Community In Singapore Research Articles

Diversity of subtidal benthic and hard coral communities on sloping and vertical seawalls in Singapore

Decades of coastal urbanisation have replaced many natural shorelines with seawalls. Marine communities have been documented on these replacement habitats, but little is known about the effects of seawall inclination on the diversity and depth distribution of sessile organisms on this artificial substrate. Surveys of hard coral and other sessile communities in Singapore indicated that benthic communities at the deeper zone (− 2 m chart datum) were significantly different between three sloping (about 33° inclination) and three vertical seawalls of similar age. Hard coral communities were significantly different between sloping and vertical seawalls and between 0 m chart datum and − 2 m chart datum. Hard coral communities on sloping seawalls were also significantly more diverse than on vertical seawalls. At both depths, sloping seawalls were dominated by abiota with hard coral comprising appr. 17% of the total surface, while vertical seawalls were dominated by algal assemblage with hard coral comprising appr. 10% of the total surface. Overall, the results showed that sloping seawalls were significantly better at supporting coral communities, likely due to less intensive habitat compression and buffered wave action on them, especially at 0 m chart datum. The need to understand how surface topography affects benthic and coral communities in light of growing coastal urbanisation is also highlighted. This study emphasises how sloping seawalls can support greater marine biodiversity than vertical seawalls.

Skin carotenoids status as a potential surrogate marker for cardiovascular disease risk determination in middle-aged and older adults

Background and aimsUpon consumption, carotenoids, which may attenuate cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, diffuse from the blood and accumulate in the skin. This study aimed to assess the associations between dietary, plasma, and skin carotenoids with CVD risk indicators and to examine the mediational role of plasma carotenoids in the relationship between skin carotenoids status (SCS) and CVD risk. Methods and resultsDietary, plasma, and skin carotenoids were assessed in a cross-sectional study from a community in Singapore (n = 103) aged 50 to 75 y. Multiple linear regression and binary logistics regression models were used to examine the associations between the carotenoids status with classical CVD risk factors and composite CVD risk indicators. After controlling for covariates, SCS and plasma carotenoids were inversely associated with systolic blood pressure (skin: P < 0.001; plasma: P < 0.05) and diastolic blood pressure (skin: P < 0.001; plasma: P < 0.005). Additionally, each increment of 1000 in SCS was associated with an odds ratio of 0.924 (P < 0.01) for metabolic syndrome diagnosis and 0.945 (P < 0.05) for moderate to high CVD risk classification. Associations between SCS and composite CVD risk indicators were null when adjusted for the corresponding plasma carotenoids, indicating complete mediation. Dietary carotenoids, however, showed no relationship with the CVD risk indicators. ConclusionCarotenoids bioavailability may be important for cardiovascular protection. SCS, driven by the corresponding plasma carotenoids, could be a potential noninvasive surrogate marker for CVD risk determination in middle-aged and older adults. Clinical trial registrationNCT03554954, https://clinicaltrials.gov/. Trial registration date13 June 2018.

Back to the future: Professional learning communities in Singapore

ABSTRACT The “Thinking School, Learning Nation” national policy agenda set forth in 1997 has been considered a watershed moment in the history of Singapore education as well as the nation. It has brought about a raft of new educations reforms that are both comprehensive and intensive in nature. It has also brought about a succeeding education policy initiative coined as “Teach Less, Learn More”. This education policy initiative further strengthens, widens and deepens the spirit of the “Thinking School, Learning Nation” movement, albeit confined to the Singapore education context. In education, both these gargantuan policy initiatives have immense impact on education and educators likewise. This paper seeks to bring to light these two policy initiatives in terms of its influence on teacher professional learning, albeit focusing on the developments of professional learning communities. The critical discussions and propositions laid forth in this paper seek to engage readers to reflect deeper on how the policy intent and spirit of “Thinking Schools, Learning Nation” can be further fulfilled.

