Effectiveness of first-aid education in road traffic crashes on non-healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitude, and skills: a systematic review.

This review aimed to evaluate and synthesize information on the effects of first-aid education in road traffic crashes on knowledge, attitudes, and skills among non-healthcare professionals. A qualitative study was designed according to the Prepared Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards to evaluate three outcomes, knowledge, skills, and attitude. The search strategy was performed in five databases (Science Direct, Scopus, CINAHL Plus, PubMed, and Google Scholar) to retrieve primary studies published between January 2011 and December 2021. In addition, the full texts of randomized controlled trials conducted on adults were included. Among the 2,399 articles retrieved from the databases, 2,388 were discarded, and only five studies met the inclusion criteria and were used in the final analysis and synthesis. Three of the five studies suggested that knowledge and skills are crucial in differentiating outcome factors between intervention and control groups regarding the effectiveness of first aid education. However, two studies on attitude and behaviour toward first-aid found no discernible change between the intervention and the control group. Therefore, our review revealed that only a well-structured first aid education is crucial to leverage the knowledge and skills of non-healthcare professionals before first aid provision, not attitude or behaviours.

Effectiveness of a Safe Sex Education Module in Improving Condom Use among People Living with HIV: A Randomised Controlled Trial.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) epidemic in Malaysia has transitioned to occurring through more sexual transmission than injecting drugs in 2018. According to reports, the increase was caused by poor condom compliance and a lack of health programmes to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among people living with HIV (PLWH). The purpose of the study was to create, implement, and evaluate the impact of a safe sex education module on condom use among PLWH. A single-blinded, parallel randomised controlled trial was conducted at Seremban district. The intervention group received additional health information geared toward safe sex education based on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). The study primary analysis was the intention to treat, and the overall effects of the intervention were assessed using a generalised linear mixed model (GLMM). There was no significant difference between groups in terms of sociodemographics, sexual history, mean condom usage frequency score, or STI incidence at the study baseline. Receiving the module was linked to increased condom usage frequency (ß = 1.228, % CI = 0.850, 1.606). When compared to conventional treatment provided in Seremban health clinics, this module effectively increases condom usage frequency among PLWH.

Evaluating Health Education Module on Hand, Food, and Mouth Diseases Among Preschoolers in Malacca, Malaysia.

This study aims to improve parents' perceptions of susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers to children's handwashing practice by utilizing the Health Belief Model. In Alor Gajah, Melaka, a parallel cluster-randomized controlled study was conducted over 26 months. Parents who agreed to participate completed pre-test (t0) questionnaires. Data analysis used IBM SPSS version 25. The descriptive analysis described the baseline data pre-intervention. Chi-square and T-test or Mann-Whitney U test for non-parametric analysis assessed baseline data comparability between intervention and control groups. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) analyzed between and within-group comparison of the outcomes, and multivariate analysis determined the effectiveness of the intervention with clustered data. The individual participation rate was 86%. Parents who followed up immediately had higher perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and perceived barriers (p < 0.001). Each unit increment in parents' practice score was 0.02-unit higher preschool children's hand hygiene practice score (p = 0.045). The intervention effectively improved parents' perceived susceptibility and benefits at immediate follow-up compared to baseline. However, there were no significant intervention effects on parents' perceived severity and barriers and preschool children's handwashing practices. The follow-up time significantly affected each outcome. There were significant covariates as the outcome predictors in this study, besides intervention groups and follow-up time. Parents' knowledge and age of the youngest child were significant predictors of parents' perceived susceptibility, besides parents' knowledge and perceived susceptibility being the predictors of parents' practice score. As a result, parents, teachers, and communities can implement this intervention in other schools with susceptible children.

Effectiveness of lumbar support with built-in massager system on spinal angle profiles among high-powered traffic police motorcycle riders: A randomised controlled trial.

