124 research outputs found
Perceptions on mentoring concept and mentoring practices among medical mentors: a mixed-methods study
No full textPerceptions of receiving bad news about cancer among bone cancer patients in Sarawak General Hospital - a descriptive study
No full textBackground: This study aimed to determine the perceptions and expectations of bone cancer patients with respect to their doctors and the breaking of bad news as well as the environment in which the news was delivered. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a pretested 41-item questionnaire was conducted using convenience sampling among bone cancer patients in Sarawak General Hospital. Face-to-face interviews were conducted after consent was obtained. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16 (SPSS Inc., IL, US).
Results: A total of 30 patients were interviewed. The majority of the respondents were
younger than 40-years-old, Malays, and female. All of the respondents perceived that they received news in a comfortable place, agreed that the doctor used simple language and appropriate words during the interaction, and believed that the way the doctor delivered the news might influence their life. The majority of the respondents reported that their news was received without interruption, that the doctor was sitting close but without making physical contact, and time was given for patient to ask questions and they were informed accordingly.
Conclusion: Delivering bad news regarding cancer is an important communication skill and
a complex task that can be learned and acquired. Specially tailored training is proposed to improve medical practice in this area
Peer mentoring among undergraduate medical students: experience from Universiti Malaysia Sarawak
No full textIntroduction: Peer mentoring is one of the mentoring essential components in any higher institution of learning. In the Medical Faculty of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), this mentoring system has existed long but has not undergone any formal evaluation. Objective: The main objective of this study is to determine the perception of peer mentoring among medical students of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS), UNIMAS. Method: It was a cross-sectional study using self-administered questionnaire. All medical undergraduate students of FMHS were recruited. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 22. Result: A total of 234 respondents participated in this study. Peer mentoring system was preferred against other mentoring system. Majority of the respondents reported that academic gain was the main benefits they gained from peer mentoring system. Negative attitude of the mentee and poor time management for the meeting were the top two worst experience encountered by both mentors and mentees respectively. More than half of the mentor and mentee perceived that peer mentoring system was beneficial to them compared to other systems, with reason that the interaction between student themselves were more easier and comfortable. Nevertheless, there should be more interaction between the mentors and mentees. Conclusion: The findings indicated there is a positive contribution of peer mentoring towards the mentoring system of the faculty. There is a need to relook at the current mentoring system and consider peer mentoring to improve the student support
The perception, level of safety satisfaction and safety feedback on occupational safety and health management among Hospital staff nurses in sabah state health department
No full textThe Application of Geographical Information System Technology to the study of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) breeding sites and its implication to Dengue transmission (in Lundu district, Sarawak)
No full textDengue fever (D~ J ana Dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) are gaining an ever.increasing foothold in Asia and the Americas. The present Aedes vector surveillance system and the use of "classical" Aedes indices remains an issue to resolve. Geographical Information System (GIS) is thought to be a new Aedes surveillance tool with the most potential as the data management system can gather all the information needed for dengue outbreak prediction, This study used GIS technology on Aedes albopictus in the rural dengue transmission area of Lundu District, Sarawak to achieve two main goals : a) To elucidate the association of various risk factors with dengue cases reported in Lundu district, 1999, and b) to design and develop a dengue surveillance system for the monitoring the vector Ae. albopictus in potential outdoor breeding sites
THE PREVALENCE OF UNHEALTHY SNACKING BEHAVIOUR AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH INDIVIDUAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AMONG COLLEGE STUDENTS IN KUCHING, SARAWAK
No full textUnhealthy snacking behaviour among young people is a growing public health concern because of its negative consequences on health. This study was to determine the prevalence of unhealthy snacking behaviour and its determinants among college students in Kuching. In this cross-sectional study, 12 colleges in Kuching were stratified into private and government colleges. Three private and three government colleges were selected through a stratified random sampling method. A total of 422 respondents (male 49.5%, female 50.5%) were recruited in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data regarding unhealthy snacking behaviour and its determinants (gender, food preferences, type of school and courses, taste-and-sensory perception, nutritional knowledge, perceived self-efficacy, and cost/price sensitivity, perceived parental control, easy accessibility, and media advertisements influence) among respondents. The survey was conducted online via e-mail/Whatsapp. Multiple binary logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the data. A quarter of the respondents (24.6%) practised unhealthy snacking behaviour. More than half of the respondents (58.3%) consumed unhealthy snacks one to three times per week. A minority of the respondents (17.1%) claimed that they did not consume any unhealthy snacks for the past month. The final model explained 15.7% of the total variance. Taste-and-sensory perception (Adjusted OR = 2.20, 95%CI [1.55, 3.13], p < 0.001) and nutritional knowledge (Adjusted OR = 1.48, 95%CI [1.12, 1.97), p < 0.05) were positively associated with unhealthy snacking behaviour among respondents. The present study suggested the stakeholders concentrate on nutritional knowledge and taste-and-sensory perception among college students in future intervention developmen
Corrigendum to “Unmet Supportive Care Needs among Breast Cancer Survivors of Community-Based Support Group in Kuching, Sarawak”
No full textBackground. Recognizing the needs of cancer survivors is one of the important aspects in healthcare delivery. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of unmet supportive care needs and its associated factors among the breast cancer survivors of community-based support group in Kuching, Sarawak. Materials and Methods. This was a cross-sectional study using Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34). All the members of community-based breast cancer support groups in Kuching were invited. A total of 101 respondents were face-to-face interviewed after the consent was obtained. Data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results. The respondents endorsed health system and information domain with the highest mean score (2.48; 95% CI: 2.32–2.64). Top 10 items with “moderate to high” level unmet needs had a prevalence of 14.9% to 34.7% of respondents indicating need. Significantly higher level of unmet needs was associated with survivors who were younger (less than 60 years old), had higher education attainment, were unemployed, had survival duration of up to 5 years, and were undergoing active treatment. Conclusion. Systematic delivery of health information which is targeted, culturally sensitive, and linguistically appropriate for addressing younger age, education level, employment status, length of survivorship, and treatment stage should be considered not only at hospital-based setting but also at the community-based support groups
Postpartum health of working mothers: A prospective study
No full textIntroduction: Most working women experience poor physical and mental health during their postpartum period. �is prospective study aimed to describe the physical and mental health issues faced by working mothers during their postpartum period.