The effect of psychological resilience on functional outcomes in post-operative hip fracture patients in a Singapore community hospital

Background: In Singapore, the number of hip fractures per year is projected to increase from 2500 to 9000 by 2050. Psychological factors are increasingly recognised as important predictors of healthy aging. While there are a growing number of studies examining resilience in different populations, there is a paucity of literature examining psychological resilience in individuals with hip fractures. Objectives: We aim to identify the association between high psychological resilience and improved functional outcomes in post-operative hip fracture patients in a Singapore Community Hospital, defined by a Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale 25 (CD-RISC 25) score of 62 and above. Methods: We conducted a pilot prospective cohort study in Bright Vision Community Hospital in Singapore. Post-operative elderly hip fracture patients were invited to participate in the study. Psychological resilience scores were measured on Day 1 of admission using CD-RISC 25. Functional outcomes were then tracked weekly for 21 days while participants underwent rehabilitation using the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). Results: High psychological resilience was found in 52.40% of the post-operative hip fracture participants in this study. Of those participants with high psychological resilience, 55% achieved functional independence ( n = 11), compared with 47.47% of participants with low psychological resilience ( n = 9) – although this result did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusion: One in two post-operative hip fracture patients had high psychological resilience, and our study suggests that patients with high psychological resilience can possibly achieve higher gains in functional scores and achieve functional independence.

WAQF AND LEGACY OF ALTRUISM IN SINGAPORE: CHALLENGES AND DEVELOPMENT

The success story of waqf development in Singapore has been significantly acknowledged. The successful experience warrants for learning models for comparative experiences among other Muslim countries in Asia. This study document and analyze to share two main research objectives related to the Waqf practices. First, it aims to explore and elaborate on the dynamics of waqf administration and property development in Singapore. Second, analyzes the significance of past altruistic waqf landmark activities towards the Muslim community in Singapore. Based on prior studies, this research phenomenon has yet to be addressed and highlighted in any previous study. A qualitative approach with a case study research design is applied in this research. In-depth semi-structured interview sessions with 4 private mutawallis are complemented with reviews of relevant documents. This study finds that external factors, including mandatory acquisition by the government, higher living costs, and several legal restrictions represent the main challenges to the waqf sector in the country. On other hand, effective governing roles played by MUIS as waqf authority in the country enable the initiative of new waqf type and redevelopment of existing waqf properties. In the present time, these endowed properties provide benefits not only for the Muslim community in Singapore but also to significant other beneficiaries outside Singapore. The findings of this study indicate that the legacy of waqf inspires altruism in the modern Singaporean Muslim community. It becomes the basis for contemporary waqf practice among Muslims in Singapore and assists them to be a self-sustaining passionate and harmonic community.

Sex Differences in Perceptions toward Falls among Older Adults Living in the Community in Singapore.

Fall prevention strategies informed by understanding sex differences in the perception of falls may be fruitful. Objectives: In the current research, we examined the consequence of having a recent fall episode on sex differences in fall perception based on the postulation that having a recent fall can lead to perceived susceptibility and attenuate male stereotypic perceptions toward falls. Methods and Results: Examining 549 older adults (337 women) living in the community, men reported higher falls efficacy, less negative perception related to the effect of a fall, and lower tendency to restrict activities to prevent falls. These sex differences were observed only among those who did not have a recent fall episode, and no significant sex differences were observed among those who fell. Discussion: The findings suggest that a recent fall episode may underlie sex differences in falls perception. The implications of sex differences in perceptions in falls for healthcare delivery and outcomes are discussed.

