Predictors of Malaria Among Malaysian Aborigines

The Asia-Pacific region has at least 50% of its population at risk for malaria. In Malaysia, indigenous malaria is largely concentrated among the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted in an Orang Asli community in the district of Raub, Pahang, to determine the predictors of malaria. Age, seldom/never wearing protective clothing while in the jungle, going out at night, ever staying in another village, and living in bamboo-walled homes were found to be associated with malaria (crude odds ratio = 1.8-4.5; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-9.1) After adjusting for confounding, major predictors of malaria were age ≤12 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.3;95% CI = 2.2-8.4),), never/seldom wearing protective clothing while in the jungle (aOR = 3.8; 95% CI = 1.8-8.0), and going out at night (aOR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.4-4.8). The findings lend support for intensifying behaviour modification in this population.

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Association between the intact foreskin and inferior standards of male genital hygiene behaviour: a cross-sectional study

International Journal of STD & AIDS ◽

10.1258/0956462054679151 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 16 (8) ◽

pp. 556-559 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Nigel O'Farrell ◽

Maria Quigley ◽

Paul Fox

Keyword(s):

Odds Ratio ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Crude Odds Ratio ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Hygiene Behaviour ◽

Genital Hygiene ◽

The Relationship ◽

Male Genital

This study was undertaken to determine whether non-circumcised men have inferior standards of genital hygiene behaviour, as measured by reported washing of the whole penis, compared with circumcised men. Male attenders at a sexually transmitted infections (STI) clinic at Ealing Hospital, London had routine STI tests and examinations performed and were asked about the frequency and thoroughness of genital washing. One hundred and fifty non-circumcised and 75 circumcised men were enrolled. Not always washing the whole penis, including retracting the foreskin in non-circumcised men every time they washed (defined as inferior genital hygiene behaviour) was more common in non-circumcised (26%) than circumcised men (4%) (crude odds ratio = 8.43, 95% confidence interval: 2.51–28.3, P<0.001) and those with balanitis (42% and 5%, P=0.036). Circumcised men were more likely than non-circumcised men to wash the genital area more than once a day (37% and 19%, P=0.011). Studies investigating the relationship between male circumcision status and other outcomes, for example HIV infection, should include assessment of genital hygiene.

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Community Engagement in the Fight Against COVID-19: Knowledge, Attitude, and Prevention Practices Among Dire Dawa Residents, Eastern Ethiopia

Frontiers in Public Health ◽

10.3389/fpubh.2021.753867 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Abdurezak Umer ◽

Kedir Abdella ◽

Yared Tekle ◽

Addisalem Debebe ◽

Tsegahun Manyazewal ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Odds Ratio ◽

Good Practice ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Crude Odds Ratio ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Eastern Ethiopia ◽

Preventive Practices ◽

Adequate Knowledge ◽

Dire Dawa

Background: There is a global concern that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cannot be addressed without the integration and active engagement of communities. We aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of the residents in Eastern Ethiopia toward COVID-19.Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on May 1–30, 2020 among the residents of Dire Dawa, Eastern Ethiopia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire on the awareness, knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices toward COVID-19. We used random sampling to select the participants. Data was entered into the statistics and data (STATA) version for data cleaning and analysis. Binary logistic regression models with 95% CI were used to conduct bivariable [crude odds ratio (COR)] and multivariable [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)] analyses.Result: A total of 415 community residents responded to the questionnaire. Of those participants, 52.5% (95% CI 47.7–57) had adequate knowledge, 31.6% (95% CI 27–36) had favorable attitudes, and 49% (95% CI 45–50) had good practice toward the precautionary measures of COVID-19. Adequate knowledge had a significant association with urban residence (AOR = 5, 95% CI 3.1–8.4) and literacy (AOR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.5–6.7). Good preventions practices had a significant association with place of residence (AOR = 4.1, 95% CI 2.3–7.2), literacy (AOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1,2–7.4), adequate knowledge (AOR = 3.5, 95% CI 2.3–5.8), and favorable attitude (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.4–3.8) about the disease.Conclusion: The overall COVID-19-related KAP was inadequate in the majority of the residents of Dire Dawa that occupy irregular migration flows. These call for robust community-centered behavioral communication strategies that could bridge the gaps and help prevent and control COVID-19 and other future pandemics in their community.

