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Fulltext Addressing the COVID-19 Shock: The Potential Job Creation in China by the RCEP

Wu X, Yong CC, Lee ST

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Nov 25;19(23).
PMID: 36497744 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315669

In 2020, coronavirus disease (COVID-19) left around 81% of the global workforce, nearly 2.7 billion workers, affected. Employment in China was the first to be hit by COVID-19. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is expected to bring dynamism to China's employment market in an era of long COVID-19. This study aims to examine the number of sectoral jobs that the RCEP will create in China, with the number of skilled or unskilled labour employed in each sector. The exogenous shocks to the RCEP can be reflected in the number of jobs created through multipliers based on a social accounting matrix compiled from China's input-output tables in 2017, combined with the employment satellite accounts compiled. The results show that the RCEP is expected to create over 17 million potential jobs in China, with unskilled labour accounting for 10.44 million and skilled labour for 6.77 million. It is even expected that there will be job losses in the metalworking machinery sector. The contribution of this paper can serve as a reference for policies to protect vulnerable sectors, further open up trade markets and strengthen cooperation among RCEP members as important measures to address the employment impact of long COVID-19.
Fulltext Maternal and Dietary Factors Are Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Women with a Previous History of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus

Hasbullah FY, Mohd Yusof BN, Abdul Ghani R, Mat Daud Z', Appannah G, Abas F, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 14;19(24).
PMID: 36554678 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416797

While it is known that women with a previous history of gestational diabetes mellitus (post-GDM) have a higher risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS), evidence of lifestyle practices from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is still scarce. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with MetS in women post-GDM. This cross-sectional study involved 157 women post-GDM (mean age 34.8 ± 5.6 years) sampled from Selangor, Malaysia. We collected data on sociodemographic characteristics and obstetric history. Food intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and dietary patterns were derived from principal component analysis. MetS was diagnosed according to the 2009 Harmonized criteria. The prevalence of MetS in this study was 22.3%. Western dietary pattern consumption was correlated with MetS, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and triglyceride levels. Independent factors associated with MetS were lower education level (odds ratio, OR 4.017, p = 0.007), pre-pregnancy BMI (OR 1.192, p = 0.002), and Caesarean delivery (OR 3.798, p = 0.009). The study identified the maternal and dietary factors associated with MetS in women post-GDM in Malaysia. Community-based interventions that include dietary modification are warranted to prevent MetS and its complications, thus helping to reduce the overall disease burden.
Fulltext Validation of the Malay Oral Impacts on Daily Performances and Evaluation of Oral Health-Related Quality of Life in a Multi-Ethnic Urban Malaysian Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Lim FY, Goo CL, Leung WK, Goh V

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 16;19(24).
PMID: 36554823 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416944

Oral Impacts on Daily Performances (OIDP) can be used as a generic or condition-specific oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) instrument. It offers different contexts on how dental conditions affect OHRQoL. This cross-sectional study aimed to validate a newly translated Malay OIDP (OIDP-M), compare OHRQoL, decayed, missing, or filled teeth (DMFT) in Malaysians, and investigate factors associated with OHRQoL. A total of 368 Malaysians were surveyed and examined for DMFT. Short-form oral health impact profile-Malaysia [S-OHIP(M)] and OIDP-M were used to measure OHRQoL. The OIDP-M was tested for reliability and validity. DMFT, S-OHIP(M), and OIDP-M between ethnicities were compared. Associations between ethnicity, DMFT, S-OHIP(M), and OIDP-M of Malays and Chinese were evaluated through partial correlation. Malays and Chinese had more filled teeth and DMFT compared with Indians. Malays reported worse OHRQoL through S-OHIP(M). Decayed teeth were positively associated with S-OHIP(M), physical, psychological, social disabilities, and handicap. For OIDP-M, decayed teeth were positively associated with OIDP-M, working, and sleeping. Missing teeth and ethnicity were positively associated with eating and speaking. Filled teeth were negatively associated with cleaning teeth. The OIDP-M was reliable and valid for evaluating OHRQoL. There were differences in DMFT and OHRQoL between ethnicities. Ethnicity affects OHRQoL, where Malays experienced worse OHRQoL due to dental problems.
Fulltext Forecasting HFMD Cases Using Weather Variables and Google Search Queries in Sabah, Malaysia

