Population In Sarawak Research Articles

Gaps in cancer care in a multi-ethnic population in Sarawak, Borneo: A central referral centre study.

The state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo in East Malaysia, in working towards developing and strengthening cancer services through a holistic patient-centred approach, must focus on the comprehensive needs of cancer patients by taking into account the psycho-social, cultural and spiritual aspects of Sarawak's multi-ethnic, multi-cultural population. A 42-item survey questionnaire was developed and validated with a total of 443 patients. The perceived importance of information provided and level of patient satisfaction were assessed with a 5-point Likert scale in 10 domains (Diagnosis, Surgery, Radiotherapy, Systemic therapy, Clinical trials, Pain management, Treatment monitoring, Psychosocial support, Sexual care and fertility issues, and Financial support). A Spearman's rank correlation test was applied to determine the correlation between response in both item and domain categories for perceived importance and satisfaction. Overall, patients were more satisfied with information related to cancer diagnosis, treatment and surgery but less satisfied with information pertaining to sexual aspects of care and family planning, psycho-social support and financial support. The majority of patients were satisfied with the level of treatment-related information received but preferred the information to be delivered in more easily comprehendible formats. Sexual aspects of care and family planning, psychosocial support and treatment monitoring post-discharge were perceived as important but seldom addressed by health care professionals due to lack of professional counsellors, social workers and clinical nurse specialists. Many patients face financial toxicity following a cancer diagnosis, particularly when diagnosed with advanced cancer requiring complex multi-modality treatment. Cancer patients in Sarawak have various unmet information needs. Written information and educational videos in local indigenous languages may be more suitable for Sarawak's multi-ethnic population. Sexual aspects of care and family planning are challenging but essential topics to discuss, in particular due to the high prevalence of breast and cervical cancer amongst young women of reproductive age in Sarawak. Financial assessment and information on support services offered by government and non-government organisations should be provided to eligible patients. A holistic needs assessment of each patient at time of diagnosis and support through their cancer journey requires a multi-disciplinary team of medical, nursing and allied health professionals including clinical nurse specialists, pharmacists, counsellors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, dieticians and social workers.

Epidemiology of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Sarawak, East Malaysia.

This analysis provides an epidemiological update for nasopharyngeal carcinomas the state of Sarawak and an analysis of the trend over a 20 years period. Data between 1996 to 2015 from a population-based cancer registry in Sarawak Malaysia was analyzed. Crude incidence rates and age-standardized rates (ASR) were calculated and compared between ethnic groups and locations (administrative division) and Joinpoint regression analysis was done to analyze trends. A total of 3643 cases of NPC were recorded with male to female ratio of 2.5:1. Annualised age-standardized incidence rates able 2) for men is 13.2 cases per 100,000 population (95% CI: 12.6, 13.7) and for women is 5.3 cases per 100,000 population (95% CI: 5.0, 5.6). The highest incidence rates were reported among the Bidayuh population and it ranks among the highest in the world. Trend analysis noted an overall reduction of cases, with a significant decrease between 1996 and 2003 (annual percentage reduction of incidence by 3.9%). Analysis of individual ethnic groups also shows a general reduction with exception of Iban males showing an average 5.48 per cent case increase between 2009 to 2015, though not statistically significant. Comparing the incidences with other registries, the Bidayuh population in Sarawak remained among the highest in the world and warrants close attention for early screening and prevention strategies.

Morphology of Mandibular Condyle in The Population of Sarawak: A Retrospective Cross-sectional Study Using Digital Panoramic Radiograph

