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Fulltext Risk perception of childhood immunisation among the public in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Zaki, R.A., Roffeei, S.N., Hazwan, A.E., Musa, N.

JUMMEC, 2018;21(2):38-44.
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Objective: The study was designed to determine the risk perception of the public population in Kota Kinabalu towards childhood immunisation.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study where self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the public in Kota Kinabalu. The respondents who consented were 18 years old and older. The illiterate persons and the foreigners were excluded. The calculated sample size was 400. Only 313 samples collected were suitable for analysis using SPSS v21.0.
Results: Fever, pain swelling and allergic reaction were correctly identified as risks of immunisation. Autism, mental retardation and even death could also result from vaccination. Of the total respondents, 76.7% agreed with the practice of childhood vaccination, 70.0% thought that childhood vaccinations were safe and effective and 58.1% felt that its benefit outweighed the risk. Other than that, 32.0% refused childhood vaccination from fear of its risks, and this fear was the main reason for the refusal of childhood vaccination. Age, marital status, race and income were the factors which influenced parental willingness to vaccinate their children (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Most participants understood the risks of childhood vaccination, but few agreed to the practice of childhood immunisation for herd immunity. Public health campaigns are needed, to increase the understanding and acceptance of childhood vaccination especially in the rural community.
Keywords: Childhood Immunisation, Parental Risk, Perception, Public Acceptance

Matched MeSH terms: Emigrants and Immigrants
Epidemiological findings on Hepatitis C infection in a tertiary level hospital in mid-northern Anatolia in Turkey: A four-year analysis

Taskin MH, Gunal O, Arslan S, Kaya B, Kilic SS, Akkoyunlu GK, et al.

Trop Biomed, 2020 Mar 01;37(1):227-236.
PMID: 33612734

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a blood-borne pathogen that causes acute or chronic infection of the liver, sometimes leading to serious liver damage and fatality. The objective of this study was to evaluate HCV prevalence in patients attending the Regional Training and Research Hospital for Medical Examination and Surgery in Samsun Province of Turkey between 2014 and 2017. Blood specimens taken from 152 596 patients were screened for HCV infection by using the anti-HCV assay. Seropositive samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in order to determine whether the HCV infection was active. Genotyping was then performed. Overall, HCV seropositivity and active HCV infection were 2.76% and 2.05%, respectively. Foreign nationals accounted for 5.61% of the seropositive samples and 1.37% of active HCV infective samples. We further report that 2017 was the year with the highest seroprevalence which was 3.64%. HCV genotype 1 was the most common genotype detected in residents of Samsun Province at 89.86%, followed by Genotype 3 at 4.54%. This study provides important information on the levels of HCV infection in the Samsun region of Turkey. The data indicate that there was a rising trend of HCV infection between 2014 and 2017.

Matched MeSH terms: Emigrants and Immigrants
Industrial Pollutants and Nasopharyngeal Cancer: An Open Question

Menicagli R, Bolla G, Menicagli L, Esseiridou A

Gulf J Oncolog, 2017 May;1(24):70-74.
PMID: 28798007

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma represents 0.7% of the total cancer cases in the world with an ASR index of 1.7 and is widely associated with Epstein-Barr virus. It is not common in Italy (ASR index of 0.5) while in China (ASR 1.9), one third of the clinical cases are observed in Guangdong (ASR index 11.3). It is also quite common in Malaysia and Indonesia. The activation of the cancerogenesis process happens after the exposure to some environmental parameters that epidemiological studies have indicated with various dietary habits, mainly for salted fish consumption. The purpose of this work is to highlight such as exposure to compounds, such as formaldehyde, which is present in the different working conditions of these countries and may lead to the real cause to establish the carcinogenic process.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The most recent publications regarding the impact of various external factors on Pub Med, Google, TOXLINE, Chem Abstract, were analyzed with the radiological data that were found in Milan hospitals database.
RESULTS: The relationship between food consumption and nasopharyngeal cancer are not clear and statistically insignificant in Indonesia. In Malaysia, the preparation of natural rubber for the use of formaldehyde is a dangerous environmental factor. The same exposure is a risk factor in Guangdong, where many workers are employed in the wood panel industry. Incidence of cancer in these Chinese ethnic groups decreases when they migrate to other countries. In the last 5 years, few cases were recorded in Italy, without any apparent change in ethnic environmental factors or HBV infection Discussion: In the production of natural rubber, a lot of people are exposed to formaldehyde during the various steps of preparation and production such as stripping, drying and coagulation without observing proper environmental hygiene precautions. The same working conditions are present in industrial production of wood panels in Guangdong, China. The relationship between exposure to formaldehyde and nasopharyngeal cancer is demonstrated by the fact that epidemiological studies on the population of this Chinese district whose immigrant populations were not exposed to these pollutants, the appearance of these tumors decreases. Also an examination of our radiological data in Italy shows that in about one hundred sixty cases of nasopharyngeal cancer none of the patients were Indonesian or Chinese Conclusion: The preliminary results of our study suggest that EPST-BARR virus could be a risk factor if associated with exposure to compounds such as formaldehyde which is present in industrial productions of countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and China.