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Spatial Analysis on Primary Healthcare Distance for Orang Asli in Batang Padang District

International Journal of Human and Health Sciences (IJHHS) ◽

10.31344/ijhhs.v0i0.164 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 46

Author(s):

Mohamad Fadli K ◽

Rosliza AM ◽

Muhamad Hanafiah J ◽

Sharifah Norkhadijah SI

Keyword(s):

Spatial Analysis ◽

Primary Healthcare ◽

Spatial Data ◽

Healthcare Services ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Peninsular Malaysia ◽

Geographical Information ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Orang Asli ◽

To Come

Introduction: A huge number of Orang Asli population live in isolated area within peninsular Malaysia. Their lack of proper road and remoteness made their access to healthcare services difficult. Batang Padang has the 22800 Orang Asli reside in the district. Primary healthcare services have been provided to this population through static clinic and mobile clinic.Objective: This study was done to determine distance of primary healthcare from Orang Asli village and their correlation with primary healthcare utilization.Methods: A cross sectional study using Geographical Information System was done using spatial data from various sources for mapping and spatial analysis. Network analysis using ArcGIS software was used to determine the distance while Spearman correlation was used to determine association between distance and primary healthcare utilization.Result: Most of Orang Asli villages located not far from main road. Mean distance from Orang Asli village to nearest primary healthcare clinic is 5.87 kilometers. Mean duration taken for Orang Asli to come to the primary healthcare clinic is either 4.71 minutes by land transportation or 70.42 minutes by walking. Orang Asli villages located in the center of the district around Bandar Tapah have short distance to primary healthcare and the distance increase as the villages located away from the center. There is significant correlation between network distance with Orang Asli attendance to clinic (r 0.203) and MMR vaccination (r 0.230). There is also significant correlation between walking duration with Orang Asli attendance to primary healthcare (r 0.178) and MMR vaccination (r 0.227).Conclusion: As the distance and duration increase for Orang Asli to get to primary healthcare, there is increase need of primary healthcare services. Planning of primary healthcare for Orang Asli should consider the distance from these villages to primary healthcare services.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Supplementary Issue: 2019 Page: 46

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Is Ethnicity an Important Determinant of High Blood Pressure in Nepalese Population? A community-Based Cross- Sectional Study in Duwakot, Nepal

Kathmandu University Medical Journal ◽

10.3126/kumj.v10i1.6908 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 16-19 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A Vaidya

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

High Blood Pressure ◽

Life Style ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Important Determinant ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Crude Odds Ratio ◽

Cross Sectional

Background Hypertension is a rising public health problem in Nepal. Most of the upsurge is attributed to the behavioural and lifestyle transitions. However, the hereditary component such as ethnicity, which may also be an important determinant, has not been studied. Objective This study aims to investigate if ethnicity is a key determinant of having a high blood pressure in the Nepalese population. Methods A population-based cross sectional study was conducted in the Duwakot village of Bhaktapur District, Nepal. Systematic random sampling of the adults was done in all the nine wards. A total of 641 adults of both sexes, of age 35 years or more were included in the analysis. Results Most of the life-style related risk factors were comparable in the broad two ethnic groups- Tibeto-Burmans and Indo-Aryans. The prevalence of hypertension was 25.3% in the Tibeto-Burmans compared to the 14.0% in the Indo-Aryans. Crude odds ratio (95% CI) of being hypertensive for the Tibeto-Burmans compared to the Indo-Aryans was 2.07 (1.36-3.15) (p=0.01). After adjusting for the different factors the adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) for the same was found to be 1.78 (1.12-2.81) (p=0.014). Conclusion There is an ethnic variation in the blood pressure distribution in the Nepalese population, which might be acting independent of the different life-style factors. More elaborate studies, including longitudinal and migration studies, and probably genetic analyses, can provide a more definite answer. KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY MEDICAL JOURNAL VOL.10 | NO. 1 | ISSUE 37 | JAN - MAR 2012 | 20-23DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/kumj.v10i1.6908

