Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 96 in total

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  1. Fulltext Influence of Chinese cultural health beliefs among Malaysian Chinese in a suburban population: a survey
    Chew KS, Tan TW, Ooi YT
    Singapore Med J, 2011 Apr;52(4):252-6.
    PMID: 21552785
    In a multiethnic nation, it is not uncommon for doctors to encounter patients of different cultural backgrounds. Often, patients' cultural beliefs influence their perception of health and illnesses, and their treatment option. Many Chinese cultural beliefs are influenced by the Taoist concept of yin-yang balance.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
  2. Fulltext Navigating HIV prevention policy and Islam in Malaysia: contention, compatibility or reconciliation? Findings from in-depth interviews among key stakeholders
    Barmania S, Aljunid SM
    BMC Public Health, 2016 07 07;16:524.
    PMID: 27387326 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-016-3247-y
    BACKGROUND: Malaysia is a multicultural society, predominantly composed of a Muslim majority population, where Islam is influential. Malaysia has a concentrated HIV epidemic amongst high risk groups, such as, Intravenous Drug Users (IVDU), sex workers, transgender women and Men who have sex with Men (MSM). The objective of this study is to understand how Islam shapes HIV prevention strategies in Malaysia by interviewing the three key stakeholder groups identified as being influential, namely the Ministry of Health, Religious leaders and People living with HIV.

    METHODS: Thirty-Five in depth semi structured interviews were undertaken with religious leaders, Ministry of Health and People living with HIV in the last half of 2013 using purposive sampling. Interviews adhered to a topic guide, were audiotaped, and transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a framework analysis.

    RESULTS: Themes including the importance of Islam to health, stakeholder relationships and opinions on HIV prevention emerged. Islam was seen to play a pivotal role in shaping strategies relating to HIV prevention in Malaysia both directly and indirectly. Stakeholders often held different approaches to HIV prevention, which had to be sensitively considered, with some favouring promotion of Islamic principles, whilst others steering towards a more public health centred approach.

    CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests that Islam indeed plays an important role in shaping health policies and strategies related to HIV prevention in Malaysia. Certainly, stakeholders do hold differing viewpoints, such as stances of what constitutes the right approach to HIV prevention. However there are also areas of broad consensus, such as the importance in Islamic tradition to prevent harm and disease, which can be crafted into existing and future HIV prevention strategies in Malaysia, as well as the wider Muslim world.

    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
  3. Structure and anti-structure in the culture-bound syndromes: The Malay case
    Lee RL
    Cult Med Psychiatry, 1981 Sep;5(3):233-48.
    PMID: 7318487
    Turner's concepts of structure and anti-structure are applied to the culture-bound syndromes to demonstrate that they are dialectical aspects of cultural reality, The Malay cases of amok, latah and possession hysteria are discussed as instances of anti-structural behaviors that dramatize role-reversals and role-enhancement. The performers of these behaviors are not subjected to the Malay code of moral conduct. The supernatural ethos in Malay culture plays an important role in shaping tolerance towards them. Although this tolerance has been gradually eroded as a result of the introduction of Western psychiatry, the anti-structural status of these syndromes has not faded away but has assumed new meanings in terms of psychopathology.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
  4. Fulltext Quality of life in South East Asian patients who consult for dyspepsia: validation of the short form Nepean Dyspepsia Index
    Mahadeva S, Wee HL, Goh KL, Thumboo J
    Health Qual Life Outcomes, 2009;7:45.
    PMID: 19463190 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7525-7-45
    BACKGROUND:
    Treatment objectives for dyspepsia include improvements in both symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). There is a lack of disease-specific instruments measuring HRQoL in South East Asian dyspeptics.

    OBJECTIVES:
    To validate English and locally translated version of the Short-Form Nepean Dyspepsia Index (SF-NDI) in Malaysian patients who consult for dyspepsia.

