South East Asia Community Research Articles

A biomarker feasibility study in the South East Asia Community Observatory health and demographic surveillance system.

Integration of biomarker data with information on health and lifestyle provides a powerful tool to enhance the scientific value of health research. Existing health and demographic surveillance systems (HDSSs) present an opportunity to create novel biodata resources for this purpose, but data and biological sample collection often presents challenges. We outline some of the challenges in developing these resources and present the outcomes of a biomarker feasibility study embedded within the South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) HDSS. We assessed study-related records to determine the pace of data collection, response from potential participants, and feedback following data and sample collection. Overall and stratified measures of data and sample availability were summarised. Crude prevalence of key risk factors was examined. Approximately half (49.5%) of invited individuals consented to participate in this study, for a final sample size of 203 (161 adults and 42 children). Women were more likely to consent to participate compared with men, whereas children, young adults and individuals of Malay ethnicity were less likely to consent compared with older individuals or those of any other ethnicity. At least one biological sample (blood from all participants - finger-prick and venous [for serum, plasma and whole blood samples], hair or urine for adults only) was successfully collected from all participants, with blood test data available from over 90% of individuals. Among adults, urine samples were most commonly collected (97.5%), followed by any blood samples (91.9%) and hair samples (83.2%). Cardiometabolic risk factor burden was high (prevalence of elevated HbA1c among adults: 23.8%; of elevated triglycerides among adults: 38.1%; of elevated total cholesterol among children: 19.5%). In this study, we show that it is feasible to create biodata resources using existing HDSS frameworks, and identify a potentially high burden of cardiometabolic risk factors that requires further evaluation in this population.

Bifurcated homeland and diaspora politics in China and Taiwan towards the Overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia

ABSTRACTThe conventional literature on diaspora politics tends to focus on one ‘homeland’ state and its relations with ‘sojourning’ diaspora around the world. This paper examines an instance of ‘bifurcated homeland:’ the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan) since 1949. The paper investigates the changing dynamics of China's and Taiwan's diaspora policies towards Overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia throughout the Cold War and post-Cold War periods. They were affected by their ideological competition, the rise of Chinese nationalism, and the ‘indigenisation’ of Taiwanese identity. Illustrating such changes through the case of the KMT Yunnanese communities in Northern Thailand, this paper makes two interrelated arguments. First, we should understand relations through the lens of interactive dynamics between international system-level changes and domestic political transformations. Depending on different normative underpinnings of the international system, the foundations of regime legitimacy have changed. Subsequently, the nature of relations between the diaspora and the homeland(s) transformed from one that emphasises ideological differences during the Cold War, to one infused with nationalist authenticity in the post-Cold War period. Second, the bifurcated nature of the two homelands also created mutual influences on their diaspora policies during periods of intense competition.

Determinants of Climate Change Adaptive Behavior in Coastal Communities in Southeast Asia

This study sought to understand the determinants of autonomous adaptation of households in coastal communities in three countries (Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam) as regards climate change. The study’s main innovation is its focus on households facing a confluence of related hazards, a context that is unique to coastal communities. The study tackled the interrelated hazards of coastal erosion, flooding, and saltwater intrusion, and used a multivariate probit model to analyze the determinants. Regression results show that households adapt or respond autonomously to a combination of hazards. In fact, the econometric model of joint decision cannot be rejected by the data. Geographical differences were observed in adaptation patterns, implying that households react rationally to the degree of threats from the hazards. Like in some literature, the study found evidence that planned adaptation may crowd out private or autonomous adaptation. Likewise, trust increases the likelihood of self-insurance and self-protection, especially against extreme events that are either recurring or permanent. Finally, the households’ adaptive capacity depends partly on the type of hazard and has a gender dimension. In recurrent extreme events, the abundance of male labor increases the likelihood of adaptation. In permanent and creeping hazards such as saltwater intrusion, the abundance of female labor increases the likelihood of adaptation.

Forest city, Malaysia, and Chinese expansionism

ABSTRACTOver the past decade, an acceleration of Chinese state and private investment in urban infrastructure and real estate has transformed many skylines around the world. In 2014, a private Chinese company in collaboration with Malaysia’s Sultan of Johor state started construction on Forest City, a private gated luxury mega-development for 700,000 people on four reclaimed islands in the narrow strait that separates Malaysia and Singapore. While the official material for Forest City claims it is for all nationalities, it is being marketed predominantly in China and to ethnic Chinese communities in Southeast Asia. This paper investigates the broader implications for Singapore, Malaysia, and the region and makes two key arguments. First, I suggest Forest City is more than a Chinese-financed real estate development, rather it constitutes a Chinese neocolonial outpost to which Malaysia has largely conceded sovereignty and advances China’s expansionist agenda. Second, Forest City challenges current geopolitical dynamics and threatens to undermine Malaysia’s relationships with neighbouring countries.