Jayaraj VJ, Hoe VCW

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 15;19(24).
PMID: 36554768 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416880

HFMD is a viral-mediated infectious illness of increasing public health importance. This study aimed to develop a forecasting tool utilizing climatic predictors and internet search queries for informing preventive strategies in Sabah, Malaysia. HFMD case data from the Sabah State Health Department, climatic predictors from the Malaysia Meteorological Department, and Google search trends from the Google trends platform between the years 2010-2018 were utilized. Cross-correlations were estimated in building a seasonal auto-regressive moving average (SARIMA) model with external regressors, directed by measuring the model fit. The selected variables were then validated using test data utilizing validation metrics such as the mean average percentage error (MAPE). Google search trends evinced moderate positive correlations to the HFMD cases (r0-6weeks: 0.47-0.56), with temperature revealing weaker positive correlations (r0-3weeks: 0.17-0.22), with the association being most intense at 0-1 weeks. The SARIMA model, with regressors of mean temperature at lag 0 and Google search trends at lag 1, was the best-performing model. It provided the most stable predictions across the four-week period and produced the most accurate predictions two weeks in advance (RMSE = 18.77, MAPE = 0.242). Trajectorial forecasting oscillations of the model are stable up to four weeks in advance, with accuracy being the highest two weeks prior, suggesting its possible usefulness in outbreak preparedness.
Fulltext The Impact of Social Media on Employee Mental Health and Behavior Based on the Context of Intelligence-Driven Digital Data

Zhou R, Luo Z, Zhong S, Zhang X, Liu Y

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 17;19(24).
PMID: 36554845 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416965

With the rapid development and widespread popularity of the Internet, employee social media use at work has become an increasingly common phenomenon in organizations. This paper analyzes 105 related papers from the Social Science Citation Index in Web of Science through Scoping Review to clarify the definition and characteristics of employee social media use and the types of social media and summarizes the current research methods. Then, the reasons for employees' willingness and refusal to use social media and the positive and negative effects of employee social media use on employees' work attitudes, behaviors, and performance are discussed. Then, the mediating variables, moderating variables, and theoretical frameworks used in the relevant studies are described, and a comprehensive model of employee social media use is constructed. Finally, this paper indicates future research directions based on the latest research results in 2020-2022, i.e., improving research methods, increasing antecedent studies, expanding consequence research, and expanding mediating variables, moderating variables, and theoretical perspectives.
Fulltext Transformation of Children's Paintings into Public Art to Improve Public Spaces and Enhance People's Happiness

Luo N, Ibrahim R, Abidin SZ

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 14;19(24).
PMID: 36554658 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416780

Characteristics of children's paintings have been suggested considered for application in public art since they are known to positively evoke a sense of well-being when people see them. This study aims to understand the impact of artistic features from children's drawings on people's well-being; then analyzing the adaptive design principles of 3D public art featuring children's paintings on people's happiness; and finally, exploring the influence of 3D public art featuring children's paintings on improving public spaces and enhancing people's well-being. The results lead to proposing a conceptual framework for public artworks in public spaces for improving people's happiness. The proposed conceptual framework recommends that, by applying the visual and thinking features of children's paintings to public art, artists can design high-quality artworks suitable for a city, which could improve people's happiness in public spaces. This study recommends further research into how public art can promote public spaces and shape the urban culture. It contributes to enhancing the quality of public art and public spaces, and inspiring a sense of well-being among citizens through the use of appropriate public art. The results are significant because they will help artists to create more high-quality public artworks for urban public spaces in order to evoke people's happiness.
Fulltext Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Female Sexual Function Index and Female Behavioral Changes: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study in Thailand

Narkkul U, Jiet Ng J, Saraluck A

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Nov 23;19(23).
PMID: 36497640 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315565

