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Fulltext A nationwide survey on the expectation of public healthcare providers on family medicine specialists in Malaysia-a qualitative analysis of 623 written comments

Chew BH, Cheong AT, Ismail M, Hamzah Z, A-Rashid MR, Md-Yasin M, et al.

BMJ Open, 2014 Jun 11;4(6):e004645.
PMID: 24919639 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004645

OBJECTIVE: To examine the expectation of public healthcare providers/professionals (PHCPs) who are working closely with family medicine specialists (FMSs) at public health clinics.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.
SETTING: This study is part of a larger national study on the perception of the Malaysian public healthcare professionals on FMSs.
PARTICIPANTS: PHCPs from three categories of health facilities, namely hospitals, health clinics and health offices.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Qualitative analysis of written comments of respondents' expectation of FMSs.
RESULTS: The participants' response rate was 58% (780/1345) with an almost equal proportion from each public healthcare facility. We identified 21 subthemes for the 623 expectation comments. The six emerging themes are (1) need for more FMSs, (2) clinical roles and functions of FMSs, (3) administrative roles of FMSs, (4) contribution to community and public health, (5) attributes improvement and (6) research and audits. FMSs were expected to give attention to clinical duty. Delivering this responsibility with competence included having the latest medical knowledge in their own and others' medical disciplines, practising evidence-based medicine in prehospital and posthospital care, better supervision of staff and doctors under their care, fostering effective teamwork, communicating more often with hospital specialists and making appropriate referral. Expectations ranged from definite and strong for more FMSs at the health clinics to low expectation for FMSs' involvement in research; to mal-expectation on FMSs' involvement in community and public health programmes.
CONCLUSIONS: There were some remarkable differences in expectations on FMSs from the three different PHCPs. These ranged from being clinically competent and administratively available for patients and staff at the health clinics, to mal-expectations on FMSs to engage in public health affairs. Relevant parties, including FMSs themselves, could take appropriate self-improvement initiatives to enhance public practice of family medicine and patient care.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NMRR ID: 08-12-1167.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health*
Governance and networks for health co-benefits of climate change mitigation: Lessons from two Indian cities

Puppim de Oliveira JA, Doll CN

Environ Int, 2016 12;97:146-154.
PMID: 27665118 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2016.08.020

Health has been the main driver for many urban environmental interventions, particularly in cases of significant health problems linked to poor urban environmental conditions. This paper examines empirically the links between climate change mitigation and health in urban areas, when health is the main driver for improvements. The paper aims to understand how systems of urban governance can enable or prevent the creation of health outcomes via continuous improvements in the environmental conditions in a city. The research draws on cases from two Indian cities where initiatives were undertaken in different sectors: Surat (waste) and Delhi (transportation). Using the literature on network effectiveness as an analytical framework, the paper compares the cases to identify the possible ways to strengthen the governance and policy making process in the urban system so that each intervention can intentionally realize multiple impacts for both local health and climate change mitigation in the long term as well as factors that may pose a threat to long-term progress and revert back to the previous situation after initial achievements.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health*
Fulltext Prediction of Epidemic Peak and Infected Cases for COVID-19 Disease in Malaysia, 2020

Alsayed A, Sadir H, Kamil R, Sari H

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 Jun 08;17(11).
PMID: 32521641 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17114076

The coronavirus COVID-19 has recently started to spread rapidly in Malaysia. The number of total infected cases has increased to 3662 on 05 April 2020, leading to the country being placed under lockdown. As the main public concern is whether the current situation will continue for the next few months, this study aims to predict the epidemic peak using the Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) model, with incorporation of the mortality cases. The infection rate was estimated using the Genetic Algorithm (GA), while the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) model was used to provide short-time forecasting of the number of infected cases. The results show that the estimated infection rate is 0.228 ± 0.013, while the basic reproductive number is 2.28 ± 0.13. The epidemic peak of COVID-19 in Malaysia could be reached on 26 July 2020, with an uncertain period of 30 days (12 July-11 August). Possible interventions by the government to reduce the infection rate by 25% over two or three months would delay the epidemic peak by 30 and 46 days, respectively. The forecasting results using the ANFIS model show a low Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) of 0.041; a low Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 2.45%; and a high coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9964. The results also show that an intervention has a great effect on delaying the epidemic peak and a longer intervention period would reduce the epidemic size at the peak. The study provides important information for public health providers and the government to control the COVID-19 epidemic.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health Administration*
Public health developments in colonial Malaya: colonialism and the politics of prevention

