Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health This is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader or to display this data on your own website or blog.

Work Ability and Its Related Factors Among Workers in Small and Medium Enterprises: Comparison Among Four ASEAN Countries
This study aimed to examine the work ability and its related factors among small and medium enterprises (SME) workers in 4 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. The participants in this study included 2098 workers from food and textile industries in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. A cross-sectional survey of anonymous self-administrated questionnaire was designed to collect information on sociodemographic factors, work environment and ergonomic condition, musculoskeletal disorders, and work ability. Bivariate correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analyses were used to predic...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - June 30, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Kaewboonchoo, O., Isahak, M., Susilowati, I., Phuong, T. N., Morioka, I., Harncharoen, K., Low, W. Y., Ratanasiripong, P. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Linkages Within the Reproductive and Maternal Health Continuum of Care in Bangladesh
This article assesses linkages in reproductive and maternal health (RMH) services in Bangladesh using the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (n = 7170). Antenatal care (ANC) was positively associated with skilled birth attendance (SBA) among both pre-pregnancy contraceptive users and nonusers. Among women who used pre-pregnancy contraceptives but did not receive skilled ANC, there was a 26% decreased odds of SBA. Pre-pregnancy contraceptive use increased the odds of postpartum contraceptive use, but neither ANC nor SBA was associated with postpartum contraceptive use. There are clear linkages within maternal hea...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - June 30, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: McDougal, L., Rusch, M. L. A., Silverman, J. G., Raj, A. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Following Policy Changes: Observations From China
This study describes patterns of antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation for a sample of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) in rural Anhui, China, where most PLHIV were infected via paid plasma donation during the 1990s. A total of 481 PLHIV who were receiving ART were included in our analyses. Times between HIV diagnosis and the initiation of ART were examined relative to the time points when major ART-related policies changed in China. More than half (53%) of PLHIV who had been diagnosed by 2003 received ART within 6 months, whereas 93% of PLHIV who had been diagnosed in 2010 or later received ART within 6 months. The s...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - June 30, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Li, L., Ji, G., Lin, C., Liang, L.-J., Lan, C.-W. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Risk and Protective Factors Affecting Sexual Risk Behavior Among School-Aged Adolescents in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and Vanuatu
There are limited studies on the prevalence and correlates of sexual risk behavior among adolescents in Pacific Island countries. In order to inform public sexual and reproductive health interventions, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and correlates of various sexual risk behaviors among in-school adolescents in 4 Pacific Island countries using data from the Global School-Based Health Survey. In a cross-sectional study, 6792 school-going adolescents (49.7% boys and 50.3% girls; 13-16 years old) from Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, and Vanuatu were surveyed with a self-administered questionnaire. Overall, 18.9% of ...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - June 30, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Peltzer, K., Pengpid, S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Passive Smoking and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Observational Studies
We conducted this meta-analysis to explore the association between passive smoking and the risk of colorectal cancer. A literature search of online databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was performed up to June 30, 2015. A fixed-effects meta-analysis using Stata 12.0 was carried out to estimate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations. Eleven articles, including 6 case-control studies and 6 cohort studies, were included in our analysis according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The pooled RR of all studies showed a statistically significan...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - June 30, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Yang, C., Wang, X., Huang, C.-h., Yuan, W.-j., Chen, Z.-h. Tags: Review Source Type: research

Help Your Editors to Keep Smiling and a Tenth Birthday Celebration
(Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health)
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - June 30, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Low, W. Y., Binns, C. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research

Analysis of Validity and Reliability of the Health Literacy Index for Female Marriage Immigrants (HLI-FMI)
The purpose of this study was to obtain an independent evaluation of the factor structure of the 12-item Health Literacy Index for Female Marriage Immigrants (HLI-FMI), the first measure for assessing health literacy for FMIs in Korea. Participants were 250 Asian women who migrated from China, Vietnam, and the Philippines to marry. The HLI-FMI was originally developed and administered in Korean, and other questionnaires were translated into participants’ native languages. The HLI-FMI consisted of 2 factors: (1) Access-Understand Health Literacy (7 items) and (2) Appraise-Apply Health Literacy (5 items); Cronbach&rsqu...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - May 7, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Yang, S. J., Chee, Y. K., An, J., Park, M. H., Jung, S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Association Between Exercise Participation and Quality of Sleep and Life Among University Students in Taiwan
In conclusion, those who regularly exercised (at least 1 d/wk or 2.5 h/wk) had better QOL. Students with better self-perceived health or satisfaction with exercise participation also had better quality of sleep and better QOL. (Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health)
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - May 7, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Chang, S.-P., Shih, K.-S., Chi, C.-P., Chang, C.-M., Hwang, K.-L., Chen, Y.-H. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Factors Influencing Changes in Eating Patterns Among Hong Kong Young Adults Transitioning to Tertiary Education
In conclusion, food choices of young adults on transitioning to tertiary education are strongly influenced by increased autonomy and change of social and environmental factors. (Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health)
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - May 7, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Kwok, S. T., Capra, S., Leveritt, M. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