Skin Carotenoid Status Is a Potential Surrogate Marker for Cardiovascular Disease Risk Determination in Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Abstract Objectives The study aimed to examine the associations between skin carotenoid status and plasma carotenoids with classical cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among a middle-aged and older Singaporean population. It was hypothesized that skin carotenoid status and plasma carotenoids could be used as an indicator for CVD risk. Methods This cross-sectional study recruited 45 men and 59 women, aged 50 to 75 years, from a community in Singapore (n = 104). Dietary information was obtained using 3-day food records, skin carotenoid status was measured using resonance Raman spectroscopy and plasma carotenoids were analyzed with high-performance liquid chromatography. CVD risk was determined using classical risk factors including blood pressure (BP), serum lipid-lipoprotein concentrations, as well as overall CVD risk predictors such as the number of metabolic syndrome components and a 10-year CVD risk prediction using the Framingham Heart Study risk score calculator. Results Multiple linear regression with covariate adjustments indicated that skin carotenoid status and plasma carotenoids were inversely associated with systolic BP (skin: standardized regression coefficient (β) = −0.341, P &amp;lt; 0.001; plasma: β = −0.258, P &amp;lt; 0.05), diastolic BP (skin: β = −0.378, P &amp;lt; 0.001; plasma: β = −0.309, P &amp;lt; 0.005) as well as both the number of metabolic syndrome components (skin: β = −0.383, P &amp;lt; 0.001; plasma: β = −0.434, P &amp;lt; 0.001) and the 10-year CVD risk prediction (skin: β = −0.347, P &amp;lt; 0.001; plasma: β = −0.334, P &amp;lt; 0.001). The associations between skin carotenoid status with metabolic syndrome and the 10-year CVD risk were null with the inclusion of plasma carotenoids as a covariate which suggested its role as a mediator. Despite the positive linear association between skin carotenoid status and dietary carotenoids intake (Pearson's coefficient: 0.204, P &amp;lt; 0.001), dietary carotenoids were not directly correlated with the CVD risk factors analyzed. Conclusions Skin carotenoid status can function not only as a dietary biomarker, but also, as a potential surrogate marker for CVD risk in middle-aged and older Singaporeans. Funding Sources National University of Singapore Ministry of Education, Singapore Agency for Science, Technology and Research (Singapore).

Schooling (for) Japanese children in cosmopolitan Singapore: building bridges and erecting barriers

ABSTRACT The Japanese community in Singapore comprises mainly white-collar workers and their families. This article addresses issues concerning education, overseas living, and identity-related investments made visible by way of examining schooling and parenting practices. Framed within a critique which recognizes schooling and identity investment as being inherently ideological in nature, the discussion centers around a Japanese school in whose broader operations both parents and other Japanese institutions are involved. Subsequent analysis is directed towards deconstructing (1) institutionalized practices relating to ways in which Japanese overseas organize their lives and frame their life experiences; and (2) the means by which particular notions of Japanese cultural and national heritage are legitimated and fostered through schooling. The article concludes with the observation that the maintenance of an ideologized form of Japaneseness, and not the engenderment of cosmopolitan or globalized identities, constitutes the dominant driving force behind Japanese-medium schooling in Singapore.

Health-seeking behaviour of the elderly living alone in an urbanised low-income community in Singapore.

Elderly persons who live alone are more likely to be socially isolated and at increased risk of adverse health outcomes, unnecessary hospital re-admissions and premature mortality. We aimed to understand the health-seeking behaviour of elderly persons living alone in public rental housing in Singapore. In-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured question guide. Participants were selected using a purposive sampling approach. Interviews were conducted until theme saturation was reached. Qualitative data collected was analysed using manual thematic coding methods. Data analysis revealed five major themes: accessibility of healthcare services and financial assistance schemes; perceived high cost of care; self-management; self-reliance; and mismatch between perceived needs and services. Elderly persons living in one-room rental flats are a resilient and resourceful group that values self-reliance and independence. Most of the elderly who live alone develop self-coping mechanisms to meet their healthcare needs rather than seek formal medical consultation. The insightful findings from this study should be taken into consideration when models of healthcare delivery are being reviewed and designed so as to support the disadvantaged elderly living alone.

Legal analysis on application of strict liability in oil palm plantation fire cases in Indonesia

Forest fire cases become the main issue in Indonesia in the period of 2015-2019. The impacts resulted by the land and forest fires are extraordinary, not only affecting the people of Indonesia, but it has also spread to disrupt the activities of the community in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. The community is also infuriated by the occurrence of forest and land fires continuing from year to year. The public negative opinion is then aimed to the oil palm companies considered as the main cause of the fire occurrence. The community considers that the oil palm companies are still burning in order to clear the land. Therefore, is it true that the oil palm companies are the ones to be responsible for the fire as the community believe and can the strict liability principle be applied if fires occur in their areas?

