Measuring exposure to second-hand smoke in the home and car : UK, Ireland and Malaysia.

Background: Second-hand smoke(SHS)exposure in the private spaces of home and cars continues to be common even in countries with comprehensive smoke-free laws. There is little data available on the concentrations of SHS experienced within these micro-environment. Methods: Linked studies to measure concentration of fine particulate (PM2.5) as a marker for SHS within homes in Scotland, Ireland and Malaysia, and in cars in Scotland and England, were carried out. Sidepak AM510 Personal Aerosol Monitors or Dylos DC1700 devices were used to gather real-time data on PM2.5 in smoker's homes and cars. PM2.5 concentrations were compared to the World Health Organization limit of 25 ug/m3. Results: The mean PM2.5 concentration measured from more than 3800 hours of all data collected from 107 smoking households across all three countries were 76 ug/m3 (range 1-499). The average 1 minute peak level recorded was 507 ug/m3 (range 9-4767). In cars the mean journey concentration of PM2.5 was 85 ug/m3 (range 16-331) in journeys where smoking took place (n=49) compared to 7 ug/m3 (range 0.4-29) during non-smoking journeys (n=34). Conclusion: Concentration of SHS in home and cars can be considerable with the average smoking home exceeding the 24 h World Health Organization limit for PM2.5 by factors of 3: the respiratory and cardiovascular health effects of the daily exposure to these levels is likely to be substantial. Feedback of this air quality information may be a useful way of encouraging smokers to think about changing their behavior to protect their family from the harmful effects of SHS

Traffic-related pollution (NO2 and CO) and its association with asthma symptoms among 10-11 year old children in Malaysia

Introduction: Children attending schools located close to major traffic sources are exposed to higher indoor air pollution levels due to infiltration of outdoor air pollutants. This study investigates the respiratory health of Malaysian schoolchildren in relation to indoor air pollution in schools and at home. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,164 schoolchildren aged 10-11 years in 35 urban and semi-rural schools in Kuala Lumpur Negeri Sembilan. Parents completed the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood questionnaire and provided information on the home environment and socio demographic background. Concentrations of NO2 and CO were measured indoors and outdoors of 14 schools. Results: The mean (standard deviation (SD)) indoor exposure to concentrations of air pollutants measured in Malaysian schools were: 42.9 (8.77) μg/m3 of NO2 and 3.16 (2.47) ppm of CO in urban schools and 12.4 (8.79) μg/m3 of NO2 and 0.33 (0.18) ppm of CO respectively for semi-rural schools. The prevalence of asthma was significantly higher among urban compared to semi-rural children. Ever wheeze was more common in urban areas (14.3%) compared to semi-rural areas (10.6%) as was current wheeze (urban 9.1%; semi-rural 6.2%), nocturnal cough (urban 12.0%; semi-rural 7.2%) and most other symptoms. The 3 main predictors of nocturnal cough were the presence of a current smoker at home (OR 1.97; 95% CI: 1.31-2.96), the absence of exhaust system in the kitchen (OR 1.67; 95% CI: 1.03-2.68) and the use of air conditioning (OR 3.10; 95% CI: 1.37-5.71). Self-reported asthma was predicted by the occupation of mothers; managerial positions (OR 1.78; 95% CI: 1.21-2.62), mothers working in the armed forces (OR 1.92; 95% CI: 1.32- 2.78) and fathers with a high school level of education (OR 0.46; 95% CI: 0.26- 0.82) while exposure to SHS of ≥4 hours per day (OR 2.53; 95% CI: 1.55-4.14) explained approximately 6.0% of the likelihood of reporting doctor-diagnosed asthma. Conclusion: This study has identified that many Malaysian schoolchildren experience exposure to air pollution indoors that exceeds WHO guidance limits for NO2 pollution but did not exceed the RMAQG levels. Considering that traffic-related sources largely contribute towards NO2 concentrations, compliance with the standards is not indicative of the reduced health risks for air pollution exposures

Assessment on physical factors of thermal comfort, sick building syndrome symptoms and perception of comfort among occupants in a public research university laboratory building

