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Papers by win-myint oo

One Health Bulletin, 2021

Objective: To access the complete immunization coverage among children aged 18-23 months living i... more Objective: To access the complete immunization coverage among children aged 18-23 months living in rural area of Mon State, Myanmar, and study the affecting factors. Method: A cross-sectional study conducted in rural area of Mon State during 2017. Altogether 353 caregivers who had children aged 18 to 23 months were selected using multistage random sampling. Face-to-face interview was applied in data collection. Complete immunization status was defined according to the current practice of routine immunization in Myanmar. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were utilized in data analysis. Results: Most of the caregivers were mothers (86.1%). Among 353 children, 293 [83% (95% CI: 79.1 to 86.9)] had been immunized completely. Majority of caregivers had good levels of knowledge (77.1%) and attitude (71.4%) towards routine immunization. Some children (17.6%) had minor adverse events after immunization such as fever, pain and redness at the site of vaccination. The present study identified that caregivers' knowledge and attitude towards immunization, and the occurrence of AEFI (adverse events after immunization) in previous immunization session were significantly related to the status of complete immunization coverage (P< 0.001). Conclusion: Complete immunization coverage among children living in rural area of Mon State should be improved. Health education campaigns with appropriate strategies should be reinforced or strengthened in order to enhance caregivers' knowledge and attitude towards immunization. The occurrence of AEFI should also be solved and thoroughly explained to the caregivers.

EJPMR, 2021

Context: Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease, was firstly identified in Tanzania in 1952 ... more Context: Chikungunya, a mosquito-borne viral disease, was firstly identified in Tanzania in 1952 and then spread rapidly over 60 countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas since 2004. The global distribution of Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV) shows that this virus is expanding at an alarming rate. Objective: The study aimed to find out the sero-prevalence of CHIKV and associated factors among adult population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2020 among 90 respondents aged over 18 years, who were randomly selected from 6 townships of Mandalay city, Myanmar. Results: Seropositivity rate of CHIKV was 74.44% and those of IgM and IgG were 6.67% and 74.44%, respectively. Seropositivity of female gender (80.36%),high education (76.92%), daily wage worker (88.89%), many family members (84.13%), and lower family income (75.71%), living in a house without mosquito screen (81.08%) were higher than their counterparts. The participants with self-reported history of CHIKV infection, and history of joint pain also had higher seroprevalence (93.33% and 88.24%) than their analogue. Seropositivity was significant for high education (AOR 7.63; 95%CI 3.24–17.02), having ≥4 family members (AOR 3.68, 95%CI 2.97-14.03), being house without mosquito screen (AOR 16.73, 95% CI 2.27-23.14), and those with history of CHIK V infection (AOR 10.89, 95%CI 1.33-19.12) with p <0.05. Conclusion: Seroprevalence survey should be conducted on a regular intermittent premise particularly in individual at risk. People should be encouraged to be aware about the silent infection of CHIKV infection.
KEYWORDS: Sero-prevalence, Chikungunya, adult, Myanmar.

IJCMPH, 2021

Background: Internet is relatively new technology that can provide up to date knowledge in educat... more Background: Internet is relatively new technology that can provide up to date knowledge in education. Even though the significant advantages, abuse of internet results in addiction disorder especially younger age. The aim of this study was to determine the internet utilization and internet addiction (IA) of third year medical students in medical universities of Myanmar.
Methods: This was cross-sectional descriptive study in which the questionnaire mainly based on a questionnaire, IA test score. Total 412 medical students from medical universities were enrolled in the study.
Results: This study shows 80.83% of students used internet more than five hours and 99.51% used internet every day. Common activities were social media 93.93%, entertainment 94.17%, watching movies 90.78%, communication 87.86% respectively. Among the reasons of use, education (p=0.003), shopping (0.002) and due to free wi-fi (p=0.006) were found to be significantly associated with IA. The majority (47.33%) was moderately addicted, (45.39%) was mildly addicted and 1.7 % was severely addicted. There was significant relationship between IA and time for more than five hours per day. Higher level of prevalence of IA was using online for watching movies, blogging, study information. Among the reasons of internet use, education, shopping and due to wi-fi were significantly associated with IA (p<0.05).
Conclusions: IA is growing problem and medical students are vulnerable for IA and so necessary preventive measures are vital to provide safe usage of internet.
Keywords: Internet usage, Internet addiction, Medical students