    METHODS:
    The English version of the SF-NDI was culturally adapted locally and a Malay translation was developed using standard procedures. English and Malay versions of the SF-NDI were assessed against the SF-36 and the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire (LDQ), examining internal consistency, test-retest reliability and construct validity.

    RESULTS:
    Pilot testing of the translated Malay and original English versions of the SF-NDI in twenty subjects did not identify any cross-cultural adaptation problems. 143 patients (86 English-speaking and 57 Malay speaking) with dyspepsia were interviewed and the overall response rate was 100% with nil missing data. The median total SF-NDI score for both languages were 72.5 and 60.0 respectively. Test-retest reliability was good with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.90 (English) and 0.83 (Malay), while internal consistency of SF-NDI subscales revealed alpha values ranging from 0.83 - 0.88 (English) and 0.83 - 0.90 (Malay). In both languages, SF-NDI sub-scales and total score demonstrated lower values in patients with more severe symptoms and in patients with functional vs organic dyspepsia (known groups validity), although these were less marked in the Malay language version. There was moderate to good correlation (r = 0.3 - 0.6) between all SF-NDI sub-scales and various domains of the SF-36 (convergent validity).

    CONCLUSION:
    This study demonstrates that both English and Malay versions of the SF-NDI are reliable and probably valid instruments for measuring HRQoL in Malaysian patients with dyspepsia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  5. Autonomy for whom? A perspective from the Orient
    Ng LF, Shumacher A, Goh CB
    Palliat Med, 2000 Mar;14(2):163-4.
    PMID: 10829153 DOI: 10.1191/026921600669696020
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  6. Female genital mutilation. Council on Scientific Affairs, American Medical Association
    JAMA, 1995 Dec 6;274(21):1714-6.
    PMID: 7474278
    Female genital mutilation is the medically unnecessary modification of female genitalia. Female genital mutilation typically occurs at about 7 years of age, but mutilated women suffer severe medical complications throughout their adult lives. Female genital mutilation most frequently occurs in Africa, the Middle East, and Muslim parts of Indonesia and Malaysia, and it is generally part of a ceremonial induction into adult society. Recent political and economic problems in these regions, however, have increased the numbers of students and refugees to the United States. Consequently, US physicians are treating an increasing number of mutilated patients. The Council on Scientific Affairs recommends that US physicians join the World Health Organization, the World Medical Association, and other major health care organizations in opposing all forms of medically unnecessary surgical modification of the female genitalia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  7. Breast feeding among the Chinese in four countries
    Koh TH
    J Trop Pediatr, 1981 04;27(2):88-91.
    PMID: 7230315 DOI: 10.1093/tropej/27.2.88
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  8. Genetic microdifferentiation in the Semai Senoi of Malaysia
    Fix AG, Lie-injo LE
    Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 1975 Jul;43(1):47-55.
    PMID: 1155591
    Blood samples, demographic and cultural data were collected from seven settlements of Semai Senoi, a swidden farming ethnic group of Malaysia. Three genetic loci (ABO blood group, hereditary ovalcytosis, and hemoglobin) were analyzed in a total sample of 546 individuals. These data indicate a considerable degree of genetic microdifferentiation in this area of the Semai distribution. Parent-offspring birthplace data (analyzed by means of a migration matrix) and settlement histories show that settlements are not strongly isolated. Genetic differences in the study area demonstrate a reasonable correspondence with migration and the history of the settlements. Genetic convergence also occurs through the addition of migrant groups to established populations leading to new patterns of marriage between donor and recipient groups. The genetic structure of the total Semai population through time thus comprises a mosaic of shifiting allele frequencies in a series of semi-isolated local populations.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  9. First Report of Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum capsici on Bok Choy (Brassica chinensis) in Malaysia
    Mahmodi F, Kadir JB, Wong MY, Nasehi A, Soleimani N, Puteh A
    Plant Dis, 2013 May;97(5):687.
    PMID: 30722185 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-09-12-0843-PDN
