Association of health literacy with obesity and overweight among arabic secondary school students in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Malaysia

Background: Overweight and obesity among adolescents is considered an epidemic in both developed and developing countries. There is still limited study on the health literacy as a determinant of overweight and obesity in adolescents.The aims of this study was to determine the association of health literacy with overweight and obesity. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among Arabic secondary school students in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. Health literacy was measured using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) questionnaire. Limited health literacy was defined as the NVS score of 0 to 3. Body weight and height were measured twice by standard methods and the mean of these two measurements was used in the calculation of body mass index. Overweight and obesity classification were based on the World Health Organization criteria. Chi-square test and multivariate binary logistic regression were performed using IBM-SPSS version 21.0. Results: A total of 202 out of 250 students involved in this study giving the response rate as 81.0%. The percentage of overweight and obesity among the respondents was 21.3% and 6.9% respectively. Respondents with limited health literacy was 51.5%. Those with limited health literacy was almost 2 times higher (AOR = 1.963, 95%CI: 1.010, 3.816) to have overweight and obesity as compared to adequate health literacy. Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was high among the study population. Limited health literacy is a predictor of overweight and obesity. Improving health literacy should be considered in obesity and overweight intervention

Analisis Implementasi Standar Pelayanan Minimal Bidang Kesehatan Kabupaten/kota

Ministry of Health has set a Health Minimum Service Standards (HMSS) for District/City by Minister of Health Decree No. 741/Menkes/Per/VII/2008, which consist of 18 indicators. After three years of implementation, an analysis of the HMSS implementation has conducted. Using a cross-sectional study design, site selection is done purposively to represent Eastern, Central, and Western part of Indonesia. There were nine districts/cities of 9 provinces selected. The analysis showed that problems in the implementation of HMSS are: some indicators do not meet the SMART criteria, inconsistency between the title of indicators, operational definitions and formulas, wide gap in the coverage both within the district at different times and among districts/cities. Differences also occur at the operational level, including dissemination of HMSS, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation. It is recommended that the Ministry of Health should provide sufficient training, proper socialization of HMSS, set up a special unit to monitor and facilitate the implementation of HMSS. The existing MSS should be revised, no longer focusing on the achievement of the program but rather based on a form of health care provided. In addition, revision is necessary to gain consistency between definitions, operational definitions and formulas of HMSS indicators

Pemberdayaan Anak Sekolah Menengah Atas (SMA) dalam Upaya Pengenalan Tuberculosis Paru di Kabupaten Bandung Barat

Educate high school student about the dangers of tuberculosis has not been done. The tuberculosis (TB) disease is common in the community and it is contagious, while the the protection of the disease through immunization is only up to age <15 years, therefore, knowledge to the danger of the transmission of this disease needs to be communicated to the students, sothat, they can understand how to keep themselves aware and know the dangers of transmission of Tuberculosis disease. To find out whether students understand the dangers of the tuberculosis disease, the research has been done by providing information through manual intervention counseling of Tuberculosis. Before education pre and post-test of pulmonary TB disease to 900 students from high school student in West Bandung regency were conducted in the year 2009. Research methods is pre and post test quesionair about tuberculosis, counseling intervention using manual tuberculosis, knowledge and ways of disease prevention. Research design is Quasy Experiment with control group. The result of the study shows a significant increase of knowledge of the student in all three high school student in West Bandung regency, 45% of students in Cililin got their knowledge through books and counseling, and 35% of the student in Cikalong Wetan through-pulmonary TB education course, and only 20% of the student in Padalarang as a control goup got the knowledge from the explanation of TB disease only. The difference of improving those knowledge occur in phases. The differences is also affected by the model of education. Apparently, counseling and motivational text books to the students is one of the most high, usable and useful for improving students knowledge of the tuberculosis diseases. Key words:Tuberculosis, High School,Counseling. Abstrak Penyuluhan kepada siswa-siswi sekolah tentang bahaya penyakit tuberculosis belum banyak dilakukan, mengingat penyakit tuberculosis (TB) merupakan penyakit yang banyak ditemukan di masyarakat dan mudah menular, sedangkan proteksi penyakit melalui imunisasi hanya sampai usia <15 tahun, oleh sebab itu pengetahuan tentang bahaya penularan penyakit ini perlu dan baik disampaikan kepada murid sekolah, agar mereka mengerti cara menjaga diri serta mengetahui bahaya penularan penyakit TB-paru. Untuk mengetahui apakah siswa-siswi mengerti bahaya penyakit tuberculosis, maka dilakukan penelitian dengan memberikan penyuluhan melalui intervensi buku pedoman penyakit Tuberculosis.Sebelum penyuluhan dilakukan pre dan post test tentang penyakit TB-paru kepada siswa-siswi 900 orang dari SMAN di Kabupeten Bandung Barat pada tahun 2009. Metode penelitian pre dan post test kuesioner tentang tuberculosis, intervensi penyuluhan menggunakan buku pedoman tuberculosis pengetahuan dan cara pencegahan penyakit. Disain penelitian Quasy Experiment dengan kontrol group. Hasil Penelitian memperlihatkan peningkatan pengetahuan secara bermagna pada ketiga buah SMAN di Kabupaten Bandung Barat. Sebesar 45% siswa/i di Cililin melalui buku dan penyuluhan, dan 35% melalui penyuluhan TB-paru saja pada siswa/i di Cikalong Wetan, dan terendah sebesar 20% pada kelompok kontrol pada siswa/i di Padalarang hanya penjelasan tentang penyakit TB saja. Perbedaan peningkatan pengetahuan ini terjadi berjenjang, masalah ini juga dipengaruhi oleh model penyuluhan. Ternyata penyuluhan dengan buku pedoman dan motivasi kepada siswa-siswi adalah salah satu yang paling tinggi dan bermanfaat serta berguna untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan siswa/i tentang penyakit Tuberculosis. Kata kunci: Tuberculosis, Anak Sekolah Menengah Atas, Penyuluhan

