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The Influence Of Self-Owned Home Blood Pressure Monitoring (Hbpm) On Primary Care Patients With Hypertension: A Qualitative Study, Adina Abdullah Dec 2011

The Influence Of Self-Owned Home Blood Pressure Monitoring (Hbpm) On Primary Care Patients With Hypertension: A Qualitative Study, Adina Abdullah

Adina Abdullah

Background: Home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) is gaining popularity among hypertensive patients. This study aimed to explore the influence of self-initiated HBPM on primary care patients with hypertension. Methods: Six in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions were conducted, taking into consideration the experiences of 24 primary care patients with hypertension. These patients had been using HBPM as part of their hypertension management. The overriding influences were grouped under themes which emerged from analyzing the data using the grounded theory approach. Results: There are both positive and negative influences of self-initiated HBPM. Patients used the readings of their HBPM to …


The Burden Of Moderate-To-Heavy Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections Among Rural Malaysian Aborigines: An Urgent Need For An Integrated Control Programme, Init Ithoi Dec 2011

The Burden Of Moderate-To-Heavy Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections Among Rural Malaysian Aborigines: An Urgent Need For An Integrated Control Programme, Init Ithoi

Init Ithoi

Background: Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections, among the most common neglected tropical diseases, continue to be a major threat to the health and socioeconomic wellbeing of infected people especially children in developing countries. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 254 aboriginal schoolchildren was conducted in order to determine the current prevalence and intensity of infections and to investigate the potential risk factors associated with moderate-to-heavy burden of STH infections among these children. Results: Overall, 93.7% of children were found to be infected with one or more STH species. The prevalence of trichuriasis, ascariasis and hookworm infections were 84.6%, 47.6% and 3.9%, respectively. …


Intimate Partner Violence In Urban Pakistan: Prevalence, Frequency, And Risk Factors, Tazeen S. Ali Dr, Nargis Asad Dr, Ingrid Mogren Dr, Gunilla Krantz Dr Mar 2011

Intimate Partner Violence In Urban Pakistan: Prevalence, Frequency, And Risk Factors, Tazeen S. Ali Dr, Nargis Asad Dr, Ingrid Mogren Dr, Gunilla Krantz Dr

Tazeen S Ali Dr

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important public health issue with severe adverse consequences. Population-based data on IPV from Muslim societies are scarce, and Pakistan is no exception. This study was conducted among women residing in urban Karachi, to estimate the prevalence and frequency of different forms of IPV and their associations with sociodemographic factors. Methods: This cross-sectional community-based study was conducted using a structured questionnaire developed by the World Health Organisation for research on violence. Community midwives conducted face-to-face interviews with 759 married women aged 25–60 years. Results: Self-reported past-year and lifetime prevalence of physical violence was 56.3 …


Seroepidemiology Of Toxoplasmosis In Renal Patients Seroepidemiology Of Toxoplasmosis In Renal Patients, Init Ithoi Mar 2011

Seroepidemiology Of Toxoplasmosis In Renal Patients Seroepidemiology Of Toxoplasmosis In Renal Patients, Init Ithoi

Init Ithoi

Toxoplasmosis is an important parasitic disease in immunosuppressed patients. This prospective study was conducted to determine the seroprevalence, associated risk factors and the incidence of clinically confirmed toxoplasmosis among renal patients at the University of Malaya Medical Center, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We interviewed 247 renal patients, each of whom answered an epidemiological questionnaire, and collected blood samples for measurement of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibodies by ELISA. Overall seroprevalence of latent toxoplasmosis was observed in 126 (51%) renal patients. Race (Malays), marital status (married) and primary level of education, were all factors associated with a greater chance of Toxoplasma infection. …


Prevalence Of Thyroid Disorders Among Older People: Results From The São Paulo Ageing & Health Study, Paulo A. Lotufo Jan 2011

Prevalence Of Thyroid Disorders Among Older People: Results From The São Paulo Ageing & Health Study, Paulo A. Lotufo

Paulo A Lotufo

This study aimed to estimate prevalence of thyroid disorders in the São Paulo Ageing & Health Study, an epidemiological study addressing several health-adverse outcomes among elderly people living in a poor area of São Paulo, Brazil. All participants answered a questionnaire and had a blood sample collected to assess levels of tireotropic hormone and free-thyroxine. Among 1,373 people (60.8% women), prevalence rates (95% confidence interval) for thyroid dysfunction (%) were: overt hyperthyroidism, 0.7% (0.2-1.1) [women: 0.8% (0.2-1.5); men: 0.4% (0.01-0.9)]; overt hypothyroidism, 5.7% (4.5-6.9) [women: 5.9% (4.3-7.5); men: 5.4% (3.5-7.3)]; subclinical hyperthyroidism, 2.4% (1.6-3.2) [women: 2.8% (1.6-3.9); men: 1.9% (0.7-3.0)]; …


Detection Of Free Living Amoebae, Acanthamoeba And Naegleria, In Swimming Pools, Malaysia, Init Ithoi Dec 2010

Detection Of Free Living Amoebae, Acanthamoeba And Naegleria, In Swimming Pools, Malaysia, Init Ithoi