Introduction: The morphology of the condyles changes naturally with age, gender, face type, occlusal force, functional load, malocclusion type, and the right and left sides. Although condylar shape and size differ throughout populations, there have been few investigations on condylar morphology, particularly in the Malaysian population. Methods: This retrospective, observational, cross-sectional survey was conducted at the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of Sarawak General Hospital from September 2021 to March 2022, involving radiographic assessment of condylar morphology from 893 panoramic radiographs. Age, gender, ethnicity and dentition status using Eichner index were extracted from the data. Descriptive statistics were used. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to determine the association between the independent variables (age, gender, ethnicity and dentition status) and the shape of the mandibular condyle. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Only 450 panoramic radiographs were included in this study. The condyles were outlined and grouped into four categories, namely pointed (40.2%), round (32.8), angled (18.8), and flat (8.2%). Condylar morphology was found to be significantly associated with gender (p<0.005) and insignificant with other independent variables. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the most prevalent condylar morphology among the Sarawak population is the pointed shape, in contrast with other previous studies that reported the round shape condylar morphology as the majority shape.

A Preliminary Study of the Subdialects of Sarawak Malay based on Phonological Features and Lexical Words

This article is a preliminary comparison of the phonological features of the subdialects of Sarawak Malay. The comparison covers basic phonological features that include phonemes inventory and their distribution in words, diphthongs, and vowel and consonant clusters. The survey is important as the basis for future research on the subdialect mapping of Sarawak Malay. Without the fundamental description of each subdialect in the aspects of phonology, lexical and, to some extent, grammar, it is difficult to research on the development of Malay subdialects in Sarawak. The data for this study were compiled by the present authors and also from the works of past researchers on the subject. The subdialects compared include those of Kuching, Tambirat, Kabong, and Debak, which also represent four focal areas of the Malay population in Sarawak. Two subdialect clusters were identified, namely the subdialect cluster of Kuching and another cluster spoken by the coastal Malays in Western Sarawak. The former group includes varieties in Malay villages in Bahagian Kuching, the surrounding basin of Sg. Sarawak, Sematan, Santubong, and Bako. The latter group includes varieties in the Kalaka-Saribas area in Bahagian Sri Aman and Betong, as well as in Bahagian Samarahan in Btg Sadong and its surrounding areas, namely Asajaya, Simunjan, and Sebuyau. This latter group is more phonologically heterogeneous than the former group, and shares some distinctive phonological features, such as the 8-vowel system, the absence of phoneme /-É£/ at word end, as well as diversity in diphthongs. At the same time, they also display phonological differences, such as the realisation of phoneme /-a/ to /-ə/ or /-o/, or maintenance of /-a/ at word end

Factor associated with tobacco use among the adult population in Sarawak, Malaysia: a cross sectional study


 Introduction: Consumption of tobacco in any form is one of the leading causes of preventable mortality. The World Health Organization recommends that it should be monitored regularly. This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of tobacco use among the rural adult population in Sarawak and factors associated with it.
 Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among the adult population in Sarawak. Data were collected from ten villages in Kota Samarahan and Kuching Division by face to face interview using modified Global Adult Tobacco Survey questionnaire. Non-probability sampling method was adopted to select the villages. All the households of the villages were visited and an adult member was selected randomly from each house irrespective of the sex. After missing value imputation, 1000 data were analysed using statistical software SPSS 19.0 version.
 Results: Analysis showed that 30.9% of the respondents were current tobacco users and 11% were past tobacco users. The mean age (SD) at starting tobacco was 18.1 (6.48) years. The frequency of tobacco use was 14 times per day. Hierarchical Logistic regression analysis revealed that age with male sex (OR=1. 064, 95% CI: 1.052, 1.076), secondary education (OR=-2.712; 95% CI: 1.122, 6.555), higher secondary and above (OR=3. 571; 95% CI: 1.641,7.774), occupation as business (OR=3. 152; 95% CI: 1.732, 5.735) and environmental exposure such as smoking at working place (OR=2. 754;95% CI: 1.895,4.002), coffee house (OR=2. 274;95% CI: 1.32,3.919) and at home (OR=1. 827;95% CI: 1.242,2.687) appeared to be important predictors of tobacco use (p<0.05).
 Conclusion: A large proportion of males use tobacco products. Though tobacco use was negligible among females, but they would be potential users. Environmental exposure to tobacco appeared to be important predictors. Tobacco control campaigns should target banning of tobacco use in closed and open areas and also to intensify the monitoring of all forms of tobacco used by the population.

