The heritability of premenstrual syndrome

We aimed to determine (1) the prevalence of premenstrual syndrome in a sample of twins and (2) the relative contribution of genes and environment in premenstrual syndrome. A group of 193 subjects inclusive of same gender twins (n = 176) and females from opposite sex twin sets (n = 17) entered the study. Heritability analysis used same gender twin data only. The probandwise concordance rate for the presence or absence of premenstrual syndrome was calculated and the heritability of premenstrual syndrome was assessed by a quantitative genetic model fitting approach using MX software. The prevalence of premenstrual syndrome was 43.0% and 46.8% in monozygotic and dizygotic twins, respectively. The probandwise concordance for premenstrual syndrome was higher in monozygotic (0.81) than in dizygotic twins (0.67), indicating a strong genetic effect. Quantitative genetic modeling found that a model comprising of additive genetic (A) and unique environment (E) factors provided the best fit (A: 95%, E: 5%). No association was found between premenstrual symptom and the following variables: belonging to the opposite gender twin set, birth weight, being breast fed and vaccination. These results established a clear genetic influence in premenstrual syndrome

Quality of life among breast cancer patients at Kuala Lumpur General Hospital, Malaysia

Background: Among the factors reported to determine the quality of life of breast cancer patients are socio- demographic background, clinical stage, type of treatment received, and the duration since diagnosis. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the quality of life (QOL) scores among breast cancer patients at a Malaysian public hospital. Materials abd methods: This cross-sectional study of breast cancer patients was conducted between March to June 2013. QOL scores were determined using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and its breast cancer supplementary measure (QLQ-BR23). Both the QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 assess items from functional and symptom scales. The QLQ-C30 in addition also measures the Global Health Status (GHS). Systematic random sampling was used to recruit patients. Results: 223 breast cancer patients were recruited with a response rate of 92.1%. The mean age of the patients was 52.4 years (95% CI = 51.0, 53.7, SD=10.3). Majority of respondents are Malays (60.5%), followed by Chinese (19.3%), Indians (18.4%), and others (1.8%). More than 50% of respondents are at stage III and stage IV of malignancy. The mean Global Health Status was 65.7 (SD = 21.4). From the QLQ-C30, the mean score in the functioning scale was highest for 'cognitive functioning' (84.1, SD=18.0), while the mean score in the symptom scale was highest for 'financial difficulties' (40.1, SD=31.6). From the QLQ-BR23, the mean score for functioning scale was highest for 'body image' (80.0, SD=24.6) while the mean score in the symptom scale was highest for 'upset by hair loss' (36.2, SD=29.4). Two significant predictors for Global Health Status were age and employment. The predictors explained 10.6% of the variation of global health status (R2=0.106). Conclusions: Age and employment were found to be significant predictors for Global Health Status (GHS). The Quality of Life among breast cancer patients reflected by the GHS improves as age and employment increases

Allergy to air pollution and frequency of asthmatic attacks among asthmatic primary school children

A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on asthmatic primary school children in 3 areas in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor in Malaysia. The main objective was to study the relationship between air pollutants and frequency of asthmatic attacks. A total of 207 asthmatic children comprising of 87 from the urban, 67 from the industrial and another 53 from the rural areas were involved. Only asthmatic children diagnosed by medical professionals were selected with reference to the medical records provided by the school. These 2nd to 5th grade students had written consent from their parents. A modified ISAAC Questionnaire was completed by the parents. Continuous ambient air pollutants data was obtained from the Department of Environment. The prevalence of asthma was higher in urban and industrial children. In 2008, the annual mean PM10 in the industrial areas (64.9 μg/m3) was slightly higher than the Malaysian Ambient Air Quality Guideline. SO, was significantly higher in the industrial area (0.003ppm), while CO (1.31ppm) and NO2 (0.03 ppm) were higher in the urban area. Significant association between the prevalence of respiratory symptoms with locations found. Urban children have more respiratory symptoms such as difficulty in breathing, (p = 0.01) chest tightness, (p = 0.047) and wheezing (p = 0.029). Allergy symptoms such as skin rashes, nasal symptoms and watery eyes and nose were also higher among urban children. Results showed that PEF variability and allergy to pollen significantly influenced the frequency of asthmatic attacks while higher fathers' education was a protective factor. Urban and industrial asthmatic children were at greater risk of getting more frequent asthmatic attack due to allergy to high levels of air pollutants in the form of particulates such as pollen, or chemical content and gases which affect the PEF variability leading to asthmatic attacks