Intellectual consciousness and the negation of the intellectual class: Kuo Pao Kun’s pre-detention drama and its context

ABSTRACT Kuo Pao Kun (1939–2002) is the most important dramatist in contemporary Singapore. His post-1980s works are extensively analysed but his artistic practices of his early years, though equally important, have rarely been discussed, partly due to the fact that relevant materials are available mainly in Chinese. This article provides a close examination of Kuo’s work in the 1960s and 1970s. Starting with a detailed delineation of his personal experience in relation to the development of his social and intellectual and consciousness, my discussion situates Kuo and his work within several layers of context, including modern Chinese cultural and intellectual thought and activism, especially the May Fourth movement, and the anti-colonial social and political activism of the Chinese-speaking intellectual community in Singapore from the 1950s.

Queer Latent Images, Post-Loyalism, and the Cold War: The Case of an Early Sinophone Star, Bai Yun

Queer Latent Images, Post-Loyalism, and the Cold War:The Case of an Early Sinophone Star, Bai Yun Wai-Siam Hee (bio) Bai Yun (1916–1982) was one of the most popular male stars in Shanghai in the 1930s and 1940s, going on to win broader fame across the Sinophone world in the 1940s and 1950s. Suffering from cancer, he committed suicide in 1982 in Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan. In his later years, he reflected that he was "In life a drifter; in death a wandering ghost" (Zhang, 7). After his suicide, there was nobody to claim the body. To this day there are no published scholarly essays on Bai Yun: he has attracted mention in the chapters of only a handful of monographs. Mainland Chinese scholars see him as an "idol-like actor" but wrongly believe that he came from Mainland China (Yan, 178). Actually, Bai Yun was born in Malaya and grew up in Singapore.1 I define Bai Yun as a Sinophone star, not only because of Bai Yun's background growing up in the Sinophone community in Singapore and Malaya but also because of his multilingual identity and ability to speak Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Chaozhouese, Shanghainese, English, Japanese, and Malay (Li Hanxiang 1983, 414). This allowed him to flit between Mandarin, Cantonese, and Amoy language films and to build a career traveling between Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. He was also one of the tiny number of Sinophone stars in the Cold War era who were able to connect Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia. The fact that the folk tale adaptations he mainly starred in were free from sensitive political topics allowed him to circulate freely, piecing together the fragmented Chineseness of these four areas. In love films, Bai Yun was skilled at playing the "dashing young man" and won the title "Rudolph Valentino of the East" in the Shanghai [End Page 94] film world (Anon. 1939a).2 This, combined with the Chinese media making much of his overseas birth and part-German ancestry, made him a symbol of Western modernity in the imaginations of Chinese people during the Second Sino-Japanese War.3 On the other hand, cinemagoers in the Philippines voted Bai Yun "China's most handsome male star" (Anon. 1940a, 1): before and during the Cold War, Bai Yun had become a symbol of Chineseness in the imaginations of the Chinese diaspora. Shih Shu-mei (2007, 4) emphasizes that the Sinophone refers to "a network of places of cultural production outside China and on the margins of China and Chineseness." Bai Yun was regarded as a symbol of Chineseness by his overseas fans, but inspired polarized reactions in Mainland China itself. Even as he enjoyed the affection of countless adoring fans, he was also disparaged and insulted by his detractors (detailed later). Therefore, Bai Yun's Sinophone experiences were external to China, while simultaneously forming a network of cultural production located on the margins of China and Chineseness. His complex Sinophone experience both includes and externalizes China. David Wang's definition of the Sinophone, which includes Chinese overseas, Han Chinese, and Chineseness, is also suited to the case of Bai Yun. David Wang opposes the way in which Shih Shu-mei casts China—from the Qing to the Republic and on to the People's Republic—as an extension of imperial colonialism in its broad sense. He proposes what he calls a "post-loyalist discourse" to rethink Shih Shu-mei's overreliance on postcolonial discourse and the consequent exclusion of Han Chinese and Chineseness from the definition of the Sinophone. He observes that to a very great extent, to this day Malaysian Chinese people still willingly practice Chineseness and Chinese culture: "No matter whether in relation to the UK colonial government of the past, the current Malaysian authorities, or the Communist Mainland Chinese authorities, it is very hard to say that these Malaysian Chinese authors are being driven to create their Chinese-language discourses and works by post-colonialism" (Wang David 2015, 6). He therefore observes that "post-loyalism" is found throughout the Sinophone world, becoming the most important motive force for Chinese overseas in their rejection or embrace of...