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Perceptions and prevention practices on malaria among the indigenous Orang Asli community in Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia

Malaria Journal ◽

10.1186/s12936-021-03741-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mohd Bakhtiar Munajat ◽

Mohd Amirul Fitri A. Rahim ◽

Wathiqah Wahid ◽

Mohd Ikhwan Mukmin Seri Rakna ◽

Paul C. S. Divis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Malaria Elimination ◽

Indoor Residual Spraying ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Peninsular Malaysia ◽

Bed Nets ◽

Self Healing ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Orang Asli ◽

Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Background Malaysia is on track towards malaria elimination. However, several cases of malaria still occur in the country. Contributing factors and communal aspects have noteworthy effects on any malaria elimination activities. Thus, assessing the community’s knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards malaria is essential. This study was performed to evaluate KAP regarding malaria among the indigenous people (i.e. Orang Asli) in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods A household-based cross-sectional study was conducted in five remote villages (clusters) of Orang Asli located in the State of Kelantan, a central region of the country. Community members aged six years and above were interviewed. Demographic, socio-economic and KAP data on malaria were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Overall, 536 individuals from 208 households were interviewed. Household indoor residual spraying (IRS) coverage and bed net ownership were 100% and 89.2%, respectively. A majority of respondents used mosquito bed nets every night (95.1%), but only 50.2% were aware that bed nets were used to prevent malaria. Nevertheless, almost all of the respondents (97.9%) were aware that malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes. Regarding practice for managing malaria, the most common practice adopted by the respondents was seeking treatment at the health facilities (70.9%), followed by self-purchase of medication from a local shop (12.7%), seeking treatment from a traditional healer (10.5%) and self-healing (5.9%). Concerning potential zoonotic malaria, about half of the respondents (47.2%) reported seeing monkeys from their houses and 20.1% reported entering nearby forests within the last 6 months. Conclusion This study found that most populations living in the villages have an acceptable level of knowledge and awareness about malaria. However, positive attitudes and practices concerning managing malaria require marked improvement.

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Anaemia Prevalence, Severity and Associated Risk Factors Among Indigenous Temiar Orang Asli Community in Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia

10.21203/rs.3.rs-709980/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mohd Amirul Fitri A. Rahim ◽

Mohd Bakhtiar Munajat ◽

Wathiqah Wahid ◽

Nor Diyana Dian ◽

Mohd Ikhwan Mukmin Seri Rakna ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Personal Characteristic ◽

Indigenous Communities ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Severe Anaemia ◽

Peninsular Malaysia ◽

World Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Orang Asli ◽

Health Organization

Abstract Anaemia continues to be a major public health challenge in developing countries. An important and often unreported group at risk for anaemia is indigenous communities. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of anaemia and to identify its determinants in the indigenous Temiar Orang Asli community in Peninsular Malaysia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in 2019. Six hundred and forty participants aged one and older were enrolled and personal characteristic data were collected. Anaemia status was determined using haemoglobin level (Hb) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Hb cut-off. The overall anaemia prevalence was 44.7% (286/640) and the prevalence rates of mild, moderate and severe anaemia were 42.7%, 50.7% and 6.6%, respectively. Anaemia-specific prevalence varied significantly by age groups (P<0.001) and was highest in the 6–17 group for mild anaemia (39.3%, 95% CI: 30.6–48.6), followed by ≤5 group for both moderate anaemia (43.4%; 95%CI: 35.2–51.9) and severe anaemia (42.1%; 95%CI: 20.3–66.5). In the multivariate logistic regression, anaemia was associated in age groups of ≤5 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 5.6 [95%CI: 3.3–9.4], P<0.001) and 6–17 (aOR 2.1 [95%CI: 1.4–3.2], P<0.001) as well in those living in Lambok (aOR 2.7 [95%CI: 1.3–5.5], P = 0.006). This study has highlighted the high prevalence of anaemia among indigenous Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and revealed that younger children were positively associated with childhood anaemia. Effective interventions and special attention for this indigenous population need to be implemented to reduce the risk of anaemia.