Nutritional status assessment among infants under six months exclusively breastfed and non-exclusively breastfed in Jos North LGA, Plateau State, Nigeria

Objective: To determine breastfeeding practices and the nutritional status of infants under six months in Jos north LGA, Plateau state, Nigeria Design: A cross-sectional study design was employed. 310 mother-infant pairs were selected as study sample from three primary health care centers in the study location. Data collection consisted of the administration of a validated questionnaire and anthropometric measurements were taken. Results: 39.7 % were seen to practice exclusive breastfeeding while 60.3 practiced non-exclusive breastfeeding. 33 % of infants had already been introduced to complementary foods even before theage of 6 months. In terms of prevalence of malnutrition among males, 13.2 % were severely stunted, 1.6 % were severely underweight and 6.5 % were wasted. Among females, 8.4 % were severely stunted, 0.6 % were severely underweight and 6.6% were severely wasted. There was a significant difference in nutritional indices and breastfeeding patterns (p<0.05). Conclusion: For a decline in malnutrition prevalence, the early introduction of complementary foods by mothers and care givers must be strongly discouraged. Counselling should be targeted at mothers to encourage exclusively breastfeed for 6 months after which appropriate and adequate complementary foods should be introduced

The association between nicotine dependence and smoking practices among Malay male smokers working in Selangor municipalities

Introduction: Nicotine dependence develops over time. It radically contributes to adverse health effects and influences smoking cessation. Globally the prevalence of current nicotine dependence has been reported as being between 46 to 53 percent. Nicotine dependence is associated with many factors, one of which is smoking practices. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 112 Malay male smokers working in two selected municipal council. Smokers were identified and then randomly selected. Nicotine dependence was assessed using Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Smoking practices and data on respondents’ characteristics were collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire. Results: The percentage of high nicotine dependence among this study population is 37.56%. Nicotine dependence is significantly associated with current smoking practices (number of cigarette and frequency smoke per day, P=0.001), smoking cues (such as feeling sad and lonely, P=0.017 & 0.013); waking up in the morning and while driving, (P=0.01& 0.018); smoking rewards (feeling accepted, P=0.026); smoking environment at workplace (smoking in the toilet, P=0.05) and at home (not smoking neither inside nor outside the house, P=0.013). Conclusion: Nicotine dependence is associated with smoking practices, smoking cues, smoking rewards and smoking environment. Understanding the associations could help in establishing better smoking cessation programs. The smoking cessation program should focus not only on individual smokers but also their smoking environments at the workplace (such as making sure sufficient no smoking signage are present to remind smokers) and as well as at home (such as empowering family members to encourage smokers not to smoke at home)

Cellular transcripts regulated during infections with Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza virus in 3 host systems

