9 research outputs found
Self-Care Oriented Indigenous Knowledge of Chan Ational, Kyauk-Me Township, Shan state (North)
No full textThis study focuses on the self-care practices of the Shan national, highlighting the beliefs and practices of health relating to indigenous knowledge from the medical anthropological point of view. Taking care of oneself regarding health matters is noted to be the most important and fundamental in the well-being of a person. Selfcare is not limited to the individual but also includes members of one’s own household. Indigenous knowledge (IK) is the local knowledge- knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society. The objectives of this research are to identify self care practices among Shan Nationals, to elicit how indigenous knowledge influences on self-care and to describe these self-care practices within the local social and cultural context. The selected area is thirty one miles far away from Kyauk-me Township. These villages are Munnaun village, Konsant village, Autzay village, Munwein village, and Munpint village. Study design is the descriptive study design.
In this study, the qualitative research method is applied. Observation (direct and indirect), in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and informal group discussions were carried out for data collection. Their beliefs and practices relating to folk illnesses as well as malaria, childbirth, childcare, belief in supernatural occurrences, concepts on diets, and utilization of traditional medicine, Chinese medicine, and western medicine are observed. Most of the folk illness, the initial fever and aches are treated by the skin scratching therapy, the popular treatment. In this study medical pluralism is apparent. Most of the findings show that their self-care practices in the popular sectors are due to; they do not know the gravity of illness,
faith in their popular care, do not cost a lot of money and convenience. In study area, it is found that majority of Shan national do the self-care practices not only for acute but also for chronic illness. As in recommendation, to find out the conflicts between health care systems and indigenous knowledge of ethnic groups in rural areas, further researches and case studies should be done in medical anthropological point of view to justify the gaps between traditional practices and modern healing practices
Cultural impacts on intention to use of Food Panda of international students in Bangkok
No full textIndependent Study (M.B.A. (International Business)) -- University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, 2024This research investigates the cultural factors influencing the intention to use the Food panda application among international students in Bangkok. A survey of international students reveals diverse age and gender distributions, with a significant portion reporting lower income levels. Reliability tests indicate high internal consistency for the cultural dimensions of Uncertainty Avoidance (UA), Individualism (ID), and Long-term Orientation (LO). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) confirms the validity of these constructs, and correlation analysis shows strong positive relationships between these cultural dimensions and the intention to use Food panda. The study concludes that cultural factors significantly impact user intention, providing insights into how Food panda can tailor its services to better meet the needs of international students. Recommendations are offered for targeted marketing strategies, gender-specific initiatives, income-based pricing, and personalized features to enhance user engagement and satisfaction, thereby strengthening Foodpanda's market presence in Bangkok
Health promoting behaviours of the elderly in Myanmar
No full textAging is a lifelong and inevitable process. As a human being, every person wants to have a long life. With the aim to promote active and healthy ageing, the Ministry of Health implemented the elderly health care project in Myanmar since 1992-1993. This programme is based on comprehensive health care; promotion, preventive, curative and rehabilitative care. Elderly health care programme has been implemented in 161 townships by the end of year 2013 but nationwide is not yet. Nurses in Myanmar involve in the elderly health care project as a significant contribution to the health of elderly population. There is a little research that demonstrates effectiveness in quantifiable measuring health promotion practices in the elderly. There is a definite need for the elderly population to practice health promotion to improve the quality of life as their life span lengthens. This study will also encourage the nurses to better help the elderly to move to increase health promotion practices. That is why it is needed to investigate the health promoting behaviors of elderly people. This cross sectional descriptive study was done to assess health promoting behaviors of the elderly in the community. 69 elderly people aged 60 years and above including males and females who live in Chan Mya Thar Si Township, Mandalay was conducted. The Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP II) developed by Walker, Sechrist, and Pender (1995) was used as a research instrument and analyzed manually. The findings of this study revealed that there were 62% (n = 43) of the elderly had healthy behavior in nutrition and 38% (n = 26) of the elderly had unhealthy behavior in nutrition. Regarding physical activity, 33% (n = 23) of the elderly had healthy behavior and 67% (n = 46) had unhealthy behavior. In managing stress, the majority of participants 93% (n = 64) had healthy behavior and only 7% (n=5) were unhealthy in stress management. Concerning interpersonal relations, 59% (n = 64) were healthy and 41% (n = 28) were unhealthy. 38% (n = 25) of healthy behavior of the elderly and 64% (n = 44) of unhealthy behavior of the elderly in health responsibility, 78% (n = 54) of healthy behavior of the elderly and 22% (n = 15) of unhealthy behavior of the elderly in spiritual growth. Overall, there were 55% (n = 38) in healthy behavior and 45% (n = 31) in unhealthy behavior in this community. This quantitative study showed that the overall behavior in their community was healthier. According to this study, the areas which needed to investigate and improve in their physical activities and their taking health responsibility