Traffic police riders are exposed to prolonged static postures causing significant angular deviation of the musculoskeletal, including the lumbar angle (L1-L5). This postural alteration contributes to awkward posture, musculoskeletal disorders and spinal injury, especially in the lower back area, as it is one of the most severe modern diseases nowadays. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the effect of lumbar support with a built-in massager system on spinal angle profiles among traffic police riders. A randomised controlled trial (pre-testpost-test control design) was used to assess spinal angle pattern while riding the high-powered motorcycle for 20 minutes. Twenty-four traffic police riders were randomly selected to participate and 12 riders were assigned to the control group and 12 riders to the experimental group. The pre-test and post-test were conducted at a one-week interval. Each participant was required to wear a TruPosture Smart Shirt (to monitor spinal posture). The TruPosture Apps recorded the spinal angle pattern. The data indicated that the police riders using motorcycle seat with lumbar support and built-in massager system showed a huge improvement in maintaining posture which only involves slight spinal angle deviation changes from the spinal reference angle throughout the 20 minutes ride. The data collected then were analysed using the Mann-Whitney test and Wilcoxon signed-ranked test to verify a statistically significant difference between and within the control and experimental groups. There were significant differences in all sensors between the control group and experimental groups (p<0.05) and within the experimental group. According to the findings, it can be said that the ergonomic intervention prototype (lumbar support with built-in massager system) successfully helps to maintain and improve the natural curve of the spinal posture. This indirectly would reduce the risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders and spinal injury among traffic police riders.

Occupational hazard in Malaysian traffic police: special focus on air pollutants.

This paper provides a specific deliberation on occupational hazards confronted daily by Malaysian Traffic Police. Traffic police is a high-risk occupation that involves a wide range of tasks and, indirectly, faced with an equally wide variety of hazards at work namely, physical, biological, psychosocial, chemical, and ergonomic hazards. Thereupon, occupational injuries, diseases, and even death are common in the field. The objective of this paper is to collate and explain the major hazards of working as Malaysian traffic police especially in Point Duty Unit, their health effects, and control measures. There are many ways in which these hazards can be minimised by ensuring that sufficient safety measures are taken such as a wireless outdoor individual exposure indicator system for the traffic police. By having this system, air monitoring among traffic police may potentially be easier and accurate. Other methods of mitigating these unfortunate events are incorporated and addressed in this paper according to the duty and needs of traffic police.

Effectiveness of "Be SAFE Drowning Prevention and Water Safety Booklet" Intervention for Parents and Guardians.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to assess the effectiveness of the health educational booklet intervention in improving parents/guardian's knowledge on prevention of child drowning and, the perception of drowning risk and water safety practice. METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in year 2017 in Selangor, Malaysia among 719 parents/guardians of primary school children. The parent/guardians were randomly assigned as the intervention groups and were given a health educational Be-SAFE booklet on drowning prevention and water safety. The pretest was conducted before the intervention and posttest was done one month of intervention. The data collection tool was using a validated questionnaire on knowledge, attitude and practice for drowning prevention and water safety. RESULTS: There were 719 respondents (response rate of 89.9%) participated at baseline and 53.7% at end line (after the intervention). Significant differences found in knowledge, attitudes and practice on drowning prevention and water safety for the intervention and control groups after the intervention (P<0.001). There was a significant difference in mean scores for knowledge and attitude before and after the intervention, whereas no significant findings noted for practices (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Be SAFE booklet contributed to the increase in parents/guardian's knowledge and attitudes towards drowning prevention and water safety to prevent the risk of child drowning.

Road traffic accidents in Bangladesh: Why people have poor knowledge and awareness about traffic rules?