The Use of Different International References to Assess Child Anthropometric Status in a Malaysian Population

ObjectiveTo assess the prevalence of child underweight, overweight, and obesity in a Malaysian population according to 3 international references because classification of anthropometric status may differ according to the reference used to express body mass index (BMI).Study designWe assessed data from 6414 children aged 6-18 years, collected by the South East Asia Community Observatory. Child underweight, overweight, and obesity were expressed according to 3 internationally used BMI references: World Health Organization 2007, International Obesity Task Force 2012, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2000. We assessed agreement in classification of anthropometric status among the references using Cohen's kappa statistic and estimated underweight, overweight, and obesity prevalence according to each reference using mixed effects Poisson regression.ResultsThere was poor to moderate agreement between references when classifying underweight, but generally good agreement when classifying overweight and obesity. Underweight, overweight, and obesity prevalence estimates generated using the 3 references were notably inconsistent. Overweight and obesity prevalence estimates were higher using the World Health Organization reference vs the other 2, and underweight prevalence was up to 8.5% higher and obesity prevalence was about 4% lower when using the International Obesity Task Force reference.ConclusionsThe choice of reference to express BMI may influence conclusions about child anthropometric status and malnutrition prevalence. This has implications regarding strategies for clinical management and public health interventions.

Seas, oceans and cosmologies in Southeast Asia

This article discusses the changing spirit world of maritime communities in Southeast Asia by differentiating ‘oceans’ from ‘seas’ and by linking historical evidence to modern anthropological studies. Since the lives of seagoing peoples are fraught with unpredictability, propitiation of local sea spirits was a traditional means of ensuring good fortune and protection. As long-distance voyages expanded in the early modern period, the global reach of the world religions, extending beyond familiar seas into the more extensive ocean environment, held out particular appeal. Not only were the gods, deities and saints attached to larger religious systems themselves ocean travellers; in contrast to the unpredictability of indigenous spirits, they were always amenable to requests for help, even when the suppliant was far from home waters. At the same time, as world religions were incorporated into indigenous cosmologies, maritime peoples gained greater agency in negotiating relationships with the local spirits that still wield power in Southeast Asian seas.

Potential Conflict Among ASEAN Member States in The Implementation of The ASEAN Economic Community

The findings in this article defy the common assumption that the free market, including the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in Southeast Asia, is correlated with the creation of a spillover and complex interdependency, reducing conflicts between countries in the region. This finding could well contribute as a theory in the academic sphere and as policies in the practical world. The author uses a theoretical framework of structural realism to explain the potential conflict between countries of the Southeast Asian region. There are four potential conflict situations among countries in the implementation of AEC: firstly, the structure of economic disparity. This situation would construct an identity of in-group – out-group or “us” versus “them” in the context of who gains and loses in the AEC. Secondly, similarity of natural resources. This fact led the Southeast Asian countries to compete and create standardization wherein each party is in hostile competition to claim valid findings and arguments associated with efforts to reduce or stop the flow of imports into their respective countries. Thirdly, competition among businesses, in which AEC constructed free market could potentially provoke the emergence of regional trading cartel. Fourthly, the structure of military power. Historical records show that any economic growth occurring in a country will be accompanied by the growth of its military budget.

Transformation of gated community in the last three decades in Medan City, Indonesia

The growth and development of Gated Community are happening around the world with no exception in Indonesia. The development happened because of rapid urban growth caused by urbanization. The important results from studying the transformation of gated community are the trend and factors that cause the change. The purpose of this research is to predict, prepare and control the growth of formal urban housing in the future. Factors led to the emergence and growing rapidly of a gated community in Southeast Asia is a combination of socio-economic background, culture, and security. Research is conducted by two approaches. Firstly, are the external aspects such as regulation of formal housing, political condition, and real estate market condition. Secondly, are the internal issues such as the concept of settlement planning and the characteristics of the occupants. This study was conducted in three residential development in the city of Medan which represent in the 1980's, 1990's and 2000's, namely Taman Setia Budi Indah, Graha Bumi Asri and Graha Metropolitan. The research’s result shows the factors of changes occur in the privatization of public space, exclusivity and the need for security. The indirect phenomenon of gated community growth is a reflection of a modern city life's critique, because of the safety reduced. If these are not anticipated soon, it will form the structure of fragmented urban space with the privatization of public space legally

Plastic landscapes, plastic identities: Akha identity on the threshold of definition

