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Fulltext Ban on firecrackers should not be lifted during festivals

Krishnan R

Med J Malaysia, 1990 Dec;45(4):353.
PMID: 2152061
Matched MeSH terms: Holidays*
Physical and physiological profiles of Malaysian dragon boat rowers

Singh R, Singh HJ, Sirisinghe RG

Br J Sports Med, 1995 Mar;29(1):13-5.
PMID: 7788209

Maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max) and maximal workload attained (WLmax) were determined in 28 Malaysian dragon boat rowers who were exercised to exhaustion on an arm ergometer. Mean VO2max was 2.75 l min-1 at a mean WLmax of 195.5 W. Anaerobic endurance power of the arms, determined by cranking at 100 RPM at a workload of 400 W and the time taken to maintain the cadence until it fell to 75 RPM, was 34.9(+/- 2.3) s. Leg performance, as determined by standing long jump and vertical jump, was 140.0(+/- 4.5) kg m and 100.3(+/- 3.1) kg m s-1 respectively. Right hand grip strength was significantly (p < 0.001) greater than the left hand. Percentage body fat of the rowers was 11.8(+/- 0.6)%. These values represent the first measurements of their kind performed on dragon boat rowers in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays*
Fulltext Fireworks related injuries during Hari Raya festival in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia--1986 to 1990

Isa AR, Moe H

Med J Malaysia, 1991 Dec;46(4):333-7.
PMID: 1840441

A total of 38 cases of fireworks related injuries from Hospital USM over a 5-year period from 1986 to 1990 during Hari Raya festival were analysed. The majority (68.5%) of the patients were teenagers, between 10 to 19 years of age. All the cases were Malays and most of the accidents occurred before the Hari Raya Idilfitri festive seasons. Fourteen cases were caused by self-made fireworks and another 16 cases were due to modified fire-works. Twenty-four cases suffered permanent disabilities mostly finger amputations. Such injuries could be prevented by law enforcement coupled with public health education to modify social behaviour especially when the ban against the use of fireworks is lifted on religious grounds.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays*
Fulltext Residents’ perception towards social and cultural impacts on hosting a sports’ event

Radzliyana Radzuwan, Nadiah Diyana Tan Abdullah, Nasyitah Tp Harun

Journal of Academia Universiti Teknologi MARA Negeri Sembilan, 2019;7(101):51-56.
MyJurnal

Today sport and tourism are among the developed worlds’ most sought after leisure experiences and are becoming very important reflecting the hos t venue both socially and culturally. In this new era, many challenges were even more significant for Malaysia as she is not yet developed like other countries. Therefore, a careful selection of a potential place as a host venue for sports’ event is import an t. In line with that notion, this study aims to examine residents’ perception towards social and cultural impacts on hosting World Kite Festival in Pasir Gudang, Johor. A self administered questionnaire was developed. A total of 461 residents were succes sf ully surveyed and their perceptions towards social and cultural impacts were assessed by utilizing Scale of Perceived Social Impact (SPSI). All obtained data were further analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). In order to achiev e the research objectives, descriptive statistic was used for assessing the percentages, mean, rank and standard deviation. While independent t Test was used to investigate the gender differences among residents at World Kite Festival. The finding indicate s that there was a positive impact of hosting a sports’ event to the resident at Pasir Gudang although some negative impacts were witnessed. Thus, some improvement is needed.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Ambulance services at hospital universiti sains malaysia and hospital kota bharu: a retrospective study of calls

Shah Che Hamzah MS, Ahmad R, Nik Abdul Rahman NH, Pardi KW, Jaafar N, Wan Adnan WA, et al.

Malays J Med Sci, 2005 Jul;12(2):34-42.
PMID: 22605956

This retrospective study attempted to identify the pattern of ambulance calls for the past two years at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) and Hospital Kota Bharu (HKB). This study will provide a simple method of acquiring information related to ambulance response time (ART) and to test whether it met the international standards and needs of the client. Additionally, this paper takes into account the management of emergency calls. This included ambulance response time, which was part of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) episode: onset of ART, which started when details like phone number of the caller, exact location of the incident and the nature of the main complaint had been noted. ART ended when the emergency team arrived at the scene of incident. Information regarding ambulance calls from the record offices of HUSM and HKB was recorded for the year 2001 and 2002, tabulated and analyzed. There was a significant difference in the total number of calls managed by HUSM and HKB in the year 2001. It was noted that 645 calls were managed by HUSM while 1069 calls were recorded at HKB. In the year 2002, however, HUSM led with 613 extra numbers of calls as compare to HKB with 1193 numbers of calls. The pattern of ambulance calls observed is thought to possibly be influenced by social activities like local festivities, school holidays and the seasons. Further, it is observed that no studies were previously undertaken to compare the ART at both the HUSM and HKB to that of the international standards. In fact, a literature review undertaken so far showed no similar studies have been done for the whole Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Modeling of wastewater quality in an urban area during festival and rainy days