Manderson L

Am J Public Health, 1999 Jan;89(1):102-7.
PMID: 9987478

In both African and Asian colonies until the late 19th century, colonial medicine operated pragmatically to meet the medical needs first of colonial officers and troops, immigrant settlers, and laborers responsible for economic development, then of indigenous populations when their ill health threatened the well-being of the expatriate population. Since the turn of the century, however, the consequences of colonial expansion and development for indigenous people's health had become increasingly apparent, and disease control and public health programs were expanded in this light. These programs increased government surveillance of populations at both community and household levels. As a consequence, colonial states extended institutional oversight and induced dependency through public health measures. Drawing on my own work on colonial Malaya, I illustrate developments in public health and their links to the moral logic of colonialism and its complementarity to the political economy.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health/history*
Fulltext HIV/AIDS Related Stigma and Discrimination against PLWHA in Nigerian Population

Dahlui M, Azahar N, Bulgiba A, Zaki R, Oche OM, Adekunjo FO, et al.

PLoS One, 2015;10(12):e0143749.
PMID: 26658767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143749

HIV/AIDS remain a major public health concern in Nigeria. People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) face not only personal medical problems but also social problems associated with the disease such as stigma and discriminatory attitudes. This study provides an insight into HIV/AIDS related stigma and discrimination against PLWHA in Nigeria.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis amongst adults living in hostels by six successive day examination

Oothuman P, Noor Hayati MI, Mastura MH, Rampal L, Jeffery J, Rubiah M, et al.

Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 1992 Mar;23(1):82-6.
PMID: 1523484

The prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis in four groups of adults, all trainee public health inspectors or public health nurses, aged 18-35 years and all living in hostels on campus was studied. The modified scotch tape technique was used and the subjects were taught to do the examination on themselves to detect the presence of eggs over a period of 6 successive mornings. Each was given an elaborately illustrated diagram on how and when to take the samples and given demonstration in groups. The samples were examined by trained people. Most of the subjects took samples on 6 consecutive days. Of the 119 subjects who returned samples, the overall prevalence of E. vermicularis was 9.2% and this was thought to be high for this particular age group. This was due to the higher prevalence (19.4%) in one group, whereas in the others the range was 3.5-8.0%. Based on the samples returned on the first day none of the subjects were detected as having the infection. After examination on 3 successive days (109 subjects) 10.1% were found to be infected (chi 2 = 10.704; d. f. = 1) and after examination on 6 successive days (72 subjects) 13.9% were found to be infected (chi 2 = 3.026; d. f. = 1). There was no significance between examination over 3 successive days and 6 consecutive days (chi 2 = 0.296; d. f. = 1). There was no difference in the prevalence between males and females.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health/education*; Public Health Nursing/statistics & numerical data*
Seminar on dental education. Speech by the Deputy Prime Minister

Tun Abdul Razak

Dent J Malaysia Singapore, 1969 May;9(1):55-8.
PMID: 4390298
Matched MeSH terms: Public Health Dentistry
A checklist and key to the tick fauna (Acari: Ixodidae, Argasidae) of Pulau Tioman, Malaysia

Kwak ML

Exp Appl Acarol, 2020 May;81(1):51-58.
PMID: 32246381 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00487-1

Pulau Tioman is a popular tourist island off the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia, known for its vast areas of intact vegetation. Six tick species have been recorded on the island but little is known about their local ecology or public health importance. To facilitate studies of the tick fauna of Pulau Tioman, a checklist of all species and host associations is presented with the first host records, from Pulau Tioman, of Amblyomma helvolum from the Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator) and Amblyomma varanense from the keeled rat snake (Ptyas carinata). A pictorial key is also presented for all tick species known from the island.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext What can law do to combat obesity in Malaysia?

Sia, Chin Chin, Duraisingam T. J.