    Bok choy (Brassica chinensis L.) is a temperate vegetable grown in the cool highland areas of Malaysia. In June 2010, vegetable growing areas of the Cameron Highlands, located in Pahang State, Malaysia, were surveyed for the prevalence of anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum species. Diseased samples were randomly collected from 12 infested fields. Anthracnose incidence on bok choy varied from 8 to 36% in different nursery fields. Disease symptoms initially appeared as small water-soaked spots scattered on the leaf petioles of young plants. As these spots increased in size, they developed irregular round spots that turned to sunken grayish brown lesions surrounded by brownish borders. When the lesions were numerous, leaves collapsed. Pale buff to salmon conidial mass and acervuli were observed on well-developed lesions. The acervuli diameter varied in size from 198 to 486 μm, averaging 278.5 μm. Morphological and cultural characteristics of the fungus were examined on potato dextrose agar incubated for 7 days at 25 ± 2°C under constant fluorescent light. Vegetative mycelia were hyaline, septate, branched, and 2 to 7 μm in diameter. The color of the fungal colonies was grayish brown. Conidia were hyaline, aseptate, falcate, apices acute, and 21.8 to 28.5 × 2.6 to 3.4 mm. Setae were pale brown to dark brown, 75 to 155 μm long, base cylindrical, and tapering towards the acute tip. Appressoria were solitary or in dense groups, light to dark brown, entire edge to lobed, roundish to clavate, 6.5 to 14 × 5.8 to 8.6 μm, averaging 9.2 × 6.8 μm, and had a L/W ratio of 1.35. Based on the keys outlined by Mordue 1971 (2) and Sutton 1980 (3), the characteristics of this fungus corresponded to Colletotrichum capsici. Sequence analysis of the ITS-rDNA obtained from the Malaysian strain CCM3 (GenBank Accession No. JQ685746) using primers ITS5 and ITS4 (1) when aligned with deposited sequences from GenBank revealed 99 to 100% sequence identity with C. capsici strains (DQ286158, JQ685754, DQ286156, GQ936210, and GQ369594). A representative strain CCM3 was used for pathogenicity testing. Four non-infected detached leaves of 2-week-old B. chinensis were surface-sterilized and inoculated by placing 10 μl of conidial suspension (106 conidia ml-1) using either the wound/drop or non-wound/drop method, and distilled water was used as a control (1). Leaves were incubated at 25°C, 98% RH. The experiment was repeated twice. Five days after inoculation, typical anthracnose symptoms with acervuli formation appeared on the surface of tissues inoculated with the spore suspension, but not on the water controls. A fungus with the characteristics of C. capsici was recovered from the lesions on the inoculated leaves. Anthracnose caused by C. capsici has been reported on different vegetable crops, but not on bok choy (3). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. capsici causing anthracnose on bok choy in Malaysia. References: (1) R. Ford et al. Aust. Plant Pathol. 33:559, 2004. (2) J. E. M. Mordue. CMI Description of Pathogenic Fungi and Bacteria. Commonwealth Mycol. Inst., Kew, UK. 1971. (3) B. C. Sutton. The Genus Glomerella and its anamorph Colletotrichum. CAB International, Wallingford, UK, 1992. (4) P. P. Than et al. Plant Pathol. 57:562, 2008.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  10. First Report of Pestalotiopsis virgatula Causing Pestalotiopsis Fruit Rot on Rambutan in Hawaii
    Keith LM
    Plant Dis, 2008 May;92(5):835.
    PMID: 30769617 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-92-5-0835B
    Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum Linn.) is a tropical, exotic fruit that has a rapidly expanding niche market in Hawaii. Diseased rambutan fruit was commonly observed in orchards in the Hilo and Kona districts of Hawaii Island during 2006. In surveys conducted in January, symptoms appeared as dark brown-to-black spots on mature fruit and blackened areas at the base of spinterns (hair-like projections) of mature and immature fruits. Pieces of infected fruit (cv. R167) were surface sterilized for 2 min in 0.5% NaOCl, plated on potato dextrose agar, and incubated at 24 ± 1°C for 7 days. The fungus growing on PDA was pale buff with sparse, aerial mycelium and acervuli containing black, slimy spore masses. All isolates had five-celled conidia. Apical and basal cells were hyaline, while the three median cells were olivaceous; the upper two were slightly darker than the lower one. Conidia (n = 40) were 20.3 ± 0.1 × 6.8 ± 0.1 μm. There were typically three apical appendages averaging 16.8 ± 0.2 μm long. The average basal appendage was 3.8 ± 0.1 μm long. The fungus was initially identified as Pestalotiopsis virgatula (Kleb.) Stey. on the basis of conidial and cultural characteristics (3). The identification was confirmed by molecular analysis of the 5.8S subunit and flanking internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) of rDNA amplified from DNA extracted from single-spore cultures