Init Ithoi

This study reports the detection of Acanthamoeba and Naegleria species in 14 swimming pools around Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Sampling was carried out at 4 sites (the platforms (P), wall (W), 1 meter from the wall (1) and middle (2)) of each swimming pool. These free living amoebae (FLA) were detected under light and inverted microscopes after being cultured on the surface of non-nutrient agar lawned with Escherichia coli. Acanthamoeba species were detected in higher number of culture plates from all sampling sites of all the swimming pools. While Naegleria, were detected in fewer culture plates at 3 …


A Stepwise Approach To Stroke Surveillance In Brazil: The Emma (Estudo De Mortalidade E Morbidade Do Acidente Vascular Cerebral) Study, Paulo A. Lotufo Aug 2010

A Stepwise Approach To Stroke Surveillance In Brazil: The Emma (Estudo De Mortalidade E Morbidade Do Acidente Vascular Cerebral) Study, Paulo A. Lotufo

Paulo A Lotufo

Background: Stroke mortality rates in Brazil are the highest in the Americas. Deaths from cerebrovascular disease surpass coronary heart disease. Aim: To verify stroke mortality rates and morbidity in an area of Sa˜o Paulo, Brazil, using the World Health Organization Stepwise Approach to Stroke Surveillance. Methods: We used the World Health Organization Stepwise Approach to Stroke Surveillance structure of stroke surveillance. The hospital-based data comprised fatal and nonfatal stroke (Step 1). We gathered stroke-related mortality data in the community using World Health Organization questionnaires (Step 2). The questionnaire determining stroke prevalence was activated door to door in a family-healthprogramme neighbourhood …


Validation Of A Stroke Symptom Questionnaire For Epidemiological Surveys., Paulo A. Lotufo Jul 2010

Validation Of A Stroke Symptom Questionnaire For Epidemiological Surveys., Paulo A. Lotufo

Paulo A Lotufo

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE:Stroke is a relevant issue within public health and requires epidemiological surveillance tools. The aim here was to validate a questionnaire for evaluating individuals with stroke symptoms in the Stroke Morbidity and Mortality Study (Estudo de Mortalidade e Morbidade do Acidente Vascular Cerebral, EMMA), São Paulo, Brazil.DESIGN AND SETTING:This was a cross-sectional study performed among a sample of the inhabitants of Butantã, an area in the western zone of the city of São Paulo.METHODS:For all households in the coverage area of a primary healthcare unit, household members over the age of 35 years answered a stroke symptom questionnaire …


Age-Specific Prevalence And Years Of Healthy Life In A System With 3 Health States, Paula Diehr Sep 2007

Age-Specific Prevalence And Years Of Healthy Life In A System With 3 Health States, Paula Diehr

Paula Diehr

Consider a 3-state system with one absorbing state, such as Healthy, Sick, and Dead. Over time, the prevalence of the Healthy state will approach an 'equilibrium' value that is independent of the initial conditions. We derived this equilibrium prevalence (Prev:Equil) as a function of the local transition probabilities. We then used Prev:Equil to estimate the expected number of years spent in the healthy state over time. This estimate is similar to the one calculated by multi-state life table methods, and has the advantage of having an associated standard error. In longitudinal data for older adults, the standard error was accurate …


Oral Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers/Stomatitis: Prevalence In Malaysia And An Epidemiological Update, Rosnah Binti Zain Jan 2000

Oral Recurrent Aphthous Ulcers/Stomatitis: Prevalence In Malaysia And An Epidemiological Update, Rosnah Binti Zain

Prof. Dr. Rosnah Binti Zain

One of the objectives of this short communication was to add to the literature on the prevalence of oral recurrent aphthous stomatitis (ORAS). This research is based on a total of 11,697 randomly selected Malaysian subjects with an age range of 25-115 years and a mean age of 44.5 +/- 13.9 years who were examined for oral mucosal lesions (ORAS). The prevalence of ORAS detected during the oral examination (average point prevalence) was found to be 0.5% (64 subjects). ORAS formed 5.7% of all lesions detected during the survey. The average point prevalence of ORAS was highest in the indigenous …


Prevalence Of Oral Soft-Tissue Lesions In Out-Patients At 2 Malaysian And Thai Dental Schools, Axell T., Rosnah Binti Zain, Siwamogstham P., Tantiniran D., Thampipit J. Apr 1990

Prevalence Of Oral Soft-Tissue Lesions In Out-Patients At 2 Malaysian And Thai Dental Schools, Axell T., Rosnah Binti Zain, Siwamogstham P., Tantiniran D., Thampipit J.

Prof. Dr. Rosnah Binti Zain

At the Faculties of Dentistry in Chiang Mai, Thailand (CM), and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (KL), 234 and 233 consecutive out-patients of mean ages 33.8 and 31.0 yr, respectively, were examined for the presence of oral mucosal lesions. Tobacco in some form was regularly used by 31.7% and 27.5% of the study populations in CM and KL, respectively. Cigarette smoking was the predominant habit. In CM three persons chewed betel quids and nine smoked banana leaf cigars daily. In addition, there were 24 habitual chewers of tea leaves (miang). In KL six persons chewed betel quids daily. In CM and KL …