In his study of communities in upland Southeast Asia, James Scott cites the practice of shifting cultivation as being reflective of state evasion. The Akha tribe of Northern Thailand destabilises this correlation, and demands a more nuanced notion in which identity is actively negotiated between state intervention and traditional landscape plasticity. While historically employed as a method of state evasion, shifting agriculture has become enmeshed in Akha ritual performance as a signifier of identity. While Scott claims that shifting agriculture implies a divorce from state interaction, the Akha employ subversive agriculture techniques and adopt state policies according to highly localised conceptions. According to Forsyth and Michaud, hill people capitalise upon their capabilities within a shifting political and economic context—with the Akha adopting a system of composite swiddening and invisibly subverting state land use policies. Under a system Janet Sturgeon conceptualised as ‘landscape plasticity’, forests can become swidden fields and then revert back to forests as the Akha assert their agency to sustain mutable landscapes that incorporate both present and future use. Thus, the Akha negotiate boundaries of topography and modernity to subvert state intervention and adopt a plasticity of landscape and identity.

HDSS Profile: The South East Asia Community Observatory Health and Demographic Surveillance System (SEACO HDSS).

SEACO is funded by the office of the Vice Provost Research, Monash University Australia; the office of the Deputy Dean Research, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University Australia; the Monash University Malaysia Campus; and the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences. SEACO is an associate member of the INDEPTH Network. This work was supported by the Wellcome Trust (grant number 098051). M.S. is supported by the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (UK). U.P. is supported by the Dr Herchel Smith Fellowship.

Anthropometric and cardiometabolic risk factors in parents and child obesity in Segamat, Malaysia.

BackgroundThere is little evidence regarding risk factors for child obesity in Asian populations, including the role of parental anthropometric and cardiometabolic risk factors. We examined the relation between parental risk factors and child obesity in a Malaysian population.MethodsWe used data from health and demographic surveillance conducted by the South East Asia Community Observatory in Segamat, Malaysia. Analyses included 9207 individuals (4806 children, 2570 mothers and 1831 fathers). Child obesity was defined based on the World Health Organization 2007 reference. We assessed the relation between parental anthropometric (overweight, obesity and central obesity) and cardiometabolic (systolic hypertension, diastolic hypertension and hyperglycaemia) risk factors and child obesity, using mixed effects Poisson regression models with robust standard errors.ResultsWe found a high burden of overweight and obesity among children in this population (30% overweight or obese). Children of one or more obese parents had a 2-fold greater risk of being obese compared with children of non-obese parents. Sequential adjustment for parental and child characteristics did not materially affect estimates (fully adjusted relative risk for obesity in both parents: 2.39, 95% confidence interval: 1.82, 3.10, P < 0.001; P for trend < 0.001). These associations were not modified by parental or child sex. We found no consistent evidence for associations between parental cardiometabolic risk factors and child obesity.ConclusionsParental obesity was strongly associated with child obesity in this population. Further exploration of the behavioural and environmental drivers of these associations may help inform strategies addressing child obesity in Asia.

Constructing a Security Community in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the Problem of Regional Order, written by Amitav Acharya (2014)

Constructing a Security Community in Southeast Asia: ASEAN and the Problem of Regional Order, written by Amitav Acharya (2014)

Eternal friends and erstwhile enemies: The regional sporting community of the Southeast Asian Games

AbstractA paradox lies at the heart of the biennial Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. On the one hand, the region's premier sporting event has consistently celebrated themes of regional friendship and cooperation; on the other, the SEA Games are synonymous with controversy and poor sportsmanship, especially over the strategic selection of sports by host nations. Yet the Games go on – every second year – just as they have done since 1959. In introducing sport to existing debates on regional community in Southeast Asia, this article seeks to understand the key features of the sporting community of the Southeast Asian Games, particularly the emergence and development of the institutions and norms that help this event to thrive in the face of national self-interest. Through this analysis, the article argues for a distinctive approach to regional community in Southeast Asia, based not on notions of unity but principles of reciprocity and exchange.

Retraction notice to ‘Overexploitation of a seagrass-dominated fishery by fish fences in the Pacific Coral Triangle, Indonesia.’ [Marine &amp; Freshwater Research (2017) doi:10.1071/MF16236

Marine resources are vital to many coastal communities in Southeast Asia, though their sustainable management is often neglected as they are perceived to be open access. In light of their small scale of operation, artisanal fisheries have been considered non-threatening to fish stocks and are frequently overlooked in comparison to industrial fisheries. In this study, catch composition and fish fence attributes were measured from two fishing grounds on the island of Kaledupa, Indonesia, to investigate the impact of artisanal fishing upon juveniles and ecologically important herbivores. The results do not support the expected differences between locations due to habitat type and quality, nor the expected influence of fence characteristics on the catch. However, there is a significant downward trend in catch size over a ten year period. These results indicate that the characteristics of the fish community are being distorted by the fish fences. This suggests that the agreed fishery regulations are inadequate and this artisanal fishing technique is unsustainable.