with the ITS1/ITS4 primers (1,4) and sequenced (GenBank Accession No. EU047943). To confirm pathogenicity, agar pieces, 3 mm in diameter, from 7-day old cultures were used as inoculum. Five mature fruit from rambutan cv. R134 were rinsed with tap water, surface sterilized with 0.5% NaOCl for 2 min, wounded with a needle head, inoculated in the laboratory, and maintained in a moist chamber for 7 days. Lesions resembling symptoms that occurred in the field were observed on fruit after 7 days. No symptoms were observed on fruit inoculated with agar media. The fungus reisolated from diseased fruit was identical to the original isolates, confirming Koch's postulates. The disease appears to be widespread in Hawaii. Preharvest symptoms may have the potential to affect postharvest fruit quality if fruits are not stored at the proper conditions. Pestalotiopsis spp. have been reported on rambutan in Malaysia, Brunei, and Australia (2). To my knowledge, this is the first report of P. virgatula causing fruit spots on rambutan in Hawaii. References: (1) G. Caetano-Annolles et al. Curr. Genet. 39:346, 2001. (2) D. F. Farr et al. Fungal Databases. Systematic Botany and Mycology Laboratory. On-line publication. ARS, USDA, 2007. (3) E. F. Guba. Monograph of Pestalotia and Monochaetia. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1961. (4) T. J. White et al. PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, CA. 1990.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  11. Traditional midwives and family planning in Asia
    Rogers EM, Solomon DS
    Stud Fam Plann, 1975 May;6(5):126-33.
    PMID: 1145693 DOI: 10.2307/1964747
    The objectives of this article are (1) review the contribution of traditional midwives to family planning communication in several Asian countries; (2) organize knowledge gathered from various studies into general guidelines for the most effective use of traditional midwives in family planning programs; and (3) present hypotheses for future research. In certain countries where pilot projects have tested the potential performance of traditional midwives in family planning programs, results have been encouraging. In other nations, more research is needed to determine the contribution traditional midwives can make to the family planning program.
    PIP: Traditional midwives are found in almost every village and in many urban neighborhoods in the developing world, delivering the majority of births in these areas. Several Asian nations have begun to recognize the potential contribution of traditional midwives to modern family planning and health programs. A total of about 17,000 traditional midwives have been trained as family planning recruiters in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. Because traditional midwives deliver a large number of births in Asian nations, the potential is great for them to reach large numbers of women regarding family planning -- particularly poor, illiterate women. There is much to be learned from the traditional health system and governmental health and family planning programs should join hands with these older systems.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  12. The treatment of an obsessive-compulsive girl in the context of Malaysian Chinese culture
    Ong SB, Leng YK
    Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 1979 Sep;13(3):255-9.
    PMID: 293181
    The case history, treatment and follow-up of a thirteen-year-old girl with obsessive-compulsive neurosis of six months duration are reported. Results show that behaviour modification techniques were effective though a second course of treatment was required. Her illness and its treatment by behaviour therapy in relation to the Malaysian Chinese culture is discussed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  13. Psychiatric sequelae of Amok
    Tan EK, Carr JE
    Cult Med Psychiatry, 1977 Apr;1(1):59-67.
    PMID: 756354
    The authors present evidence of an indigenous diagnostic system by which Malay culture defines Amok, and of the disparate relations between individual conceptualization, behavior, and tradition which contributes to the labeling process. Amok is viewed as a cultural prescription for violent behavior in response to a given set of conditions. It is not a disease but rather a behavioral sequence, perceived as illness, that may be precipitated by various etiological factors. Finally, evidence is presented to support the hypothesis that traditional forms of Amok are being replaced by new variants in which psychopathology is increasingly evident.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics
  14. An exploratory study of traditional birthing practices of Chinese, Malay and Indian women in Singapore
    Naser E, Mackey S, Arthur D, Klainin-Yobas P, Chen H, Creedy DK
    Midwifery, 2012 Dec;28(6):e865-71.
    PMID: 22079015 DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2011.10.003