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 2021

INTRODUCTION Dengue fever is an arboviral disease that has rapidly spread in all regions over the... more INTRODUCTION Dengue fever is an arboviral disease that has rapidly spread in all regions over the world in recent years. It is transmitted by the bite of infected female Aedes mosquitoes. Among many species of Aedes mosquito, Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus are the main species that carry the dengue virus. 1 These mosquitoes also transmit chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika infection. There are 4 different serotypes of dengue virus (DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN-3, and DEN-4). 2 They all cause similar clinical symptoms and give a lifelong type-specific immunity. However, cross-immunity with other serotypes of dengue will last a few months and subsequent infections by other serotypes will increase the risk of developing severe dengue. Dengue is widespread throughout the tropics, with local variations influenced by rainfall, temperature, and unplanned rapid urbanization. Before 1970, only 9 countries had experienced severe dengue epidemics. However, it is now a major public-health concern throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world. One modelling made by Bhatt et al estimated that 390 million dengue virus infections per year (95% credible interval 284-528 million), of which 96 million (67-136 million) manifest clinically. 3 Another study also estimated that 3.97 billion people are at risk of dengue infection. 4 Moreover, among 129 countries at risk of infection, most of them (70%) are in Asia. 3 Dengue is one ABSTRACT Background: Severe dengue has become a leading cause of hospitalization and death among children and adults in most Asian countries. WHO stated that the death rate of children with severe dengue who required hospitalization is about 2.5%? It is one of the principal epidemic diseases in Myanmar. Moreover, the highest numbers of dengue cases and deaths was between age 5 and 9 years followed by between age 2 and 4 years. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 168 preschool teachers by surveying with semi-structured questionnaire. Results: The mean age was 29.36±9.04 years. Nearly 70% of them were graduated. Only 30.95% had high level of knowledge, 48.81% had positive attitude and 44.64% had good preventive practice level. There were no significant associations between socio-demographic characteristics and levels of knowledge, attitude, and preventive practice with the exception between education and levels of knowledge (p=0.027). Between knowledge and attitude, there was a significant association (p=0.005). However, levels of prevention practice had no significant association with levels of knowledge and attitude. Conclusions: Despite their high education, preventive practice still needs to be promoted.

WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE HEALTHCARE RESEARCH, 2021

Context: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its related disability and premature death are h... more Context: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its related disability and premature death are high all over the world, including Myanmar. It is important to understand the perception on medication adherence among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients to design effective interventions and to ultimately improve adherence rate of diabetes mellitus patients in Myanmar. Objective: To study medication adherence among type 2 Diabetes Mellitus patients in Mandalay city, Myanmar. Methods: A cross-sectional study was done among 180 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who were recruited by simple random sampling from the eight charity clinics in Mandalay. Face to face interviewing was done at participants’ homes by using a semi-structured questionnaire. Medication adherence was measured by Medication Assessment Questionnaire. Results: Among the participants, 63.3% of patients had good adherence to antidiabetic therapy. Level of perception was strongly associated with level of medication adherence (p<0.001). Conclusion: In this study, medication adherence of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients was good. However, knowledge concerning etiology and pathophysiology of diabetes was poor. Therefore, the health education programs should emphasize not only on the risk factors and complications of the disease but also on etiology and pathophysiology and importance of drug adherence.
KEYWORDS: Knowledge, Perception, Medication Adherence, Type 2 Diabetic Patients, Charity Clinics.