Matched MeSH terms: Emigrants and Immigrants
Fulltext Role of the husband's knowledge and behaviour in postnatal depression: a case study of an immigrant Pakistani woman

Khan TM, Arif NH, Tahir H, Anwar M

Ment Health Fam Med, 2009 Dec;6(4):195-201.
PMID: 22477910

Objective. This study aims to highlight the subjective experience of an immigrant Pakistani woman during postnatal depression (PND), with a special emphasis on the husband's knowledge and behaviour towards PND.
Methods. A face-to-face interview was conducted with a woman reporting symptoms of depression on the fourth day after delivery. She was evaluated using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM IV)(1) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Rating Scale (EPDRS).(2) The evaluations were completed by a qualified psychiatrist. The demographic information, personal and family medical history and attitude towards the child were the principal issues recorded. In addition, five items were used to evaluate the husband's knowledge about PND. The EPDRS differences before and after counselling were evaluated using a student t-test.
Results. The patient was 32 years old and this was her first experience of delivery by Caesarean section. The evaluation for depression confirmed the diagnosis of PND and she scored 16 on the EPDRS. The husband's knowledge of PND was poor.
Conclusion. This case study suggests that lack of social support and understanding appear to play a vital role in the persistence of symptoms of PND among new mothers. Therefore, counselling of couples may be an effective additional tool in treating PND.

Matched MeSH terms: Emigrants and Immigrants
Fulltext Characteristics of young colorectal cancer in Brunei Darussalam: an epidemiologic study of 29 years (1986-2014)

Koh KS, Telisinghe PU, Bickle I, Abdullah MS, Chong CF, Chong VH

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2015;16(8):3279-83.
PMID: 25921132

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common gastrointestinal cancer and the incidence is increasing. CRC is more common with increasing age, but a proportion occurs in young adults, termed young CRC. This study assessed the incidence and the demographic of young CRC in Brunei Darussalam.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: All histologically proven CRC between 1986 and 2014 registered with the Department of Pathology cancer registry were reviewed and data extracted for analyses. Young CRC was defined as cancer in patients aged less than 45 years. The various population groups were categorized into locals (Malays, Chinese and Indigenous) and expatriates.

RESULTS: Over the study period, there were 1,126 histologically proven CRC (mean age 59.1 ± 14.7 years, Male 58.0%, Locals 91.8% and 8.2% expatriates). Young CRC accounted for 15.1% with the proportion declining over the years, from 29% (1986-1990) to 13.2% (2011-2014). The proportion of young CRC was highest among the indigenous (30.8%), followed by the expatriates (29.3%), Malays (14.3%) and lowest among the Chinese (10.8%). The mean age of young CRC was 35.9 ± 6.2; lowest among the indigenous (33.5 ± 6.7), expatriate (34.9 ± 6.0) groupd and the Malays (35.6 ± 6.5) compared to the Chinese (38.6 ± 4.6), a similar trend being observed in the non-young CRC groups. There were no difference between the genders and tumor locations (rectum or colon) between the young and the non-young CRC cases. Female young CRC was significantly younger than male (p<0.05) without any significant variation between the various population groups (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that the young CRC accounted for 15.1% of all CRC with declining trend observed over recent years. Young CRC was more common among indigenous, expatriates and Malays and least common among the Chinese. There were no differences in the gender and tumor locations.

Matched MeSH terms: Emigrants and Immigrants/statistics & numerical data*
Fulltext First report of sylvatic DENV-2-associated dengue hemorrhagic fever in West Africa

Franco L, Palacios G, Martinez JA, Vázquez A, Savji N, De Ory F, et al.

PLoS Negl Trop Dis, 2011 Aug;5(8):e1251.
PMID: 21829739 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0001251

Dengue virus (DENV) circulates in human and sylvatic cycles. Sylvatic strains are both ecologically and evolutionarily distinct from endemic viruses. Although sylvatic dengue cycles occur in West African countries and Malaysia, only a few cases of mild human disease caused by sylvatic strains and one single case of dengue hemorrhagic fever in Malaysia have been reported. Here we report a case of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) with thrombocytopenia (13000/µl), a raised hematocrit (32% above baseline) and mucosal bleeding in a 27-year-old male returning to Spain in November 2009 after visiting his home country Guinea Bissau. Sylvatic DENV-2 West African lineage was isolated from blood and sera. This is the first case of DHF associated with sylvatic DENV-2 in Africa and the second case worldwide of DHF caused by a sylvatic strain.

Matched MeSH terms: Emigrants and Immigrants
Cardiovascular responses to stress in Singapore and India

Kaur D, Bishop GD

Int J Psychophysiol, 2013 Feb;87(2):130-40.
PMID: 23206971 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2012.11.011

Epidemiological studies have shown significant ethnic differences in coronary heart disease death rates with South Asians showing significantly greater coronary heart disease mortality than other groups.

Matched MeSH terms: Emigrants and Immigrants
Fulltext Male sexual dysfunction in Asia

Ho CC, Singam P, Hong GE, Zainuddin ZM

Asian J Androl, 2011 Jul;13(4):537-42.
PMID: 21643001 DOI: 10.1038/aja.2010.135

Sex has always been a taboo subject in Asian society. However, over the past few years, awareness in the field of men's sexual health has improved, and interest in sexual health research has recently increased. The epidemiology and prevalence of erectile dysfunction, hypogonadism and premature ejaculation in Asia are similar in the West. However, several issues are specific to Asian males, including culture and beliefs, awareness, compliance and the availability of traditional/complementary medicine. In Asia, sexual medicine is still in its infancy, and a concerted effort from the government, relevant societies, physicians and the media is required to propel sexual medicine to the forefront of health care.

Matched MeSH terms: Emigrants and Immigrants