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(102):42-42.
MyJurnal

Introduction: The obesity rate in Malaysia is increasing exponentially. This is alarming as obesity in a population is likely to lead to health complications and negatively impact national economic productivity. The quality of health of our country is of paramount importance to a sustainable nation. To safeguard the health of our population in this country, there are current laws and potential laws to be implemented to combat obesity. In Malaysia, the government have introduced ‘soft policies’ approach such as Healthy life style programmes and campaigns as means to curb obesity yet its impact is questionable. ‘Hard policies’, such as regulations (e.g. imposing a tax, removal of subsidies, reduction of operational hours of eateries, menu-labelling, curbing of marketing of unhealthy food, implementation of pedestrian and bicycle paths, metabo laws) may be used as legitimate interventions to combat obesity in Malaysia. The aims of this paper is to (i) analyse the legal justifications for implementation of obesity prevention regulations, (ii) to compare and contrast the pros and cons of current and potential obesity prevention regulations to reduce obesity. Results and Conclusion: The law could be used to facilitate promotion of public health. In light of new scientific advances, gaps in the current regulatory framework, and the increasingly obesogenic environment, this paper proposes
potential legal approaches to address obesity in Malaysia. It is important for legal scholars to devise innovative strategies to address obesity from new perspectives. The great potential for the law to rectify the status quo has yet to be fully explored. With reduction of obesity, the fiscal burden of the nation on medical bills could be reduced and productivity could be increased.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext From New Zealand to Malaysia: making smoking free agenda for psychiatrists in Malaysia

Amer Siddiq Amer Nordin

ASEAN Journal of Psychiatry, 2012;13(2):0-0.
MyJurnal

This article highlights the issues pertaining to psychiatry and smoking as reported in a symposium on smoking cessation in Malaysia. Methods: A report on a meeting outcome of a symposium on “Making smoking free agenda for psychiatrists in Malaysia.” Results: Smoking is still the number one public health problem and those with mental illness were at a high risk. Despite that, they are often under served in service provision by those caring for them. These shortcoming are seen more and more in Malaysia, where smoking and psychiatry is under researched. Conclusion: More research are needed on the why and how psychiatrist can play a major role in ensuring that those with mental illness in Malaysia are provided equal opportunities to quit smoking.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext Malaria as a public health problem and status of vaccine development

Wan Omar Abdullah, Lokman Mohd Noh

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2006;2(2):27-35.
MyJurnal

Malaria remains one of the most important infectious diseases worldwide considering that 40% of the world’s population live in health risk areas and millions of febrile episodes due to malaria infection occur annually in children under the age of five in Africa alone and almost 3 million patients, primarily children, die each year. Among the various measures envisaged, to contain the disease, the concept of a vaccine to protect humans against malaria appears particularly attractive. The development of an effective malaria vaccine represents one of the most important approaches to provide cost-effective intervention, in addition to currently available malaria control strategies. Here, we review malaria as a public health problem and the status and promise in malaria vaccine development.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext Mathematical modelling of dengue pattern in Penang, Malaysia

Norzaida Abas, Rafidah Mohd Shamsuddin, Noor Shazwani Osman, Syafrina Abd. Halim

Journal of Advanced Research Design, 2017;37(1):9-15.
MyJurnal

Dengue fever is an endemic disease in many tropical and subtropical regions. In
Malaysia, it is the leading public health challenge despite the extensive intervention
programs by the related authorities. Distribution of dengue cases in Malaysia varies
according to states and districts where cases are more distinct in urban and suburban
areas. Preparedness strategies of dengue cases could be more successful with some
comprehensive and technical analysis on disease incidences. Hence, the present study
analyses dengue cases using mathematical modelling in the state of Penang, one of the
more urbanised state. In particular, two time series models are fitted to the dengue
data from the region in order to identify the mathematical model that best describe
the data. Results show that both proposed models are able to represent the cases
rather well; however numerical inspection revealed that Double Exponential
Smoothing method is the better choice. Subsequently, the identified model is used to
make forecasting on the number of expected cases. Results show that dengue cases in
Penang are expected to increase gradually.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext Constancy and Change: Key Issues in Housing and Health Research, 1987-2017

Lawrence RJ

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2017 07 12;14(7).
PMID: 28704943 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph14070763

