Sleep Duration and its Associated Factors among Residents of Hulu Langat, Selangor

Background and Aims: Shorter and longer duration of sleep are known to be risk factors for diseases such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension and obesity. Most studies were done in the developed countries and there are limited population based data from Malaysia regarding this topic. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of short sleeping duration among residents in the Hulu Langat district and determine its associated factors. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study done in the year 2000. 7731 respondents in the Hulu Langat district were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. Short sleep duration was defined as having sleeping duration of less than 6 hours per day and long sleep duration as having sleeping duration of 6 hours or more per day. Results: The prevalence of short sleep duration was 6.2%. The mean age of participants was 43.2 years (±14.31) and 64.1% were females. Multiple logistic regression revealed significant association between short sleeping duration and younger age group (< 40 years old) (aOR=1.41, 95% CI: 1.15-1.73) and between short sleeping duration and smoking (aOR= 2.26, 95% CI: 1.57-3.26). Association between sleeping duration and gender, ethnicity, marital status, hypertension, diabetes and body mass index (BMI) were found to be not significant after multivariate analysis was done. Conclusion: This study shows that shorter sleeping duration is significantly associated with younger age group (<40 years old) and smoking. Health promotion strategies should aim to educate the public regarding getting adequate sleep and stop smoking

Spatial analysis of food poisoning cases and its environmental relations in Sabah, Malaysia

Food poisoning usually occurs with the consumption of contaminated food. Some related factors are unsafe water supply, poor sanitation, unhygienic waste disposal and unhygienic practices or poor personal hygiene by food handlers. The purpose of this study is to describe the spatial epidemiology of food poisoning cases in the four districts of Sabah. Methods: This review consists of all food poisoning cases reported from 2011 to 2014 from Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Putatan and Papar, Sabah. The coordinates used for locations of cases are based on home addresses. Tools such as SPSS v20, ArcGIS v10 and CrimeStat IV were used for data analysis and mapping. Results: A total of 1,787 cases of food poisoning were reported during this review period. In 2011, only Kota Kinabalu and Papar illustrated significant food poisoning clusters. Meanwhile, in the year 2012 to 2014, Kota Kinabalu, Penampang and Putatan had clustering of cases. Analysis of nearest neighbour hierarchical clustering analysis showed 32 food poisoning clusters. There were 4 food poisoning points at 500 meters radius around a market place, 2 food poisoning points near a sewage plant and 1 food poisoning point near a water treatment plant. No cases were near a municipal landfill. For rivers and coastline, there were 37 points of food poisoning cases in the proximity of 500 meters. Conclusion: Food poisoning usually occurs in clusters with possible associated environmental factors

Spatial clustering of Cholera in Sabah, Malaysia

Cholera epidemics can produce devastating public health outcomes. Cholera distribution is influenced by temperature, precipitation, elevation, distance to the coastline and oceanic environmental factors such as sea surface temperature, sea surface height and ocean chlorophyll concentration. The purpose of this study is to describe the spatial epidemiology of cholera in the four districts of Sabah. Methods: This is a retrospective review of 4 years (2011 to 2014) data from the districts of Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Putatan and Papar, Sabah. All reported cases of cholera from those areas are included. Coordinates for locations of the cases are based on home addresses. SPSS v20, ArcGIS v10 and CrimeStat IV were used for data analysis and mapping. Results: Cholera showed several clustering of cases, such as in 2011 and 2014 in Kota Kinabalu. In the year 2011 and 2013, Penampang and Papar districts had the nearest neighbour index of less than 1, but p value was not significant, meaning the pattern did not appear to be significant. Nearest neighbour hierarchical clustering analysis further revealed cholera had 7 clusters, of those 6 were first order and 1 was a second order cluster. Conclusion: Cholera shows disease clustering which could mean it is due to its common point source or localised human to human transmission. Using GIS as a tool may help in surveillance and control of cholera infections

