PURPOSE: Across Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, (referred to as Asia) approximately 30–53 million individuals of the 151 million employed suffer from allergic rhinitis (AR) and urticaria. It is estimated that approximately 90% of patients with these allergic conditions are insufficiently treated, impacting the socioeconomic burden in terms of absence from work and decreased productivity. This study aims to estimate the socioeconomic burden of allergies in Asia and the cost savings that their adequate management can provide. Due to the limited availability of regional data, this study focused AR and urticaria in selected countries. METHODS: Published literature, information from statistical bureaus, clinician surveys and extrapolation of selected data from the European Union were used to determine the socioeconomic costs of AR and urticaria. RESULTS: Many patients in Asia suffer from perennial allergies and experience symptoms of AR and urticaria for up to 298 days per year. An estimate of the indirect costs of patients insufficiently treated for AR and urticaria amounts to USD 105.4 billion a year, which equates to USD 1,137–2,195 per patient due to absenteeism and presenteeism. Adherence to guideline-approved treatment can lead to estimated savings of up to USD 104 billion. CONCLUSIONS: The current study suggests that within Asia, the socioeconomic impact of AR and urticaria is similar to that seen in the European Union in spite of the lower wages in Asia. This is due to the mainly perennial allergens prevailing in Asia, whereas the sensitization patterns observed in the European Union are dominated by seasonal exposure to pollen. These results underline the need for governmental initiatives to increase public awareness on the prevention and treatment of these and other allergic diseases as well as greater research funding and large-scale studies to reduce their growing socioeconomic burden in coming years.
Absenteeism ; Allergens ; Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; Cost Savings ; Efficiency ; European Union ; Financial Management ; Hong Kong ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Income ; Malaysia ; Philippines ; Pollen ; Presenteeism ; Rhinitis, Allergic* ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Seasons ; Singapore ; Thailand ; Urticaria* ; Vietnam

PURPOSE: This study aimed to analyze the mobility of newly graduated nurses from regions where their nursing schools were located to regions where they took up their first jobs, and to identify factors influencing nurses' mobility. METHODS: Data from the Graduates Occupational Mobility Survey, collected annually from 2010 to 2014 by the Korea Employment Information Service, were analyzed. The sample consisted of 1,488 graduates and 1,229 nurses who were employed on a full-time basis in hospitals. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with geographic mobility. RESULTS: Among the nurses working in hospitals, 69.2% had their first jobs in their nursing school regions and 11.3% in their high school regions. Fifty-two percent of the nurses worked in the capital region; 47.2% thereof had moved from a non-capital region. Nurses were more likely to work in their nursing school region when they were female, were older, graduated from a high school located in their nursing school region, graduated from a college (vs. university), had a lower nursing school performance, and expected lower monthly wage, compared with those who left their nursing school region. CONCLUSION: Education and remuneration policies are required to reduce geographical mobility to the capital region.
Education ; Employment ; Female ; Humans ; Information Services ; Korea ; Logistic Models ; Professional Practice Location ; Remuneration ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Schools, Nursing

PURPOSE: This study was performed for the effective management of nursing organization as surveyed choice motives and job satisfaction about nurses who changed to public hospitals. METHODS: This study is a descriptive study. This study surveyed 214 nurses who changed jobs to public hospital in six Gyeonggi-do hospitals from October 23 to November 20, 2015. The collected data were analyzed for descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, sheffe test, multiple linear regression analysis using the SPSS/WIN 21.0 program. RESULTS: Most of the nurses chose public hospitals due to benefits correspond to public officials. They had worked in general hospitals located on provinces and changed jobs due to a heavy workload and low benefits. Of the participants 84.1% were satisfied with changing jobs to public hospitals and the advantages of public hospitals of their choice were job stability and good employee benefits(guaranteed maternity and paternity leave, etc). On the other hand there were complaints about low salaries compared to the workload after changing jobs to public hospitals. CONCLUSION: Hospitals need to enhance job stability and provide nurses with good employee benefits to reduce turnover rate.
Career Choice ; Gyeonggi-do ; Hand ; Hospitals, General ; Hospitals, Public* ; Job Satisfaction* ; Linear Models ; Nursing ; Parental Leave ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits

No abstract available.
Income ; Urease

Aging is associated with increased risk of frailty and malnutrition. However, food insecurity has rarely been highlighted in the elderly population, especially among the low income group. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the association between nutritional status, food insecurity and frailty among elderly in low income residences in Klang Valley. A total of 72 elderly individuals aged 60 years and above was selected (mean age 66 ± 6 years) through convenient sampling. Participants were interviewed to obtain information on socio-demographic, health status, food insecurity and cognitive status. Anthropometrics parameters and frailty assessments was measured using standard criteria. Results showed that 75.0% of the participants had abdominal obesity. Nearly half of the participants were overweight (41.7%), followed by normal (43.0%) and underweight (15.3%). With respect to food insecurity, most of them reported that they had enough food (93.1%). There were significant correlation (p < 0.05) between food insecurity with height (r = -0.263, p = 0.026). Most of the participants were pre-frail (58.3%), frail (27.8%) and followed by non-frail (13.9%). Calcium intake is inversely associated with frailty (t = -2.62, p = 0.011). In conclusion, food insecurity was not a problem, however, half of the subjects were overweight and pre-frail. Three out four subjects had abdominal obesity. There is a need to investigate further the pathogenesis of fat frail in this low income elderly population and formulate effective intervention strategies.
Aged ; Income

ASEAN Neurology Association (ASNA) consists of 9 member countries, Brunei, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Among them 2 countries are considered lower middle income, 4 as upper middle income, and 3 as high income by World Bank criteria. The life expectancy is above 75 years in Brunei and Singapore, below 60 years in Lao and Myanmar. There are a total of 1,871 neurologists in ASNA member countries which has a total of 540 million populations. This constitutes 2.2% of the world neurologists, although ASNA member countries accounts for 8.3% of the world population. Myanmar and Lao in particular, has lowest ratio of neurologist, with one neurologist serving 5 million populations in Myanmar, and 2 million populations in Lao.
Myanmar ; member ; Neurology ; Income ; Neurologist

1596 studied health workers have got an average salary of 568,843 ± 172,577 VND and an average allowance of 117,960 ± 117,91 VND each month. 52,7% of interviewed subjects had proposed a minimum salary of 636,790 VND with a promotion step of 2 years (67,2%) and 79,4% subjects had proposed a preterm promotion for good workers
Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Medical Staff

Average salary of state health worker in the institution belonging to MOH accounts for 612.640  190.910 VND per month, diverse subsidies 122.790  128.200 VND per month. The minimal salary must be based on 59.7% of real living price and must accounts for 636.700 VND per month. 55.1% of state workers and cadre consented to the currently designed table of salary, 67.4% to 2 years interval of promoting of salary and shortened the scale to 50% of the current number of salary steps.
Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Medical Staff

The average salary of health workers who are working at medical stations from provinces to districts at present is 537.180134.465 VND/month and other salary allowances are 112.180103.733 VND/month. The minimum salary for health workers should depend on real price (44.2%) and the minimum salary at present should be 636.790 VND. The number of health workers agree to the formulation of salary at present is taken up 71.9% time of increasing salary level is two years (66.9%) and shorten 50% salary levels. It should be risen salary level before time-limit (79.5%), the years of increasing the salary before time-limit are 1.110.32 year and it should be established the regime of over salary allowances (91.5%) for health workers.
Salaries and Fringe Benefits ; Medical Staff ; Health Facilities

PURPOSE: This study was done to examine the relationships among practice environment, nursing professionalism, career commitment, and turnover intention in nurses working in small-medium sized hospitals. METHOD: This study utilized a descriptive correlational design. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from 362 nurses in 7 small-medium sized hospitals and analyzed with SPSS 18.0. RESULT: The mean scores for practice environment, nursing professionalism, career commitment, and turnover intention were 2.29 on a 4-point scale and 3.13, 2.78, 3.51 on a 5-point scale, respectively. The practice environment showed significantly positive correlations with nursing professionalism and career commitment. Nursing professionalism showed a significantly positive correlation with career commitment. The highest significant negative correlation was between practice environment and turnover intention. Nursing professionalism and career commitment had negative correlations with turnover intention. Factors having significant influence on turnover intention included age, assigned ward, average wage, practice environment, and career commitment. These factors explained 43.0% of variance in turnover intention. Practice environment was identified as the most important variable in explaining turnover intention. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate the necessity of improving the practice environment and increasing nurses' career commitment if turnover intention in small-medium sized hospitals is to be lowered.
Intention ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Salaries and Fringe Benefits