Stability of depressive symptoms over 3 months post-partum

Aim: Prolonged depression during the post-partum period is associated with maternal and infant mortality and morbidity. Less attention has been given to factors that predict the persistence of depression beyond the first 3 months post-partum. Methods: From a longitudinal cohortof 2279 women who attended Mazandaran’s primary health centres in 2009, 478 women with an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score of 12 or greater in the third trimester of pregnancy were recruited. Persistently depressed women (depressed at all three occasions: during pregnancy, and at 2 and 12 weeks post-partum) were compared with those without depression to determine demographic, cultural, obstetric and biopsychosocial predictors for persistence of depression. Data were analysed using chi-square test, t-test and logistic regression models. Results: The stability of depression was found in 193 (46.2 %) of 418 depressed cases who were followed up over the study period. Of those mothers who scored more than the threshold of 12 during the third trimester of pregnancy, 277 (66.3%) and 221 (52.9%) had high EPDS at 2 and 12 weeks post-partum. Psychological distress (based upon the General Health Questionnaire), low maternal parental self-efficacy (based upon the Parental Expectation Survey) and perceived social isolation (based upon the Network Orientation Scale) were independent predictors of persistent depression. Conclusion: Fewer depressed mothers in this study were found to recover during the first 3 months after giving birth. Psychosocial factors predicted sustained depression from pregnancy to 3 months post-partum. The findings highlight the significance of support in enhancing maternal mental health

Perspective of postpartum depression theories: a narrative literature review

Postpartum depression is the most prevalent emotional problem during a women's lifespan. Untreated postpartum depression may lead to several consequences such as child, infant, fetal, and maternal effects. The main purpose of this article is to briefly describe different theoretical perspectives of postpartum depression. A literature search was conducted in Psych Info, PubMed, and Science Direct between 1950 and 2015. Additional articles and book chapters were referenced from these sources. Different theories were suggested for developing postpartum depression. Three theories, namely, biological, psychosocial, and evolutionary were discussed. One theory or combinations of psychosocial, biological, and evolutionary theories were considered for postpartum depression. The most important factor that makes clinicians' choice of intervention is their theoretical perspectives. Healthcare providers and physicians should help women to make informed choices regarding their treatment based on related theories

Knowledge, attitude and practice related to HIV/AIDS among students in a local university (2007)

Introduction: HIV/AIDS has emerged as a threat causing significant morbidity and mortality in human societies. The aims of this study was to determine knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) and factors associated with HIV/AIDS amongs students in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in UPM. A two-stage proportionate to size random sampling technique was used. A standardized pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were analysed using SPSS. Results: The respond rate was 92.3%. The majority (57.3%) of the students were female. The overall mean age of the respondents was 22.5 years (95% CI 22.27-22.70) ranging from 18 years to 52 years. The results show that 91% of the respondents did not know that HIV virus can be killed by bleach; 93.9% stated that pregnant women with HIV virus can give the virus to her unborn baby; 90.2% believed a woman can get HIV if she has unprotected sex with a man; and 93.5% considered that having sex with more than one partner can increase a person’s chance of being infected with HIV virus. The majority (53%) were not willing to care for an HIV infected person in their own house. Only 19.5% of all the students claimed that they will inform their partners or family if diagnosed positive for HIV infection. The majority (93%) approved screening for HIV as a prerequisite for marriage. Only 2.2% of the respondents had multiple sexual partners and 5.4% of the respondents have had sexual intercourse before marriage. About 82.3% of the respondents believed in the used of condom as a means to prevent transmission of HIV. However, of those who were experiencing sexual intercourse with an unmarried partner, only 29.8% used condoms. Conclusion: The level of knowledge related to HIV/AIDS was not satisfactory. It is recommended that a peer educational programme on HIV/AIDS prevention be implemented

Development of health education module for the school-based health education intervention to improve the knowledge, attitude and practices on Pediculosis capitis

