IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia (IMJM)
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Teachers’ Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Schoolchildren’s Visual and Eye Health: A Scoping Review
Get PDFStudies on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of teachers regarding schoolchildren’s visual and eye health is an important step before implementing further collaboration between education and healthcare system. The input in this field is limited as many countries are at the early stage of involving teachers in school health screening programmes. This review aims to understand the level of KAP among teachers on schoolchildren’s visual and eye health and the methodology used to conduct these studies. This scoping review was conducted based on Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for scoping studies. A systematic search using electronic databases (Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and Ebscohost) was conducted to identify relevant articles, imported into the Rayyan web application for review management. Mendeley desktop was utilised for citation management. A total of 463 articles were identified during the selection process, and 17 articles were included in this scoping review after eligibility screening. These studies were grouped into three designs: cross-sectional, intervention, and qualitative. This scoping review revealed that the level of knowledge and practice among teachers on schoolchildren’s visual and eye health was low to moderate, while the level of attitude was good. Some misconceptions exist among teachers regarding children’s visual and eye health. Training programmes for teachers are crucial to significantly improve their KAP levels. Most of the teachers lacked the knowledge and practice concerning children’s visual and eye health. However, with a good attitude, their awareness level can be upgraded with proper training, eye screening facilities, and access to information
The Effects of Psychological First Aid Training on Knowledge, Perceived Ability Using the Skill, and Quality of Life among Medical Students
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: The response to the crisis in Malaysia in recent years has led to a growing need for mental health services and a general dependence on mental health professionals to address the issue. It is widely acknowledged that providing psychological first aid (PFA) to survivors in the immediate aftermath of a crisis or disaster is an effective first step toward meeting their psychosocial needs. This study aims to determine the impact of PFA training on medical students’ knowledge, perceived ability to apply skills, and quality of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 136 medical students were recruited for this non-randomized single group pre-post study, and trained using the World Health Organization (WHO) PFA guidebook. Measures include PFA knowledge, perceived ability to use PFA skills, WHO Quality of Life brief version (WHOQOL-BREF), and Helping Attitude Scale. Participants were required to fill in the questionnaire before and one month after the training. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in PFA knowledge (p<.001, Cohen’s d = 0.60), perceived ability to use PFA skills (p<.001, Cohen’s d = 0.80), psychological health (p<.001, Cohen’s d = 1.52), and quality of life (p<.001, Cohen’s d = 0.44). Brief training with various interactive teaching methods helps participants master the skills while paying attention to their emotional needs. CONCLUSION: Brief PFA training is as effective as a whole-day PFA workshop. However, regular training should be provided to increase the level of confidence of responders in dealing with crises
The Use of Virtual Reality in Stable Sitting Trunk Rehabilitation for Stroke Patients: A Pilot Study
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Virtual reality (VR) holds promise for stroke rehabilitation. However, many existing VR systems requires users to stand while playing, posing a potential falling risk for stroke patients. This study investigated the effects of a custom-developed VR system that focus on trunk rehabilitation in stable sitting position on muscle activities, postural control, and physiological cost compared to conventional trunk exercises in stroke patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional observational pilot study was conducted involving 12 paretic stroke subjects performing four exercises: two Conventional Trunk Exercises (CTE) and two VR-based Trunk Exercises (VRTE) using customized Tilt-The-Maze (self-paced) or Catch-The-Mole (game-paced) games. Muscle activity was measured using electromyography (EMG). Postural control data in the Anterior-Posterior (AP) and Medio-Lateral (ML) axes was recorded using a force plate, while the physiological cost was measured via a heart rate sensor during the exercises. RESULTS: The results indicated low muscle activity and light-intensity cardiovascular responses in all CTE and VRTE exercises. Game-paced VRTE recorded slightly higher Center of Pressure (CoP) velocity in the AP and ML axes versus CTE (AP:4.40±1.80 vs. 4.02±1.20 cm/s; ML:6.40±2.54 vs. 5.42±2.21 cm/s). In contrast, the self-paced VRTE showed an insignificant impact on postural control than both CTE and game-paced VRTE. CONCLUSION: The game-paced VRTE induced comparable effects on muscular activation, postural control, and physiological cost to that of CTE in stroke patients. The findings suggest the stable-sitting VR system as a supplementary approach to the existing trunk rehabilitation protocols for stroke patients.