    to explore the traditional birthing practices of Singaporean women.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
  15. Rates of treated schizophrenia and its clinical and cultural features in the population isolate of the Iban of Sarawak: a tri-diagnostic approach
    Barrett R, Loa P, Jerah E, Nancarrow D, Chant D, Mowry B
    Psychol Med, 2005 Feb;35(2):281-93.
    PMID: 15841685
    We present results of a study of treated rates of schizophrenia among the Iban of Sarawak, Malaysia. Most Iban live in longhouses, each comprising a kindred group of up to 300 individuals. Cultural practices such as minimal intermarriage with members of adjacent ethnic groups and in-depth genealogical knowledge make them a population suitable for genetic investigation. Iban culture is conducive to a focus on symptoms and illness, and to patterns of treatment-seeking behaviour that are enthusiastic and persistent.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
  16. Religious--sociocultural psychotherapy in patients with anxiety and depression
    Razali SM, Hasanah CI, Aminah K, Subramaniam M
    Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 1998 Dec;32(6):867-72.
    PMID: 10084352
    To show the effectiveness of incorporating religious-sociocultural components in the management of patients with generalised anxiety disorders and major depression who have strong religious and cultural backgrounds as compared with a normal psychotherapeutic approach.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
  17. The impact of religion and cultural values on AIDS education programs in Malaysia and the Philippines
    Osteria T, Sullivan G
    AIDS Educ Prev, 1991;3(2):133-46.
    PMID: 1873137
    This paper examines the impact of cultural values and government policies on the content of AIDS educational literature prepared by public health agencies in Malaysia and the Philippines. The literature from these countries, which has been distributed to the public and is intended to inform them of the danger of AIDS, how the HIV is and is not transmitted, and how to avoid infection, is analyzed and evaluated for effectiveness and congruence with the dominant religious tenets and cultural practices in each country, and attitudes to sexual behavior. The paper also describes the response of these countries to the AIDS pandemic, and concludes with suggestions about how this form of AIDS education can be improved.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
  18. Rites of consent: negotiating research participation in diverse cultures
    Barrett RJ, Parker DB
    Monash Bioeth Rev, 2003 Apr;22(2):9-26.
    PMID: 15069953
    The significance of informed consent in research involving humans has been a topic of active debate in the last decade. Much of this debate, we submit, is predicated on an ideology of individualism. We draw on our experiences as anthropologists working in Western and non Western (Iban) health care settings to present ethnographic data derived from diverse scenes in which consent is gained. Employing classical anthropological ritual theory, we subject these observational data to comparative analysis. Our article argues that the individualist assumptions underlying current bioethics guidelines do not have universal applicability, even in Western research settings. This is based on the recognition that the social world is constitutive of personhood in diverse forms, just one of which is individualistic. We submit that greater attention must be paid to the social relations the researcher inevitably engages in when conducting research involving other people, be this in the context of conventional medical research or anthropological field work. We propose, firstly, that the consenting process continues throughout the life of any research project, long after the signature has been secured, and secondly, that both group and individual dimensions of consent, and the sequence in which these dimensions are addressed, should be carefully considered in all cases where consent is sought.
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
  19. Fulltext A pilot study: the development of a culturally tailored Malaysian Diabetes Education Module (MY-DEMO) based on the Health Belief Model
    Ahmad B, Ramadas A, Quek KF, Md Zain AZ
    BMC Endocr Disord, 2014 Apr 08;14:31.
    PMID: 24708715 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6823-14-31
    BACKGROUND: Diabetes education and self-care remains the cornerstone of diabetes management. There are many structured diabetes modules available in the United Kingdom, Europe and United States of America. Contrastingly, few structured and validated diabetes modules are available in Malaysia. This pilot study aims to develop and validate diabetes education material suitable and tailored for a multicultural society like Malaysia.