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Perceptions and prevention practices on malaria among the indigenous Orang Asli community in Kelantan, Peninsular Malaysia

10.21203/rs.3.rs-62922/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mohd Bakhtiar Munajat ◽

Mohd Amirul Fitri A. Rahim ◽

Wathiqah Wahid ◽

Mohd Ikhwan Mukmin Seri Rakna ◽

Paul C. S. Divis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Malaria Elimination ◽

Indoor Residual Spraying ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Peninsular Malaysia ◽

Bed Nets ◽

Self Healing ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Orang Asli ◽

Attitudes And Practices

Abstract Background Malaysia is on track towards malaria elimination. However, several cases of malaria still occur in the country. Contributing factors and communal aspects have noteworthy effects on any malaria elimination activities. Thus, assessing the community’s knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) towards malaria is essential. This study was performed to evaluate KAP regarding malaria among the indigenous people (i.e. Orang Asli) in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods A household-based cross-sectional study was conducted in five remote villages (clusters) of Orang Asli located in the State of Kelantan, a central region of the country. Communities aged 6 years and above were interviewed. Demographic, socio-economic and KAP data on malaria were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Overall, 536 individuals from 208 households were interviewed. Household indoor residual spraying (IRS) coverage and bednet ownership were 100% and 89.2%, respectively. A majority of respondents used mosquito bed nets every night (95.1%), but only 50.2% aware of bednets were use to prevent malaria. Nevertheless, almost all of the respondents (97.9%) were aware that malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes. Regarding practice for managing malaria, the most common practice adopted by the respondents was seeking treatment at the health facilities (70.9%), followed by self-purchase of medication from a local shop (12.7%), seeking treatment from a traditional healer (10.5%) and self-healing (5.9%). Concerning potential zoonotic malaria, about half of the respondents (47.2%) reported seeing monkeys from their house and 20.1% reported entering nearby forests within the last six months. Conclusion We conclude that most populations living in the villages have an acceptable level of knowledge and awareness about malaria. However, positive attitudes and practices with respect to managing malaria require marked improvement.

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Factors associated with self-rated health among mineworkers in Zambia: a cross-sectional study

Tropical Medicine and Health ◽

10.1186/s41182-021-00300-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mayumi Ohnishi ◽

Backsion Tembo ◽

Rieko Nakao ◽

Emi Matsuura ◽

Wakako Fujita

Keyword(s):

Working Conditions ◽

Odds Ratio ◽

Safety Management ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Working Environment ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Chi Square ◽

Crude Odds Ratio ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Self Rated Health