“You Know How People Talk,” Reasons Behind Child Marriage among Female Youth in The North-Eastern State of West Malaysia
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Over the past decade, Kelantan has consistently ranked among the top three states in Malaysia for the highest number of registered child marriages, garnering attention in local and international news. However, little is understood about the local factors influencing girls' decisions to marry young. This study aimed to explore these reasons from the perspective of young women involved in child marriages in Kelantan, Malaysia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fourteen women aged 16-30, married before 18, participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using NVivo® software. Thematic analysis, drawing from phenomenology and socioecological theory, revealed three overlapping themes. RESULTS: Themes emerged were: (1) self-fulfilment, (2) marriage brings security, and (3) avoidance of public ridicule. CONCLUSION: The study underscores societal and familial pressures, alongside low socioeconomic status, and religious factors, as central to child marriage in Malaysia. By amplifying the voices of these women, efforts can focus on preventing the consequences and devising solutions to curb this practice in the future
Prevalence of Antibiotic Use in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: An Observational Study in Secondary Healthcare Hospitals in Kosovo
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Globally, the high use of antibiotics among hospitalized patients diagnosed with COVID-19 has been reported despite evidence that bacterial coinfections are uncommon. This issue raised our concerns, as there was a report on high frequency of antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Thus, we conducted a study to determine the prevalence of antibiotic use for hospitalized acute COVID-19 infection in secondary healthcare hospitals in Kosovo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted among patients with acute COVID-19 admitted to secondary healthcare hospitals in Kosovo. A modified Infectious Diseases International Research Initiative (ID-IRI) questionnaire was used to collect information in 460 COVID-19 PCR positive patients. RESULTS: All studied patients (100%) were treated with antibiotics. An empirical antibiotics were used to cover Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in 136 cases (29.6%), methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections in 86 cases (18.7%), atypical pathogen in 174 cases (37.8%), and Pseudomonas infections in 48 cases (10.4%). The most frequently used antibiotics were ceftriaxone/cefotaxime plus macrolide (149 cases; 31%), ceftriaxone/cefotaxime plus quinolone (85 cases; 17.7%), and co-amoxiclav plus fluoroquinolone (78 cases; 16.3%). Imipenem was most frequently used in the ICU (64 cases; 13.3%). CONCLUSION: Despite the antibiotic guidelines clearly stated that antibiotics should only be used in confirmed case of secondary bacterial infections including the COVID-19 patients, our study revealed that the overused of antibiotics remained unchanged. As the misused and overused of antibacterial has been shown to accelerate the emergence and spread of antibacterial resistant, the inappropriate practice should be changed
Depression, Anxiety and Stress Levels During Covid-19 Pandemic among Frontliners of IIUM Hospital and Kuantan-Campus, and its Associated Factors
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Psychological burden of frontliners increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to psychiatric illnesses reducing productivity. Assessing their mental health status is vital in providing effective care. Our aim was to investigate the levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and associated factors among frontlines of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Sultan Ahmad Shah Medical Centre (SASMEC) and Kuantan-Campus during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study among 261 SASMEC@IIUM and 125 Kuantan-campus IIUM frontliners from March 2021 to June 2022 using self administered validated DASS-21 questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Chi-Square and Fisher’s Exact tests were used for data analysis. Frontliners with severe and very severe DASS scores were offered psychoeducational counselling for intervention. RESULTS: Out of 386 respondents, 82.1% were clinical frontliners, 65.8% were female, and 65.8% were married. The prevalence was 15.8%, 29.5% and 9.3% for depression, anxiety and stress, respectively. This study showed no statistical differences between the clinical and non-clinical, and between SASMEC@IIUM and Kuantan-campus frontliners on depression, anxiety and stress levels. Those with post-traumatic events had significant association with depression (p<0.001) and anxiety (p<0.001), while anxiety significantly associated with chronic diseases (p=0.034). CONCLUSION: Over one-fourth of frontline staff suffered from anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas 9-15% experienced depression and stress. Frontliners with post-traumatic events or chronic diseases required additional support in coping with their mental health burden. No significant difference was found in anxiety, depression and stress levels between clinical and non clinical or between hospital-based and on-campus frontliners, suggesting a comprehensive mental health screening and timely intervention to all frontliners regardless of their post or area of service.