Asian Journal of Research in Infectious Diseases, 2020

Aims: To determine the knowledge on routine childhood immunization and the factors associated wit... more Aims: To determine the knowledge on routine childhood immunization and the factors associated with it among mothers in rural area of Mon State, Myanmar during 2017. Study Design: A community based cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Rural area of Mon State, Myanmar, between June and August 2017. Methodology: We included 302 mothers who had 18 to 23 months old children using multistage random sampling. Face-to-face interview was applied in data collection. Chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were utilized in data analysis. Results: More than three fourths of mothers (76.2%) had good knowledge level on routine childhood immunization. There was a significant association between maternal knowledge and immunization status of their children (p<0.001). Logistic regression showed that the husband's occupation was significantly associated with maternal knowledge (p=0.02). Original Research Article Htike et al.; AJRID, 3(2): 1-9, 2020; Article no.AJRID.54326 2 Conclusion: Majority of mothers have good knowledge on routine childhood immunization. However, health education campaign should be intensified to improve their knowledge level, especially among mothers whose husbands are blue-collar workers.

Asia Pacific Journal of Health Sciences & Research, 2019

Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a collection of physical and psychological symptoms in... more Background: Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a collection of physical
and psychological symptoms in relation to the menstrual cycle. Little is
known about the prevalence and attitude of pre-menstrual syndrome
among women of reproductive age in Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Materials & Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out during
the first quarter of 2017. A total of 255 women of reproductive age from
both urban and rural areas of Sibu were voluntarily participated and faceto-
face interview was undertaken.
Results: The prevalence of PMS was 44.3% (95% CI: 38.1%, 50.6%) and
more than half of the respondents (56.1%; 95% CI: 49.8%, 62.3%) had
positive attitude towards PMS. Although age, ethnicity, residence and
education status were found to have significant association with having
positive history of PMS, none of them were significantly related to the
attitude towards PMS. The common symptoms of PMS were increased
appetite, acne, mood swing, irritability and breast tenderness.
Conclusion: A significant portion of women in reproductive ages had
positive history of PMS.

Health Literacy Research and Practice (HLRP), 2019

Background: No comprehensive short-form health literacy (HL) survey tool has been available for g... more Background: No comprehensive short-form health literacy (HL) survey tool has been available for general use across Asia. Objective: This study aimed to develop and validate a short-form HL instrument derived from the 47-item European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47). Methods: A population survey (N = 10,024) was conducted from 2013 to 2015 using the HLS-EU-Q47 in 1,029 participants from Indonesia, 1,845 from Kazakhstan, 462 from Malaysia, 1,600 from Myanmar, 3,015 from Taiwan, and 2,073 from Vietnam. Validation of the short form was evaluated by principle component analysis, internal consistency, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. Key Results: Based on responses from six countries, a 12-item short-form HL questionnaire (HLS-SF12) was developed , retaining the conceptual framework of the HLS-EU-Q47 and accounting for the high variance of the full-form (i.e., 90% in Indonesia, 91% in Myanmar, 93% in Malaysia, 94% in Taiwan, and 95% in both Kazakhstan and Vietnam). The HLS-SF12 was demonstrated to have adequate psychometric properties, including high reliability (Cronbach's alpha = .85), good criterion-related validity, a moderate and high level of item-scale convergent validity, no floor or ceiling effect, and good model-data-fit throughout the populations in these countries. Conclusions: The HLS-SF12 was shown to be a valid and reliable tool for HL surveys in the general public in six Asian countries. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2019;3(2):e90-e102.]

Slums can be regarded as physical manifestations of urban poverty. Although the world has made dr... more Slums can be regarded as physical manifestations of urban poverty. Although the world has made dramatic improvement in reducing poverty since 1990, poverty still persists at an unacceptable level. Besides, there is a positive relationship between poverty and consumption of tobacco and alcohol. This cross-sectional study was conducted among households living in slum areas of Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon City during 2016. Multi-stage sampling and face-to-face interview were applied in selecting the samples and collecting the data, respectively. The new global poverty line (1.9 USD per person per day) was used as a threshold in determining the poverty. Altogether 254 respondents were recruited. The occurrence of poverty among households was 54.3%. This occurrence was higher among households whose member(s) was/were consuming tobacco (56.1% versus 37.5%) or alcohol (59.7% versus 52.2%) or both (59.7% versus 37.5%). The average monthly expenditures on tobacco or alcohol or both by a household with a positive history of consuming these products among its member(s) were 21317, 21344 and 44995 MMKs, respectively. The proportions of monthly total household expenditure that have been spent on tobacco or alcohol or both were 5.7%, 5.5% and 11.6%, respectively. Therefore, cessation of tobacco and/or alcohol consumption should be encouraged to contribute to certain extent to alleviating poverty in urban slums.

