97.60%, 89.96%, 98.84% and 99.64% using the SVM classifier with 10-fold cross-validation for four datasets, respectively. Our developed Exemplar COVID-19FclNet9 model has achieved high classification accuracy for all four databases and may be deployed for clinical application.
  15. Fulltext A Deep Learning Model for Automated Sleep Stages Classification Using PSG Signals
    Yildirim O, Baloglu UB, Acharya UR
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2019 02 19;16(4).
    PMID: 30791379 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16040599
    Sleep disorder is a symptom of many neurological diseases that may significantly affect the quality of daily life. Traditional methods are time-consuming and involve the manual scoring of polysomnogram (PSG) signals obtained in a laboratory environment. However, the automated monitoring of sleep stages can help detect neurological disorders accurately as well. In this study, a flexible deep learning model is proposed using raw PSG signals. A one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) is developed using electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrooculogram (EOG) signals for the classification of sleep stages. The performance of the system is evaluated using two public databases (sleep-edf and sleep-edfx). The developed model yielded the highest accuracies of 98.06%, 94.64%, 92.36%, 91.22%, and 91.00% for two to six sleep classes, respectively, using the sleep-edf database. Further, the proposed model obtained the highest accuracies of 97.62%, 94.34%, 92.33%, 90.98%, and 89.54%, respectively for the same two to six sleep classes using the sleep-edfx dataset. The developed deep learning model is ready for clinical usage, and can be tested with big PSG data.
  16. Fulltext Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life among Government Employees in Putrajaya, Malaysia
    Ashri MHM, Saad HA, Adznam SN
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 03 05;18(5).
    PMID: 33807907 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052626
    The current rapid growth of the economy has necessitated an assessment of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its associated factors among employees. Unfortunately, there are still limited data available in this area among the Malaysian working population in government sectors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factors associated with HRQOL among government employees in Putrajaya, Malaysia. This cross-sectional study recruited 460 eligible government employees who worked in the area of Putrajaya through simple random sampling. The self-administered questionnaire was distributed to these participants to collect information on the SF-36 profile of scores, sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors, and medical history. The results of this study signify that most of the participants were identified as having good HRQOL with the mean score of overall HRQOL was 72.42 ± 14.99. Multivariate analysis showed that being younger, receiving a better monthly personal income, a smaller household number, performing more physical activity, not having any chronic disease, and not using any long-term medication were significantly positively associated with overall HRQOL. The participants who did not have a family history of chronic disease were reported to be significantly associated with better mental component summary (MCS). Further, males were significantly positively associated with bodily pain (BP) and general health (GH) only, whereas better occupational status was limited to social functioning (SF). In conclusion, the results of this study provide motivation for future research and initiatives for improving the physical, emotional, and social well-being of government employees.
  17. Fulltext The Impact of the COVID-19 Self-Isolation Policy on the Occupations of Vulnerable Groups
    Amirudin A, Urbański M, Saputra J, Johansyah MD, Latip L, Tarmizi A, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 Jun 15;18(12).
    PMID: 34203631 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18126452
    Today, the spread of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to impact on world public health and bring about considerable human suffering partly due to government policies on reducing the spread. COVID-19 has significantly affected human health and it has impacted on the occupation of vulnerable groups such as tour guides, drivers and shop assistants. Of these, the present study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 self-isolation policy on the occupation of vulnerable groups in Semarang City, Indonesia. To achieve this objective, this study uses a qualitative method with an ethnography approach considering a rational or non-rational thinking model. The binary opposition thinking pattern pioneered by Lévi-Strauss was used in the interview process with 25 informants in Semarang City, Indonesia. The data analyzed the response pattern of informants through the taxonomy analysis. Three levels of vulnerability among groups relating to occupation were identified; jobs lost, income decreased, and delayed salary. The result of the analysis found that the group who obeyed self-isolation was categorized as a rational thinking; these groups stay at home, do not go to work, and have no income. Besides that, the group who ignored self-isolation is categorized as non-rational thinking; they work, as usual, get their salary, and believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is a disaster and they pray for their safety to God. In conclusion, COVID-19 brings a significant impact on occupation in the forms of postponing, declining, and missing income besides the health effects among vulnerable groups in Semarang city, Indonesia. In avoiding COVID-19 infection, the circumstances of vulnerable groups are worse when self-isolation is required. Thus, this study suggests that the government needs to assist vulnerable groups by focusing on strategic policies, such as strategies for survival, providing access to basic needs, including health, and offering livelihood plans by providing access to medical services and other source of income.
