THE PREVALENCE OF UNHEALTHY SNACKING BEHAVIOUR AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH INDIVIDUAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS IN KUCHING, SARAWAK

Unhealthy snacking behaviour among young people is a growing public health concern because of its negative consequences on health. This study was to determine the prevalence of unhealthy snacking behaviour and its determinants among college students in Kuching. In this cross-sectional study, 12 colleges in Kuching were stratified into private and government colleges. Three private and three government colleges were selected through a stratified random sampling method. A total of 422 respondents (male 49.5%, female 50.5%) were recruited in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data regarding unhealthy snacking behaviour and its determinants (gender, food preferences, type of school and courses, taste-and-sensory perception, nutritional knowledge, perceived self-efficacy, and cost/price sensitivity, perceived parental control, easy accessibility, and media advertisements influence) among respondents. The survey was conducted online via e-mail/Whatsapp. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the data. A quarter of the respondents (24.6%) practised unhealthy snacking behaviour. More than half of the respondents (58.3%) consumed unhealthy snacks one to three times per week. A minority of the respondents (17.1%) claimed that they did not consume any unhealthy snacks for the past month. The final model explained 15.7% of the total variance. Taste-and-sensory perception (Adjusted OR = 2.20, 95%CI [1.55, 3.13], p < 0.001) and nutritional knowledge (Adjusted OR = 1.48, 95%CI [1.12, 1.97), p < 0.05) were positively associated with unhealthy snacking behaviour among respondents. The present study suggested the stakeholders concentrate on nutritional knowledge and taste-and-sensory perception among college students in future intervention developmen

UNMET SUPPORTIVE CARE NEEDS AMONG BONE SARCOMA PATIENT IN SARAWAK

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of unmet supportive care needs among bone sarcoma patients in Kuching, Sarawak and explored the relationship between these needs with various associated factors.  Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among all bone sarcoma patients recruited from Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching, Sarawak. Data collection was done using an adopted questionnaire via interview assisted survey. Unmet needs were assessed using the 59-item Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF59). Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20.    Results: A total of 75 respondents participated in the study. The patients were mainly above 36 years (56%), Sarawak natives (33.3%) and married (54.7%). Majority of patients were not undergoing any active treatment (52%). Nine out of 10 items with highest ‘moderate’ to ‘high’ level unmet needs were from the domain of Health system and information.  Needs from Physical and daily living, and sexuality domains were found to have statistically significant associations with ethnicity, age and marital status.  Conclusion: Patients who were diagnosed with bone sarcoma had substantive unmet supportive care needs in relation with their illness trajectory. It is important that such needs to be acknowledged in order to provide quality healthcare services to them.   Key words : bone sarcoma, unmet needs, Malaysia, SCNS-SF59,supportive care need

Socio-demography, nutritional status and physical activity among elderly in Samarahan division, Sarawak, Malaysia

The physical activity among elderly has been associated with reduction of risk from all-cause mortality and improve physical, mental, and social well-being. The objectives were to determine the physical activity status among elderly in Samarahan Division, Sarawak and its association with socio- demographic characteristics and nutritional status. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 199 elderly, aged between 60 to 90 years, from rural area in Samarahan Division (Asajaya and Simunjan district), Malaysia. Socio-demographic characteristic was taken via questionnaire, nutritional status and body composition of the elderly was measured using anthropometric measurement, and physical activity using pedometer. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26. The proportion of physically active among elderly was 12.6% and mean daily steps are 3946 steps (SD=1669 steps). Multiple linear regressions revealed that age, body mass index (BMI), and sex were significant associated with physical activity. Lack of physical activity among elderly remain a problem. Understanding these predictors related to physical activity is important for designing intervention program

Stress and its association with sociodemographic characteristics, coping and internet use among late adolescent university students in East Malaysia

