Perubahan sosial generasi kedua felda daripada aspek ekonomi: satu kajian kes di Felda Sungai Sibol, Johor

Felda is a Malaysian goverment agency initially founded the resettlement of rural poor into newly delevoped areas. Felda helped the settlers to have a better living. It contributed a lot thus we could see the success of the first and the second generation of Felda settlers. There is still no study on the social changes seconds generation of Felda. The purpose of this study is to examine the social changes in economic aspects that occur among second generation of Felda. A total of ten respondents from Felda Sungai Sibol, Johor were involved in this qualitative research where six or sixty percents of them were men and four or forty percents were women. The interview respondents were chosen randomly. Transana Package 2.0 was used to analyse the data gathered from the qualitative interview. Research findings indicate that there are some significant changes occurs in the as a result of economic changes, standard of work and income levels among second generation of Felda. Recommendations for Human Capital Development of Felda second generation are also provided

The effects of circadian rhythm disruption towards metabolic stress and mental health: a review

This review aims to present an overview of current research findings on the possible effects of circadian rhythm (CR) disruption towards metabolic stress and mental health. CR can be described as an internal biological clock that regulates our body functions, based on our sleep/wake cycle. Any time that our normal 24-hour circadian rhythm is altered or interrupted, it will have physiological and psychological impacts. However, in today’s demanding working world, most of us are working defying the normal conditions without realising the significant drawbacks of it. Therefore, this review summarises the findings from several researches on the physiological (metabolic stress) and psychological (cognitive functioning and mental health) impacts of the CR disruption in order to assist people to have a holistic view on the effects of CR to our mind and body. Evidences that linked these aspects to health circumstances of shift workers have also been highlighted

Risk Perception for Developing Erectile Dysfunction among Malaysian Men with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Risk perception for developing erectile dysfunction (ED) is an appreciation of the susceptibility to having ED and its severity. This study examined this risk perception and its associated factors among 180 men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), who claimed not to have ED. This cross sectional study was conducted at a public health clinic using a validated self-administered questionnaire, which assessed participant characteristics, perceived susceptibility to developing ED, perceived severity of ED, and knowledge on risk factors for ED. About 71.1% had an inaccurate perception of susceptibility to developing ED and their perception on its severity was moderate (median (IQR) score: 10.0 (6.0); range score: 3–15; midpoint: 9). In multiple linear regression, having ED symptoms (p-value < 0.001) and secondary (p-value = 0.045) or tertiary education (p-value: 0.022) significantly contributed to a higher perception of susceptibility. A higher perception of severity was significantly found in Malays (p-value < 0.001), the employed (p-value = 0.026), and those with better knowledge on risk factors for ED (p-value < 0.001). Risk perception for developing ED among men with T2DM appears poor and it was significantly influenced by sociocultural factors, educational attainment, ED symptoms, and knowledge on risk factors for ED. Thus, to improve their risk perception, they should be provided appropriate counseling and education

Effects of music therapy on psychological distress of neurosurgical patients : a systematic review

Neurosurgery has been on the rise, with a yearly estimate of 13.8 million patients suffering from neurological disorders or injuries and require surgery. Psychological distress is relatively frequent in neurosurgical patients due numerous threats and challenges faced therefore, the main objective of this review is to understand the efficiency of music therapy on neurosurgical patients in reducing psychological distress. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework was used to guide the methodology of this systematic review. The PICO format was used as a search strategy in terms of specifying search terms and clarifying limits in relation to the population or intervention studied in this review. Databases like SCOPUS, MEDLINE and OVID, The Cochrane Library was utilized to search for relevant records. A total of 48 studies were identified through the databases search. After the removal of duplicates, 39 studies’ titles and abstracts were screened. Through a process of assessing eligibility, 5 studies were consequently included in the review. The year limits for the articles reviewed were 2015 to present, to highlight the more recent findings on the subject. The studies included in this review encompass different countries of origin such as USA, Canada and in Asia, Taiwan, China and India. The findings of this review show that music therapy is an effective intervention in reducing psychological distress, especially anxiety, in neurosurgical patients. Music therapy is also effective as an adjunct therapy for neurosurgical procedures. The cultural aspects infused in music therapy were also discussed in this paper

