Community Health Commons^™

Training Of Occupational Safety And Health: Knowledge Among Healthcare Professionals In Malaysia, Retneswari Masilamani

Retneswari Masilamani

Introduction: Awareness of occupational safety and health (OSH) plays an important role in the prevention of occupational injuries and diseases. Following the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1994, various programmes have been implemented by different agencies to increase awareness and knowledge of OSH in the workplace, including among healthcare workers. The objective of this study was to determine the level of OSH awareness and knowledge among healthcare professionals in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a 21-item self-administered questionnaire addressing information on demographics, general OSH issues, OSH legislations, occupational hazards in the healthcare …

Coffee And Tea Intake And Risk Of Breast Cancer, Awang Bulgiba

Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud

Known risk factors account for about 10-15% of breast cancer incidence suggesting that lifestyle exposures are crucial in its etiology. Previous epidemiological studies on the association between coffee and tea consumption and breast cancer risk have been inconsistent. We investigated the association of coffee and tea consumption with the risk of breast cancer among women in EPIC-NL cohort, a population-based prospective cohort in Netherlands with 27,323 participants. Exposure was measured by a validated food frequency questionnaire, and the outcome was verified by direct linkage with the Netherlands Cancer Registry. A total of 681 invasive primary breast cancers were diagnosed in …

Job Strain Among Malaysian Office Workers Of A Multinational Company, Awang Bulgiba

Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud

Aims To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with high job strain among office workers of a multinational company in Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2007 among 470 eligible workers. Respondents self-administered the Job Content Questionnaire downloaded from the company's intranet. A median-split procedure was applied to create four groups according to the Job Demand-Control Model: active, passive, high and low job strain. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between socio-demographic, occupational and psychosocial factors and high job strain. Results A total of 356 questionnaires were received (response rate 76%). Twenty-one per cent …

Job Strain Among Malaysian Office Workers Of A Multinational Company, Retneswari Masilamani, Husna Maizura

Retneswari Masilamani

Aims To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with high job strain among office workers of a multinational company in Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in November 2007 among 470 eligible workers. Respondents self-administered the Job Content Questionnaire downloaded from the company's intranet. A median-split procedure was applied to create four groups according to the Job Demand-Control Model: active, passive, high and low job strain. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the associations between socio-demographic, occupational and psychosocial factors and high job strain. Results A total of 356 questionnaires were received (response rate 76%). Twenty-one per cent …

The Modified Ncep Atp Iii Criteria Maybe Better Than The Idf Criteria In Diagnosing Metabolic Syndrome Among Malays In Kuala Lumpur, Awang Bulgiba

Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud

Background: Metabolic Syndrome is associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. However, different diagnostic criteria have been recommended by different expert groups. In Malaysia, there is a lack of research comparing these different diagnostic criteria. Therefore, it is our aim to study the concordance between the IDF and the modified NCEP ATP III definitions of Metabolic Syndrome among a Malay cohort in Kuala Lumpur; and to demonstrate if all participants have the same cardiometabolic risks. Methods: This was an analytical cross sectional study. Ethics approval was obtained and informed consent was given by all participants. Anthropometric …

General Psychological Distress Symptoms And Help-Seeking Intentions In Young Australians, Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Epidemiological studies suggest that young people might have a tendency to avoid help when they experience symptoms of psychological distress. There is growing evidence that many young people prefer no help from anyone for their mental health problems. The current study examined the association between symptoms of general psychological distress and intentions to seek help from friends, family and professional mental health sources in a sample of 109 trade (TAFE) students from regional and rural Australia. Participants were 67% male and aged from 15-25 years. Higher levels of general psychological distress symptoms were associated with stronger intentions to not seek …

Adolescents' Suicidal Thinking And Reluctance To Consult General Medical Practitioners, Coralie Wilson

Coralie J Wilson

Appropriate help-seeking is widely recognized as a protective factor, and vital for early treatment and prevention of mental health problems during adolescence. General medical practitioners (GPs), that is, family doctors, provide a vital role in the identification of adolescents with mental health problems and the provision of treatment as well as access to other specialists in mental health care services. The current study is part of a larger multi-cite study developed and led by the first author. It examines the association between suicidal ideation and intentions to seek help from a GP for suicidal thoughts, emotional problems and physical health …

Help-Negation And Suicidal Ideation: The Role Of Depression, Anxiety And Hopelessness., Coralie J. Wilson

Frank Deane

Help-negation is expressed behaviorally by the refusal or avoidance of available help and cognitively by the inverse relationship between self-reported symptoms of psychological distress and help-seeking intentions. The current study is part of a larger multi-cite research program developed and led by the first author. It examines the association between suicidal ideation and intentions to seek help from friends, family and professional mental health sources in a sample of 302 Australian university students. Participants were 77.5% female and aged from 18-25 years old, with 85.4% aged 21 years or younger. Higher levels of suicidal ideation were related to lower help-seeking …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Physical Disability And Functional Limitation Among Community Dwelling Older People In Rural Malaysia, A Middle Income Country, Awang Bulgiba

Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud

Background: The prevalence and correlates of physical disability and functional limitation among older people have been studied in many developed countries but not in a middle income country such as Malaysia. The present study investigated the epidemiology of physical disability and functional limitation among older people in Malaysia and compares findings to other countries. Methods: A population-based cross sectional study was conducted in Alor Gajah, Malacca. Seven hundred and sixty five older people aged 60 years and above underwent tests of functional limitation (Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment Tool). Data were also collected for self reported activities of daily living …

Applicability Of A Video Intervention To Increase Informed Decision Making For Prostate Specific Antigen (Psa) Testing Among African-American Men With Different Levels Of Health Literacy, Levi Ross, Alicestine D. Ashford, Sherese J. Bleechington, Tyra Dark, Deborah C. Erwin

Levi Ross

Purpose: To evaluate the applicability of an evidence-based video intervention to promote informed decision making for prostate cancer (CaP) screening among African-American men with different levels of health literacy.

Methods: Forty nine African-American men participated in interviewer-administered, pretest-posttest interviews between January and March 2008. Health literacy status was assessed with the Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA). Repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), McNemar or binomial distributions were computed to assess pretest/posttest differences in knowledge. Descriptive statistics were produced to describe participants’ perceptions of the information presented in the video.

Results: Results indicated that men with functional health …