Genetic diversity of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) in Sarawak, Malaysia and other regions of the world

AbstractThis study inferred the genetic diversity and dispersal pattern of Aedes albopictus, for the first time from various populations in Sarawak, the largest Malaysian state situated in northwest Borneo Island. A set of sequences of 120 Ae. albopictus from Sarawak aligned as 633 characters of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) revealed 22 haplotypes (A1–A22), of which A1 was the most widespread haplotype. The overall haplotype and nucleotide diversities were 0.65014 and 0.00176, respectively, with no significant genetic differentiation and high gene flow (Nm = 1.07). The genetic distances among the populations ranged from 0 to 0.0227. In the global dataset, sequence alignment of Ae. albopictus from Sarawak and other regions of the world revealed 72 haplotypes. Based on uniquely shared haplotypes, Ae. albopictus in Sarawak has a close affinity with those from Southeast Asian and Oceania regions.

NUTRITIONAL STATUS AMONG ELDERLY RESIDING IN LONGHOUSES AT KUCHING, SARAWAK

Background: Nutrition is a major aspect in healthcare. Poor nutritional status may affect elderly particularly during the aging process. It becomes the challenge for older population to maintain their health with good nutritional level. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the nutritional status among elderly in longhouses and its’ association with demographic factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional quantitative study. A total of 109 Malaysian older adults were recruited using convenience sampling method. The MNA®-SF questionnaire was adopted to determine the nutritional status among elderly. Results: The findings of the study show that elderly at longhouses are at risk for malnutrition (M=10.15, SD=2.289). There is a statistically significant relationship between age/alcohol consumption and nutritional status (p<.05). Conclusion: The study reveals an important information regarding nutrition status of the elderly residing in long houses at Kuching and Serian divisions. The local public health providers are recommended to take further actions in enhancing the nutritional status of the older population in Sarawak.

Buffalo in Borneo, Sarawak: A Review of the Current Status of the Indigenous Buffalo Industry

The Malaysian water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis, has traditionally been important livestock for the local people of Sarawak. Buffalo, other ruminants, and non-ruminants are essential for the livestock industry as they supply the largest source of protein for the entire nation. Cattle provide the largest production in the livestock industry at 0.2%, followed by other ruminants, including goats (0.1%), sheep (0.04%) and buffalo (0.03%). Water buffalo, or 'kerbau sawah' as it is locally known, is an overlooked animal compared to other livestock. Amidst the growing demand for beef within the domestic consumer market, the buffalo population in Sarawak has risen over the past 5 years from 5,396 to 6,205 heads in 2019. However, the self-sufficiency level (SSL) of cattle and buffalo beef has dropped from 26% in 2013 to 21.6% in 2019 despite the rising demand for local produce. Malaysia continues to import frozen buffalo beef from India and live bovine from other countries in order to meet domestic demands and support the growth of the local buffalo industry. Due to this, the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Sarawak introduced a buffalo yard program ('Natad Kerbau') to assist the state smallholder farmers in managing their buffaloes better. This paper focuses on describing the current status of buffalo production in Sarawak, its important functions (including provision for food security) and future prospects of B. bubalis in the livestock industry of Malaysia and Sarawak in particular.

Association between Health Literacy and Screening Behavior on Colorectal Cancer among the Adult Population in Sarawak, Malaysia

Association between Health Literacy and Screening Behavior on Colorectal Cancer among the Adult Population in Sarawak, Malaysia

Abiotic factors influencing diversity and abundance of congregating fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