Obaid HA, Shahid S, Basim KN, Chelliapan S

Water Sci Technol, 2015;72(6):1029-42.
PMID: 26360765 DOI: 10.2166/wst.2015.297

Water pollution during festival periods is a major problem in all festival cities across the world. Reliable prediction of water pollution is essential in festival cities for sewer and wastewater management in order to ensure public health and a clean environment. This article aims to model the biological oxygen demand (BOD(5)), and total suspended solids (TSS) parameters in wastewater in the sewer networks of Karbala city center during festival and rainy days using structural equation modeling and multiple linear regression analysis methods. For this purpose, 34 years (1980-2014) of rainfall, temperature and sewer flow data during festival periods in the study area were collected, processed, and employed. The results show that the TSS concentration increases by 26-46 mg/l while BOD(5) concentration rises by 9-19 mg/l for an increase of rainfall by 1 mm during festival periods. It was also found that BOD(5) concentration rises by 4-17 mg/l for each increase of 10,000 population.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays*
Challenges Faced by Woodwind Players in Malaysia While Fasting During Ramadan: A Case Study

Lonsdale KA, Abadi FH

Med Probl Perform Art, 2018 09;33(3):191-197.
PMID: 30204825 DOI: 10.21091/mppa.2018.3027

While numerous studies have investigated associations between Ramadan fasting and sports performance, as well as general health, little is known about the experiences of musicians who play while fasting. This exploratory case study aimed to gain a better understanding of the experiences of tertiary-level woodwind players who practice, rehearse, and perform while fasting. Sixteen undergraduate woodwind players from two Malaysian university music faculties completed an 11-item questionnaire, as well as a 7-day food and playing diary, which formed the basis for a semi-structured interview. Their experiences were compared with previous studies of fasting athletes. Many participants stated that practicing from noon to 3:00 pm was difficult due to feeling thirsty, hungry, tired, and exhausted, with some experiencing a dry mouth and/or lips. By 3:00 to 6:00 pm, some had difficulty focusing and felt tired, dizzy, or lacked energy to practice. Many felt more comfortable playing after breaking the fast or after eating sahur. The majority experienced positive impacts such as increased focus and efficiency while practicing. This study suggests that fasting woodwind players would benefit from practicing in the morning and after sunset, limiting their practice time in the afternoon, not skipping sahur, and ensuring adequate hydration during sunset and sunrise.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays/statistics & numerical data*
Fulltext Potential of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever outbreak during Eid-Ul-Adha Islamic festival and COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan

Ahmed A, Tahir MJ, Siddiqi AR, Dujaili J

J Med Virol, 2021 01;93(1):182-183.
PMID: 32644233 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26285
Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Tuning into the travel health risks of music tourism

Lu TS, Flaherty GT

J Travel Med, 2018 01 01;25(1).
PMID: 30346571 DOI: 10.1093/jtm/tay106
Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Distribution and temporal behaviour of O3 and NO2 near selected schools in Seberang Perai, Pulau Pinang and Parit Buntar, Perak, Malaysia

Nazatul Syadia Zainordin, Nor Azam Ramli, Maher Elbayoumi

Sains Malaysiana, 2017;46:197-207.

