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

Position Tracking Of Automatic Rack And Pinion Steering Linkage System Through Hardware In The Loop Testing

VehicIe handling behavior is much influenced by the performance of steering system and its mechanism. Steering linkage play a very important role in maneuvering of a vehicle. In this paper, a set of kinematic relations of rack and pinion steering linkage system are modeled in MATLAB SIMULINK environment based on kinematic model equations is presented in study tile relationship between steering wheel angle and tire angle. A Hardware-in-the-loop simulations (HILS) test rig with actual rack and pinion mechanism has been set up using XPC TARGET environment, LVDT and encoder sensors installed for data measurement at various steering angle. Results from simuIation model demonstrate a linear pattern occurred from maximum lock-to-lock steering wheel angle and it is closely follow the sine input trend through HILS experiment with acceptable error

MODELING AND VALIDATION OF SIX-BAR RACK AND PINION STEERING LINKAGE SYSTEM

A vehicle handling behavior is much influenced by the performance of steering system and its mechanism. Steering linkage play a very important role in maneuvering of a vehicle. In this paper, a planar six-bar rack and pinion steering linkage is modeled in MATLAB SIMULINK to study the relationship between steering wheel angle and tire angle. A set of kinematic relations of steering system is used to analyze the kinematics of a planar linkage. The steering system consists of rack and pinion, tie rod end, tire and steering wheel column are modeled in MATLAB SIMULINK environment based on kinematic model equations is presented. The model is then validated using Hardware-in-the-loop simulations (HILS) consists of LVDT and rotary encoder sensors installed in actual steering system for data measurement at various steering angle. Results from simulation model has been developed demonstrates a linear pattern occurred from maximum lock-to-lock steering wheel angle and it’s closely follow the trend through HILS experiment

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

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

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

Development Of Smart Vehicle Blind Spot Detection System Based On 24 GHz Radar Sensors

Road safety has become more concern due to the number of accidents that keeps increasing every year. The safety system includes from simple installation such as seat belt, air bag and rear camera to more complicated and intelligent system such as braking assist, lane change assist and blind spot monitoring. This paper proposed a Smart Vehicle Blind Spot Detection System (VBDS) to observe the blind spot region based on ISO 17387: 2008(E). This system is mounted with two programmable 24 GHz radar sensors on the left and right rear side of the car. In addition, this system provides an audible and visual alert to the driver if the system senses any vehicles in the blind spot region using buzzer and LED, respectively. To analyze the performance of the system, test had been conducted at different demography condition. The accuracy of the system is analyzed by comparing number of vehicles detected within blind spot region and ground truth data. This system will alert the driver automatically to ensure the driver safety and reduce road accident. As conclusion, the system had been proofed applicable to use at different demography condition

Non-Driving Related Activities Inside an Automated Vehicle Among Malaysia Passengers

The advancement of automotive technology has led to the development of automated vehicles. The trend of passengers performing non-driving-related activities during travel was expected to continue in the future of automated vehicles. It is essential to discover the type of activities that the users prefer to improve the interior design of an automated vehicle. Past studies show that every country has different preferred non-driving related activities. The main objective of this study is to collect data on preferred non-driving related activities, specifically by Malaysians, using online questionnaires. 293 respondents answered the questionnaires in six (6) months. As a result, the top three (3) non-driving related activities in Malaysia are listening to music, calling or texting, and interacting with others. In addition, the most preferred seating position as a passenger, the most suitable travel duration to perform non-driving related activities uninterrupted, and the preferred seating configuration of the automated vehicle were also discovered. The outcome of this study will add knowledge for designing better future automated vehicles suitable for Malaysian users

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