Background: Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) is a phenomenon where people have a range of symptoms related to a certain building conditions, most often a workplace. Physical environmental factors is one of the contributors of SBS. This study aimed to determine the association between SBS symptoms and perception of comfort with physical factors among occupants in offices at a public university in Malaysia. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among 175 occupants in 19 offices inside a laboratory complex of a university performed in 2015. SBS symptoms and perception of comfort were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. Measurements of physical factors for temperature, relative humidity (RH) and air velocity were performed. Data was analysed using a statistical software. Result: About 90% of respondents were female and were of Malay ethnicity. The prevalence of SBS is 9.7% while 11% of the respondents reported the perception of discomfort. The average temperature was 25.1±0.5 ºC, while for RH the average was 69.0±1.2%. The average air velocity was 0.2±0.03 m/s. All the averages were within the occupational limit set in Malaysia. From the multivariate analysis, it was found that higher level of RH (Odds Ratio, OR=4.05, 95%Confidence Interval, CI=1.27-12.9) and the female gender (OR=5.12, 95% CI=1.5-17.3) contributed significantly to the reporting of SBS while for perception of comfort, lower temperature (OR=10.76, 95% CI=2.17-53.5), higher level of RH (OR=15.2, 95% CI=4.28-54.1) and the female gender (OR=6.52, 95% CI=1.49-28.6) were significant contributors. Conclusion: This study found significant relationship between RH with SBS and perception of comfort. There is a need to ensure proper ventilation system and its continuous maintenance are provided by employers to ensure workers continue to be safe and healthy

Second-hand smoke in public spaces : how effective has partial smoke-free legislation been in Malaysia?

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Impact of health educational intervention to increase osteoporosis knowledge among women: a systematic review

Osteoporosis is a growing global health concern. It is a silent and incurable disease, and many people are not aware of it till complications occur. Osteoporosis is difficult to treat and still incurable, and so prevention is critically necessary. Indeed, it is preventable by modifying unhealthy lifestyles to maximize bone mass density before its occurrence. Health educational osteoporosis program are known as an important strategy in its prevention. Theses program will increase women’s knowledge levels and alter their health beliefs regarding osteoporosis and preventive behaviors. This paper reports an analysis of the results on osteoporosis educational program for women in different age group

The relationship between noise with stress and sleep disturbances among manufacturing workers

Objective: Noise can pose various detrimental effects that may put workers at high risk for occupational injuries and detrimental organisational consequences. This study aims to determine the effects of occupational noise exposure levels to psychological stress and sleep disturbance among manufacturing workers in Selangor. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 80 manufacturing workers who were exposed to noise levels of above 85dB. The response rate was 80%. Sound level meter (SLM) was used to measure workplace ambient noise level. O’Donnell Personal Stress Inventory was used to measure stress level and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) was used to measure psychosocial factors of stress. While the level of sleep disturbances was measured via Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Result: Thirty respondents (38%) were classified to be stressful and 57 respondents (71.3%) were having poor sleep.Noise was found to be insignificant in predicting stress level and sleep disturbances. Gender and interpersonal relationship significantly associated with stress levels. Work demand, marital status and income were significant in predicting sleep disturbances. Conclusion: Findings indicated that workers were protected from noise exposure by wearing ear plugs. However, the prevalence of sleep disturbance was high. Therefore intervention strategies to improve sleep quality should focus on those identified significant psychosocial work factors

Humidity controlling material development from diatomite, waste glass and cockle shell powder: an experimental study

Introduction: Innovative ways of balancing indoor relative humidity without compensate for the optimal working environment is crucial as excessive dampness is a risk factor for health symptoms among people and deteriorate building performance. This study examines the potential of fabricating humidity controlling material by sintering a mixture of diatomite, waste glass and cockle shell powder. Moisture sorption isotherms, moisture buffer values, pore structure, surface morphology and flexural strength of the final products were determined. Methods: Mixture of diatomite, powdered waste glass and cockle shell powder is mixed at different ratio, pressed and sintered at 1100°C for 20 minutes. The final products were examined using nitrogen gas adsorption-desorption and scanning electron microscopy for mesoporous and morphology properties. The moisture adsorption-desorption performances of the samples were tested using desiccator method while the flexural strength is tested using universal testing machine. Results: The sintered products have specific surface area from 5.744 m2/g to 14.765 m2/g and have pore size from 39.5-67.7 nm. The best product, manufactured by mixing 60% diatomite, 30% waste glass and 10% cockle shell powder, showed a good moisture buffer value (MBV: 1.3 g/m2 %RH) and flexural strength of 8.23 ± 1.8 MPa satisfy the standard of those commercial porous ceramics. Conclusion: Usage of waste glass and cockle shell powder in development of humidity control material helped in the waste reduction. The humidity control material produced can regulate indoor humidity without additional energy consumption. The superior products show excellent characteristics and highly promising for various construction applications