Background: Pediculosis capitis is a common infestation among the school-aged group. Necessary intervention must be taken to prevent and manage the problem. A full study using cluster randomized control trial is proposed to assess the effectiveness of a health education module on the knowledge, attitude and practices on Pediculosis capitis among government primary school students. If the intervention is effective, it can be generalized to the whole primary schools across the country. Therefore, this paper will discuss on the development of a school-based health education intervention to improve the knowledge, attitude and practices on Pediculosis capitis among the government primary school students. Materials and Methods: Literature review was done to examine the prevalence of Pediculosis capitis and its determinants. Based on the findings, a health education intervention module based on KAP Model was developed for the implementation at a school level. Contribution by the panel of experts was attained for the development of the module. Validation of the module was carried out to ensure it is suitable to be implemented and will be effective in preventing and managing Pediculosis capitis. Expected Result: The health education intervention is effective to improve the knowledge, attitude and practices on Pediculosis capitis of the respondents as compared to baseline. Conclusion:Preventing Pediculosis capitis and controlling its risk factors by a well-developed health education module will help to obtain the desired outcome which is the reduction of Pediculosis capitis and improvement of knowledge, attitude and practice on Pediculosis capitis among the respondents

Time series modelon hand, foot and mouth disease in Sarawak, Malaysia

Objective: To model and forecast hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases since there has not been any studies on time series modelling of HFMD in Sarawak, Malaysia. Methods: The longitudinal data of HFMD collected over the past 7 years (2006-2012) showed a cyclical pattern of outbreak every 2 to 3 years. The data consisted of weekly number of HFMD reported cases from 2006 to 2012. An auto regressive moving average (ARMA) model was fitted to the data. Batting average was used to measure the performance of our forecast for 2013. Results: The results indicate that ARMA model fit the trends of HFMD in Sarawak very close to the actual data during our study period. Our prediction for the number of HFMD reported cases lies within the 90% interval range for the first 16 weeks in 2013. Conclusions: An ARMA(1,4) model fits the data well and has good prediction ability of over 90% accuracy

Respiratory health and allergies from chemical exposures among machining industry workers in Selangor, Malaysia

Background: This study was to determine the prevalence of respiratory health complaints, allergy symptom, lung functions, and the association between airborne concentrations of chromium and aluminium with respiratory health and allergy symptoms among machining industry workers in Selangor, Malaysia. Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional comparative study. The respiratory and allergy symptoms were obtained through the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Adult Respiratory Questionnaire (ATS-DLD-78) modified questionnaire. Results: The MWFs unexposed group had significantly higher TWA8 airborne aluminum concentration (median = 0.24 µg/m3) than the exposed group (median = 0.13 µg/m3) (P=0.027). However, no significant difference was found in the airborne chromium between both groups. Significantly higher skin itchiness was reported by the MWFs exposed group. This was further supported by the serum total IgE concentrations which was significantly higher among MWFs exposed group than the unexposed group (P=0.024). The prevalence of total serum IgE was significantly higher for the exposed group (54.3%) than the unexposed group (36.9%). The exposed group reported significantly higher prevalence of cough symptom, morning cough with sputum and health worries caused by metalworking fluids than the unexposed group. Conclusion: This study showed significantly higher allergy and respiratory symptoms among the MWFs exposed group than the unexposed group

Respiratory health effects of metalworking fluid among metal machining workers: review article

Background: Metalworking fluids are the most common coolants and lubricants used in metal machining industry in order to protect the machine and the products. The most common form of MWF is water based MWF. During the machining process the MWF can be splashed into workers’ environment and suspended as aerosols that can be inhaled by the workers into their respiratory system. Exposure to MWF can lead to serious respiratory diseases as cough, phlegm, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, or hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Objective: To review and summarize the principle of respiratory exposure to MWF among metal machining workers and the adverse health effects on respiratory system. Method: A survey of the literatures concern on MWF respiratory exposure, respiratory health effects of MWF, microbial contamination of water based MWF, effectiveness of permissible exposure limits of MWF and assessment of respiratory health of workers exposed to MWF were reviewed and summarized in this review paper. Result: Review shows, the workers in metal machining industries and handling MWF in their daily activities are at high risk of respiratory diseases due to respiratory exposure to MWF. Conclusion: There is a shortage in number of related studies on exposure to metalworking fluids in Malaysia