Spatial Analysis of Food and Waterborne Diseases in Sabah, Malaysia

Food and waterborne disease (FWBD) epidemic can produce devastating public health outcomes. From 1990 to 2006, the annual notifications for FWBDs in Malaysia ranged from 2,000 to about 10,000 cases. The purpose of this study was to describe the spatial epidemiology of FWBDs in four districts of Sabah from the year 2011 to 2014. This study was a retrospective review of four years (i.e. 2011 to 2014) worth of data from Kota Kinabalu, Penampang, Putatan, and Papar districts. All reported cases of cholera, dysentery, food poisoning, typhoid, and viral hepatitis A from these areas and district health offices were included. Coordinates for the locations of the cases were based on home addresses. Among a total of 1997 cases of FWBDs, food poisoning was the highest reported disease with 1787 (89.4%) cases. Kota Kinabalu had the most reported cases of FWBDs with 1368 (68.5%). In the year 2012, FWBD incidence was the highest at 16.44 per 10,000 populations. Kernel density estimation demonstrated hot spots of food poisoning and cholera in the western areas near the coast, while typhoid and viral hepatitis A cases had minimal hot spots and appeared to be dispersed. Average nearest neighbour analysis showed clusters of food poisoning and cholera cases. Further analysis with the nearest neighbour hierarchical spatial clustering presented 32 clusters of food poisoning and 7 clusters of cholera. Food poisoning and cholera usually occur in clusters. From these findings, it can be concluded that these areas, food poisoning, and cholera have significant spatial clustering and patterns. Meanwhile, other FWBDs did not occur in clusters for this study. This indicates the possibility of under-reporting or real dispersion of cases brought about by an efficient mechanism of spread from a common source

A review on climate change and Malaysia’s actions

One of the biggest global health threats of the 21st century is climate change It is so catastrophic that the climate action has been given a platform as it is the 13th goal of the 17 United Nations Sustainable developmental goals (SDG). This review seeks to understand the factors causing climate change, followed by understanding the impact it has on individual and population health. We also identify the strategies to control and prevent further climate change. Methods: Reviews of local and international articles from the past ten years was conducted. The focus of the review was the causes health effects as well as strategies. Data base used was Pro Quest. Results: This review identified that the main contributor to climate change are man-made activities such as fossil fuels combustion, livestock farming, and deforestation. This change in climate has many repercussions from mass migrations, increase communicable diseases as well as an increase in extreme weather events and natural disasters. All this eventually leads to the deterioration of individual and population health. Strengthening adaptivity to climate-related hazard, climate change integration into national policies, education, awareness-raising, impact reduction and early warning are actions that are present in Malaysia to manage this crisis. Conclusion: Climate change is occurring globally, and its presence can no longer be denied. Actions have been put forth, but only when its importance and impact is taken seriously will the positive changes be sustainable

Factors of Acute Diarrhoea among Children of Under Five Years Old in Sabah, Malaysia: A Case-Control Study

Acute diarrhoea is a major public health problem and is the second leading cause of death in children. It has implications in terms of morbidity and mortality especially in the under five years old age group. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with acute diarrhoea among children under 5 years old in Sabah. This was a case-control study involving 584 samples in four districts in Sabah. Analysis with multiple logistic regression discovered the associated factors of acute diarrhoea among under 5 years old were child’s age, single parents aOR5.209 (95%CI 1.09-25.01), Peribumi Sabah mother aOR1.542 (95%CI 1.01-2.34), unemployed mother aOR1.783 (95%CI 1.16-2.75), less than RM2,000 monthly household income aOR1.643 (95%CI 1.08-2.49), no garbage collection aOR1.923 (95%CI 1.24-2.98), adjacent open garbage aOR1.888 (95%CI 1.23-2.91), average rainfall of 151mm or more aOR1.768 (95%CI 1.22-2.56) and less than 1 year of breastfeeding aOR1.685 (95%CI 1.11-2.55). The study has revealed the need to improve the overall level of hygiene and sanitation in the population

Acceptance Factors of Pneumococcal Vaccination among Adult Population: A Systematic Review

Received 20 July 2018 Accepted 24 August 2018 Introduction Pneumococcal disease causes considerable morbidity and mortality, including among adults. Adult pneumococcal vaccines help to prevent these burdens, yet, they are underutilized. Our objective is to systematically collect and summarize the available evidence on the potential factors that lead to pneumococcal vaccination acceptance among of adult community. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted involving studies published from January 1999 to December 2015. The studies were identified by searching electronic resources (PubMed/MEDLINE and Pro Quest database) and manual searches of references. The keywords “vaccine/ immunization”, “uptake/ coverage”, “determinant/ factor”, and “Streptococcus pneumoniae/ pneumococcus/ pneumococcal” were used. Final studies result and data were reviewed by two independent authors. Disagreement was resolved through discussion and consensus. Results A total of 171 studies were identified, only 17 studies were included in final discussion with 10 domains identified in the paper. 7 studies (41%) had reported that the provider domain, patients’ perception and socio-demographic factor have had the most effect on the pneumococcal vaccination acceptance rate. In addition, only 18% (3) of reviewed papers had highlighted that socio-economic was a factor influenced the pneumococcal vaccination acceptance while 24% (4 studies) were attributed to the comorbid domains. Conclusions Healthcare provider and patients’ perception about pneumococcal vaccination for adult population are significant domains which influence the acceptance towards vaccination. Strong recommendations from healthcare provider for pneumococcal vaccination would be an important step to increase vaccination acceptance among the population