Sexual health alterations are associated with disasters. Consequently, the COVID-19 pandemic may affect female sexual function. This study aimed to determine the COVID-19 pandemic effect on female sexual function and to know the risk of female sexual dysfunction. This online, cross-sectional, observational research was conducted during the pandemic period. A logistic regression model was used to investigate the associations between outcomes and potential risk factors. In total, 432 sexually active women participating in the region affected by the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed. The overall findings of our study are that 60 percent of females were at risk for female sexual dysfunction. The average FSFI score was 21.27 ± 7.17. Comparing female sexual behavior before and during the COVID-19 pandemic reveals a significant decrease in the frequency of having sex per week, foreplay duration, and coital duration. In the multivariate analysis, the factors associated with the development of RFSD are age greater than 45 years (adjusted odds ratios (AOR) 15.09, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.67-62.07), body mass index (BMI) greater than 25 (AOR 3.26, 95%CI 1.23-8.67), jobs as a healthcare provider (AOR 8.45, 95%CI 3.66-19.53), previous COVID-19 infection within the previous three months (AOR 36.81, 95%CI 10.93-123.98), and screened-positive anxiety (AOR 13.07, 95%CI 4.75-35.94). COVID-19 influences female sexual behavior and may increase the risk of sexual dysfunction in women. Concern for the effects of female sexual quality of life in high-risk individuals is essential.
Fulltext COVID-19 Vehicle Based on an Efficient Mutual Authentication Scheme for 5G-Enabled Vehicular Fog Computing

Al-Shareeda MA, Manickam S

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Nov 24;19(23).
PMID: 36497709 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192315618

The COVID-19 pandemic is currently having disastrous effects on every part of human life everywhere in the world. There have been terrible losses for the entire human race in all nations and areas. It is crucial to take good precautions and prevent COVID-19 because of its high infectiousness and fatality rate. One of the key spreading routes has been identified to be transportation systems. Therefore, improving infection tracking and healthcare monitoring for high-mobility transportation systems is impractical for pandemic control. In order to enhance driving enjoyment and road safety, 5G-enabled vehicular fog computing may gather and interpret pertinent vehicle data, which open the door to non-contact autonomous healthcare monitoring. Due to the urgent need to contain the automotive pandemic, this paper proposes a COVID-19 vehicle based on an efficient mutual authentication scheme for 5G-enabled vehicular fog computing. The proposed scheme consists of two different aspects of the special flag, SF = 0 and SF = 1, denoting normal and COVID-19 vehicles, respectively. The proposed scheme satisfies privacy and security requirements as well as achieves COVID-19 and healthcare solutions. Finally, the performance evaluation section shows that the proposed scheme is more efficient in terms of communication and computation costs as compared to most recent related works.
Fulltext Management of Traumatic and Non-Traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea-Experience from Three Southeast Asian Countries

Zahedi FD, Subramaniam S, Kasemsiri P, Periasamy C, Abdullah B

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Oct 25;19(21).
PMID: 36360727 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113847

BACKGROUND: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea requires proper management to avoid disastrous consequences. The objectives of this study were to ascertain the patient characteristics, etiologies, sites of defect, skull base configurations, methods of investigation, and management outcomes of CSF rhinorrhea.
METHODS: A retrospective study was performed over 4 years involving three surgeons from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Hospital records were reviewed to determine the patients' characteristics, the causes and sites of leaks, methods of investigation, skull base configurations, choices of treatment, and outcomes.
RESULTS: A total of 15 cases (7 traumatic and 8 non-traumatic) were included. Imaging was performed in all cases. The most common site of leakage was the cribriform plate (9/15 cases). The mean ± SD of the Keros heights were 4.43 ± 1.66 (right) and 4.21 ± 1.76 mm (left). Type II Keros was the most common (60%). The mean ± SD angles of the cribriform plate slope were 51.91 ± 13.43 degrees (right) and 63.54 ± 12.64 degrees (left). A class II Gera configuration was the most common (80%). All except two patients were treated with endonasal endoscopic surgical repair, with a success rate of 92.3%. A multilayered repair technique was used in all patients except one. The mean ± SD postoperative hospital stay was 9.07 ± 6.17 days.
CONCLUSIONS: Non-traumatic CSF rhinorrhea outnumbered traumatic CSF rhinorrhea, with the most common site of leak at the cribriform plate. Imaging plays an important role in investigation, and Gera classification appears to be better than Keros classification for evaluating risk. Both conservative and surgical repairs are practiced with successful outcomes. Endonasal endoscopic CSF leak repair is the mainstay treatment.
Fulltext Occupational Injury Risk Mitigation: Machine Learning Approach and Feature Optimization for Smart Workplace Surveillance