Commitment, attitude and behavioural changes of the community towards a waste segregation program: a case study of Malaysia

The rate of waste segregation is poor in Malaysia where only 5% of waste is segregated and recycled. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Taman Sri Andalas, Serdang Jaya Selangor to determine factors that are associated with the participation of the public in a waste segregation program and to determine the reduction of waste from the waste segregation activity implemented in this study. A total of 69 households were arbitrarily selected across streets to participate in this study. Two types of bins (i.e. recycled and food waste) were provided to each participating household and the weights of the waste were measured at two different time intervals. The behavioural changes of respondents were assessed based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The volume of waste segregated has increased significantly, from 9.4% to 10.6% while 13.3% of the community waste is food waste that could be used as compost. In total, the volume of waste designated for the landfill has decreased from 100% to 76.2% in the span of three weeks. Nine behavioural factors show significant positive changes between the start and the end of the program. The waste segregation program that was conducted has resulted in behavioural changes of households towards waste segregation activity

Musculoskeletal symptoms risk factors and postural risk analysis of pineapple plantation workers in Johor

Introduction: Pineapple plantation workers are exposed to strenuous physical activities. This study aims to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS), analyse the body postural risks related to work tasks and identify relevant MSS risk factors among pineapple plantation workers. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study performed at a pineapple plantation in Johor in 2016. MSS, information on socio-demographic background and occupational history were collected via structured questionnaires. Identification and risk assessment of ergonomic hazard and postural risk analysis were performed for a subset of workers. Data were entered into statistical software and analyse according to relevant objectives. Results: A total of 108 workers participated in this study. The prevalence of MSS was 87.0% and was highest for the lower back (64.8%). In terms of ergonomic hazards, Harvesting were categorised as a task with the highest risk. Harvesting was also the task with the highest postural risk. From the multivariate analysis, lower back pain is mainly contributed by a working tenure of 10 to 25 years (Odds Ratio, OR: 3.90; 95% Confidence Interval, CI 1.05-14.4) and more than 25 years (OR: 7.45 (95% CI 1.26 to 44.0). Workers who worked more than 7-hour daily have a higher risk for reporting lower back pain. Conclusion: Pineapple plantation workers are exposed to excessive bending, twisting and carrying of heavy loads that may be linked to MSS. Effective preventive strategies are required to address MSS in this population in order to minimize risk for subsequent musculoskeletal disorders

Dermal exposure to pesticides among sprayers in different agriculture subsectors in Malaysia: observational method using DREAM

Introduction: An assessment of dermal exposure to pesticide mixtures among sprayers was made as a function of crop type, in four agricultural subsectors in Malaysia. Methods: The potential and actual dermal exposures for 160 pesticide sprayers performing pesticide spraying task were estimated by using Dermal Exposure Assessment Method (DREAM). Results: Results showed that there was significant difference between nationality (p<0.001), highest education (p<0.001), monthly income (p=0.002), body mass index (p<0.001) and smoking habit (p<0.001) distributions of sprayers in different agriculture subsectors. Various types of pesticides were used by respondents, where class II (moderately hazardous) and class III (slightly hazardous) pesticides were the most frequently used pesticides. There was a significant difference in both tPDE (χ2 = 118.093, p<0.001) and tADE (χ2 = 84.980, p<0.001) between different agricultural sectors, where the prominent high tPDE was observed among paddy pesticide sprayers (151.39 ± 22.64 DU) while lowest exposure was recorded among oil palm plantation sprayers (47.67 ± 18.47 DU). Conclusion: Based on DREAM exposure categories, majority of the pesticide sprayers (68.9%) working in paddy farming were exposed in low dermal exposure while 26.7% of respondents were exposed to moderate exposure. Pesticide sprayers in other agriculture sectors were exposed to very low to low exposure level. Dermal exposure distributions on body parts were varied between sectors, influenced by several factors such as crop type, height, and spraying methods