As the aging population grows worldwide, the problem of age-related health is becoming an important public health concern. Dementia is a devastating disease that places a significant physical, emotional, and financial burden on patients, their caregivers, and society. It is predicted to increase in developing countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProviding elderly mental healthcare in Myanmar is challenging due to the growing elderly population and limited health resources. To understand common mental health problems among Myanmar elderly, this study explored the prevalence and risk factors of anxiety and depression among the elderly in the Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Myanmar. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 655 elderly by face-to-face interviews with a pretested questionnaire.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: In the context of an aging population, quality of life (QOL) is an important consideration for the well-being of the elderly. However, there is limited information on the QOL of the elderly in Myanmar. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for low QOL among the elderly in urban and peri-urban areas of the Yangon Region, Myanmar.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Malnutrition among the elderly is an important health concern in Myanmar. The country is challenged by both an aging population and poor nutritional status. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition and elucidate its associated factors among the elderly in Loikaw, Myanmar.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Diagnosis by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is important for patient care. However, the geographic distribution and utilisation of these machines in countries with limited resources, such as Myanmar, have not been sufficiently studied. Therefore, this study aims to identify the geographic distribution and utilisation of CT and MRI services at public hospitals in Myanmar.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Globally, elderly population with impaired cognitive function, such as dementia, has been accelerating, and Myanmar is no exception. However, cognitive function among elderly in Myanmar has rarely been assessed. This study aimed to identify the rate of cognitive impairment and its risk factors among the elderly in Myanmar.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Globally, alcohol consumption is a significant public health concern and it is one of the most important risk behaviours among university students. Alcohol consumption can lead to poor academic performance, injuries, fights, use of other substances, and risky sexual behaviours among students. However, the study explored the prevalence of alcohol consumption and the associated risk factors among university students since these have not been fully examined in previous research.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To examine the associations of current tobacco use with tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship (TAPS), and illicit tobacco sales exposures among Myanmar high school students.
Design: A quantitative, cross-sectional study.
Setting: Seven high schools from both urban and rural areas of four states and regions in Myanmar.
Background: Ready-to-eat (RTE) food consumption has become popular in the working community with the increase in full-time jobs and the limited time to prepare food. Although RTE food is essential for this community, its consumption causes obesity. In Myanmar, obesity is a modifiable risk factor for non-communicable diseases, causing increases in morbidity and mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Cyberbullying is a global public health concern with tremendous negative impacts, not only on the physical and mental health of students but also on their well-being and academic performance. However, there are very few studies on cyberbullying among university students, especially in Myanmar. This study aims to determine the percentage of university students who suffered cyberbullying victimization in the last 12 months, and the association between students' socio-demographic characteristics, adverse events following cyberbullying and cyberbullying victimization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Human resources for health (HRH) are the cornerstone of health systems, enabling the improvement of health service coverage. The systematic fortification of healthcare in Myanmar has accelerated since a new ruling party took office. Since 2006, Myanmar has been listed as one of the 57 crisis countries facing critical health workforce shortages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Pregnancy and delivery periods offer an opportunity for counselling women to improve behavioural risk and prevent complications, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, little evidence is available on counselling offered during antenatal and postnatal care (PNC) in Myanmar. This study aimed to assess the contents of advice and information received by women during antenatal and postnatal counselling and to identify factors associated with receiving those advice and information.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMen who have sex with men (MSM) are considered to be one of the groups most at risk of contracting HIV. However, to date, information regarding MSM's sexual behaviors and the risk factors for their concurrent sexual partnerships (CSP) have not been known in Myanmar. This study aimed to identify factors associated with CSP among MSM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Myanmar is listed as one of the countries with the highest burden of tuberculosis and HIV infections (TB-HIV) in the world. However, the survival rate and risk factors for mortality among TB-HIV co-infected patients in the country remain unstudied. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine these factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Parents play critical roles in adolescents' sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and discussions between parents and adolescents on this topic are fundamental in reducing adolescents' risky sexual behaviors. However, SRH communication is a challenging issue in Myanmar due to socio-cultural taboos. This study assessed the communication barriers towards SRH issues among mothers and their adolescent girls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Methamphetamine (MA) use is a significant public health concern due to its negative effects on health. However, to date, no epidemiological research has examined high-risk sexual behaviors (inconsistent condom use, having multiple sexual partners and having a history of sexually transmitted infections) among MA users. This topic is particularly important in Myanmar, which is recognized as one of the key MA production countries in the Southeast Asia region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Globally, methamphetamine (MA) use is a significant public health concern due to unprecedented health effects of its use. However, gender similarities and differences in early age of MA initiation and its risk factors among current MA users have been understudied in a developing country setting.
Methods: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted using a computer assisted self-interviewing program from January to March 2013 in Muse, Northern Shan State, Myanmar.
Background: Sex trading is a recognized risk factor for human immune deficiency virus infection and other sexually transmitted infections among non-injecting drug users (NIDUs). However, very little research has addressed the factors associated with sex trading among male NIDUs in Myanmar.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to February 2010 using the respondent-driven sampling method.
Objective: To explore the association between high-risk fertility behaviours and the likelihood of chronic undernutrition, anaemia and the coexistence of anaemia and undernutrition among women of reproductive age.
Design: The 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, conducted from 8 July to 27 December 2011.
Setting: Selected urban and rural areas of Bangladesh.
Background: Methamphetamine (MA) use has a strong correlation with risky sexual behaviors, and thus may be triggering the growing HIV epidemic in Myanmar. Although methamphetamine use is a serious public health concern, only a few studies have examined HIV testing among young drug users. This study aimed to examine how predisposing, enabling and need factors affect HIV testing among young MA users.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: HIV testing is an effective intervention for reducing HIV risk and providing information on HIV status. However, uptake of HIV testing is a major challenge within the drug-using population due to the stigma and discrimination associated with their illegal drug use behaviours. This study thus aimed to identify factors associated with HIV testing among injecting drug users (IDUs) and non-injecting drug users (NIDUs) in Lashio, Myanmar.
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