Khairuddin MZF, Lu Hui P, Hasikin K, Abd Razak NA, Lai KW, Mohd Saudi AS, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Oct 27;19(21).
PMID: 36360843 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113962

Forecasting the severity of occupational injuries shall be all industries' top priority. The use of machine learning is theoretically valuable to assist the predictive analysis, thus, this study attempts to propose a feature-optimized predictive model for anticipating occupational injury severity. A public database of 66,405 occupational injury records from OSHA is analyzed using five sets of machine learning models: Support Vector Machine, K-Nearest Neighbors, Naïve Bayes, Decision Tree, and Random Forest. For model comparison, Random Forest outperformed other models with higher accuracy and F1-score. Therefore, it highlighted the potential of ensemble learning as a more accurate prediction model in the field of occupational injury. In constructing the model, this study also proposed the feature optimization technique that revealed the three most important features; 'nature of injury', 'type of event', and 'affected body part' in developing model. The accuracy of the Random Forest model was improved by 0.5% or 0.895 and 0.954 for the prediction of hospitalization and amputation, respectively by redeveloping and optimizing the model with hyperparameter tuning. The feature optimization is essential in providing insight knowledge to the Safety and Health Practitioners for future injury corrective and preventive strategies. This study has shown promising potential for smart workplace surveillance.
Fulltext QFD-Based Research on Sustainable User Experience Optimization Design of Smart Home Products for the Elderly: A Case Study of Smart Refrigerators

Li Y, Ghazilla RAR, Abdul-Rashid SH

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Oct 22;19(21).
PMID: 36360620 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113742

In the current situation of global aging, the current market shortage of age-appropriate smart home products and the recent epidemic have led to greater isolation of the elderly, seriously affecting their physical and mental health. In order to optimize the sustainable user experience of the elderly when using smart home products, this paper proposes a research method based on Quality Function Deployment (QFD) for the optimal design of user experience of smart home products for the elderly, taking the design of age-appropriate home smart refrigerators as an example. Firstly, based on the results of market research and user interviews, the requirements of smart refrigerators for the elderly are screened and integrated, and the Kano model is used to prioritize these needs, resulting in the identification of important features needed in smart refrigerators for the elderly. Secondly, based on QFD, user requirements are transformed into design requirements, and a quality house model is established to ascertain the degree of importance of each design requirement through user ratings so as to obtain the key requirements as the theoretical basis for the solution design. Finally, optional solutions are generated for concept evaluation based on PUGH concept selection, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of the solutions and recombining them into an evaluation to determine the best solution. The quantitative evaluation of the four solutions reveals that Solution A has the highest score of 117.358, followed by Solution D with 113.259, Solution B with 96.415, and Solution C with 85.511, which is the lowest. The scoring allows the best design solution to be selected and applied to product development. The results show that the introduction of the Kano model and PUGH concept selection into QFD can be effectively used as a research method for optimizing the user experience of smart refrigerators for the elderly, and a corresponding design strategy for sustainable user experience optimization is proposed. The method and strategy provide guidance for the innovative design of new smart home products.
Fulltext Modification of Clinoptilolite as a Robust Adsorbent for Highly-Efficient Removal of Thorium (IV) from Aqueous Solutions

Alotaibi AM, Ismail AF

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Oct 23;19(21).
PMID: 36360653 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192113774

The natural zeolite has been modified with sulphate and phosphate. The adsorption of thorium from the aqueous solutions by using the natural and modified zeolites has been investigated via a batch method. The adsorbent samples were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption (BET), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Modification of natural zeolite with sulphate and phosphate was found to increase its adsorption capacity of thorium but reduced its specific surface area (SBET). The adsorption experiments were expressed by Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevitch (D-R) isotherm models and the results of adsorption demonstrated that the adsorption of thorium onto the natural and modified zeolites correlated better with the Langmuir isotherm model than with the Freundlich isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity (Qo) was determined using the Langmuir isotherm model at 25 °C and was found to be 17.27, 13.83, and 10.21 mg/g for phosphate-modified zeolite, sulfate-modified zeolite, and natural zeolite, respectively. The findings of this study indicate that phosphate-modified zeolite can be utilized as an effective and low-cost adsorbent material for the removal of thorium from aqueous solutions.
Fulltext Development and Validation of a New Gadget Addiction Scale (Screen Dependency Scale) among Pre-School Children in Malaysia