MUSLIM / MALAY COMMUNITY IN SINGAPORE

The article is dedicated to the Muslim / Malay community in Singapore. The author dwells to analyse of historical and socio-political aspects, which affected on its modern development, considered the activities of its main institutions and organizations, and concluded the prospects for the full integration of the Malay community into the construct of united Singapore nation.

Na kaza, greza kung stradu

AbstractKristang is the critically endangered heritage language of the Portuguese-Eurasian community in Singapore. Using newly-identified mentions of Kristang in the Singapore National Library Board’s NewspaperSG digitised collection, I present a preliminary sketch of a hitherto-undocumented and previously poorly understood part of Kristang’s history in Singapore between the 1880s and the late 1920s, demonstrating that, in addition to the use of Kristang in religious functions, there existed a vibrant Kristang theatre scene involving multiple Eurasian theatre troupes performing in Kristang. This in turn has allowed for a more coherent understanding of Kristang’s historical domains of use and the place of the language and speech community in multilingual colonial Singapore, especially in terms of its relationship with the various hybridised theatrical forms developing throughout Southeast Asia in the second half of the nineteenth century, and a revised understanding of Kristang’s history in Singapore overall.

Digital health literacy among adults living in the community in Singapore

Abstract Background this study aimed to determine the level of digital literacy in adult Singaporeans in the community and its association with demographic characteristics, physical activity, self-rated health and bodily pain, and to identify the health needs of frequent internet users. Methods a cross-sectional survey was carried out among individuals living in Punggol, Singapore on 2 June 2018. Survey data were using a 20-minute self-completion questionnaire. The questionnaire included the validated 8-item eHealth Literary Scale (eHEALS), the validated 4-item Exercise Stage of Change Questionnaire, a single item on self-reported health status and Likert scale items to assess level of bodily pain in the last 4 weeks and how much that pain interfered with normal work. The questionnaires and interviews were administered by registered nurses. Quota sampling was used to obtain sufficient numbers from different ethnic groups for analysis of the survey: the initial target was 120 Chinese, 60 Malay and 60 Indian individuals, one per household. Results survey data were collected from 279 individuals (49.6% female), including 197 (71.1%) Chinese, 47 (17.0%) Malay, 18 (6.5%) Indian and 15 (5.4%) others. The mean age was 35.6 (SD 11.3). The eHEALS score had a mean of 29.4 (SD 6.2) out of a maximum of 40. Self-reported health status was positively associated with pain in the last 4 weeks (Kendall’s τ = 0.141, p = 0.007), how much that pain interfered with normal work (Kendall’s τ = 0.160, p = 0.003) and the Exercise Stages of Change score (Kendall’s τ=-0.271, p &amp;lt; 0.001). The correlation between the two pain variables was strong (Kendall’s τ = 0.582, p &amp;lt; 0.001). The only one of these measures significantly related to the eHEALS score was the Exercise Stages of Change score (Kendall’s τ = 0.104, p = 0.030). From linear regression models, the only independent variables consistently associated with the eHEALS score were age (B=-0.090, p = 0.006) and having a mobile phone plan (B = 8.171, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Key messages Digital health literacy was negatively related to age and positively related to having a mobile phone plan. The study finding suggest the need to identify individual Singaporeans with poor e-health literacy and provide them with remedial education.

Trends in health screening participation and lifestyle behaviours after participation in a free, access-enhanced screening intervention in a low-income Singaporean rental-flat community.