The influences of parenting stress, children behavioral problems and children quality of life on depression symptoms among parents of children with autism: preliminary findings

Taking care of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) could be a demanding task for parents. Consequently, parents of children with ASD may experience parenting stress and depression symptoms. This study examined parenting stress and depression symptoms among parents of children and adolescents with ASD. This study also examined the role of child characteristics (e.g., age, child quality of life and problem behavior) on parenting stress and depression symptoms and the effect of parenting stress on parental depression. A total of 78 parents were examined using a questionnaire survey. The result indicated that parents caring a younger age group of children with ASD have higher levels of depression symptoms compared to parents caring for older group of children with ASD. The result also revealed a significant difference in level of depression symptoms between parents with higher levels of parenting stress and parents with lower parenting stress. Only the children age significantly predicts depression symptoms in parents of children with ASD. This indicates that children age is potential to affect mental health among parents of children with ASD

Factors associated with physical inactivity among school-going adolescents: data from the Malaysian School-Based Nutrition Survey 2012

The importance of physical activity to health is well recognized. Good health habits should begin from a young age. This article aims to explore physical activity among Malaysian school adolescents and factors associated with it. Data from the Malaysian School-Based Nutrition Survey (MSNS), comprising a nationally representative sample of school-going children aged 10 to 17 years, were used. The overall prevalence of physically inactive adolescents was 57.3%. Age in years (adjusted odds ratio = 1.2; 95% confidence interval = 1.16-1.23), gender - females (adjusted odds ratio = 2.9; 95% confidence interval = 2.66-3.10), afternoon school session, breakfast consumption (no breakfast and irregular breakfast), body mass index status (obese and underweight), and body weight perception (underweight perceivers) were significant factors associated with physical inactivity among Malaysian adolescents. Thus, there is evidence that programs to promote physical activity in this group should consider the combination of the aforementioned factors at the household, school, and community levels

Prevalence of Insomnia at Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and Objective Lockdown, social confinement, and the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic have increased mental health disorders and affected sleep disorders, especially insomnia. This study aims to explain the prevalence of insomnia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Surakarta, Indonesia. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted twice in Surakarta city. The survey was conducted before the pandemic with 456 participants and during the pandemic with 1254 participants. All participants were selected using the purposive sampling method with criteria of age 15–44 years and having sleep problems. The online questionnaire of the Insomnia Severity Index Indonesian version (ISI–INA) was used to collect insomnia data. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS v25 by a descriptive test and Mann–Whitney test. Results The mean total ISI–INA scores before and during the pandemic were 13.83 and 12.54. Surveys found that the participants who suffered from subthreshold insomnia, moderate, and severe insomnia before the pandemic were 45.6%, 41.2%, and 5%, respectively, while during the pandemic 42.1%, 35%, and 3.5%, respectively. There was a difference between before and during the pandemic in the mean total ISI scores, severity of insomnia, difficulty in falling asleep and maintaining sleep, waking up too early, sleep dissatisfaction, noticeability of sleep problems by others, and interference of sleep problems with daytime activities (p 0.05). Conclusions The prevalence of insomnia during the COVID-19 pandemic is lower than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, the prevalence of insomnia remains relatively high, so gradual and continuous intervention is needed to overcome insomnia

Behavioural and emotional issues among primary school pupils with congenital colour vision deficiency in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: A case-control study [version 1; referees: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]