ABSTRACT Records of fireflies are numerous in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah although little is known regarding the firefly population in Sarawak. Thus, the aim of this study is to document the diversity and abundance of the congregating fireflies and their display trees in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia and to investigate the possible significance of several abiotic factors in relation to the abundance of fireflies. The study was conducted in February 2019 at Sungai Raan, Sungai Sibuti and Sungai Niah in Sarawak using the sweep net at eleven display trees selected randomly along each river. A total of 296 firefly individuals representing two species, namely Pteroptyx bearni (Olivier 1909) and Pteroptyx malaccae (Gorham, 1880) were recorded. Both species occurred at Sungai Niah with a total of 146 individuals, however, only P. bearni was recorded at Sungai Sibuti (97 individuals) and Sungai Raan (53 individuals). Most fireflies were observed to congregate on the mangrove tree species, Rhizophora apiculata. There was significant negative correlation (r = - 0.164, p<0.05) between the total dissolved solids in the river water and firefly abundance at Sungai Sibuti. However, there were no significant correlations (p>0.05) between the firefly abundance and other abiotic factors at all the study rivers. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A42D2F63-DBB-4376-BAIC-83ABA4A9A537

The quality of life among the elderly people in Sarawak

Changes in physical, psychological, hormonal and the social conditions occurred in the process of ageing. These changes are expected to bringing impact to the quality of life of the elderly people. The aim of the study is to assess the quality of life and its related factors among the elderly population in Sarawak. A quantitative research has been conducted in the form of survey research by distributing WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. The study was conducted among the elderly people aged 60 years and above who are living in Sarawak. The sample size of the study was 130 participants that were obtained through snowballing sampling. The data were analysed using Pearson Correlation which was to find out the relationship between each domain and the quality of life of the elderly people in Sarawak. The results obtained shows that the mean score of WHOQOL-BREF was 90.17 whereby the mean scores of the domain environment score the highest among the four domains. In conclusion, the overall score of the quality of life of the elderly people in Sarawak was average.

Sustainable Fisheries Adaptation of Terubok Coastal Area in Sarawak, Malaysia

Sustainable ways of fishing has been applied worldwide as the population of fish is decreasing due to heavy fishing and overexploitation. The famous fish in Sarawak, Tropical shad Tenualosa which locally known as ikan terubok (Terubok fish) is also experiencing a major decline in its population. Therefore, the goal of this study is to investigate the most preferable ways to increase the number of Terubok population in Sarawak. This study reveals that, the regulation factor is the most preferable ways in increasing the number of Terubok population followed by conservation and economics factor. Besides, the willingness to accept (WTA) estimation by using Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) shows that the average amount of compensation that will be given to the Terubok fisherman in order to conserve the Terubok populations is RM 301.08.

Population Estimation of Proboscis Monkeys in Mangroves at Kuching Wetland National Park, Sarawak

Boat survey on proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) population in Kuching Wetland National Park (KWNP) was conducted to estimate the current population density and population size of this primate. The survey was conducted on September 2015 and January 2016 covering a cumulative distance of 128.91 km of mangrove riverbank. A cumulative total of 158 individuals comprising 19 groups, including one all-male group and three solitary males were recorded throughout the survey. The population density of proboscis monkeys in mangrove forest at KWNP was estimated at 1.63 individuals/km2 or 0.20 groups/km2. Based on the extrapolation of the estimated population density data, the population size of proboscis monkey in mangrove forest at KWNP was estimated to be 82 individuals. Last published report on the estimation of proboscis monkey population in Sarawak was more than 30 years ago. This study was conducted as a part of the efforts to assess the current population status of proboscis monkey in Sarawak.&#x0D; Keywords: Estimation, population density, population size, proboscis monkey