PURPOSE: The study aimed to identify the characteristics of road traffic accident (RTA) and to determine the role of different socioeconomic and demographic factors on the knowledge and awareness about traffic rules among people in Bangladesh. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. METHODS: To conduct this study, 700 primary data were collected from respondents who were involved in RTA by interviewing in medical college hospitals and several private clinics of Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Khulna division in Bangladesh. For the achievement of the objective, the Chi-square test, Cramer's V correlation, and the logistic regression model have been applied in this study. RESULTS: Traffic rules violation was identified as the second-most important reason behind RTA. Respondent's age, gender, residence, education, occupation, awareness about RTA, etc., were significantly associated with having knowledge and awareness about traffic rules. The result of multivariate analysis showed that respondent's age (<30: odds ratio [OR] = 2.019, confidence interval [CI]: 1.377-2.960); residence (rural: OR = 0.288, CI: 0.193-0.431); education (literate: OR = 5.064, CI: 3.332-7.698); and categories of victims (driver: OR = 2.731, CI: 1.676-4.450 and passenger: 1.869, CI: 1.198-2.916) were the vital predictors of having knowledge and awareness about traffic rules. CONCLUSIONS: By imposing strict traffic act, increasing public awareness through various types of education and awareness/outreach about traffic rules-related program, especially in rural areas, by strictly prohibiting the license giving to unskilled drivers or unfit vehicles, RTA can be minimized.

SMS Text Messages for Parents for the Prevention of Child Drowning in Bangladesh: Acceptability Study.

BACKGROUND: In many cases, greater use is being made of mobile phone text messages as a means of communication between patients and health care providers in countries around the world. OBJECTIVE: We studied the use of mobile phones and the factors related to the acceptability of text messages for parents for the prevention of child drowning in Bangladesh. METHODS: From a randomized controlled trial involving 800 parents, 10% (80/800) were selected, and socioeconomic status, mobile phone use, and acceptability of SMS text messages for drowning prevention were measured. Participants with at least one child under 5 years of age were selected from rural areas in Rajshahi District in Bangladesh. Mobile phone-based SMS text messages were sent to the participants. Multivariate regression was used to determine the factors related to the acceptability of text messages for the prevention of child drowning in Bangladesh. RESULTS: The acceptability of SMS text messages for the prevention of child drowning in Bangladesh was significantly lower among women (odds ratio [OR] 0.50, 95% CI 0.12-1.96, P=.02) than among men, lower for parents older than 30 years (OR 0.17, 95% CI 0.14-1.70, P=.01) compared to parents younger than 30 years, higher among parents who had an education (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.11-5.80, P=.04) than among illiterate parents, and higher among parents with a monthly household income over 7000 Bangladeshi Taka (approximately US $82.54; OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.06-1.96, P=.05) than among parents whose monthly income was less than 7000 Bangladeshi Taka. CONCLUSIONS: The high percentage of mobile phone use and the acceptability of SMS text messages for parents for the prevention of child drowning are encouraging, in terms of identifying the best strategy for using such technologies, and deserve further evaluation.

Associations of Occupational, Socio-Demographic and Lifestyle Factors with Lung Functions in Malaysian Traffic Policemen.

Background: Apart from being exposed to various hazards, there are several other factors that contribute to the deterioration of traffic police health. Objectives: A cross-sectional study was carried out to explore the association of occupational, socio-demographic, and lifestyle factors with lung functions in traffic policemen in Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Johor Bahru (JB). Methods: A spirometer was used to measure lung function of subjects, whereas a self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain their information on background data, lifestyle, and occupational factors. The statistical test used was Spearman rho's test and chi-square test; then, the factors were further tested using Logistic regressions. Findings: 134 male subjects were selected as respondents in this study with 83% response rate. Among all the factors tested, age (FVC: χ = 8.42(3), p = 0.04), (FEV: χ = 8.26(3), p = 0.04), rank (FVC: χ = 8.52(3), p = 0.04), (FEV: χ = 8.05(3), p = 0.04), duration of services (FVC: χ = 11.0(1), p = 0.04), (FEV: χ = 6.53(1), p = 0.01), and average working hours (with the Measured FVC (litre), r = -3.97, p < 0.001; Measured FEV1 (litre), r = -3.70, p < 0.001; Predicted FVC, r = -0.49, p < 0.001; Predicted FEV1, r = -0.47, p < 0.001; and %Ratio FEV1/FV, r = -0.47, p < 0.001) were significantly related to lung function among traffic police. Conclusions: Occupational factors play a crucial role, and hence, the authorities should take action in generating flexible working hours and the duration of services accordingly. The data from this study can help by serving as a reference to the top management of traffic police officers to develop occupational safety and health guideline for police officers to comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA, Act 514 1994).