ir quality has deteriorated in urban areas as a result of increased anthropogenic activities. Quantitative information on the influence of meteorological conditions on several pollutants in a tropical climate is still lacking. Real-time ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels were measured nearby selected schools in Malaysia to examine the impact of meteorological factors on monitoring pollutants. The results showed the overall 10 min average concentrations of the main parameters during school holiday were 24 ppb (O3) and 33 ppb (NO2) while during school day the overall 10 min average concentrations were 26 ppb (O3) and 51 ppb (NO2). Although there are no minimum requirements for short-term exposure by MAAQG, if compared to 1 h average requirements, all concentrations were still below the suggested values. Regarding spatial distribution, a different trend in pollutant concentration among the schools was observed because of the influence of temperature (AT) and wind speed (WS). The results were verified by Pearson correlation, where significant correlations (p<0.01) were determined between air pollutants and meteorological factors, which were temperature, wind speed and relative humidity. Meanwhile, the distribution of O3 was moderately correlated with NO2. However, the results of multivariate analysis indicate that temperature and relative humidity had the most significant influence on the formation of O3. In summary, the results of this study showed that all precursors and meteorological parameters contribute to the production of O3. Hence, reducing O3 precursors, which are emitted by vehicles, is essential to lessening the exposure to O3

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Ocular burns and related injuries due to fireworks during the Aidil Fitri celebration on the East Coast of the Peninsular Malaysia

Rashid RA, Heidary F, Hussein A, Hitam WH, Rashid RA, Ghani ZA, et al.

Burns, 2011 Feb;37(1):170-3.
PMID: 20576358 DOI: 10.1016/j.burns.2010.05.019

This study aims to describe the epidemiology of ocular burns and related injuries due to fireworks during the Aidil Fitri celebration on the East Coast of the Peninsular Malaysia. A prospective analysis of all patients with ocular burns and related injuries due to fireworks attended three tertiary hospitals in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia during Aidil Fitri, which was from 10 September to 17 October 2008. We observed the demographic and injury characteristics, extent of the injuries and presenting visual symptoms. Thirty patients with 34 eyes with ocular burns and related injuries were identified. Patients ranged between 2 and 43 years of age. 70.00% of the patients were 12 years old and below. Of the 30 patients, 29 (96.67%) were male and the left eye was affected in 14 (46.70%). Thermal injuries accounted for 60.0% of the injuries whereas 40.0% were due to exploding firework. Burns to the eyelid and cornea (35.29%) were the most common injuries noted. Fifteen patients (50%) were bystanders whilst a majority of patients (96.67%) had no eye protection. At presentation, 15 (44.12%) eyes had a visual acuity of 6/6 to 6/9 in the injured eyes, while 3 out of 34 eyes (8.82%) had vision acuity 6/60 or worse. In conclusion, fireworks cause serious preventable ocular burns and related injuries especially in children who are the most affected age group. It affects mainly eyelid and anterior segment structures which result in moderate visual loss on presentation. Health education, public awareness and tighter legislation are essential preventive measures to limit the effect of fireworks to the public.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Effect of altered eating pattern on serum fructosamine: total protein ratio and plasma glucose level

Ch'ng SL, Cheah SH, Husain R, Duncan MT

Ann Acad Med Singap, 1989 May;18(3):326-7.
PMID: 2774480

The effect of alteration of eating pattern during Ramadan on body mass index (BMI), serum fructosamine: total protein ratio (F/TP), and glucose level in 18 healthy male Asiatic Moslems were studied. The results showed a significant decrease (p less than 0.025) in F/TP at the second week of Ramadan in 11 subjects who experienced continuous decrease in BMI throughout Ramadan. The remaining 7 subjects showed no significant changes in BMI and F/TP. No evidence of hypoglycaemia was observed in the subjects during the study. Serum fructosamine: total protein ratio in subjects with altered eating pattern preferably should be interpreted along with the change in body mass index.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Fulltext Mental Health Conceptualization and Resilience Factors in the Kalasha Youth: An Indigenous Ethnic and Religious Minority Community in Pakistan

Choudhry FR, Khan TM, Park MS, Golden KJ

Front Public Health, 2018;6:187.
PMID: 30065918 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2018.00187

