Boarding School: A Simple Approach To Reduce Soil Transmitted Helminth Infections In Orang Asli Children Of Sungai Siput, Perak, 2017

@#Soil transmitted helminth (STH) infection is a major public health concern among the indigenous children of Malaysia. Precarious living conditions at home including unavailability of water, drinking of contaminated water, poor sanitation and livestock presence, are known risk factors for the infection. In order to provide better living conditions, these children are enrolled in boarding schools. This study was conducted to determine whether boarding schools is a solution in reducing soil transmitted helminth infection among Orang Asli children in Sg Siput, Perak, Malaysia. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 204 schoolchildren aged 7-17 years from three boarding schools in Sungai Siput, Perak from January to March 2017. Stool samples were collected and examined using direct smear and Kato-Katz technique. Information on sociodemographic and environmental conditions were collected using a modified Demographic Health Survey (DHS) questionnaire. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS Statistics Processor 20.0.Out of a total of 204 children, only 48% (n= 97) were infected with at least one type of STH species which showed a reduced prevalence as compared to previous studies conducted among home dwelling schoolchildren with overall prevalence of 78-97%. Majority of the children had monoparasitism (31%; n=63) with moderate intensity by T trichuira (n=51, 25%). Univariate analysis shows that unavailability of water at home has a statistically significant association with STH infection among boarding school children (OR=0.73; 95% CI= 0.56-0.95 p=0.021). Multivariate analysis proves children who had unavailability of water at home has 2.1 times more likelihood of getting an STH infection (OR= 2.08; 95%CI= 1.07-4.07; p= 0.032).This study demonstrates a reduced STH prevalence among Orang Asli boarding school children as better living condition there limits the spread of STH infection among them.

impact of training interventions on women development: a report from Balochistan

The study was carried out to assess the impact of the major activities of the project on women beneficiaries. In all 63 women on six schemes were interviewed by using a questionnaire. The respondents mostly belonging to the age group of 25-40 have been divided into owner, cultivator and tenants preferably of equal weight. The women were found to be benefiting from the Potable Water Supply PWS, providing them clean drinking water within the house compound. The PWS caused reduction in their work load and the spare time availed is being utilized for other productive purposes and enabling them to create hygienic situation through more water use by the households. The women have also more or less, benefited from the health and Hygiene training where on average the children, women and houses look cleaner than before and water related diseases have decreased on average. The impact of training on malaria was assessed mainly through determining the incidence of malaria which indicates that on average, the incidence has lowered slightly but the knowledge gained by women is the most important benefit accrued. The kitchen gardening training has little impact mainly because of drought. The safe handling of agro chemicals practice trained for has been adopted by women to a greater extent while the grain storage type of practice has not been given much attention as the women on schemes do not realize it a major issue. Though rigorous efforts have been undertaken in terms of women activities in the scheme areas by the project yet the impact on women could be seen more on the knowledge side, gained through training but on adoption side, to cross the psychological barrier requiring trust and confidence built over time, the results are modest. The women could have improved to a satisfactory level provided ample time could have been spent by the project staff to guide, motivate, involve them and sense of ownership created within them. The women within the male dominated society could not develop strength in their voice to influence male counterparts in development process. However, a realization to both male and female has been given about the importance of women involvement in development process but the process thus initiated has been left half way due to the phasing out of the project from the area leaving the women to be on the mercy of the tribal set up in future too

The Prevalence Of Hypertension And Its Associated Risk Factors In Two Rural Communities In Penang, Malaysia

Background: Hypertension is estimated to cause 4.5% of the global disease burden. The prevalence of hypertension in Malaysia is 32.2%. Objective: To determine the prevalence of hypertension and its associated risk factors in two rural communities in Penang, Malaysia. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among all consenting residents aged 18 years and above from two villages in Penang. Besides the baseline demographic information, blood pressure was measured using a manual sphygmomanometer according to the American Heart Association Guidelines. Results: 50 out of 168 people were hypertensive, giving a prevalence rate of 29.8%. 50.0% of those found with hypertension were undiagnosed and 48.0% of those who were diagnosed with hypertension had uncontrolled blood pressure. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, history of alcohol consumption and BMI were found to be independently associated with hypertension. Conclusions: Age, education level, alcohol consumption and BMI are important risk factors associated with the prevalence of hypertension among the villagers. These risk factors are comparable to those reported in National Health and Morbidity Survery 2006 in Malaysia.