The Use of an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average Model for Prediction of the Incidence of Dysentery in Jiangsu, China
This study shows that the ARIMA model fits the fluctuations in bacillary dysentery frequency, and it can be used for future forecasting when applied to bacillary dysentery prevention and control. (Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health)
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - May 7, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Wang, K., Song, W., Li, J., Lu, W., Yu, J., Han, X. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Social Capital and Quality of Life Among People Living With HIV/AIDS in Southeast China
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 261 people living with HIV (PLWH) in Southeast China. A social capital questionnaire was used to measure social capital dimensions (trust, social connection, and social participation). A Chinese version of the Medical Outcomes Study HIV Health Survey (MOS-HIV) was used to assess Quality of Life (QoL); Physical Health Summary Scores (PHS) and Mental Health Summary Scores (MHS) were calculated. Multiple regression assessed whether social capital and its dimensions were associated with PHS and MHS. After controlling for sociodemographics and HIV-related factors, lower PHS scores were...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - May 7, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Lan, G.-L., Yuan, Z.-K., Clements-Nolle, K. D., Cook, A., Yuan, L.-L., Xu, Q.-Y., Jiang, H.-Y., Zheng, H.-L., Wang, L., Yang, W. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Role of Individual, Family, and Peers in Sexual Initiation Among Late Adolescents Attending Institutions of Higher Learning in Malaysia
This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the prevalence and the factors associated with sexual initiation among the late adolescents in 6 institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. A total of 1572 students completed self-administered questionnaires between April and September 2013. Hierarchical multivariate logistic regression analyses stratified by gender were employed to identify the correlates of sexual initiation. The analyses were further adjusted by sampling weights. The overall prevalence of sexual initiation was 9.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 8.3-11.6), 18.1% (95% CI = 15.1-21.5) among males, and 4.1% ...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - May 7, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Abdul Samad, S., Hairi, N. N., Ismail, M. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Family Planning Practice Among Rural Reproductive-Age Married Women in Myanmar
A cross-sectional study was undertaken to investigate family planning (FP) practices and associated factors among reproductive-age married women. Data were collected by interviewing the 300 married women living in a rural area of Myanmar. The questionnaire had reliability coefficients ranging from .8 to .9. Results indicated that 73.3% of women performed FP, and contraceptive injection was the most common method. Significant associations were found with age 21 to 35 years (adjusted odds ratio [adj OR] = 3.748, 95% CI = 2.179-6.445), adequacy of income (adj OR = 2.520, 95% CI = 1.477-4.290), good attitude toward FP (adj OR ...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - May 7, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Jirapongsuwan, A., Latt, K. T., Siri, S., Munsawaengsub, C. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research

Human Leptospirosis in Malaysia: Reviewing the Challenges After 8 Decades (1925-2012)
The history and epidemiology of human leptospirosis in Malaysia from 1925 to 2012 are described. Previous studies have demonstrated that leptospirosis is an endemic disease in Malaysia occurring in both urban and rural locations. The number of cases has risen dramatically since the Ministry of Health Malaysia highlighted leptospirosis as a notifiable disease in 2010, with reported cases increasing from 248 cases in 2004 to 3604 in 2012. The incidence of infection among the population suggests that occupation, sex, age, ethnic background, water recreational activities, and sporting events are risk factors. A robust surveill...
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - May 7, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Benacer, D., Thong, K. L., Verasahib, K. B., Galloway, R. L., Hartskeerl, R. A., Lewis, J. W., Mohd Zain, S. N. Tags: Review Source Type: research

Leptospirosis: A Public Health Story Encircling the Globe
(Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health)
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - May 7, 2016 Category: Global & Universal Authors: Binns, C., Low, W. Y. Tags: Editorial Source Type: research