Correction to: Effectiveness of mobile SMS based counselling intervention in improving knowledge, attitude and practices of HIV/AIDS patients enrolled in hospitals/NGOs in Terengganu, Malaysia: a mixed mode study protocol.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Effectiveness of mobile SMS based counselling intervention in improving the knowledge, attitude, and practices of HIV/AIDS patients enrolled in hospitals/NGOs in Terengganu, Malaysia: a mixed mode study protocol.

BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS is one of the most serious problems in many parts of the world, and is a high priority for health managers and decision-makers. The aim of the qualitative part of this study will be to develop a mobile SMS (short messaging services) counselling intervention to prevent HIV/AIDS, while the quantitative part will be to test the effectiveness of a mobile SMS counselling intervention to improve the knowledge, attitude, and practices of patients concerning the prevention of HIV/AIDS. METHOD: A mixed methods approach will be used. Qualitative part: Design: focus group discussions (FGDs) will be conducted. SETTING: Hospital/NGOs in Terengganu, Malaysia. PARTICIPANTS: Three FGDs will be conducted with male and female HIV/AIDS patients, and one group of local community leaders. One FGD will be conducted for each group. Three in-depth interviews (IDIs) will be conducted with patients who had HIV/AIDS, of which one will be female. Quantitative part: Design: a cluster randomized clinical trial with 384 HIV/AIDS patients in Terengganu, Malaysia. INTERVENTION: Mobile SMS counselling intervention for patients concerning the prevention of HIV/AIDS. RESULTS: The main outcomes of this study will be the differences in knowledge, attitude, and practices of patients concerning the prevention of HIV/AIDS between the baseline and immediate follow-up after the intervention, and after 3 months. CONCLUSIONS: The mobile based SMS counselling intervention developed will be effective in improving the knowledge, attitude, and practices of patients concerning HIV/AIDS prevention in Terengganu, Malaysia. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Thai Clinical Trials Registry, TCTR20200212001; 7/02/2020.

How safe are standard certified motorcycle safety helmets? Malaysian postal delivery riders scenario.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of motorcycle safety helmets (MSHs) used by postal delivery riders (PDRs) that comply with the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia's (SIRIM) MSH standard guidelines and identify factors that contribute toward compliance of used MSHs with the standards. Methods: The presence of SIRIM certification label, the status of MSH, type of chinstrap, MSH crash history, and duration of MSH use were observed. The dependent variable was the results of the SIRIM testing procedures (SIRIM tests). MSHs that passed the SIRIM tests were considered "standard certified" MSHs. Results: The odds of the complimentary MSHs passing all of the SIRIM tests were 3.7 times the odds of the self-purchased MSHs passing the tests. The odds of MSHs with the SIRIM certification label passing all of the SIRIM tests were 24.2 times the odds of MSHs without the SIRIM certification label, and the odds of MSHs used <3 years passing the SIRIM tests were 3.75 times the odds of the MSHs used ≥3.8 years. Conclusion: PDRs provided with complimentary MSHs with the SIRIM certification label by the employer for their daily delivery routines and duration of MSH used for less than 3 years were found to be safe MSHs for male occupational riders in Malaysia.

The development of an intervention package to prevent children under five years old drowning in rural Bangladesh.

AIM: There are an estimated 372 000 worldwide deaths by drowning every year, and it has been described as a secret epidemic in Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to develop an intervention package to prevent children under the age of five from drowning in rural Bangladesh. METHODS: This was a qualitative study using focus group discussions in three villages in rural Bangladesh. The 45 participants were mothers and fathers with children under five, the parents of children who had drowned and community leaders. RESULTS: The majority of the participants (71%) were male. The focus groups revealed that most drowning's occurred between 11am and 2pm and that risk factors included the following: children not being able to swim, ditches that were not filled in, lack of medical facilities, parents who were not aware of childhood drowning and lack of information through the media about how to prevent of childhood drowning. Suggestions included using a mobile-based short messaging service or voice calls to parents, especially mothers, could increase awareness and reduce the risk of childhood drowning. CONCLUSION: A safety education programme could be effective in increasing knowledge and changing attitudes, which could prevent drowning among children in Bangladesh.