Abdul Hadi A, Roslan SR, Mohammad Aidid E, Abdullah N, Musa R

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Dec 16;19(24).
PMID: 36554796 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192416916

BACKGROUND: Excessive screen time in young children is associated with many harmful consequences including screen dependency. Research has shown a worrying prevalence of media-related dependency among adolescents and pre-school children. There are a few available questionnaires among adolescents but none for pre-school children. This study aimed to design and validate a questionnaire to assess screen dependency among pre-school children aged 4 to 6 years old.
METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional two-phase study was carried out to develop the scale. In phase 1, a preliminary parent-report measure questionnaire was developed in Bahasa Malaysia. Later, it was sent to four experts for content validity followed by face validity. In Phase 2, a total of 386 parents of pre-school children aged 4 to 6 years old, split into two samples, were involved in the field study for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
RESULT: Sample 1 was used to perform EFA to determine the factorial structure of the SDS. All items with a factor loading of >0.4 were included. Sample 2 was used to perform the CFA. RMSEA and CFI analysis showed that the SDS has a good fit and confirms the dimensional structure found via EFA. The final questionnaire consists of 15 items with a 4 factors' structure and has excellent internal consistency reliability.
CONCLUSIONS: The Screen Dependency Scale (SDS) is a reliable and valid questionnaire to detect screen dependency among pre-school children aged 4 to 6 years old in Malaysia.
Fulltext Prognostic Factor of Lower Limb Amputation among Diabetic Foot Ulcer Patients in North-East Peninsular Malaysia

Rosedi A, Hairon SM, Abdullah NH, Yaacob NA

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Oct 31;19(21).
PMID: 36361092 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192114212

Lower limb amputation (LLA) is a common complication of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), which can lead to a higher 5-year mortality rate compared to all cancers combined. This study aimed to determine the prognostic factors of LLA among DFU patients in Kelantan from 2014 to 2018. A population-based study was conducted using secondary data obtained from the National Diabetic Registry (NDR). There were 362 cases that fulfilled the study criteria and were further analysed. The prognostic factors were determined by Multiple Cox Proportional Hazards Regression. There were 66 (18.2%) DFU patients who underwent LLA in this study, while 296 (81.8%) were censored. The results revealed that the factor leading to a higher risk of LLA was abnormal HDL-cholesterol levels (Adj. HR 2.18; 95% CI: 1.21, 3.92). Factors that led to a lower risk of LLA include DFU in patients aged 60 or more (Adj. HR 0.48; 95% CI: 0.27, 0.89) and obesity (Adj. HR 0.45; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.89). In conclusion, our model showed that abnormal HDL cholesterol was associated with a 2 times higher risk of LLA when adjusted for age and BMI. Any paradoxical phenomena should be addressed carefully to avoid wrong clinical decision making that can harm the patient.
Fulltext Mistreatment of Women during Childbirth and Associated Factors in Northern West Bank, Palestine

Dwekat IMM, Ismail TAT, Ibrahim MI, Ghrayeb F, Abbas E

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Oct 13;19(20).
PMID: 36293759 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013180