Associations of cord plasma per- and polyfluoroakyl substances (PFAS) with neonatal and child body composition and adiposity: The GUSTO study
No full textBackground: The influence of prenatal exposure to per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on birth size and offspring adiposity is unclear, especially for the newer, shorter-chained replacement PFAS. Methods: In the GUSTO multi-ethnic Singaporean mother-offspring cohort, 12 PFAS were measured in 783 cord plasma samples using ultra-performance-liquid chromatography-tandem-mass-spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS). Outcomes included offspring anthropometry, other indicators of body composition/metabolic health, and MRI-derived abdominal adiposity (subset) at birth and 6 years of age. PFAS were modeled individually, in categories of long-chain and short-chain PFAS, and as scores of three principal components (PC) derived using PC analysis (PC1, PC2, and PC3 reflect predominant exposure patterns to “very-long-PFAS”, “long-PFAS”, and “short-PFAS”, respectively). Associations with outcomes were assessed using multivariable linear regressions, adjusted for important covariates such as maternal sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Results: Overall, cord PFAS levels showed either no or positive associations (mostly for long-chain PFAS) with birth weight, length and head circumference. In general, PFAS were associated with higher neonatal abdominal adiposity, driven by shorter-chain PFAS. Perfluoroheptanoic acid (PFHpA) was associated with higher volumes of superficial subcutaneous adipose tissue (sSAT) (3.75 [1.13, 6.37] mL per SD increase in PFAS) and internal adipose tissue (IAT) (1.39 [0.41, 2.38] mL). Higher levels of perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS), short-chain PFAS, and PC3 were associated with higher IAT volume (β range 1.22–1.41 mL/SD, all P < 0.02), especially in girls. Higher PC3 score was additionally associated with higher sSAT (3.12 [0.45, 5.80] mL) volume. At age 6 years, most observed associations did not persist. No consistent associations were observed between PFAS and whole-body adiposity measures. Conclusions: Fetal exposure to emerging short-chain PFAS was associated with higher abdominal adiposity at birth but not at age 6 years. Further research is needed to replicate the findings and to determine if these effects may reappear beyond early childhood. Population exposure to newer PFAS and consequent health impact must be monitored
Serological and Molecular Epidemiology of Chikungunya Virus Infection in Vietnam, 2017–2019
No full textNagasaki University (長崎大学)博士(医学)Chikungunya fever is an acute febrile illness caused by the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), which is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. Since 1965, only a few studies with limited scope have been conducted on CHIKV in Vietnam. Thus, this study aimed to determine the seroprevalence and molecular epidemiology of CHIKV infection among febrile patients in Vietnam from 2017 to 2019. A total of 1063 serum samples from 31 provinces were collected and tested for anti-CHIKV IgM and IgG ELISA. The 50% focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT50) was used to confirm CHIKV-neutralizing antibodies. Quantitative real-time RT–PCR (RT–qPCR) was performed to confirm the presence of the CHIKV genome. The results showed that 15.9% (169/1063) of the patients had anti-CHIKV IgM antibodies, 20.1% (214/1063) had anti-CHIKV IgG antibodies, 10.4% (111/1063) had CHIKV-neutralizing antibodies, and 27.7% (130/469) of the samples were positive in RT–qPCR analysis. The E1 CHIKV genome sequences were detected among the positive RT–qPCR samples. Our identified sequences belonged to the East/Central/South/African (ECSA) genotype, which has been prevalent in Vietnam previously, suggesting CHIKV has been maintained and is endemic in Vietnam. This study demonstrates a high prevalence of CHIKV infection in Vietnam and calls for an annual surveillance program to understand its impact.長崎大学学位論文 学位記番号:博(医歯薬)甲第1604号 学位授与年月日:令和6年3月19日Author: Thanh Vu Nguyen, Mya Myat Ngwe Tun, Minh Thang Cao, Huy Manh Dao, Chan Quang Luong, Thi Kim Loan Huynh, Thi Thanh Thuong Nguyen, Thi Nhu Dao Hoang, Kouichi Morita, Thi Quynh Mai Le, Quang Duy Pham, Yuki Takamatsu and Futoshi HasebeCitation: Viruses, 15(10), art. no. 2065; 2023Nagasaki University (長崎大学), 博士(医学) (2024-03-19)doctoral thesi
Associations of fetal and postnatal growth trajectories with child cognition : the GUSTO cohort study
No full textBackground Using longitudinal ultrasounds as an improved fetal growth marker, we aimed to investigate if increased postnatal growth following fetal abdominal circumference (AC) growth deceleration is associated with improved child cognition.Methods Among 797 term-born singletons in the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort, we derived 2nd-3rd trimester fetal AC growth z-score, fetal AC growth deceleration, standardized height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) growth at early infancy (0-4 months), late infancy (4-15 months), toddlerhood (15-37 months), and early childhood (3-7 years), and investigated their associations with intelligence quotient (IQ) at ages 4.5 years (verbal, non-verbal) and 7 years (non-verbal-block design, matrix reasoning), adjusting for socio-demographic and biological confounders.Results Among term-born newborns, 23.3% experienced fetal AC growth deceleration, which was associated with lower non-verbal IQ (4.5 years) [beta (95% CI), -4.00 (-7.49, -0.51)]. Higher 0-7 years z-BMI gain was associated with lower non-verbal IQ (block design) (7 years) [-1.33 (-2.51, -0.14)]. Higher late infancy z-BMI gain was associated with higher verbal IQ (4.5 years) [3.36 (0.82,5.90)] but lower non-verbal IQ (matrix reasoning) (7 years) [-2.32 (-4.48, -0.17)]. Among those with fetal AC growth deceleration, higher 0-7 years z-weight gain was associated with lower non-verbal IQ (block design) (7 years) (P-interaction = .049); at z-weight gain of +2 standard deviation score (SDS), those with fetal AC growth deceleration had lower IQ [margins (95% CI), -2.6 (-7.1,1.9)]. On average, children with fetal AC growth deceleration caught up in z-height, z-weight, and z-BMI by 7 years.Conclusion Fetal AC growth deceleration was associated with lower cognition scores at preschool age. Increased weight or BMI growth from 0-7 years following fetal AC growth deceleration might not be favorable to cognition among generally well-nourished term-born children.Peer reviewe