Factors Affecting Intention to Disclose HIV Status among Adult Population in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Background Disclosure of HIV-positive status is an essential prerequisite for the prevention and care of person living with HIV/AIDS as well as to tackle hidden epidemic in the society. Objective To determine the intention to disclose the HIV/AIDS status among adult population in Sarawak, Malaysia, and factors affecting thereof. Methods This cross-sectional community-based study was conducted among adult population aged 18 years and above in Sarawak, Malaysia. A gender-stratified multistage cluster sampling technique was adopted to select the participants. A total of 900 respondents were successfully interviewed by face-to-face interview using interview schedule. Stepwise binary logistic regression models were fitted in SPSS version 22.0 to identify the factors associated with the disclosure of HIV/AIDS status. A p value less than 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results The mean (SD) age of male and female respondents was 41.57 (13.45) and 38.99 (13.09) years, respectively. A statistically significant difference of intention to disclosure of HIV status was found between males and females (p < 0.05). A stepwise binary logistic regression analysis revealed that age, occupation, knowledge on HIV transmission, and content of discussion about HIV/AIDS appeared to be potential predictors for male respondents to disclose HIV status, while ethnicity and content of discussion on HIV/AIDS were found to be important predictors among the female respondents (p < 0.05). Conclusion and Recommendation Though the study did not depict the national prevalence of disclosure of HIV/AIDS status, the findings of the study would provide an important basic information for programme intervention, policy, and future research agenda.

Does Health Literacy Predict Preventive Lifestyle on Metabolic Syndrome? A Population-Based Study in Sarawak Malaysia

Poor health literacy (HL) is a risk factor for developing metabolic syndrome. In Malaysia, about 93% of adults’ population has limited HL—a huge prevalence yet understudied phenomenon. This study aims to determine the predictors of preventive lifestyles on metabolic syndrome among adult population in Sarawak are timely. This was a population-based study, conducted from September 2016 till December 2017 using a multistage stratified sampling method. Health Literacy Scale and Simple Lifestyle Indicator Questionnaire were used to measure health literacy and preventive lifestyles respectively. Analysis of Variance and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. A total of 743 respondents were involved in this study with half of them have acceptable score for health literacy (M = 46.9, SD = 6.3) and good preventive lifestyles (M = 7.3, SD = 1.4). Critical health literacy was a significant influence of preventive lifestyles. The Malay ethnic group has the highest scores for both critical health literacy [F (3, 739) = 17.82, p < 0.001] and preventive lifestyle compared to other ethnic groups [F (3, 739) = 3.12, p = 0.025]. The other Native groups scored the lowest for critical health literacy. Individual with higher score of critical health literacy tend to perform physical activities. Gender, education level, distance of health facilities, critical health literacy and employment status were identified as predictors for preventive lifestyle in this study. Health literacy is a key to preventive lifestyle behaviors in metabolic syndrome among adult population in Sarawak. Future program should focus on improving HL status with specific program targeting ethnic minorities.

Estimation of stature from hand and handprint measurements in Iban population in Sarawak, Malaysia and its applications in forensic investigation

Handprints and dismembered hands are commonly found during crime scene investigations and disaster victim identifications, respectively. It has been indicated that the accuracy of handprint and hand measurements for estimating stature maybe population specific. Since Iban is the largest ethnic population in Sarawak, Malaysia and because the application of anthropometry of hand and handprint within this population as well as other populations within the Southeast Asian countries remain unreported, this present study that investigated the reliability and accuracy of these two anthropometric aspects acquires forensic significance. Upon measuring the height, 21 measurements were recorded on each hand and the corresponding handprint of 50 male and 52 female consented adult Iban subjects. Using univariate statistics as well as simple and multiple regression analyses, interpretation of the measurements examined here was attempted. Results revealed that lengths of hand and handprint are the more reliable traits for estimating stature in both the male and female Iban subjects (p < 0.05) with correlation strength ranging from 0.60 to 0.76. Comparable to the established skeletal standards for hand, the stature prediction accuracy using hand and handprint measurements investigated in this research ranged between 4.29 and 5.78 cm. Hence, this research provided the first forensic standard for estimation of stature among the Iban population in Sarawak that may prove useful for crime scene investigations and disaster victim identifications in Malaysia.