Decoding the Future: Genomic Sequencing's Vital Role in Communicable Disease Prevention within Public Health Practice - A Scoping Review
Get PDFPrecision public health using genomic sequencing is a new field that has gained interest from public health practitioners for prevention and control measures. This study aims to identify the various applications of genomic sequencing for the prevention of communicable diseases in public health practice. Articles containing relevant keywords were determined using a systematic search strategy applied in Medline, Scopus, and Springer electronic databases. Full text included in the study was retrieved and categorised. A total of 24 articles were included in the final review. The main themes regarding the application of genomic sequencing in the prevention of communicable disease that were found in the articles were describing transmission patterns, investigating outbreaks, diagnosing infection, developing and evaluating interventions including vaccines, outcomes response treatment, and monitoring antimicrobial resistance. In conclusion, genomic sequencing has the potential to enhance the prevention and control of communicable diseases globally
Brain Tumours and Inflammatory Markers: Mini-Review
Get PDFAn inflammatory biomarker is an indicating substance that facilitates the process of cell injury and promotes the development of cancer cells. The brain structure naturally protects the extracellular matrix (ECM), which consists of microglia, astrocytes, and neurons, by separating them from harm with the blood–brain barrier (BBB). Yet, the inflammation process damages the brain cells, thus releasing inflammatory markers into the plasma. Chronic inflammation results from persistent inflammation, and any failure of control mechanisms within the brain tissues will promote the development of cancer cells. Previous studies showed that several proinflammatory biomarkers, which included interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP), were observably higher in patients with glioblastoma compared to those with healthy brain tissues. However, the relationship between proinflammatory factors and glioma development remains unclear. Against such background, this review discusses the potential association between inflammatory markers and a brain tumour, along with the importance of these parameters
Patient Satisfaction with the Quality of Healthcare Services at Selected Major Outpatient Clinics at Sultan Ahmad Shah Medical Centre Kuantan Pahang
Get PDFINTRODUCTION: Patient satisfaction is a key factor in determining any gaps or inadequacies in the healthcare provider's services. This study aimed to measure the level of patient satisfaction and its associated factors towards the healthcare service of outpatient clinics in Sultan Ahmad Shah Medical Centre (SASMEC), IIUM, Kuantan, Pahang. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1050 patients were recruited from internal medicine, paediatrics, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopaedics, and psychiatry clinics between February 2021 and February 2022. A questionnaire was administered which consists of two parts: one that covers patients’ sociodemographic data and the other that assesses the patients’ level of satisfaction with the healthcare services using the Malay-validated Short-Form Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ-18). RESULTS: The mean overall satisfaction level was 3.94 ± 0.46, with the highest mean scores in the interpersonal manners (4.2 ± 0.64) and communications (4.26 ± 0.56) domains. From the multivariate analysis, it was found that those patients in the lower income group (B40) were more satisfied with the quality of the healthcare services (B=0.172, 95% CI=0.08, 0.263) compared to the middle-income group. Being a student (B=- 0.202, 95% CI=- 0.296, -0.108) and having a follow-up treatment visit (B=-0.082, 95% CI=-0.156, -0.008), were significantly associated with lower satisfaction levels as compared to their counterparts. CONCLUSION: Overall, patients who attended SASMEC were satisfied with the service provided. Continuous service improvement aimed at patients’ household income, occupation and purpose of visit may help SASMEC enhance its service in the futur