Socio-demographic, environmental and caring risk factors for childhood drowning deaths in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Drowning contributes to incapacity and early death in many countries. In low- and middle-income countries, children are the most susceptible to fatalities. Over 50 % of the global drowning deaths occur among children aged under 15 years old with children aged between 1 and 4 years of age being most at risk. In Bangladesh, drowning rates are 10 to 20 times more than those in other developing countries. The object of this study is to determine the socio-demographic, environmental and caring hazard issues for child drowning in Bangladesh. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted, with data collected from the Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey (BHIS) to identify the social-demographic and environmental factors associated with childhood drowning. The participants represented 171,366 households from seven divisions of Bangladesh-Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Barisal, Sylhet, Khulna and Rangpur. The survey was conducted between January and December of 2003. A total of 141 children drowning were identified in the year preceding the survey. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis. The odds ratios with 95% CI intervals were estimated for various associated factors for child drowning deaths. RESULTS: In Bangladesh, in 2003, the incidence of drowning deaths was 104.8 per 100,000 among those aged less than 5 years; 168.7 per 100,000 in rural areas; male 32.4 per 100,000; 112.7 per 100,000 between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.; and cannot swim 134.9 per 100,000. The socio-demographic danger factors for child drowning deaths were: being male (OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.34-1.78), aged less than 5 years (OR = 2.89, 95% CI = 1.89-3.11), urban areas (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.67-1.87), and mother being illiterate (OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.01-2.81). Significant environmental and caring factors included mother/caregiver not being the accompanying person (OR = 25.4, 95% CI = 14.4-45.3) and children cannot swim (OR = 4.5, 95% CI = 1.25-19.4). CONCLUSION: Drowning is the single largest reason for the mortality of children aged less than five years. There is a need to educate Bangladeshi parents and encourage behavioural change concerning supervision. The Government should use mass media to raise awareness about drowning among the community with a focus on rural areas. Policies should focus on increasing supervision by mothers/care persons, swimming skills, and should target illiterate mothers. Therefore, there is an immediate need for the Bangladeshi Government to address the problem of drowning.

Randomized controlled trial on drowning prevention for parents with children aged below five years in Bangladesh: a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Drowning is the third leading cause of death for children aged 0-4 years in many Asian countries, and is a serious but neglected health problem in low and middle-income countries like Bangladesh. The aim of the study is to outline the study protocol of a trial to test the efficacy of a mobile coach based intervention for the prevention of childhood drowning. METHOD/DESIGN: A two-arm cluster randomized community trial will be conducted to test the efficacy of the mobile coach intervention for childhood drowning on parents with children below five years of age and compared to an assessment only control group. A total of 1680 parents in the villages with children aged below five years of age will participate. The village will be used as a randomized unit, randomly assigned to an intervention group (N = 840) receiving the mobile coach based intervention or an assessment only control group (N = 840). An individualized mobile coach intervention based on the demographic data and the individual will be developed, and SMSs, audio messages, videos and images about childhood drowning will be sent to the participants of the intervention group over a period of six months. The participants will receive per week one text message (SMS) and image and one video and audio text per month. The primary outcome measure will be increased knowledge and safety awareness, and behaviour practice about childhood drowning assessed at the six-month follow-up, and the secondary outcome measure will be the reduced incidence of childhood drowning in Bangladesh. The study assistants conducting the baseline and the follow-up assessments will be blinded regarding the group assignment. DISCUSSION: This is the first study testing a fully mobile coach intervention for childhood drowning prevention in Bangladesh. It is hoped that the programme will offer an effective and inexpensive way to prevent childhood drowning among children aged below five years and also increase the awareness of parents concerning the risks to their children from drowning. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN13774693, 08/03/2015.