Mistreatment of women during childbirth is a clear breach of women's rights during childbirth. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of mistreatment of women during childbirth in the north of West Bank, Palestine. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 269 women within the first 16 weeks of their last vaginal childbirth to understand the childbirth events by using proportionate stratified random sampling. An Arabic valid questionnaire was used as a study instrument. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the factors associated with each type of mistreatment. The mean age of the women was 26.5 (SD 4.77) years. The overall prevalence of mistreatment was 97.8%. There were six types of mistreatment. Nine factors were significantly associated with the occurrence of one or more types of mistreatment. Delivery at a public childbirth facility was associated with all of the six types (aAdjOR: 2.17-16.77; p-values < 0.001-0.013). Women who lived in villages (aAdjOR 2.33; p-value = 0.047), had low education (aAdjOR 5.09; p-value = 0.004), underwent induction of labour (aAdjOR 3.03; p-value = 0.001), had a long duration of labour (aAdjOR 1.10; p-value = 0.011), did not receive pain killers (aAdjOR: 2.18-3.63; p-values = 0.010-0.020), or had an episiotomy or tear (aAdjOR 5.98; p-value < 0.001) were more likely to experience one or more types of mistreatment. With every one-hour increase in the duration of labor, women were 1.099 times more likely to experience a failure to meet the professional standard of care. Women were less likely to experience mistreatment with increasing age. Women with increasing age (aAdjOR: 0.91-0.92; p-values = 0.003-0.014) and parity (aAdjOR 0.72; p-value = 0.010) were less likely to experience mistreatment. Awareness of women's fundamental rights during childbirth, making the childbirth process as normal as possible, and improving the childbirth facilities' conditions, policies, practices and working environment may decrease mistreatment occurrence.
Fulltext IoT-Based Waste Management System in Formal and Informal Public Areas in Mecca

Abdullah N, Al-Wesabi OA, Mohammed BA, Al-Mekhlafi ZG, Alazmi M, Alsaffar M, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Oct 11;19(20).
PMID: 36293647 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013066

Urban areas worldwide are in the race to become smarter, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is no exception. Many of these have envisaged a chance to establish devoted municipal access networks to assist all kinds of city administration and preserve services needing data connectivity. Organizations unanimously concentrate on sustainability issues with key features of general trends, particularly the combination of the 3Rs (reduce waste, reuse and recycle resources). This paper demonstrates how the incorporation of the Internet of Things (IoT) with data access networks, geographic information systems and combinatorial optimization can contribute to enhancing cities' administration systems. A waste-gathering approach based on supplying smart bins is introduced by using an IoT prototype embedded with sensors, which can read and convey bin volume data over the Internet. However, from another perspective, the population and residents' attitudes directly affect the control of the waste management system. The conventional waste collection system does not cover all areas in the city. It works based on a planned scheme that is implemented by the authorized organization focused on specific popular and formal areas. The conventional system cannot observe a real-time update of the bin status to recognize whether the waste level condition is 'full,' 'not full,' or 'empty.' This paper uses IoT in the container and trucks that secure the overflow and separation of waste. Waste source locations and population density influence the volume of waste generation, especially waste food, as it has the highest amount of waste generation. The open public area and the small space location problems are solved by proposing different truck sizes based on the waste type. Each container is used for one type of waste, such as food, plastic and others, and uses the optimization algorithm to calculate and find the optimal route toward the full waste container. In this work, the situations in KSA are evaluated, and relevant aspects are explored. Issues relating to the sustainability of organic waste management are conceptually analyzed. A genetic-based optimization algorithm for waste collection transportation enhances the performance of waste-gathering truck management. The selected routes based on the volume status and free spaces of the smart bins are the most effective through those obtainable towards the urgent smart bin targets. The proposed system outperforms other systems by reducing the number of locations and smart bins that have to be visited by 46% for all waste types, whereas the conventional and existing systems have to visit all locations every day, resulting in high cost and consumption time.
Fulltext Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Doses Using the Health Belief Model: A Cross-Sectional Study in Low-Middle- and High-Income Countries of the East Mediterranean Region

Ghazy RM, Abdou MS, Awaidy S, Sallam M, Elbarazi I, Youssef N, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Sep 25;19(19).
PMID: 36231447 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912136