Collaborative community checklists for immunisation: a feasibility and acceptability study in rural Myanmar
No full textStata code files and ready-for-analysis data used in the analysis published in the Final Report to 3ie on the project, "Collaborative community checklists for immunisation: a feasibility and acceptability study in rural Myanmar" (project code TW 10.1117). This project was funded as part of the Innovations in Increasing Immunisation Evidence Programme
Collaborative community checklists for immunisation: a feasibility and acceptability study in rural Myanmar
No full textStata code files and ready-for-analysis data used in the analysis published in the Final Report to 3ie on the project, "Collaborative community checklists for immunisation: a feasibility and acceptability study in rural Myanmar" (project code TW 10.1117). This project was funded as part of the Innovations in Increasing Immunisation Evidence Programme
Prospects for the formation of a pluralistic security community between China and ASEAN
No full textSince the end of the Cold War, deep transformations in East Asia have begun to restructure the political, economic and security landscape of the region. Many of these transformations have been of a positive nature, in the sense that East Asian states are now interacting with each other with the purpose of enhancing their economic performance and regional politico-security stability. One such positive regional change has been the potential for a new phase of peaceful relations between China and the Southeast Asian nations (frequently referred to in this research as the "ASEAN states"), which until relatively recently remained hostile and marred by mutual suspicion. Thus, this research explores Sino-ASEAN relations from the perspective of the possibility of fostering a durable and reliable peace between these actors.
The research begins by discussing the relevance of China, ASEAN and the region of East Asia, or in other words: why do these actors matter at the regional and global level? In tandem with the latter, the research also discusses the concept of security communities, which is the central
concept permeating the whole work. An introductory note on Karl Deutsch (father of the security community concept) and the nature of war and conflict is also present. The literature review examines what has been produced to date on the topics of security communities and East Asia, China and ASEAN; which mainly encapsulates the broad areas of East Asian regionalism, Chinese foreign policy, constructivist theory and more direct relations between China and Southeast Asia. The analytical framework and methodology are also discussed. Security communities are explained in detail (e.g. types, genesis and demise) so as the framework for the study of the formation of security communities, developed by the scholar Emanuel Adler and
Michael Barnett; and which is also central to the argument of this thesis. Moreover, a comprehensive discussion ensues about the role of the main international relations theories (i.e. realism, liberalism and social constructivism) affecting the conceptualisation of security communities, as each affects the later in profound and particulars ways. The role of political elites and the units of analysis are explained as part of clarifying the methodology.
The research then divides into three main areas: China's approach to Southeast Asia (mainly expressed in China's foreign policy towards the region), ASEAN's approach to China (mainly expressed by the Association's declaratory policy towards China and the creation or regional
frameworks), and another section focusing on how each individual ASEAN states have perceived and approached China throughout the decades after the end of the Second World War. The latter covers politico-economic interactions and their relevance (which aim to stress the level of "transactions" between both actors) and how Southeast Asia's political elites have perceived China. Finally, conclusions are presented and the empirical data weighted against the theoretical framework.
The methodology of the research consists in confronting empirical data with the different tiers and sub-categories of Alder and Barnett's framework for the study of the formation of security communities. Adler and Barnett have created a "roadmap" to the formation of security communities. They have organised a succinct, clear and useful means to help political scientists to explore the possibilities of the evolution of security communities between states. Adler and Barnett's framework divides into an initial stage of creation (i.e. precipitating conditions), a process and a structural category in which elements such as power, social learning, international
organisations and transactions interact in such a way that have the potential to create a final stage in which mutual trust and a common identity might have begun to operate between the actors.
Thus, the research compares the available data between China and the ASEAN states (e.g. transactions, perceptions, regional frameworks, roles of power, etc) against Adler and
Barnett's framework. The findings are revealing. Following the framework, there are strong indications of an evolving security community (of a pluralistic type) between China and
ASEAN, particularly in some sub-categories. Though it is not possible to affirm the existence of a fully-fledged security community between them, strong elements are still evolving and because of the latter, new questions arise which provide with more interesting projections not
the future (e.g. is there the possibility of seen the evolution of a particular set of ideas between both actors?). The research sets clear too that, a new angle to the study of Sino-ASEAN relations can be followed, with the possibility of enriching and novel results