The low impact of scientific research on the relations between housing and health during the last 30 years can be attributed to a number of reasons. First, statistical analyses have meant to improve understanding of the relations between what are interpreted and measured as causal factors. However, any single statistical approach fails to account for the dynamic non-linear relations between multiple factors and therefore cannot analyze systemic complexity. Second, there has been too little accumulation and validation of knowledge from scientific research owing to the dominance of cross-sectional studies, and the lack of coordinated research agendas using these approaches in order to confirm empirical findings. Hence, there is little evidence indicating that public policies in both the housing and the public health sectors in specific localities have benefited from the accumulated evidence of empirical research. Third, the findings from empirical studies have been published in academic journals and monographs but rarely disseminated to actors and institutions in the public and private sectors. Hence housing and health research and policy formulation have not been consolidated during the last three decades. The author of this communication argues for a radical shift from conventional disciplinary and multi-disciplinary contributions to transdisciplinary research programmes and projects that formulate and apply innovative approaches founded on conceptual frameworks that apply systems thinking for the integration of knowledge and know-how of researchers, policy makers, and professional practitioners in precise localities.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext Development of a User-Adaptable Human Fall Detection Based on Fall Risk Levels Using Depth Sensor

Nizam Y, Mohd MNH, Jamil MMA

Sensors (Basel), 2018 Jul 13;18(7).
PMID: 30011823 DOI: 10.3390/s18072260

Unintentional falls are a major public health concern for many communities, especially with aging populations. There are various approaches used to classify human activities for fall detection. Related studies have employed wearable, non-invasive sensors, video cameras and depth sensor-based approaches to develop such monitoring systems. The proposed approach in this study uses a depth sensor and employs a unique procedure which identifies the fall risk levels to adapt the algorithm for different people with their physical strength to withstand falls. The inclusion of the fall risk level identification, further enhanced and improved the accuracy of the fall detection. The experimental results showed promising performance in adapting the algorithm for people with different fall risk levels for fall detection.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext Training for primary health care in general / family practice

Phua KH, Jeyaratnam J

Family Practitioner, 1986;9(1):31-34.

Ultimately, the majority of our medical graduates ends up in primary health care either in private practice or in the government service. It would be appropriate that their education and training should meet not only the requirements of their eventual vocation, but just as importantly, the expectations of a more discerning community at large. Rising pressures on the profession to provide more cost-effective and affordable health services of good quality would put an increasing emphasis on the development and promotionof primary health care to higher standards. Primary health care workers would be hard-pressed to provide more health information and to actively participate in disease prevention and control as part of their professional duties. As medical specialisation and technology contibute towards more fragmented, complex and dehumanising forms of practice, the greater will be the need for the integrative skills of the primary physician providing personal and continuing care. The future nature of medical care will have to respond to this community demand.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext Explicating gender disparity in wearing face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic

Looi KH

BMC Public Health, 2022 Dec 05;22(1):2273.
PMID: 36471303 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14630-7

BACKGROUND: The available evidence suggests that women were more likely to wear face masks as a precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have explicated this gender disparity in wearing face masks. This study investigates associations of demographic factors with wearing face masks in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic, then explicates gender disparity in wearing face masks from the lens of the Protection Motivation Theory.
METHODS: The first part of this study employed a structured online survey of 708 Malaysian adult participants. Data collected were quantitatively analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression. The second part of this study was conducted among 28 women to better understand gender disparity in protection motivations from the perspectives of women.
RESULTS: Gender has the strongest positive association with wearing face masks (p-value < .001), followed by age (p-value = .028). The Protection Motivation Theory adequately explicated the gender disparity in wearing face masks. Additionally, women were motivated to wear face masks beyond protection from the SARS-CoV-2.
CONCLUSION: Understanding the underlying motivations for wearing face masks informs design of gender-based public health messages to increase compliance with public health regulations and reduce morbidity and mortality for present and future public health crises.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext Let There Be Light-Digital Eye Strain (DES) in Children as a Shadow Pandemic in the Era of COVID-19: A Mini Review

Bhattacharya S, Heidler P, Saleem SM, Marzo RR

Front Public Health, 2022;10:945082.
PMID: 36033797 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.945082