Protocol of a feasibility study for cognitive assessment of an ageing cohort within the Southeast Asia Community Observatory (SEACO), Malaysia

IntroductionThere is a growing proportion of population aged 65 years and older in low-income and middle-income countries. In Malaysia, this proportion is predicted to increase from 5.1% in 2010 to...

Complementary feeding and the early origins of obesity risk: a study protocol

IntroductionThe rise in the prevalence of childhood obesity worldwide calls for an intervention earlier in the life cycle. Studies show that nutrition during early infancy may contribute to later obesity....

Coming of age, becoming obese: a cross-sectional analysis of obesity among adolescents and young adults in Malaysia.

BackgroundMalaysians have become increasingly obese over recent years. The transition from adolescence to early adulthood is recognized as critical for the development of eating and activity habits. However, little obesity-related research focuses on this life stage. Drawing on data from a health and demographic surveillance site in Malaysia, this article describes obesity and overweight amongst adolescents and young adults in a multi-ethnic population.MethodsData were collected at the South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO) in Segamat District, Johor. In this dynamic cohort of approximately 40,000 people, 5,475 were aged 16–35 in 2013–2014. The population consists of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Indigenous (Orang Asli) families in proportions that reflect the national ethnic diversity. Data were collected through health profiles (Body Mass Index [BMI] measurements in homes) and self-report questionnaires.ResultsAge and ethnicity were associated with overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9Kg/m2) and obesity (BMI ≥ 30Kg/m2). The prevalence of overweight was 12.8 % at ages 16–20 and 28.4 % at ages 31–35; obesity was 7.9 % and 20.9 % at the same age groups. The main ethnic groups also showed varied patterns of obesity and overweight at the different age groups with Chinese at lowest and Orang Asli at highest risk. Level of education, employment status, physical activity and frequency of eating out were poorly predictive of overweight and obesity.ConclusionThe pattern of overweight and obesity in the 16–35 age group further highlights this as a significant period for changes in health-related behaviours. Further longitudinal research is however needed to confirm the observed pattern and investigate causal factors.

Challenges for beef production in smallholder communities with low reproductive management skills: a case study from Northern Lao PDR.

Improved large ruminant productivity is increasingly acknowledged as a pathway for the alleviation of rural poverty and food insecurity in smallholder communities in Southeast Asia; yet, in much of Laos, bovine reproductive management is practically absent. Large ruminant reproduction skills were studied, using face-to-face surveys (n=60) of the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of farmers, plus an extension of an examination of parameters of reproductive efficiency (n = 1786 cattle and 434 buffalo) in the northern provinces of Luang Prabang and Xieng Khouang. The surveys particularly involved female farmers to provide gender-disaggregated data, with females making up 38.3% of participants. Results confirmed that KAPs of smallholder farmers on bovine reproductive management were low (34-46%) with trends toward higher KAP scores in male survey respondents. Poor reproductive parameters were identified in both provinces, with low calving percentages of 54-75 and 45-54% in cattle and buffalo groups, respectively, and prolonged inter-calving intervals of 14.1-19.8 and 26.0months for the cattle and buffalo groups, respectively. Improving the reproductive efficiency of large ruminants in the northern upland regions would enable smallholder farmers to be more effectively engaged in the dramatic economic growth of the Southeast Asia region, although these findings indicate that intensive training and supportive interventions are required to improve large ruminant reproductive outcomes in communities that have low-level large ruminant husbandry skills.

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of the southeastern Truong Son Mountains, Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam

Bat communities of mainland Southeast Asia can be highly diverse. Many are under threat. Despite this, regional faunal composition is not well documented for many areas, including regions of Vietnam. We assessed the biodiversity of bats in a watershed protection forest in the southeastern Truong Son (Annamite) Mountains, southwestern Quang Ngai Province, Vietnam in 2011–2013. Twenty species of insectivorous bats were documented including a high diversity of Murina species Tube-nosed Bats. Diversity and abundance indices were compared with that recorded previously in two nature reserves and one national park in Vietnam, and were higher or comparable in several measures despite the lack of a karst substrate for roosts. Reproduction in the insectivorous bat fauna coincided with the early rainy season. In the late dry season, pregnant females of several species were observed but volant juveniles were not present, whereas in the early wet season adult females were lactating or post-lactating and volant juveniles of nine species were detected. We recorded echolocation calls of 14 bat species; for each species, we compared features of calls with those reported previously in other Asian localities. For some species we found discrepancies in call metrics among studies, perhaps suggesting a greater hidden biodiversity of bats in Southeast Asia.

Building capabilities of local climate change communicators towards climate change adaptation in the upland communities in Southeast Asia

Building capabilities of local climate change communicators towards climate change adaptation in the upland communities in Southeast Asia