The Kalasha are a religious, ethnic, and linguistic minority community in Pakistan. They are indigenous people living in remote valleys of the Hindu Kush Mountains in northern Pakistan, neighboring Afghanistan. The Kalasha are pastoral, as well as agricultural people to some extent, although they are increasingly facing pressures from globalization and social change, which may be influencing youth and community development. Their traditional world view dichotomizes and emphasizes on the division of the pure (Onjeshta) and the impure (Pragata). There remains a scarcity of literature on mental health and resilience of indigenous communities in South Asia and Pakistan generally, and the polytheistic Kalasha community specifically. Thus, the current study was conducted with the aim to explore the cultural protective factors (resilience) of the Kalasha youth (adolescents and emerging adults) and to explore their perceived etiological understandings and preferred interventions for mental health support systems. The theoretical framework of Bronfenbrenner's (1, 2) ecological systems model was used. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was conducted, considering the advantage of its idiographic approach and the "double hermeneutic" analytic process. This methodology was consistent with the aim to understand and make sense of mental health and resilience from the Kalasha indigenous perspective. A total of 12 in-depth interviews were conducted with adolescents and emerging adults (5 males, 7 females), along with ethnographic observations. The analysis revealed 3 superordinate themes of mental health perceptions and interventions, each with more specific emergent themes: (1) Psychological Resilience/Cultural Protective Factors Buffering Against Mental Health Problems (Intra-Communal Bonding & Sharing; Kalasha Festivals & Traditions; Purity Concept; Behavioral Practice of Happiness and Cognitive Patterns); (2) Perceived Causes of Mental Health Issues (Biological & Psychosocial; Supernatural & Spiritual; Environmental); and (3) Preferred Interventions [Shamanic Treatment; Ta'awiz (Amulets); Communal Sharing & Problem Solving; Medical Treatment; Herbal Methods]. The overall findings point to the need for developing culturally-sensitive and indigenous measures and therapeutic interventions. The findings highlighted the Kalasha cultural practices which may promote resilience. The findings also call for indigenous sources of knowledge to be considered when collaboratively designing public health programs.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Fulltext Internet addiction among secondary school students in Klang Valley, Malaysia: what is the association with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and selfesteem?

Abdul Aziz, M., Wan Ismail W.S., Bahar N., Mahadevan R., Azhar Shah S.

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2018;17(2):17-26.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Internet addiction is becoming a global problem and has been associated with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. There is a strong need for local research, given the recent rise of mental health issues amongst children and adolescents in Malaysia, as well as lack of research in this field locally. Methods: This study assessed the prevalence of internet addiction, and its association with internetrelated factors, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and self-esteem, amongst selected secondary school students in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. In a cross-sectional study, 199 adolescents were conveniently chosen from six randomly selected secondary schools within Klang Valley. Subjects completed a demographic questionnaire, as well as Malay versions of the Internet Addiction Test (MVIAT), Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 anxiety subscale (DASS-21) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Multiple logistic regression analysis was carried out. Results: This study found that 49.2% of students were addicted to the internet. Significant factors associated with internet addiction were spending longer hours online during the holidays (OR 1.20, CI 1.01-1.35), easy access to a computer (OR 4.01, CI 1.50 - 10.76), confiding on the internet (OR 4.07, CI 1.49-11.13), severe level of anxiety (OR 3.63, CI 1.04-12.73) and high depression scores (OR 1.10, CI 1.01-1.20). Contrary to previous studies, self-esteem was not found to be significantly associated with internet addiction. Conclusion: This study has important implications in relation to clinical practice, research, and policy-making in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus and Eid-Ul-Adha festival in Pakistan

Mallhi TH, Khan YH, Sarriff A, Khan AH

Lancet Infect Dis, 2016 12;16(12):1332-1333.
PMID: 27998596 DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(16)30453-4
Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Fulltext Preference of treatment facilities among Malaysian Hajj pilgrims for acute respiratory symptoms

Deris ZZ, Hasan H, Sulaiman SA, Wahab MS, Naing NN, Othman NH

Saudi Med J, 2009 Aug;30(8):1103-4.
PMID: 19668898
Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Fulltext Influenza outbreaks during World Youth Day 2008 mass gathering

Blyth CC, Foo H, van Hal SJ, Hurt AC, Barr IG, McPhie K, et al.

Emerg Infect Dis, 2010 May;16(5):809-15.
PMID: 20409371 DOI: 10.3201/eid1605.091136

Influenza outbreaks during mass gatherings have been rarely described, and detailed virologic assessment is lacking. An influenza outbreak occurred during World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia, July 2008 (WYD2008). We assessed epidemiologic data and respiratory samples collected from attendees who sought treatment for influenza-like illness at emergency clinics in Sydney during this outbreak. Isolated influenza viruses were compared with seasonal influenza viruses from the 2008 influenza season. From 100 infected attendees, numerous strains were identified: oseltamivir-resistant influenza A (H1N1) viruses, oseltamivir-sensitive influenza A (H1N1) viruses, influenza A (H3N2) viruses, and strains from both influenza B lineages (B/Florida/4/2006-like and B/Malaysia/2506/2004-like). Novel viruses were introduced, and pre-WYD2008 seasonal viruses were amplified. Viruses isolated at mass gatherings can have substantial, complex, and unpredictable effects on community influenza activity. Greater flexibility by public health authorities and hospitals is required to appropriately manage and contain these outbreaks.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays*
Incidence and Prevention of Invasive Meningococcal Disease in Global Mass Gathering Events