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus is able to infect many hosts and the virus replicates in high levels in the respiratory tract inducing severe lung lesions. The pathogenesis of the disease is actually the outcome of the infection as determined by complex host-virus interactions involving the functional kinetics of large numbers of participating genes. Understanding the genes and proteins involved in host cellular responses are therefore, critical for the elucidation of the mechanisms of infection.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Differentially expressed transcripts regulated in a H5N1 infections of whole lung organ of chicken, <it>in-vitro </it>chick embryo lung primary cell culture (CeLu) and a continuous Madin Darby Canine Kidney cell line was undertaken. An improved mRNA differential display technique (Gene Fishing™) using annealing control primers that generates reproducible, authentic and long PCR products that are detectable on agarose gels was used for the identification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Seven of the genes have been selected for validation using a TaqMan^®based real time quantitative PCR assay.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirty seven known and unique differentially expressed genes from lungs of chickens, CeLu and MDCK cells were isolated. Among the genes isolated and identified include heat shock proteins, Cyclin D2, Prenyl (decaprenyl) diphosphate synthase, IL-8 and many other unknown genes. The quantitative real time RT-PCR assay data showed that the transcription kinetics of the selected genes were clearly altered during infection by the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza virus.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The Gene Fishing™ technique has allowed for the first time, the isolation and identification of sequences of host cellular genes regulated during H5N1 virus infection. In this limited study, the differentially expressed genes in the three host systems were not identical, thus suggesting that their responses to the H5N1 infection may not share similar mechanisms and pathways.</p

PENGARUH MASSA KATALIS DAN WAKTU REAKSI PADA PEMBUATAN BIODIESEL DARI LIMBAH MINYAK JELANTAH DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN KATALIS HETEROGEN K2O DARI LIMBAH KULIT KAKAO

Waste cooking oil is a waste oil that comes from many types&nbsp;of cooking oils such as corn oil, vegetable oil,&nbsp;ect. The purpose of this research is&nbsp;to&nbsp;waste cooking oil as a raw material to form biodiesel with K2O as the solid catalyst from cocoa pod ash&nbsp;(CPA) which&nbsp;is calcined&nbsp;on&nbsp;temperature 650&nbsp;oC within 4 hours. This oil contains&nbsp;a high level of&nbsp;Free Fatty Acid (FFA)&nbsp;that is 3.13%. Therefore, pretreatment should be done&nbsp;by&nbsp;using activated carbon (1% w/w) to reduce levels of FFA. The research&nbsp;will be&nbsp;observed&nbsp;the effect of reaction time and the&nbsp;mass&nbsp;of catalyst. The characteristics of biodiesel is analyzed according to the levels of methyl ester in biodiesel, density, and viscosity based on the&nbsp;Indonesian National Standard (SNI). The best conditions of biodiesel are obtained with the amount of catalyst&nbsp;is&nbsp;6% (w/w) that is calcined at 650 °C, reaction time 180 minutes, ratio mol of alcohol : oil&nbsp;is&nbsp;12: 1, and 65&nbsp;oC&nbsp;reaction of temperature, resulting the purity and yield of biodiesel is 99,8% and 92,68%. The results of this research indicates that the use of waste cooking as a raw material is suitable in the manufacture of biodiesel

Flammability, morphological and mechanical properties of sugar palm fiber/polyester yarn-reinforced epoxy hybrid biocomposites with magnesium hydroxide flame retardant filler

This paper aims to study the surface morphology, flammability and tensile properties of sugar palm fiber (SPF) hybrid with polyester (PET) yarn-reinforced epoxy composite with the addition of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) as a flame retardant. The composites were prepared by hybridized epoxy and Mg(OH)2/PET with different amounts of SPF contents (0%, 20%, 35% and 50%) using the cold press method. Then these composites were tested by horizontal burning analysis, tensile strength testing and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The specimen with 35% SPF (Epoxy/PET/SPF-35) with the incorporation of Mg(OH)2 as a flame retardant showed the lowest burning rate of 13.25 mm/min. The flame took a longer time to propagate along with the Epoxy/PET/SPF-35 specimen and at the same time producing char. Epoxy/PET/SPF-35 also had the highest tensile strength of 9.69 MPa. Tensile properties of the SPF hybrid with PET yarn (SPF/PET)-reinforced epoxy composite was decreased at 50% SPF content due to the lack of interfacial bonding between the fibers and matrix. Surface morphology analysis through SEM showed uniform distribution of the SPF and matrix with less adhesion, which increased the flammability and reduced the tensile properties of the hybrid polymeric composites. These composites have potential to be utilized in various applications, such as automotive components, building materials and in the aerospace industry

Determinants of exclusive breastfeeding continuity among mothers of infants under six months in Plateau State, Nigeria

Introduction: Exclusive breastfeeding practice is of public health significance as it improves child health and growth. This study was aimed at determining factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practices among mothers of infants under six months. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. 310 mother-infant pairs were selected from three primary health care facilities in Jos North LGA. A validated questionnaire was administered to mothers. Main outcome measures were factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding practice. Results: 39.7 % practiced exclusive breastfeeding. Determinants of exclusive breastfeeding identified included mother’s ethnicity, level of education, marital status, and religion. Others included the time at which breastfeeding was initiated after birth, colostrum feeding and time at which counselling was received by mothers. Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding rates are still low and so interventional studies and programs are necessary and should be targeted at mothers of infants under six to increase exclusive breastfeeding prevalence