Introduction: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are also known as chronic diseases of long duratio... more Introduction: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are also known as chronic diseases of long duration. Globally, 40 million deaths are caused by NCDs in each year, representing 70% of all annual deaths. Besides, the socio-economic impact of NCDs are also significant. Therefore, the present study was done to determine the prevalence and risk factors of NCDs among elders in Yangon, Myanmar. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Thanlyin township, Yangon city during 2016. A total of 411 elder persons were recruited into the study using systematic random sampling. Informed consent was taken from every respondent and interview method was utilized in data collection. The presence of any NCDs has been confirmed by observing medical records and reports. Results: The overall self-reported prevalence of NCDs was 24.8% (95% CI: 20.7%, 29.3%). The prevalence was higher among females, those with low education status and respondents whose age was equal or more than 70 years. Based on multiple logistic regression analysis, having regular exercise was identified as a significant protective factor for the development of NCDs (p < 0.001). Diabetes mellitus (15.6%) was the commonest type of NCDs among elders followed by hypertension (8.5%) and heart disease (4.9%). Conclusion: The prevalence of NCDs among elder population is high. Prevention and control activities of NCDs as well as elderly health care program should be intensified. Practicing regular exercise should be promoted and strengthened.
KEYWORDS: Elders; exercise; Myanmar, NCDs, Yangon.

AbstrAct Objective The first is to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidaemia (hypercholesterolaemi... more AbstrAct Objective The first is to estimate the prevalence of dyslipidaemia (hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia, high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) level and low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level), as well as the mean levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL and HDL, in the urban and rural Yangon Region, Myanmar. The second is to investigate the association between urban-rural location and total cholesterol. Design Two cross-sectional studies using the WHO STEPS methodology. setting Both the urban and rural areas of the Yangon Region, Myanmar. Participants A total of 1370 men and women aged 25–74 years participated based on a multistage cluster sampling. Physically and mentally ill people, monks, nuns, soldiers and institutionalised people were excluded. results Compared with rural counterparts, urban dwellers had a significantly higher age-standardised prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia (50.7% vs 41.6%; p=0.042) and a low HDL level (60.6% vs 44.4%; p=0.001). No urban-rural differences were found in the prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia and high LDL. Men had a higher age-standardised prevalence of hypertriglyceridaemia than women (25.1% vs 14.8%; p<0.001), while the opposite pattern was found in the prevalence of a high LDL (11.3% vs 16.3%; p=0.018) and low HDL level (35.3% vs 70.1%; p<0.001). Compared with rural inhabitants, urban dwellers had higher age-standardised mean levels of total cholesterol (5.31 mmol/L, SE: 0.044 vs 5.05 mmol/L, 0.068; p=0.009), triglyceride (1.65 mmol/L, 0.049 vs 1.38 mmol/L, 0.078; p=0.017), LDL (3.44 mmol/L, 0.019 vs 3.16 mmol/L, 0.058; p=0.001) and lower age-standardised mean levels of HDL (1.11 mmol/L, 0.010 vs 1.25 mmol/L, 0.012; p<0.001). In linear regression, the total cholesterol was significantly associated with an urban location among men, but not among women. conclusion The mean level of total cholesterol and the prevalence of hypercholesterolaemia were alarmingly high in men and women in both the urban and rural areas of Yangon Region, Myanmar. Preventive measures to reduce cholesterol levels in the population are therefore needed.

Background: Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and little is kn... more Background: Hypertension is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and little is known about trends in prevalence, awareness, treatment and the control of hypertension in Myanmar. This study aims at evaluating changes from 2004 to 2014 in the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the Yangon Region, Myanmar, and to compare associations between hypertension and selected socio-demographic, behavioural-and metabolic risk factors in 2004 and 2014.

Background: Acute Bacterial Meningitis (ABM) is one of the most severe infectious diseases in chi... more Background: Acute Bacterial Meningitis (ABM) is one of the most severe infectious diseases in childhood. The global burden of the disease is high. Various factors that determine the outcome of the diseases are age, early diagnosis, early treatment, duration of treatment and type of microorganism. This study aimed to describe clinical and bacteriological profile of ABM and to correlate the WHO prognostic scoring scale and outcome of children with ABM.