Background: Congenital colour vision deficiency (CCVD) is an untreatable disorder which has lifelong consequences. Increasing use of colours in schools has raised concern for pupils with CCVD. This case-control study was conducted to compare behavioural and emotional issues among age, gender and class-matched pupils with CCVD and normal colour vision (NCV). Methods: A total of 1732 pupils from 10 primary schools in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur were screened, of which 46 pupils (45 males and 1 female) had CCVD. Mothers of male pupils with CCVD (n=44) and NCV (n=44) who gave consent were recruited to complete a self-administered parent report form, Child Behaviour Checklist for Ages 4-18 (CBCL/ 4-18) used to access behavioural and emotional problems. The CBCL/ 4-18 has three broad groupings: Internalising, Externalising and Total Behaviour Problems. Internalising Problems combines the Withdrawn, Somatic Complaints and Anxiety/ Depression sub constructs, while Externalising Problems combines the Delinquent and Aggressive Behaviour sub constructs. Results: Results from CBCL/ 4-18 showed that all pupils from both groups had scores within the normal range for all constructs. However, results from the statistical analysis for comparison, Mann-Whitney U test, showed that pupils with CCVD scored significantly higher for Externalising Problems (U=697.50, p=0.02) and Total Behaviour Problems (U=647.00, p= 0.01). Significantly higher scores were observed in Withdrawn (U=714.00, p=0.02), Thought Problems (U=438.50, p<0.001) and Aggressive Behaviour (U=738.00, p=0.04). Odds ratios, 95% CI, showed significant relative risk for high Total Behaviour Problem (OR:2.39 ,CI:1.0-5.7), Externalising Problems (OR:2.32, CI:1.0-5.5), Withdrawn (OR:2.67, CI:1.1-6.5), Thought Problems (OR:9.64, CI:3.6-26.1) and Aggressive Behaviour (OR:10.26, CI:3.4-31.0) scores among pupils with CCVD. Conclusion: Higher scores among CCVD pupils indicates that they present more behavioural and emotional problems compared to NCV pupils. Therefore, school vision screenings in Malaysia should also include colour vision to assist in the early clinical management of CCVD children

Juara Sihat™: study design of a school-based childhood obesity nutrition education programme in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The global prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has increased rapidly in the recent decades, including in Malaysia. Thus, development of effective interventions to prevent childhood obesity in Malaysia is urgently needed. This paper describes the study design of a 12-week multi-component, school-based nutrition education programme aimed at managing childhood obesity. The objective of Juara Sihat™ is to determine the effectiveness of a nutrition education programme in improving anthropometric status, knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of nutrition, eating habits and physical activity level among overweight and obese children. This quasi-experimental study involves two primary schools in Kuala Lumpur with similar demographic characteristics. Eligibility criteria of research participants are overweight and obese children aged 9 to 11 years. The main components of the Juara Sihat™ intervention are nutrition education classes on healthy eating and active lifestyle; physical activity sessions; and active involvements of parents and teachers. The control school does not receive any interventions. The primary outcome is BMI-for-age z-score, while other outcomes include waist circumference, body fat percentage, KAP of nutrition score, dietary intake, physical activity level, sedentary behaviour and biochemical profile. Outcome measures will be assessed at three intervals: baseline, post-intervention 1 (3-month follow-up), and post-intervention 2 (6-month follow-up). The Juara Sihat™ programme represents a promising approach to examining the effectiveness of a school-based childhood obesity intervention with strong empowerment of Parents’ and Teachers’ Association (PTA). We anticipate that this study may provide insights towards the development of more effective strategies in formulating childhood obesity interventions

A review on phonological awareness and visual-spatial ability among children with dyslexia

This review aims to present an overview of current research findings on the possible relationship between phonological awareness and visual-spatial skills among individuals with dyslexia. Narrative review of the relevant articles were obtained through computerized searches of databases such as PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC) and Google Scholar which included articles from SAGE, Taylor & Francis and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Press from the year 2000 to 2014. The key words were explored, both exclusively and in combination with each other, so as to provide a better understanding of the relationship between them among individuals with dyslexia. Although it is evident that there is a phonological deficit in individuals with dyslexia, however, it is inconclusive with regards to the visual-spatial deficit and strength. There is a consensus on the nature of phonological awareness skill deficits but not on the visual spatial abilities in dyslexia. In fact, the relationship between phonological awareness and visual spatial abilities in dyslexia is dependent on the area of visual ability measured