Prevalence and determinants of the gender differentials risk factors of child deaths in Bangladesh: evidence from the Bangladesh demographic and health survey, 2011.

BACKGROUND: The number of child deaths is a potential indicator to assess the health condition of a country, and represents a major health challenge in Bangladesh. Although the country has performed exceptionally well in decreasing the mortality rate among children under five over the last few decades, mortality still remains relatively high. The main objective of this study is to identify the prevalence and determinants of the risk factors of child mortality in Bangladesh. METHODS: The data were based on a cross-sectional study collected from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2011. The women participants numbered 16,025 from seven divisions of Bangladesh - Rajshahi, Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna, Rangpur and Sylhet. The 𝟀2 test and logistic regression model were applied to determine the prevalence and factors associated with child deaths in Bangladesh. RESULTS: In 2011, the prevalence of child deaths in Bangladesh for boys and girls was 13.0% and 11.6%, respectively. The results showed that birth interval and birth order were the most important factors associated with child death risks; mothers' education and socioeconomic status were also significant (males and females). The results also indicated that a higher birth order (7 & more) of child (OR=21.421 & 95%CI=16.879-27.186) with a short birth interval ≤ 2 years was more risky for child mortality, and lower birth order with longer birth interval >2 were significantly associated with child deaths. Other risk factors that affected child deaths in Bangladesh included young mothers of less than 25 years (mothers' median age (26-36 years): OR=0.670, 95%CI=0.551-0.815), women without education compared to those with secondary and higher education (OR =0 .711 & .628, 95%CI=0.606-0.833 & 0.437-0.903), mothers who perceived their child body size to be larger than average and small size (OR= 1.525 & 1.068, 95%CI=1.221-1.905 & 0.913-1.249), and mothers who delivered their child by non-caesarean (OR= 1.687, 95%CI=1.253-2.272). CONCLUSION: Community-based educational programs or awareness programs are required to reduce the child death in Bangladesh, especially for younger women should be increase the birth interval and decrease the birth order. The government should apply the strategies to enhance the socioeconomic conditions, especially in rural areas, increase the awareness program through media and expand schooling, particularly for girls.

Knowledge and awareness about STDs among women in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge and awareness concerning sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has become the burning issue of the day. Although STDs pose serious risks to health security, there is very little literature quantifying the knowledge and awareness of these diseases and their principal socioeconomic determinants. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of different socio-economic and demographic factors on knowledge and awareness about STDs among women in Bangladesh. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study using data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2011. It involves 10,996 women in six divisions of Bangladesh - Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna and Sylhet. In this study, the percentage distribution and logistic regression model are used to identify which factors are associated with knowledge and awareness among women in Bangladesh about STDs. RESULTS: There is a significant association between geographic division (Dhaka: OR = 1.669, 95% CI = 0.89-2.10, Khulna: OR = 2.234, 95% CI = 1.2-3.2); places of residence (Rural: OR = 0.363, 95% CI = 0.20-1.08), respondent's age (20-29 years: OR = 1.331; 95% CI = 0.98-2.31); education (Primary: OR = 2.366, 95% CI = 1.98-3.1, secondary: OR = 10.089, 95% CI = 8.98-12.77, higher: OR = 20.241, 95% CI = 18.33-22.65); listening to radio (OR = 1.189, 95% CI = 1.29-3.12) and watching TV (OR = 2.498, 95% CI = 2.22-4.09) with knowledge and awareness among women in Bangladesh about STDs. CONCLUSION: There is a need to improve the education in Bangladesh about STDs particularly among those in the rural areas and older ages of women (30-49 years). Formal, informal and special educational knowledge and awareness programmes may be implemented to educate people concerning STDs in Rajshahi, Sylhet and Chittangong division. Campaigns and mass media can be used to increase the knowledge and awareness among the community, especially among women. Policies concerning the issue of STDs need to be improved and can be emphasized in collaboration with government agencies to ensure the success of these campaigns.