*Malaysia ; *Rural Health ; *Social Conditions

The unstable living situation in Iraq in the last 10 years after 2003 war affected the daily life of most Iraqis, and especially the children. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of an unstable living environment on children’s health. A community-based qualitative study was done to collect data from 20 mothers of children (age 7 to 8years old) through in-depth interview (IDI). Data was recorded using tape recorders and was later transcribed and analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis techniques. The majority of mothers interviewed said the past nine years of unstable security in the capital had affected their daily life; some mothers also expressed concern about their child’s nutritional status, their eating habits during the school day, and the unhealthy food being sold at school canteens. As a conclusion, the unstable living situations in Baghdad city after the last war had affected the cognitive and nutritional development of children. More precautions should be taken by parents to ensure their children safety in the future.
Economics ; Social Conditions ; Child ; Health ; Iraq

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Psychology, Social ; Social Behavior ; Social Conditions

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the essence of hospital life concerning discharge from rehabilitation facility as defined by clients with complete quadriplegia. METHOD: This was a qualitative research using Giorgi's descriptive phenomenology. Four participants with complete quadriplegia were participated. RESULTS: The lived experience of discharge from rehabilitation facility among clients with complete quadriplegia was structured by 10 components and was defined as a life event which those patients felt fears and worries to leave the therapeutic environment and to return to their community with various changes due to their disability. During their hospital stay, the patients with quadriplegia were concerning to prepare proper living conditions and their health conditions so that they could keep their life independent and worthy. They also cherished a hope for cure for their cervical injury even at the moment of discharge. CONCLUSION: This study suggests developing a discharge program which relieves the clients' emotional burden for discharge from inpatient rehabilitation facility and helps them to take an active role in preparing for returning to their daily life.
Humans ; Inpatients ; Length of Stay ; Quadriplegia ; Qualitative Research ; Social Conditions

There is a large and growing number of persons with disabilities today. In most countries, at least one person out of 10 is disabled by impairment, and at least 25 percent of any population is adversely affected by the presence of disability. They are entitled to the same rights as all other human beings and to equal opportunities. Full participation and equality of disabled person means opportunities equal to those of the whole population and an equal share in the improvement in living conditions resulting from social and economic development. The ultimate responsibility for dealing with the consequences of disability rests with Governments. Governments must ensure that people who are made dependent by severe disability have an opportunity to achieve a standard living equal to that of their citizens. Non-government organizations can assist Governments by formulating needs, suggesting suitable solutions and providing services complementary to those provided by Governments. This article looks into the current position of the policies for persons with disabilities in our society and reviews the main tasks of disability policies including social, employment, educational and medical security, and the social integration. Especially, as a physiatrist, the policy tasks of medical security for the disabled persons is emphasized.
Disabled Persons* ; Economic Development ; Employment ; Human Rights ; Humans ; Social Conditions

Introduction: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status of children below 24 months in the district of Pekan, Pahang, and identify the contributing factors. Methods: Using a cross-sectional methodology, a total of 910 children was selected by random sampling from four public health clinics. Anthropometric measurements were taken and weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-forheight were calculated in Z scores. Immediate caregivers of children were interviewed by using a pretested validated questionnaire to assess their socioeconomic, demographic, educational and occupational status. Results: Of the 910 children who participated in the study, the majority were Malay (70.1%), while the remaining comprised indigenous or Orang-Asli (OA) children. Prevalence of wasting, stunting and underweight were 28.7 %, 15.6 % and 19.0% respectively. There were more underweight males than females. Wasting was most common among children aged below 6 months. Stunting was more prevalent in children between 12 to 24 months. Obesity was seen in 7.3% of the sample. Maternal education, employment and socio-economic status had a significant influence on wasting and underweight. Children were vulnerable to stunting as age advanced, whereas prevalence of wasting tended to decrease. Conclusion: Malnutrition exists in significant proportions among children below 24 months in the Pekan district. This study identified low birth weight along with age, race, gender, large family size and socio-economic status as important risk factors of malnutrition.
Nutritional Status ; Child Nutrition Disorders ; Educational Status ; Social Conditions ; Pahang

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to explore the explanatory factors on the length of stay of psychiatric patients in various mental health-related facilities. METHODS: Subjects in this study were consisted of 1,028 psychiatric patients staying in 22 mental health-related facilities randomly sampled after proportional stratification by regions. The subjects in 22 mental health-related facilities including psychiatric hospitals/clinics, psychiatric welfare facilities, welfare facilities for homeless, and illegal institutions were interviewed by psychiatrists and social workers with clinical experience. Demographic characteristics, socioeconomic support, diagnosis/history of illness, clinical symptom/functional disability and type of facilities were investigated and included in the multiple regression models to examine their influence on the length of stay. RESULTS: Two thirds of total variance of length of stay were explained by the independent variables in this study, and the type of facilities had the most explanatory power. In addition to type of facilities, sex, age, economic status, type of medical security, familial support, living condition before admission, diagnosis, dual diagnosis, age of onset of illness and number of admissions were significant explanatory factors. CONCLUSION: This study provides bases for specific strategies to develop efficient mental health facilities and community mental health system by disclosing the important explanatory factors for length of stay.
Age of Onset ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry) ; Humans ; Length of Stay* ; Mental Health ; Psychiatry ; Social Conditions ; Social Workers