ABSTRACT Background: Slums can be regarded as physical manifestations of urban poverty. Although ... more ABSTRACT
Background: Slums can be regarded as physical manifestations of urban poverty. Although the world has made dramatic improvement in reducing poverty since 1990, poverty still persists at an unacceptable level. Although current situations highlights the importance of slum areas to be given priority in poverty alleviation, there are limited data on poverty level among people living in urban slums of Myanmar.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among households living in slum areas of Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon City, Myanmar during 2016. Multi-staged systematic random sampling and face-to-face interview were applied in selecting the samples and collecting the data, respectively. The new global poverty line (1.9 USD per person per day) was used as a threshold in determining the poverty. Chi-squared test and multivariate logistic regression analysis were utilized in data analysis.
Results: Altogether 254 participants were recruited after getting informed consent. The occurrence of poverty among households was 54.3% (95% CI: 48.2%, 60.5%). Head counts of poverty among study population was 58.8%. The education status of household’s head, size of household and the presence of less than 15 years old children in the household were detected as significant determinants of being poor household.
Conclusions: Poverty among households living in slum area of Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon City was high. Measures to alleviate poverty in urban slums should be intensified. Education level of household’s heads should be improved. Family planning or birth spacing programme should also be strengthened, especially in urban slums.
Keywords: Myanmar, Poverty, Slum, Yangon

Background: Health literacy has been increasingly recognized as one of the most important social ... more Background: Health literacy has been increasingly recognized as one of the most important social determinants for health. However, an appropriate and comprehensive assessment tool is not available in many Asian countries. This study validates a comprehensive health literacy survey tool European health literacy questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) for the general public in several Asian countries. Methods: A cross-sectional survey based on multistage random sampling in the target countries. A total of 10,024 participants aged !15 years were recruited during 2013e2014 in Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The questionnaire was translated into local languages to measure general health literacy and its three domains. To evaluate the validity of the tool in these countries, data were analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency analysis, and regression analysis. Results: The questionnaire was shown to have good construct validity, satisfactory goodness-of-fit of the data to the hypothetical model in three health literacy domains, high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha >0.90), satisfactory item-scale convergent validity (item-scale correlation !0.40), and no floor/ ceiling effects in these countries. General health literacy index score was significantly associated with level of education (P from <0.001 to 0.011) and perceived social status (P from <0.001 to 0.016), with evidence of known-group validity. Conclusions: The HLS-EU-Q47 was a satisfactory and comprehensive health literacy survey tool for use in Asia.

Abstract Background: Recent societal and political reforms in Myanmar may upturn the socio-econom... more Abstract
Background: Recent societal and political reforms in Myanmar may upturn the socio-economy and, thus,
contribute to the country’s health transition. Baseline data on urban-rural disparities in non-communicable disease
(NCD) risk factors are not thoroughly described in this country which has been relatively closed for more than five
decades. We aim to investigate urban-rural differences in mean values and the prevalence of selected behavioral
and metabolic risk factors for non-communicable diseases and 10-years risk in development of coronary heart
diseases (CHD).
Methods: Two cross-sectional studies were conducted in urban and rural areas of Yangon Region in 2013 and 2014
respectively, using the WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance of risk factors of NCDs. Through a multi-stage
cluster sampling method, 1486 participants were recruited.
Results: Age-standardized prevalence of the behavioral risk factors tended to be higher in the rural than urban
areas for all included factors and significantly higher for alcohol drinking (19.9% vs. 13.9%; p = 0.040) and low fruit &
vegetable consumption (96.7% vs. 85.1%; p = 0.001). For the metabolic risk factors, the tendency was opposite, with
higher age-standardized prevalence estimates in urban than rural areas, significantly for overweight and obesity
combined (40.9% vs. 31.2%; p = 0.023), obesity (12.3% vs.7.7%; p = 0.019) and diabetes (17.2% vs. 9.2%; p = 0.024). In
sub-group analysis by gender, the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia were significantly
higher in urban than rural areas among males, 61.8% vs. 40.4%; p = 0.002 and 31.4% vs. 20.7%; p = 0.009, respectively.
Mean values of age-standardized metabolic parameters showed higher values in urban than rural areas for both male
and female. Based on WHO age-standardized Framingham risk scores, 33.0% (95% CI = 31.7–34.4) of urban dwellers
and 27.0% (95% CI = 23.5–30.8) of rural dwellers had a moderate to high risk of developing CHD in the next 10 years.
Conclusion: The metabolic risk factors, as well as a moderate or high ten-year risk of CHD were more common among
urban residents whereas behavioral risk factors levels were higher in among the rural people of Yangon Region. The
high prevalences of NCD risk factors in both urban and rural areas call for preventive measures to reduce the future risk
of NCDs in Myanmar.
Keywords: Risk factors, Non-communicable diseases, Urban-rural differences, Yangon, Myanmar