Issues and Problems Faced by Rural Farmers in Paddy Cultivation: A Case Study of the Iban Paddy Cultivation in Kuala Tatau, Sarawak

Rice is an important staple food in Asia. However, modernization and rapid development have reduced and threatened the practice, especially maintaining traditional hill rice cultivation, as in this case study by the Iban in Kuala Tatau located in the largest state in Malaysia, called Sarawak. It is important to understand the problems and challenges of this issue to ensure food security among the rural population in Sarawak, particularly the Iban. Therefore, this paper aims to discuss the issues and problems faced by rice farmers in Kuala Tatau, Sarawak. The respondents were Iban farmers in Kuala Tatau; named Sungai Semanok and Kuala Serupai, were selected as it is at a great distance from urban areas named Bintulu, and they still practices paddy cultivation. For the purpose of obtaining the data, qualitative research methods through in-depth interview techniques, group discussion and observation were utilized and the data were analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that the rice sector faced major problems such as the decrease of the number of farmers and a weak system in the distribution of subsidies. However, there were differences shown in results between the two villages as well, which were in term of inadequate agricultural land, and issues on drainage and irrigation system, depending on the distance of the village from urban area, transport facilities, and other issues as discussed in the following section.

Factors Influencing Customer’s Acceptance of Islamic Banking Products and Services

The emergence of Islamic banking system has had a huge impact on the financial industry. This research attempts to identify the influential factors that are associated with Islamic banking adoption between the Muslim and non-Muslim populations in Sarawak, Malaysia. With the “adoption of Islamic banking” as the dependent variable, this study studies its relationship with seven independent variables. They are, four attributes of innovation, namely; 1) relative advantage, 2) compatibility, 3) observability and 4) complexity, and three additional variables namely; 5) perceived risk, 6) perceived trust and 7) customer innovativeness. A convenient sampling method is used whereby a questionnaire is administered to 436 respondents in Sarawak, Malaysia. Using the logistic regression method, three factors; 1) compatibility, 2) relative advantage/observability and 3) complexity are found to have significant relationship with customers’ adoption of Islamic banking products and services.

Knowledge, Attitude, Pictorial Health Warnings And Quitting Attempt To Smoking In Sarawak, Malaysia

Background: Every year, millions of preventable deaths and disabilities were directly and indirectly caused by smoking. Various methods have been employed and millions of dollars have been spent in order to tackle this issue.Objectives: This study was designed to identify the factors associated with knowledge, attitude and quitting attempts to smoking among adult population in Sarawak.Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among the adult population in Sarawak. Data were collected from ten villages in Kota Samarahan and Kuching Division by face to face interview using modified Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) questionnaire. Non-probability sampling method was adopted to select the villages. All the households of the villages were visited, and an adult member was selected randomly from each house irrespective of the sex. After missing value imputation, a total of 1000 data were analysed using statistical software SPSS 19.0 version.Results: Analysis showed that 28.8% of the respondents were current smokers. Multiple Linear Regression Analysis (MLR) revealed that younger age, family size, marital status, scariness and in formativeness of Pictorial Health Warnings (PHWs) significantly contributed to perceived knowledge of health effects of smoking (p&lt;0.05). Similarly level of education, perceived knowledge of health effects and information on cigarette packages have significant positive contribution to preventive attitude towards smoking, whereas non smoking status has no influence on the attitude towards smoking (p&lt;0.05?. On the contrary, marital status, clarity and nature of information on the cigarette packages about PHWs have significantly influence for quitting attempts (p&lt;0.05), whereas the nature of jobs such as business and service had no influence in quitting attempt of smoking (p&lt;0.05).Conclusion: Despite numerous interventions programme for tobacco control being implemented such as PHWs, the study findings revealed that better plans and strategies for more effective preventive measures against smoking should be instituted by policy makers.Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.16(2) 2017 p.266-273

Clinical features and management of Plasmodium knowlesi infections in humans.

Plasmodium knowlesi is a simian malaria of primarily the macaque species of South East Asia. While it was known that human infections could be induced during the years of malariotherapy, naturally occurring P. knowlesi human infections were thought to be rare. However, in 2004, knowlesi infections became recognized as an important infection amongst human populations in Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. Since then, it has become recognized as a disease affecting people living and visiting endemic areas across South East Asia. Over the last 12 years, clinical studies have improved our understanding of this potentially fatal disease. In this review article the current literature is reviewed to give a comprehensive description of the disease and treatment.