Introduction: Adolescents pursuing higher education at the university experience stressful life events on top of academic demands, where failure in managing those stressors can lead to stress as well as other more severe physical and mental health problems. Limited research exists locally about the association between coping and internet use with the perceived stress. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 527 university students between 18-19 years old in Kota Samarahan. A self-administered questionnaire containing background information, perceived stress, measures of coping, motives of utilizing the internet, and internet addiction test was used. IBM SPSS version 23 was used for the data analysis. Result: The results showed that being female or having avoidant-emotional coping strategy was positively associated with perceived stress, whereas a problem-focused coping strategy was negatively associated with perceived stress. Internet addiction and underlying internet motives were not associated with perceived stress. Conclusion: The need to understand the association between coping and perceived stress is essential for professionals to assist adolescents in managing their mental health

Corrigendum to "Unmet Supportive Care Needs among Breast Cancer Survivors of Community-Based Support Group in Kuching, Sarawak"

Background. Recognizing the needs of cancer survivors is one of the important aspects in healthcare delivery. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of unmet supportive care needs and its associated factors among the breast cancer survivors of community-based support group in Kuching, Sarawak. Materials and Methods. This was a cross-sectional study using Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34). All the members of community-based breast cancer support groups in Kuching were invited. A total of 101 respondents were face-to-face interviewed after the consent was obtained. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results. The respondents endorsed health system and information domain with the highest mean score (2.48; 95% CI: 2.32–2.64). Top 10 items with “moderate to high” level unmet needs had a prevalence of 14.9% to 34.7% of respondents indicating need. Significantly higher level of unmet needs was associated with survivors who were younger (less than 60 years old), had higher education attainment, were unemployed, had survival duration of up to 5 years, and were undergoing active treatment. Conclusion. Systematic delivery of health information which is targeted, culturally sensitive, and linguistically appropriate for addressing younger age, education level, employment status, length of survivorship, and treatment stage should be considered not only at hospital-based setting but also at the community-based support groups

A preliminary study on the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors in selected rural communities in Samarahan and Kuching division, Sarawak, Malaysia

Background: It is important to understand the prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, especially in a rural setting. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 238 rural households located in the Kuching and Samarahan divisions of Sarawak among individuals aged 16 years and above. Anthropometric measurements, blood levels of glucose and cholesterol, and blood pressure were collected. Results: Prevalence of blood pressure in the hypertensive range was 43.1%. The highest rates of blood pressure in the hypertensive range were found in individuals aged above 60 years (38.6%) and 50-59 years old (31.8%). Age was one factor found to be significantly associated with blood pressure in the hypertensive range (P < 0.001). Prevalence of obesity was 49.0%. The highest prevalence of obesity was found among those aged 40-49 years (41.9%) and 50-59 years (29.9%). Gender was significantly associated with obesity (P = 0.004). The prevalence of blood cholesterol at risk was 21.6%, and the highest rate was found in the 40-49 years age group (34.0%). Fifty percent of respondents were found to have hyperglycaemia, with the highest prevalence in the 50-59 years age group (37.5%). A significant association was found between obesity, blood pressure in the hypertensive range and blood glucose level. When compared with non-obese individuals, those who were obese were more likely to have blood pressure in the hypertensive range and hyperglycaemia. Conclusion: The risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases is no longer based on geographical or socio-economic factors

Physical Activity and Fundamental Motor Skill Outcome: A Quasi‑Experimental Study Among Rural Pre‑schoolers in Kuching, Sarawak

Fundamental movement skills (FMS)-oriented school-based intervention allows children to be more competent and interested to participate in a wider range of physical activities. This study aimed to determine the physical activity and fundamental motor skills outcome from a school-based intervention programme among rural preschoolers in Kuching. It used a quasi-experimental non-randomised design with a total of 153 children from 9 government indergartens. For physical activity level, there was a signifcant diference between the intervention and control group at the 3 months, F (1, 151)=3.90, p=0.05, with a ŋ2=0.025 and 6 months-time duration, F (1, 151)=55.70, p<0.001, with a ŋ2=0.27. The same pattern of interaction effect (time * group) was also found in gross motor skill, F (2, 150)=80.9, p<0.001, ŋ2=0.52, where the mean score in intervention group was greater than in control group. It is important to understand in depth each of the skills components involved in locomotor and object control and also its diferences between the boys and girls, as it can help in planning of the module of an intervention programme. Object control skills have higher predictive value in engaging in wider range of PA which could be the possible reason why boys are more active than girls