The Prevalence of Hypertension among the Elderly in Fourteen Villages in Kedah, Malaysia

Introduction: Currently, there is a dearth of research into the elderly in Malaysia. More data is needed in order to plan services for them. Hypertension is an illness whose prevalance of hypertension among the elderly population of fourteen villages in Kedah. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on all elderly persons who consented to participate, in fourteen villages in the district of Kuala Muda in Kedah. A questionnaire was used for the data collection. Blood pressure was measured and participants were assessed for their activities of daily living using Barthel Index, cognitive impairment using Elderly Cognitive Assessmnet Questionnaire (ECAQ) and depression using Geriatric Depression Scale. Descriptive analysis, using SPSS version 11.0. was done to explore the data. Results: The total population of the villages was 3095 and 336 were 60 and above. A total of 240 elderly individuals agreed to participate giving a response rate of 71.4%. There were 138 females (57.5%) and 102 (42.45) males. Ninety-eight percent of the respondents were Malays (n=236) of which 57.2% were females and 42.8% males; the remaining 4 (1.7%) were Indians, of which 3 were females and 1 male. The prevalence of hypertension was 58.3% (n=140) in the villages. 138 (58.5%) of the Malays were hypertensive compared to 2 (50%) of the Indians. Half (51.4%) of those diagnosed as hypertensive were unaware of their condition and half (48.6%) of those known to have hypertension,the blood pressure was not controlled (p<0.05). Discussion:The results of the study are similar to the National Health and Morbidity Survey, 1996. Though the data is from an opportunistic sample and may not represent a larger population especially by race, the findings offer data for a pooled analysis. It is also very worrying to note that 48.6% of the people knew of their condition but did not do anything to control their blood pressure.

Association and pattern of diastolic dysfunction in patients of metabolic syndrome

Diastolic dysfunction is important predictor of morbidity and mortality in patients with metabolic syndrome. This prospective study is to evaluate an association and pattern of diastolic dysfunction in patients of metabolic syndrome in our population. This cross-sectional study was performed at Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology Rawalpindi for a period of 6 months from 20[th] November 2007 to 20[th] April 2008. One hundred eligible and consenting patients having metabolic syndrome reporting in the OPD were registered. Inclusion criteria included patients of metabolic syndrome with negative ETT and normal systolic function. Exclusion criteria were patients with age above 60 years and valvular heart disease. Data was collected by a structured clinical interview with a physician, ECG and a transthoracic M-mode, 2D and TDI echocardiogram. The metabolic syndrome was defined according to International Diabetes Federation. There was a positive association between the degree of the metabolic syndrome-assessed as number of concurrently present components-and parameters of cardiac structure and function, with a consistent and statistically significant trend for all cardiac variables considered [p=0.000]. There was also a positive association between each parameter and the cardiac diastolic dysfunction grading, e.g., systolic blood pressure [p=0.000], diastolic blood pressure [p=0.005], waist circumference [p=0.004], fasting blood sugar [p=0.008], triglycerides [p=0.006], HDL cholesterol [p=0.001]. Several cardiac functional abnormalities regardless of symptoms increased progressively with increasing degree of metabolic syndrome

Body mass index and nutritional status of adults in two rural villages in Northern Malaysia

There has been a change in the lifestyles of populations, including reduced physical activity and consumption of foods high in calories. Overweight and obesity are now replacing the more traditional public health concerns such as under-nutrition and infectious diseases as some of the most significant contributors to ill health. Determination of the body mass index (BMI) profile and nutritional status of adults of two rural coastal villages in Northern Malaysia was part of a community diagnosis in a community survey. Height and weight were measured and BMI calculated. Blood pressure was measured using a manual sphygmomanometer according to WHO guidelines. A standardized questionnaire was used to interview the villagers concerning their health. Out of the total population, 504 were above 20 years of age. Data was available for 441 persons for analysis. There were 210 (47.6%) males and 231 (52.4%) females. The prevalence of underweight was 9.8% (n=43), overweight 25.9% (n=114) and obesity 17% (n=75). The problem of over-nutrition was significantly higher among females, especially housewives. (p< 0.05). Those in ages 41-70 years were the majority with problems of over-nutrition (p=<0.05). More than half (52.9%; n=39) of those who were obese had hypertension (p=<0.05). Results show that a higher number of women especially housewives were obese and more than half of those obese subjects had hypertension. A more thorough nutritional profile using waist, hip and body fat measurement as well as an assessment of the dietary intake and activity regime of these villagers is needed. Interventions need to be carried out before more serious complications of obesity become rooted in this community.