The challenges and risk of laboratory handling on a histology specimen during COVID-19 pandemic

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has taken the world into turmoil by surprise. The rapid spreading of this virus has led to an exponential increase in the number of cases. It has created a public health disaster, causing a collapse of the health system in every part of the world. Many sectors in the health area are affected, including histopathology services. The challenges and risk of viral transmission can come from various aspects and levels. For COVID-19 tests, there are even cases of no direct contact with the specimens; the specimens received infection from individuals of unknown status. The fixatives used for histopathology specimens are believed to be inactivated viruses, which can be an inactivate coronavirus. Even so, precautions have to be put in place to prevent the spread of infection to laboratory personnel, especially to those handling underfixed and fresh frozen cytology samples. Precautions must also be taken when dealing with histopathology services, by wearing full personal protective equipment and by executing other standard safety measures. The purpose of this review is to highlight the challenges faced in managing histopathology services in our centre during the COVID-19 pandemic

Acceptance factors of pneumococcal vaccination among adult population: a systematic review

Introduction : Pneumococcal disease causes considerable morbidity and mortality, including among adults. Adult pneumococcal vaccines help to prevent these burdens, yet, they are underutilized. Our objective is to systematically collect and summarize the available evidence on the potential factors that lead to pneumococcal vaccination acceptance among of adult community. Methodology: A systematic literature search was conducted involving studies published from January 1999 to December 2015. The studies were identified by searching electronic resources (PubMed/MEDLINE and Pro Quest database) and manual searches of references. Study setting was focused on factors and determinants that associated with pneumococcal vaccination intake or acceptance. Final studies result and data were reviewed by two independent authors. Disagreement was resolved through discussion and consensus. Results: 17 studies were included in final discussion with 10 domains identified in the paper. 7 studies (41%) reported that the provider domain, patients’ perception and socio-demographic factor had the most effect on the pneumococcal vaccination acceptance rate. In addition, only 18% (3) of reviewed papers highlighted that socio-economic factor influenced the pneumococcal vaccination acceptance while 24% (4 studies) were attributed to the comorbid domains. Conclusion: Healthcare provider and patients’ perception about pneumococcal vaccination for adult population are significant domains that influence the acceptance towards vaccination. Strong recommendations from healthcare provider for pneumococcal vaccination would be an important step to increase vaccination acceptance among the populatio

Acceptance Factors of Pneumococcal Vaccination Among Adult Population: A Systematic Review

Introduction : Pneumococcal disease causes considerable morbidity and mortality, including among adults. Adult pneumococcal vaccines help to prevent these burdens, yet, they are underutilized. Our objective is to systematically collect and summarize the available evidence on the potential factors that lead to pneumococcal vaccination acceptance among of adult community. Methodology: A systematic literature search was conducted involving studies published from January 1999 to December 2015. The studies were identified by searching electronic resources (PubMed/MEDLINE and Pro Quest database) and manual searches of references. Study setting was focused on factors and determinants that associated with pneumococcal vaccination intake or acceptance. Final studies result and data were reviewed by two independent authors. Disagreement was resolved through discussion and consensus. Results: 17 studies were included in final discussion with 10 domains identified in the paper. 7 studies (41%) reported that the provider domain, patients’ perception and socio-demographic factor had the most effect on the pneumococcal vaccination acceptance rate. In addition, only 18% (3) of reviewed papers highlighted that socio-economic factor influenced the pneumococcal vaccination acceptance while 24% (4 studies) were attributed to the comorbid domains. Conclusion: Healthcare provider and patients’ perception about pneumococcal vaccination for adult population are significant domains that influence the acceptance towards vaccination. Strong recommendations from healthcare provider for pneumococcal vaccination would be an important step to increase vaccination acceptance among the populatio