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), malaria and tuberculosis dominate the disease patte... more Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), malaria and tuberculosis dominate the disease pattern in Myanmar. Due to urbanization, westernized lifestyle and economic development, it is likely that NCDs such as cerebrovascular disease and ischemic heart disease are on a rise. The leading behavioral-and metabolic NCDs risk factors are tobacco smoke, dietary risks and alcohol use, and high blood pressure and body mass index, respectively. The study aimed at estimating the prevalence and determinants of hypertension, including metabolic-, behavioral-and socio-demographic risk factors. Methods: A nationwide, cross-sectional study of 7429 citizens of Myanmar aged 15–64 years were examined in 2009, using the WHO STEPS methodology. In separate analyses by gender, odds radios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for determinants of hypertension were estimated using logistic regression analyses. Confounders included in analyses were chosen based on Directed acyclic graphs (DAGs).

Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is important for both maternal and fetal health. Pregnant women ... more Background: Antenatal care (ANC) is important for both maternal and fetal health. Pregnant women with late initiation of ANC are more likely to attain poor outcomes of pregnancy. Little is known about the magnitude of receiving late ANC among pregnant women in Myanmar. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of late initiation of ANC and its determinants among pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at Pyin-Oo-Lwin General Hospital, Mandalay region during 2014.
Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted. Altogether 333 pregnant women were included in the study. Data were collected through face-to-face interview after getting informed consent from the respondents.
Results: The prevalence of late initiation of ANC was 56.2% (95% CI: 50.6%, 61.6%). Univariate analysis revealed that residence; education and occupation of pregnant woman, husband’s occupation, gravidity, parity and being planned pregnancy were significantly related to late initiation of ANC. Based on the results of multivariate logistic regression analysis, residence, education of pregnant woman, occupation of husband, parity and being planned pregnancy were identified as significant determinants of receiving late ANC.
Conclusions: Late ANC attendance is high in the study area. Hence, it is important to provide health education on the timing of ANC among women with reproductive age. Community’s awareness on importance of receiving early ANC also needs to be promoted. Family planning program (i.e., birth-spacing in Myanmar) should be enhanced to prevent unplanned pregnancies.
Key words: Antenatal care, Late antenatal care, Late initiation, Mandalay, Myanmar

Peltzer et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2016) 13(3):150-155 Abstract Background: The... more Peltzer et al., Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med. (2016) 13(3):150-155 Abstract Background: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and associated factors of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine's (TCAM) use of chronic disease patients in a community setting in Myanmar. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional community survey was conducted in the Kyauk Tan Township with the International Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (I-CAM-Q). Results: Of the 1600 participants in the survey, the overall prevalence of any TCAM use (providers, products or self-care) was 95.1% (TCAM provider= 14.6%, TCAM products=65.0%, and self-help TCAM=86.2%) in the past 12 months. For all different types of TCAM providers, TCAM products and self-help TCAM more than 90% of participants perceived the TCAM as very or somewhat helpful. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, older age, no formal education, rural residence and having two or more chronic conditions were associated with any TCAM use. Conclusions: TCAM use, especially TCAM products and self-help TCAM, seem to be common in Myanmar.