BACKGROUND: Diarrheal disease has been one of the most common health problem in Korea with Salmonella and Shigella being the major bacterial pathogens. Prevalence of enteric bacterial pathogens may differ significantly depending on the socioeconomic status of a country. Therefore, rapid improvement of living conditions in Korea should have profound effect on the incidence of enteric infection. In some Salmonella infections, proper antimicrobial treatment is important to reduce morbidity and mortality, but rapid change of the susceptibility makes the susceptibility unpredictable. So, there is a need to describe the change of antimicrobial susceptibility of Salmonella. METHODS: In this study, stool culture results at Severance Hospital during the years 1969-1998 were analyzed to determine the trends of enteric bacterial isolation and the susceptibility of the isolates. RESULTS: The proportion of S. typhi was reduced to 1.4% in 1994-1998. The proportion of Shigella was over 50% of all enteric pathogens until 1983, while only 14 strains were isolated during the last 5 years. Campylobacter spp. became the second most prevalent organism with the decrease of Shigella isolation. Ampicillin- and cotrimoxazole-susceptible nontyphoidal Salmonella gradually decreased to 76% and 90%, respectively in 1994-1998 and even several extended-spectrum beta- lactamase-producing strains were detected. Strains of ampicillin-resistant S. typhi were first detected in 1995. CONCLUSIONS: Typhoid fever and shigellosis are rare disease now in urban clinical setting while nontyphoidal Salmonella infection is a prevalent one. Campylobacter is the second most common enteric bacterial pathogen. With the increase of antimicrobial resistance of nontyphoidal Salmonella and appearance of resistant S. typhi, difficulties in the treatment of these infections may be expected in the future.
Bacteria* ; Campylobacter ; Dysentery, Bacillary ; Incidence ; Korea ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Rare Diseases ; Salmonella ; Salmonella Infections ; Shigella ; Social Class ; Social Conditions ; Typhoid Fever

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze cancer symptoms, perceived health status, and nursing services for community dwelling cancer patients who are registered in a public health center. METHODS: The subject of the study were 561 community dwelling, and home-based cancer patients who were registered in 8 different public health centers in Daegu, Korea. The data collection was performed from September 28 to October 10, 2009. Analysis of data was done by using descriptive statistics, t-test and ANOVA with SPSS program. RESULTS: The mean score of cancer symptom index was 1.63. The level of fatigue was the highest in cancer symptom index. The mean score of perceived health status was 6.92. The exercise guidance was identified as the most frequently practiced nursing service. The scores of cancer symptom index were significantly different by economic status, marital status, living condition, the status of cancer, and metastasis. The scores of perceived health status was significantly different by education, economic status, type of social insurance, time of cancer diagnosis, status of cancer, and metastasis. CONCLUSION: The above findings indicate that it is necessary to develop a special nursing intervention differentiated according to the time points of cancer diagnosis, status of cancer. In addition, nurses should apply it in their practice to ameliorate fatigue for community dwelling cancer patients who are registered in public health center.
Data Collection ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Korea ; Marital Status ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Nursing Services ; Public Health ; Social Conditions ; Social Security

PURPOSE: Household endotoxin exposure in allergy and asthma has been gaining attention for its dual potential to exacerbate these conditions in individuals with established disease and to abrogate atopy before disease onset. The aim of this work was to analyze associations between current exposure to bacterial endotoxin in house dust and allergic sensitization in adults with asthma. METHODS: From the homes of 52 adults with asthma and 28 normal controls, house dust endotoxin (detected with a Limulus Amebocyte Lysate QCL-1000) and house dust mite allergens (Der f 1 and Der p 1) were quantified. Allergen sensitization was measured by skin prick test. RESULTS: The endotoxin levels from mattresses were lower in the home of adults with asthma than in that of normal controls. The endotoxin levels from mattresses detected in the home of adults with asthma were positively correlated with Der p 1 levels and wheal size to housedust mite allergens on skin prick tests. Furthermore, the endotoxin levels in living room floor dust were positively correlated with Der f 1 levels, but didn't relate with wheal size to house dust mite allergens. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that current exposure to house dust endotoxin might be positively associated with allergic sensitization in adults with asthma.
Adult ; Allergens ; Asthma ; Beds ; Dust* ; Family Characteristics ; Horseshoe Crabs ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Pyroglyphidae ; Skin ; Social Conditions*