Methods: Respondents were recruited using the proportional sampling method among mothers who attended the Maternal and Child Health Clinic in the Kuching division in Sarawak, Malaysia. Faceto-face interview was conducted using a questionnaire that consisted of items on socio-demographic
data as well as perinatal, prenatal and postpartum factors, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and a checklist of 28 speci�c postpartum symptoms were used during the �rst 6 weeks and after 12 weeks of childbirth.
Results: A total of 281 respondents participated in this study. Fatigue (42.7%), back or neck pain (36.3%), breast discomfort (16.4%), dizziness (13.5%) and nipple irritation (11.0%) were among the most common symptoms experienced by the mothers during the �rst 6 weeks after childbirth. �ere
was a signi�cant decrease in the physical symptom scores of the respondents from the �rst 6 weeks to after 12 weeks of childbirth (1.73±1.96 vs 0.16±0.42; P<0.0005). A signi�cant decrease was also found in the depression scores (6.26±4.26 vs 1.35±1.85, P<0.0005).
Conclusion: �e prevalence of postnatal depression was higher during the �rst 6 weeks of postpartum than after 12 weeks of postpartum. Screening and treatment of poor postpartum mental health among working women are essential owing to the impacts on occupational outcomes
Digital Health Literacy Among Elderly Dayak in Southern Sarawak: A Cross-sectional Study
No full textIntroduction: Digital health literacy (DHL) is often perceived as low among the elderly, yet the specific status among Sarawak's elderly Dayak remains uncertain. Investigating DHL levels in the digital era has the potential to yield significant benefits for improving their health. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2023 via an interviewer-assisted survey. The study employed a multistage sampling approach to recruit elderly Dayak individuals from Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Results: A total of 275 elderly Dayak individuals were selected, with an average age of 68.0 (SD 6.61) years, ranging from 60 to 92 years. The mean digital health literacy score was 23.36 (SD 9.79). Factors significantly associated with high DHL levels were self-reported disability (AOR 24.54, 95% CI 4.06, 148.33), staying nearer to health facilities (AOR 2.83, 95% CI 1.21, 6.62), increased daily Internet usage time (AOR 1.62, 95% CI 1.19, 2.23), and perceived ease of using the Internet (AOR 3.92, 95% CI 1.16, 13.20). On the other hand, a moderate to higher frequency of receiving passive guidance from family members (AOR 0.09, 95% CI 0.01, 0.80) and self-reported difficulties preventing device usage (AOR 0.63, 95% CI 0.49, 0.80) were associated with low DHL. Conclusion: This study highlights the prevalence of digital device usage and internet engagement among the participants, with a substantial proportion demonstrating low DHL
Patient’s Decision to Disclose the Use of Traditional and Complementary Medicine to Medical Doctor: A Descriptive Phenomenology Study
No full textNondisclosure of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) use may cause individual to be at risk of undue harm. Tis
study aimed to explore patient’s experience and views on their decision to disclose the use of T&CM to the doctor. An exploratory
qualitative study using in-depth interview involving 10 primary care clinics attendees in Kuching was conducted. Te results
indicated that disclosure of T&CM use will motivate them to get information, increase doctor’s awareness, and get support from
family and friends for disclosure. Fear of negative relationship and negative response from doctors was a barrier for disclosure.
Doctor’s interpersonal and communication skills of being involved, treating patients respectfully, listening attentively, respecting
privacy, and taking time for the patient were a critical component for disclosure. Intrapersonal trust regarding doctor infuences
their satisfaction on healthcare. Women are more open and receptive to a health concern and expressing negative emotions and tend
to share problems, whereas men always described themselves as healthy, tended to keep their own personal feeling to themselves,
and tended to not share. Te doctor should consider gender diferences in disclosure, their attitude towards T&CM use, and gained
patient’s trust in the delivery of healthcare services. Good interpersonal and communication skills must be maintained between
doctor and patient
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