One Health Bulletin, 2021

EJPMR, 2021

IJCMPH, 2021

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, 2021

WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE HEALTHCARE RESEARCH, 2021

Asian Journal of Research in Infectious Diseases, 2020

Asia Pacific Journal of Health Sciences & Research, 2019

Health Literacy Research and Practice (HLRP), 2019

Oral presentation in BMICTM (BRTMA-Malaysia International Congress on Tropical Medicine), 2019

Background In Myanmar, routine immunization coverage among children is still at unsatisfactory... more Background

In Myanmar, routine immunization coverage among children is still at unsatisfactory level. The country needs to monitor the complete immunization coverage along with knowledge and attitude of caregivers on routine immunization. This study aimed to determine the complete immunization coverage among 18 to 24 months old children living in Mon State, Myanmar.

Material and Methods

A cross-sectional study was done in Mon State during 2017. Altogether 353 caregivers who had 18 to 24 months old children were selected using multistage random sampling. Structured questionnaires was used in data collection. Chi-square test was used in data analysis.

Results

Most of the caregivers were mothers (86.1%). Among 353 children, 293 (83% [95% CI: 79.1 to 86.9]) had been immunized completely. Majority of caregivers had good levels of knowledge (77.1%) and attitude (71.4%) towards routine immunization. Some children (17.6%) had minor untoward events after immunization such as fever and pain & redness at the site of vaccination. The present study identified that caregivers’ knowledge (p < 0.001) and attitude (p = 0.001) towards immunization, and the occurrence of untoward events after previous immunization session (p < 0.001) were significantly related to the status of complete immunization coverage.

Conclusion

Complete immunization coverage among children living in Mon State should be improved. Health education campaign should be reinforced or strengthened in order to enhance caregivers’ knowledge and attitude towards immunization. The occurrence of untoward events after immunization should also be solved and thoroughly explained to the caregivers.

Keywords (Complete immunization status, immunization coverage, Mon, Myanmar)

Introduction: There are limited data on poverty level and its relationship to consumption of toba... more Introduction: There are limited data on poverty level and its relationship to consumption of tobacco and alcohol among people living in urban slums of Myanmar. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the effect of tobacco and/or alcohol consumption on poverty among urban slum-dwellers. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among households living in slum areas of Hlaing Tharyar Township, Yangon City during 2016. Multi-staged systematic random sampling and face-to-face interview were applied in selecting the samples and collecting the data, respectively. The new global poverty line (1.9 USD per person per day) was used as a threshold in determining the poverty. Chi-squared test was utilized in data analysis. Results: Altogether 254 household-heads were recruited. The occurrence of poverty among households was 54.3%. This occurrence was higher among households whose member(s) was/were consuming tobacco (56.1% versus 37.5%) or alcohol (59.7% versus 52.2%) or both (59.7% versus 37.5%). The occurrence of poverty could be reduced by 53.0%, 26.4% and 59.5% if the consumption of tobacco or alcohol or both would be avoided among household-members, respectively. The average monthly expenditures on tobacco or alcohol or both by a household with a positive history of consuming these products among its member(s) were 21317, 21344 and 44995 MMKs, respectively.

1. Salovey P and Mayer JD. Emotional Intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality. 1989-9... more 1. Salovey P and Mayer JD. Emotional Intelligence. Imagination, Cognition and Personality. 1989-90: vol9(3): p185-211. 2. Gardner H. Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Northern Illinois University, Faculty Development and Instructional Design Center. 2010: p1-9. 815.753.0595. http://www.niu.edu/facdev/resources/guide/learning/howard_gardner_theory_multiple_intelligences.pdf. 3. Gryll, SL and Katahn M. Situational factors contributing to the placebos effect. Psychopharmacology, 1978: 57: p253-261.

Cross-sectional design in Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, and Vietnam •Multista... more Cross-sectional design in Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, and Vietnam
•Multistage stratification random sampling
•The HLS-EU-Q47, 47 items to measure health literacy, 4-point Likert scales (1= very difficult, 2= difficult, 3= easy, and 4= very easy)
•Overall 10,024 participants aged 15 years and above
•Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test construct validity
•good fit of the data to the hypothetical model for the three domains