INTRODUCTION: Digital eye strain, which is often ignored by the public, has emerged as a "Shadow Pandemic" in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic.
AIM: The current paper is aimed at discussing the ill effect of digital screens on eyes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODOLOGY: A literature search was done using "PubMed," "Google scholar", and "Scopus" using key terms like "Digital Eye Strain," "Eyestrain," or "Computer Vision Syndrome." Relevant articles were identified and included to support the argument for this narrative review.
RESULTS: Studies conducted in the UK reported that 68% of children extensively use computers, while 54% undertake online activities after the age of 3. Similar studies estimated 4 h and 45 min per day of screen exposure time among adults in the UK. Indian studies reveal that the prevalence of DES is 69% in adults and 50% in children respectively. Indian ophthalmologists found that computer-using and specialized ophthalmologists were more informed of symptoms and diagnostic signs but were misinformed about treatment modalities. The use of social media and multitasking is particularly prominent among younger adults, with 87% of individuals aged 20-29 years reporting the use of two or more digital devices simultaneously. It has been observed that the use of computer glasses corrects refractive errors and helps in the reduction of symptoms, while precision spectral filters help in reducing symptoms of micro-fluctuation of accommodation.
CONCLUSION: We concluded that DES is emerging globally as a "Shadow Pandemic" and it is high time to respond. Community ophthalmologists, public health authorities, and educational sectors especially should be involved to prevent this.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext Threats by artificial intelligence to human health and human existence

Federspiel F, Mitchell R, Asokan A, Umana C, McCoy D

BMJ Glob Health, 2023 May;8(5).
PMID: 37160371 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010435

While artificial intelligence (AI) offers promising solutions in healthcare, it also poses a number of threats to human health and well-being via social, political, economic and security-related determinants of health. We describe three such main ways misused narrow AI serves as a threat to human health: through increasing opportunities for control and manipulation of people; enhancing and dehumanising lethal weapon capacity and by rendering human labour increasingly obsolescent. We then examine self-improving 'artificial general intelligence' (AGI) and how this could pose an existential threat to humanity itself. Finally, we discuss the critical need for effective regulation, including the prohibition of certain types and applications of AI, and echo calls for a moratorium on the development of self-improving AGI. We ask the medical and public health community to engage in evidence-based advocacy for safe AI, rooted in the precautionary principle.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Fulltext Prevalence and Associated Factors of E-Cigarette Use among Adolescents in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review

Jane Ling MY, Abdul Halim AFN, Ahmad D, Ahmad N, Safian N, Mohammed Nawi A

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2023 Feb 22;20(5).
PMID: 36900893 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20053883

The use of e-cigarettes in adolescents remains a major public health concern. Like other tobacco products, e-cigarettes pose health risks to adolescents. Understanding the magnitude of this problem and identification of its associated factors will serve as a guide for development of preventive interventions. This systematic review aims to identify and discuss current epidemiological data on the prevalence and associated factors of e-cigarette use among adolescents in Southeast Asia. The reporting of this systematic review is in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement. We carried out a literature search through three databases (Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science) and targeted original English-language articles published between 2012 and 2021. A total of 10 studies were included in this review. The prevalence of current e-cigarette uses ranges from 3.3% to 11.8%. Several associated factors of e-cigarette use were identified, including sociodemographic factors, traumatic childhood experience, peer and parental influence, knowledge and perception, substance use, and accessibility of e-cigarettes. These factors should be addressed though multifaceted interventions which simultaneously target multiple factors. Laws, policies, programs, and interventions must be strengthened and tailored to the needs of adolescents at risk of using e-cigarettes.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health
Role of NGOs and CBOs in Waste Management

Ahsan A, Alamgir M, Imteaz M, Nik Daud N, Islam R

Iran J Public Health, 2012;41(6):27-38.
PMID: 23113191

Developing cities like Khulna, the third largest metropolitan city in Bangladesh, have now begun to confess the environmental and public health risks associated with uncontrolled dumping of solid wastes mainly due to the active participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community-based organizations (CBOs) in municipal solid waste (MSW) management.

Matched MeSH terms: Public Health

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