Our objective was to evaluate the impact of an access-enhanced health screening intervention on screening adherence in a rental-flat community. In Singapore, public rental flats provide heavily subsidised rentals for the needy who cannot afford to own their own homes; with a majority of Singaporeans (≥85%) staying in owner-occupied public housing. We observed trends in health screening adherence and health behaviours among residents of a multi-ethnic public rental-flat community in Singapore from 2013 to 2017, after participation in a free, access-enhanced multi-modality screening programme in 2011. Residents staying in neighbouring owner-occupied housing who participated in the same screening programme served as a basis of comparison. A total of 478 rental-flat residents and 505 owner-occupied flat residents participated. In the rental-flat community, hypertension screening rates improved from 18.3% (24/131) in 2013, to 61.2% (52/85) in 2015 and 44.2% (34/77) in 2017 (p<.001). For diabetes, rates improved from 26.2% (43/164) → 47.0% (54/115) → 49.5% (45/91; p<.001). For dyslipidaemia screening, rates improved from 18.2% (31/170) → 39.6% (38/96) → 47.5% (38/80; p<.001). In the owner-occupied community (n=505), screening rates largely remained stagnant (hypertension: 52.2% → 75.0% → 54.5%, p=.059; diabetes: 66.0% → 56.5% → 66.7%, p=.434; dyslipidaemia: 53.1% → 50.0% → 57.1%, p=.818). In the rental-flat community, unhealthy behaviours increased from 2013 to 2017, with higher proportions of overweight (30.4% → 24.8% → 52.1%, p<.001), higher smoking (11.7% → 36.9% → 32.5%, p<.001) and higher drinking rates (1.4% → 0.7% → 8.1%, p<.001). This shift was also reflected in the owner-occupied community, with higher percentages of overweight and higher drinking rates (p<.001).

The Chinese community during the development process of Singapore

The Chinese community in Singapore was formed from the 1820s after the British colonialists occupied Temaseck in 1819. As of 2019, 74% of the Singaporean population is Chinese origin. The Chinese community has developed inside a sovereign state with a multi-ethnic cooperation environment, developed economy and comprehensive international integration from the 1960s. However, Chinese cultural identity in the Chinese community has been preserved with a rather specific nuance, and they increasingly play a greater role in the country’s economic, social and cultural life. From a historical perspective, by exploiting government statistics as well as inheriting the results of previous scientists’ research, the article discusses the foundation and changes of the Chinese community in Singapore in the context of the development process of this country.

Building enabled communities in Singapore

The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)

Disjunctures of belonging and belief: Christian migrants and the bordering of identity in Singapore

AbstractMigration results in people that are different from one another living in closer physical proximity. Proximity increases the chances of encountering difference and can lead to both the formation of new communities and the strengthening of old. As a religion that claims to integrate people into a trans‐ethnic, transterritorial faith community, Christianity encourages such encounters and Christian groups play an important role in mediating them. Disjunctures of belonging and belief are the outcomes that arise from encounters with difference within spaces of Christianity. Drawing on 100 interviews conducted between August 2017 and February 2018, this paper unravels these disjunctures through a focus on the interplay between migrant and nonmigrant Christian communities in Singapore. Although Christian groups have the potential to be agents of integration, we consider the ways in which they encourage the “bordering of identity” by serving to divide communities rather than unite them.

Identifying Communities within the Smart-Cultural City of Singapore: A Network Analysis Approach

This article investigates the intersection and convergence of Smart Cities and Creative Cities that emerge with the availability of social media data, technology—smart technologies—and the shifting mode of cultural production—creative economies—forming a new nexus of Smart-Cultural Cities. It starts with a short review of literature surrounding Smart Cities and Creative Cities to establish domain criteria on Smart-Cultural Cities for Singapore. The article draws on a database of actors from authorities, industries, academia, and artists established by the research community in Singapore. Actors and domains are described using bipartite graphs and then analyzed by solving a deterministic optimization problem rather than computing a statistic. The result of this analysis reveals new clusters, nodes, and connections in the actor–domain network of the Singapore Smart-Cultural Cities discourse. The identified clusters are called “Urban Scenario Makers”, “Digital Cultural Transformers” and “Public Engagers”. The method gives significant insights on the number of clusters, the composition of each cluster, and the relationship between clusters that serve to locate and describe a next iteration of the Smart City that focusses on human interaction, culture, and technology.