  18. Fulltext Interventions to Improve Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Updated Systematic Review
    Damulak PP, Ismail S, Abdul Manaf R, Mohd Said S, Agbaji O
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 03 03;18(5).
    PMID: 33802322 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052477
    Optimal adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains the bedrock of effective therapy and management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This systematic review examines the effect of interventions in improving ART adherence in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which bears the largest global burden of HIV infection. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, and based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria, PUBMED, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar databases were searched for published studies on ART adherence interventions from 2010 to 2019. Thirty-one eligible studies published between 2010 to 2019 were identified, the categories of interventions were structural, behavioral, biological, cognitive, and combination. Study characteristics varied across design, intervention type, intervention setting, country, and outcome measurements. Many of the studies were behavioral interventions conducted in hospitals with more studies being randomized controlled trial (RCT) interventions. Despite the study variations, twenty-four studies recorded improvements. Notwithstanding, more quality studies such as RCTs should be conducted, especially among key affected populations (KAPs) to control transmission of resistant strains of the virus. Reliable objective measures of adherence should replace the conventional subjective self-report. Furthermore, long-term interventions with longer duration should be considered when evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.
  19. Fulltext Internet Use Impact on Physical Health during COVID-19 Lockdown in Bangladesh: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study
    Abir T, Osuagwu UL, Nur-A Yazdani DM, Mamun AA, Kakon K, Salamah AA, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2021 10 13;18(20).
    PMID: 34682502 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010728
    Previous studies on internet use frequency were focused on mental health impact, with little known about the impact on physical health during the COVID-19 lockdown. This study examined the impact of internet use frequency on self-reported physical health during the COVID-19 lockdown in Bangladesh. A web-based cross-sectional study on 3242 individuals was conducted from 2 August-1 October 2020. The survey covered demographics, internet use frequency and self-reported physical health questions. Linear regression analyses were used to examine the impact of internet use frequency on physical health. 72.5%, 69.9%, 65.1% and 55.3% respondents reported headache, back pain, numbness of the fingers and neck pain, respectively. The analyses showed increased physical health impact among regular (coefficient β = 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.18-0.85, p = 0.003), frequent (β = 1.21, 95% CI: 0.88-1.54, p < 0.001) and intense (β = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.91-2.57, p < 0.001) internet users. Other important predictors were gender, income, occupation, regions, and working status. Frequent and extensive uses of the internet were strong predictors of physical health problems, and our findings suggest the need for increased awareness about the physical health problems that can be triggered by excessive internet usage.
  20. Fulltext Factors Associated with the Perception of Risk and Knowledge of Contracting the SARS-Cov-2 among Adults in Bangladesh: Analysis of Online Surveys
    Abir T, Kalimullah NA, Osuagwu UL, Yazdani DMN, Mamun AA, Husain T, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 Jul 21;17(14).
    PMID: 32708161 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145252
    This study investigated the perception and awareness of risk among adult participants in Bangladesh about Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). During the lockdown era in Bangladesh at two different time points, from 26-31 March 2020 (early lockdown) and 11-16 May 2020 (late lockdown), two self-administered online surveys were conducted on 1005 respondents (322 and 683 participants, respectively) via social media. To examine risk perception and knowledge-related factors towards COVID-19, univariate and multiple linear regression models were employed. Scores of mean knowledge (8.4 vs. 8.1, p = 0.022) and perception of risk (11.2 vs. 10.6, p < 0.001) differed significantly between early and late lockdown. There was a significant decrease in perceived risk scores for contracting SARS-Cov-2 [β = -0.85, 95%CI: -1.31, -0.39], while knowledge about SARS-Cov-2 decreased insignificantly [β = -0.22, 95%CI: -0.46, 0.03] in late lockdown compared with early lockdown period. Self-quarantine was a common factor linked to increased perceived risks and knowledge of SARS-Cov-2 during the lockdown period. Any effort to increase public awareness and comprehension of SARS-Cov-2 in Bangladesh will then offer preference to males, who did not practice self-quarantine and are less worried about the propagation of this kind of virus.
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