EFFECTS OF AN EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION ON KNOWLEDGE AND SAFETY PRACTICES IN PESTICIDE HANDLING AMONG FARMERS IN SAMARAHAN, SARAWAK

Poor safety practices in pesticide handling contribute to the severe consequences of cases of pesticide poisoning globally. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve the knowledge and safety practices in pesticide handling among farmers in Samarahan, Sarawak. A quasi-experimental study was conducted involving an interventional (n= 50) and a control group (n = 50). A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect baseline information on participants’ knowledge and practices in pesticide handling. Participants in the interventional group underwent a five-month interventional programme consisting of four modules on the importance of understanding pesticides label, short and long-term effects of pesticides, routes of entry into the body and symptoms manifested upon exposure, safety usage, storage and disposal methods and practices. The control group were not exposed to any intervention. All the participants were reassessed at one- and fifth-month post-intervention using a validated self-administered questionnaire. Data were analysed using repeated measure analysis of variance to measure the effect of intervention between the groups. No significant difference was observed in the baseline based on gender and age distribution between both groups. Participants from the interventional group recorded a significant improvement in the mean knowledge and safety practices scores in the first month and fifth months compared to the baseline values. Meanwhile, no significant improvement in both outcomes was detected in the control group throughout the three assessments. These findings revealed that locally tailored educational intervention is effective in improving the knowledge level and safety practices of farmers in pesticide handling. Hence, these findings can be used by local authorities to develop an effective intervention for pesticide users in Sarawak and other states in Malaysia in reducing the risk of pesticide exposure. Keywords: Farmers, pesticide poisoning, educational intervention, safety practices, knowledg

Disclosure of Traditional and Complementary Medicine Use and Its Associated Factors to Medical Doctor in Primary Care Clinics in Kuching Division, Sarawak, Malaysia

The decision by the patients to disclose traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) use to their doctor is an important area to be explored.This study aimed to determine the disclosure of TCM use and its associated factors to medical doctor among primary care clinic attendees in Kuching Division, Sarawak. It was a cross-sectional study using questionnaire, interviewer administered questionnaire. A total of 1130 patients were screened with 80.2% reporting using TCM. Logistic regression analysis revealed that being female (AOR = 3.219, 95% CI: 1.385, 7.481), perceived benefits that TCM can prevent complication of illness (AOR = 3.999, 95% CI: 1.850, 8.644) and that TCM is more gentle and safer (AOR = 4.537, 95% CI: 2.332, 8.828), perceived barriers of not having enough knowledge about TCM (AOR = 0.530, 95% CI: 0.309, 0.910), patient dissatisfaction towards healthcare providers being too business-like and impersonal (AOR = 0.365, 95% CI: 0.199, 0.669) and paying more for healthcare than one can afford (AOR = 0.413, 95% CI: 0.250, 0.680), and accessibility of doctors (AOR = 3.971, 95% CI: 2.245, 7.023) are the predictors of disclosure of TCM use. An open communication between patients and doctor is important to ensure safe implementation and integration of both TCM and medical treatment

Patient’s Decision to Disclose the Use of Traditional and Complementary Medicine to Medical Doctor: A Descriptive Phenomenology Study

Nondisclosure of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) use may cause individual to be at risk of undue harm. This study aimed to explore patient’s experience and views on their decision to disclose the use of T&CM to the doctor. An exploratory qualitative study using in-depth interview involving 10 primary care clinics attendees in Kuching was conducted. The results indicated that disclosure of T&CM use will motivate them to get information, increase doctor’s awareness, and get support from family and friends for disclosure. Fear of negative relationship and negative response from doctors was a barrier for disclosure. Doctor’s interpersonal and communication skills of being involved, treating patients respectfully, listening attentively, respecting privacy, and taking time for the patient were a critical component for disclosure. Intrapersonal trust regarding doctor influences their satisfaction on healthcare. Women are more open and receptive to a health concern and expressing negative emotions and tend to share problems, whereas men always described themselves as healthy, tended to keep their own personal feeling to themselves, and tended to not share. The doctor should consider gender differences in disclosure, their attitude towards T&CM use, and gained patient’s trust in the delivery of healthcare services. Good interpersonal and communication skills must be maintained between doctor and patients