Muttalif AR, Presa JV, Haridy H, Gamil A, Serra LC, Cané A

Infect Dis Ther, 2019 Dec;8(4):569-579.
PMID: 31471813 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-019-00262-9

INTRODUCTION: Mass gathering events involve close contact among large numbers of people in a specific location at the same time, an environment conducive to transmission of respiratory tract illnesses including invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). This report describes IMD incidence at mass gatherings over the past 10 years and discusses strategies to prevent IMD at such events.
METHODS: A PubMed search was conducted in December 2018 using a search string intended to identify articles describing IMD at mass gatherings, including religious pilgrimages, sports events, jamborees, and refugee camps. The search was limited to articles in English published from 2008 to 2018. Articles were included if they described IMD incidence at a mass gathering event.
RESULTS: A total of 127 articles were retrieved, of which 7 reported on IMD incidence at mass gatherings in the past 10 years. Specifically, in Saudi Arabia between 2002 and 2011, IMD occurred in 16 Hajj pilgrims and 1 Umrah pilgrim; serotypes involved were not reported. At a youth sports festival in Spain in 2008, 1 case of serogroup B IMD was reported among 1500 attendees. At the 2015 World Scout Jamboree in Japan, an outbreak of serogroup W IMD was identified in five scouts and one parent. At a refugee camp in Turkey, one case of serogroup B IMD was reported in a Syrian girl; four cases of serogroup X IMD occurred in an Italian refugee camp among refugees from Africa and Bangladesh. In 2017, a funeral in Liberia resulted in 13 identified cases of serogroup C IMD. Requiring meningococcal vaccination for mass gathering attendees and vaccinating refugees might have prevented these IMD cases.
CONCLUSIONS: Mass gathering events increase IMD risk among attendees and their close contacts. Vaccines preventing IMD caused by serogroups ACWY and B are available and should be recommended for mass gathering attendees.
FUNDING: Pfizer.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays
Fulltext Strategies to Make Ramadan Fasting Safer in Type 2 Diabetics: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Observational Studies

Lee SW, Lee JY, Tan CS, Wong CP

Medicine (Baltimore), 2016 Jan;95(2):e2457.
PMID: 26765440 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000002457

Ramadan is the holy month for Muslims whereby they fast from predawn to after sunset and is observed by all healthy Muslim adults as well as a large population of type 2 diabetic Muslims.To determine the comparative effectiveness of various strategies that have been used for type 2 diabetic Muslim who fast during Ramadan.A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies (RCT) as well as observational studies for patients with type 2 diabetes who fasted during Ramadan was conducted. Eight databases were searched from January 1980 through October 2015 for relevant studies. Two reviewers independently screened and assessed study for eligibility, assessed the risk of bias, and extracted relevant data. A network meta-analysis for each outcome was fitted separately, combining direct and indirect evidence for each comparison.Twenty-nine studies, 16 RCTs and 13 observational studies each met the inclusion criteria. The most common strategy used was drug changes during the Ramadan period, which found that the use of DPP-4 (Dipeptidyl peptidase inhibitor -4) inhibitors were associated with a reduction in incidence of experiencing hypoglycemia during Ramadan in both RCTs (pooled relative risk: 0.56; 95% confidence interval: 0.44-0.72) as well as in observational studies (pooled relative risk: 0.27; 0.09-0.75). Ramadan-focused education was shown to be beneficial in reducing hypoglycemia in observational studies but not RCTs (0.25 versus 1.00). Network meta-analyses suggest that incretin mimetics can reduce the risk of hypoglycemia by nearly 1.5 times.The newer antidiabetic agents appear to lower the risk of hypoglycemia and improved glycemic control when compared with sulfonylureas. Ramadan-focused education shows to be a promising strategy but more rigorous examination from RCTs are required.

Matched MeSH terms: Holidays

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