    METHODS: The theoretical framework of this module was founded from the Health Belief Model (HBM). The participants were assessed using 6-item pre- and post-test questionnaires that measured some of the known HBM constructs namely cues to action, perceived severity and perceived benefit. Data was analysed using PASW Statistics 18.0.

    RESULTS: The pre- and post-test questionnaires were administered to 88 participants (31 males). In general, there was a significant increase in the total score in post-test (97.34 ± 6.13%) compared to pre-test (92.80 ± 12.83%) (p 85%) at post-test (84.1%) compared to pre-test (70.5%) (p 
    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
  20. The Impact of Ethnic and Cultural Differences on Parental Satisfaction in the PICU
    Sng QW, Kirk AH, Buang SN, Lee JH
    Pediatr Crit Care Med, 2017 Apr;18(4):e167-e175.
    PMID: 28230713 DOI: 10.1097/PCC.0000000000001095
    OBJECTIVES: This study examined satisfaction of parents whose children were admitted to the PICU to identify priority areas for improvement. We hypothesized that differences exist in satisfaction of parents of different ethnicities.

    DESIGN: Prospective observational study.

    SETTING: PICU in a tertiary care pediatric hospital.

    PATIENTS: All English-literate parents whose child was admitted to our PICU between February 2014 and February 2015 were eligible after informed consent was obtained. Parents included in this study in previous admission(s) were excluded.

    INTERVENTION: Nil.

    MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We adapted Empowerment of Parent in the Intensive Care Questionnaire, a validated questionnaire survey specific for measuring parental satisfaction in PICUs. This adapted survey consisted of 31 questions (based on a scale of 1-6) examining five domains as follows: information giving, care and cure, parental participation, organization, and professional attitude. Reliability of Empowerment of Parent in the Intensive Care Questionnaire in our population was analyzed using Cronbach's alpha. We used ordinal logistic regression, controlling for socioeconomic status and educational level, to examine differences in parental perceptions of various ethnicities. We obtained a total of 206 responses (36.5%) from 543 admissions. There were 116 (56%) emergency and 90 (44%) elective admissions. The proportion of respondents were Chinese (126 [61%]), Malay (32 [16%]), Indian (23 [11%]), and "Others" (25 [12%]). Cronbach's alpha for domains of information giving (α = 0.80), care and cure (α = 0.93), parental participation (α = 0.84), organization (α = 0.79), and professional attitude (α = 0.88) were good. In all five domains, our median PICU scores were 6 (interquartile range, 5-6). Compared to other ethnic groups, Malay parents did perceive that domains of "care and cure," "parental participation," and "professional attitude" were less satisfactory.

    CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences were found in satisfaction ratings between parents of different ethnicities. Further studies are needed to explore and determine reasons for these differences.

    Matched MeSH terms: Cultural Characteristics*
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