Sabah Borneo Research Articles

Obesity and mental health issues among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study in Sabah, Malaysia

PurposeThis study aims to determine the prevalence of obesity and its relationship with mental health issues among healthcare workers in Kota Kinabalu District Health Office, Sabah Borneo and its associating factors.Design/methodology/approachThis cross-sectional study was conducted among 387 healthcare workers working in the Kota Kinabalu District Health Office, Sabah. Sociodemographic data and anthropometric measurements were collected and DASS 21 questionnaire was used to assess mental health status.FindingsThe prevalence of obesity among healthcare workers was 29%, which is significantly associated with years of service (p = 0.016) and abnormal depression subscale scores (p = 0.012) at univariate analysis. The percentage of abnormal subscale score for depression, anxiety and stress was 16, 26 and 12%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that more than five years of service years (OR 2.23, 95%CI 1.16–4.28) and high depressive subscale score (OR 2.09, 95%CI 1.18–3.71) were both significantly associated with obesity.Originality/valueThis study has affirmed the link between physical and mental health. Policies that tackle both issues should be put in place to promote wellness among healthcare workers.

Genetic diversity in the C-terminus of merozoite surface protein 1 among Plasmodium knowlesi isolates from Selangor and Sabah Borneo, Malaysia

Plasmodium knowlesi, a malaria parasite of macaques, has emerged as an important parasite of humans. Despite the significance of P. knowlesi malaria in parts of Southeast Asia, very little is known about the genetic variation in this parasite. Our aim here was to explore sequence variation in a molecule called the 42kDa merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-1), which is found on the surface of blood stages of Plasmodium spp. and plays a key role in erythrocyte invasion. Several studies of P. falciparum have reported that the C-terminus (a 42kDa fragment) of merozoite surface protein-1 (MSP-142; consisting of MSP-119 and MSP-133) is a potential candidate for a malaria vaccine. However, to date, no study has yet investigated the sequence diversity of the gene encoding P. knowlesi MSP-142 (comprising Pk-msp-119 and Pk-msp-133) among isolates in Malaysia. The present study explored this aspect. Twelve P. knowlesi isolates were collected from patients from hospitals in Selangor and Sabah Borneo, Malaysia, between 2012 and 2014. The Pk-msp-142 gene was amplified by PCR and directly sequenced. Haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity (л) were studied among the isolates. There was relatively high genetic variation among P. knowlesi isolates; overall Hd and л were 1±0.034 and 0.01132±0.00124, respectively. A total of nine different haplotypes related to amino acid alterations at 13 positions, and the Pk-MSP-119 sequence was found to be more conserved than Pk-msp-133. We have found evidence for negative selection in Pk-msp-42 as well as the 33kDa and 19kDa fragments by comparing the rate of non-synonymous versus synonymous substitutions. Future investigations should study large numbers of samples from disparate geographical locations to critically assess whether this molecule might be a potential vaccine target for P. knowlesi.