South East Asia Journal of Public Health

Vegetarian practices, body composition and dietary intake among Hindus and Buddhists in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Though vegetarians own the privilege of a wide range of health benefits and of much lower risk of many diseases, they are also cut off many essential nutritional values. This study aimed to determine the vegetarian practices, body composition and dietary intake of vegetarians among Hindus and Buddhists in Kuching, Sarawak. Using questionnaire and anthropometric measurement, this cross-sectional study was carried out in Hindu and Buddhist temples in Kuching. Data was entered and analysed using SPSS version 22. A total of 114 respondents participated in the study, with mean age of 45.8 years (SD±16.01), females (57%), and majority Buddhists (81.6%). Majority of the respondents were on lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (71%) with more among the Hindus. More than half of the respondents were overweight and obese (64.1%). About 58% of the respondents were found to have abnormal waist circumference and 78.1% with over fat percentage. Buddhist respondents consumed more carbohydrates than Hindus. Hindu respondents consume more macro-nutrients such as protein and fat with a mean intake of 102.9 g (SD ±34.60) and 20.9 % of total energy intake respectively and more micro-nutrients. Vegetarian diet does not warranty healthy body as the quality and quantity of the food intake can influence the nutritional status of a person. Knowledge on choice of food should be imparted to improve their health status.

South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.8(1) 2018: 3-9

Identifying People with Depression: The role of ‘Self Rated Health’

Nafisa Huq, Tarzia Choudhury, Samia Aziz, SM Yasir Arafat, M Omar Rahman — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide. However, it is under recognized and undertreated. Self-rated health is a one-item question that has been used for population health monitoring. It was aimed to examine the prospect of using ‘self-rated health’ (SRH) in identifying people with depression among adult community-based population in Bangladesh over a one-year period controlling for socio-demographic, chronic diseases and symptoms, physical disability, smoking, and life events. We examined data from 3455 participants aged 18 years and above who participated in the 2015 January and 2016 January Health and Socio-Economic Survey of Independent University, Bangladesh. Using multiple logistic regressions, depression at baseline was examined to predict self-rated health at one-year follow-up adjusting for socio-demographic variables, chronic diseases, risk behaviors, and life events. Respondents with depression at baseline had 35% higher odds of reporting poor SRH in the follow-up round compared to those with no depression (OR=1.35, 95% CI=1.03 1.78, P<0.03). SRH may be used by community health workers as a preliminary indicator to identify people who may have depression followed by further screening and management for depression.

South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.8(1) 2018: 10-16

Use of rapid immunochromatographic test to detect dengue infection in community-based patients in Indonesia

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Severe dengue virus (DENV) manifestations commonly occurred in secondary infections. Serology assay using rapid immunochromatographic test is one of diagnostic modalities used in community setting. The aim of this research was to evaluate the use of a serial rapid immunochromatographic test in establishing DENV infection in community pa-tients. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Clinical Microbiology Laboratory Department of Microbiology Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia Jakarta using paired stored sera from community-based DENV patient col-lected in 2010. Samples with positive nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) result were subjected to hemagglutination inhibi-tion (HI) assay. Serial NS1, IgM, IgG, clinical features, and virus serotype result from previous study were taken as secondary data and compared with HI assay result as gold standard. For rapid immunochromatographic test vs HI analysis, both results were classified as ‘Primary Infection’ and ‘Secondary Infection’. A total of 25 samples fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The proportion of primary and secondary infection according to Bioline SD Dengue Duo was 44% and 56%, respectively. In the other side, 23 samples (92%) were classified as secondary infection by mean of HI assay; the rest was primary infection. The highest agreement rate between serial rapid immunochromatographic test and HI was 68%. The rapid test can detect IgM and IgG as early as on 3^rd day of fever. The results of rapid immunochromatographic test were in accordance with HI if it was examined within 3-7 day of fever and therefore can replace HI for determining DENV infection whether primary or secondary.

South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.8(1) 2018: 17-21

Barriers to access maternal health services among urban poor women in Bangladesh: A Case of Rajshahi City

Bijoy Krishna Banik, Md Saidur Rashid Sumon — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Bangladesh has made tremendous achievements in the health sector over the last few decades, albeit worse in maternal health (MH) compared to other South Asian countries. The fact that women, particularly poor, have less access to maternal health care (MHC) services is one of the prime reasons. The main objective of this study was to explore what types of barriers poor mothers faced during the service use. A triangulation of method (interviews of service recipients through interview schedule and service providers through checklist, focus group discussion and observation) was used for the collection of primary data (sample 200) from two slum areas in Rajshahi City between March and April, 2013. The study found socio-cultural and organizational barriers to access to MHC services more acute than physical and financial barriers. As suggested, building awareness of bad consequences of early marriage on MH, ensuring a strong coordination among service providing organizations in dispensing free drugs and posting female doctors in study areas are urgently needed for further improvement of MH.

South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.8(1) 2018: 22-31

Health effects of brick kiln operations: A study on largest brick kiln cluster in Bangladesh

Tanmoy Roy Tusher, Zisan Ashraf, Shilpi Akter — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Brick manufacturing industry is considered as one of the fastest-growing industrial sectors posing serious health hazards in most South East Asian countries like Bangladesh. A major portion of brick kilns in Bangladesh are located in and around the Dhaka, one of the world’s most densely populated cities, where the health effects of these brick kilns are obvious but yet not completely known. The study was thus performed based on a structured questionnaire survey to assess the health effects of brick kiln operations on kiln workers and local inhabitants at Baghiya of Konabari union in Gazipur near Dhaka of Bangladesh. A total of 100 randomly selected respondents (70 brick kiln workers and 30 local inhabitants) were surveyed. The results of the survey revealed that wood and coal are mostly used fuel for brick production in the study area. The respondents were suffering from skin disease (28%), headache (20%), eye irritation (10%), lung disease (8%), and respiratory diseases such as, asthma (20%), bronchitis (10%) and others (6%) problems, while skin diseases, asthma and other lung diseases were prevalent in workers, and eye irritation, headache and bronchitis were in inhabitants. Inhabitants (36%) who were living in surrounding areas of brick kilns for more than 20 years and workers (40%) who were residing for less than 5 years were suffering most from various diseases. Health education or awareness programs need to be organized since 77.1% and 63.3% of the workers and inhabitants, respectively, were never participated in any health education or awareness programs, and eco-friendly brick kilns should be installed maintaining the existing rules and regulations for minimizing the impacts of brick kiln operation induced air pollution in this respect.

South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.8(1) 2018: 32-36

Should social accountability be considered as one of the key benchmarks for excellence in medical education?

Md Anwarul Azim Majumder — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

Abstract not available

South East Asia Journal of Public Health Vol.8(1) 2018: 1-2