Abstract Background This study aims to examine miners’ working conditions and self-rated health status in copper mines in Zambia and to identify the conditions and factors necessary to improve the safety and health of mineworkers. Methods A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted anonymously among copper mineworkers in Zambia in 2015 and 2016. Five targeted mining companies among 33 were introduced by the Mineworkers’ Union of Zambia. Study participants were recruited at the waiting space for underground work, waiting rooms of company clinics/hospitals, and/or at training sessions, which were places permitted by the target companies to perform data collection via convenience sampling. Bivariate analyses (e.g., t tests, Kruskal-Wallis tests, chi-square tests, or Cochran-Armitage tests) and logistic regression analysis were used to analyze differences in demographic characteristics and to compare their working conditions, health conditions, safety management at the workplace, and training opportunities by employment status. Results In total, 338 responses were analyzed. Regular employees had better working conditions, including higher incomes (P = 0.001), more likely to be guaranteed sickness insurance by the company (P < 0.001), paid holidays (P = 0.094), and sick leave (P = 0.064), although the difference was not statistically significant. Mineworkers’ decreased self-rated health was determined by job category (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.21, 0.82; P = 0.012). Having experienced violence from the boss/manager (AOR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.32, 0.91; P = 0.020) was negatively associated with better self-rated health in the crude odds ratio. Conclusions Among mineworkers in Zambia, nonunderground work and not having experienced violence from their boss/manager contributed to increased self-rated health. From the perspective of psychological safety and human security, the management of safety and the working environment, including human resource management and preventing harassment/violence, should be assured, especially for underground mineworkers.

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Facemask-wearing behavior to prevent COVID-19 and associated factors among public and private bank workers in Ethiopia

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0259659 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (12) ◽

pp. e0259659

Author(s):

Seada Hassen ◽

Metadel Adane

Keyword(s):

Odds Ratio ◽

Associated Factors ◽

Positive Attitude ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Simple Random Sampling ◽

Analysis Data ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Crude Odds Ratio ◽

Cross Sectional

Background Given widespread vulnerability to COVID-19 infection in areas with low vaccination rates, facemask wearing is repeatedly emphasized for the general population including bank workers, who have contact with many customers each day. Over the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, studies focused on facemask wearing among healthcare workers but not among bank workers, who are also at risk of COVID-19. To address this gap and to consider intervention measures that encourage the wearing of facemasks, this study was conducted to identify behaviors of facemask wearing and associated factors among bank workers in Dessie City, Ethiopia. Materials and methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 413 bank workers who were selected using a simple random sampling technique from January 1st to 30th, 2021 in Dessie City, Ethiopia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and on-the-spot observational checklist. The collected data were checked, coded and entered to EpiData version 4.6 and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for data cleaning and analysis. Data were analyzed using bivariable (crude odds ratio [COR]) and multivariable (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]) logistic regression model at 95% confidence interval (CI). Variables from the bivariable analysis with a p-value <0.25 were considered for multivariable analysis. Then, variables that had a p-value <0.05 were declared as factors significantly associated with behavior of facemask wearing. Main findings In this study, the behavior of facemask wearing among bank workers was 50.4% [95%CI: 45.3–55.2%] with 21.1% always wearing a facemask, 72.4% sometimes, and 6.5% never. A majority of the bank workers 350 (84.7%) had good knowledge of COVID-19 and half of them 208 (50.4%) had a positive attitude towards taking precautions against COVID-19. Just over two-thirds of the respondents 284 (68.8%) preferred to wear a non-medical mask. Two hundred fifty-five (61.7%) said wearing a facemask interfered with communication and 259 (62.7%) felt that wearing a facemask was not comfortable. Facemask-wearing behavior was significantly associated with a high level of positive attitude towards taking precautions against COVID-19 (AOR = 3.27, 95% CI: 1.75–6.11), the perception that the consequences of getting COVID-19 could be serious (AOR = 4.87, 95% CI: 2.38–9.94), the presence of chronic illness (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI: 1.07–4.48), sex being female (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.06–3.32) and age being greater or equal to 35 years (AOR = 9.25, 95% CI: 4.79–17.88). Conclusion The main finding of the study showed that the behavior of facemask wearing among bank workers was relatively low (50.4%) compared to other types of workers as found in other studies. To increase the behavior of facemask wearing among bank workers, health decision makers need to develop updated guidance for promotion of facemask wearing to increase the practical and appropriate use of facemasks among bank workers. Bank managers and concerned government bodies should enforce mask use to change behavior of these workers.

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