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) booster doses decrease infection transmission and disease severity. This study aimed to assess the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine booster doses in low, middle, and high-income countries of the East Mediterranean Region (EMR) and its determinants using the health belief model (HBM). In addition, we aimed to identify the causes of booster dose rejection and the main source of information about vaccination. Using the snowball and convince sampling technique, a bilingual, self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was used to collect the data from 14 EMR countries through different social media platforms. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the key determinants that predict vaccination acceptance among respondents. Overall, 2327 participants responded to the questionnaire. In total, 1468 received compulsory doses of vaccination. Of them, 739 (50.3%) received booster doses and 387 (26.4%) were willing to get the COVID-19 vaccine booster doses. Vaccine booster dose acceptance rates in low, middle, and high-income countries were 73.4%, 67.9%, and 83.0%, respectively (p < 0.001). Participants who reported reliance on information about the COVID-19 vaccination from the Ministry of Health websites were more willing to accept booster doses (79.3% vs. 66.6%, p < 0.001). The leading causes behind booster dose rejection were the beliefs that booster doses have no benefit (48.35%) and have severe side effects (25.6%). Determinants of booster dose acceptance were age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.03, p = 0.002), information provided by the Ministry of Health (OR = 3.40, 95% CI: 1.79-6.49, p = 0.015), perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 infection (OR = 1.88, 95% CI: 1.21-2.93, p = 0.005), perceived severity of COVID-19 (OR = 2.08, 95% CI: 137-3.16, p = 0.001), and perceived risk of side effects (OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.19-0.34, p < 0.001). Booster dose acceptance in EMR is relatively high. Interventions based on HBM may provide useful directions for policymakers to enhance the population's acceptance of booster vaccination.
Fulltext Associations of Problematic Internet Use, Weight-Related Self-Stigma, and Nomophobia with Physical Activity: Findings from Mainland China, Taiwan, and Malaysia

Liu W, Chen JS, Gan WY, Poon WC, Tung SEH, Lee LJ, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Sep 25;19(19).
PMID: 36231435 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912135

Insufficient physical activity is a common problem for university students because they may engage in sedentary lifestyle owing to excessive time spent on their smartphones and social media use. This may result in problematic internet use (PIU) and nomophobia (fear of not having a mobile phone). Moreover, prior evidence shows that weight-related self-stigma is an important factor contributing to low physical activity. Therefore, the present study examined the associations between PIU, nomophobia, and physical activity among university students across mainland China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Participants (3135 mainland Chinese, 600 Taiwanese, and 622 Malaysian) completed the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS), Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMPQ), Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF). The measurement invariance of the assessed questionnaires was supported across the three regions. The present findings analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling showed that (i) greater nomophobia was associated with higher levels of physical activity, (ii) greater weight-related self-stigma was associated with higher levels of physical activity, and (iii) greater nomophobia was associated with greater weight-related self-stigma. Although the present findings suggest the possibility that experiencing some level of nomophobia or weight-related self-stigma appears to help improve physical activity, it is not recommended that these be encouraged, but reducing PIU should be targeted as a means to improve physical activity.
Fulltext Adolescent Connectedness: Testing Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Hemingway: Measure of Adolescent Connectedness-Bahasa Melayu Version (HMAC-BM)

Mohd Khatib NA, Roseliza-Murni A, Mohd Hoesni S, Manap J

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Sep 26;19(19).
PMID: 36231492 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191912189

Measuring the factors that underlie adolescent connectedness has become a prominent focused issue in past studies across many disciplines. Thus far, the Hemingway: Measure of Adolescent Connectedness (HMAC) is the first research-based measure of adolescent's relationship and sense of belonging with other people and their surroundings. The current study aimed to examine the measurement model of the Hemingway: Measure of Adolescent Connectedness which has been translated into Bahasa Melayu (HMAC-BM) in order to check for its feasibility among Malaysian adolescents. A total of 377 adolescents aged 16 years old were recruited from the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Three factors, namely connectedness to family, school, and neighbors with seven sub-factors of the HMAC-BM, were analyzed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) using the IBM SPSS Amos 23.0 (23.0, IBM Technology, Armonk, NY, USA). Results of the CFA supported the second-order factor of the HMAC-BM structures. The overall HMAC-BM scale and its subscales have higher factor loadings ranging from 0.60 to 0.79. Cronbach's alpha coefficients ranged from 0.78 to 0.95 for the three subscales and 0.84 for the total scale. Results also revealed seven sub-factors with forty-one factors-solution that accounted for 0.89% of total variance explained for adolescent connectedness. Findings provide empirical support for the feasibility of HMAC-BM in explaining Malaysian adolescents' social connectedness. Hence, the HMAC-BM is a promising measure that can be used on Malaysian adolescents. The findings have important implications which provide a clear picture of HMAC-BM as an accurate instrument to measure adolescent's social connectedness toward enhancing prosocial attitudes and well-being.
Fulltext How Internet Websites Portray Herbal Vitality Products Containing Eurycoma longifolia Jack: An Evaluation of the Quality and Risks of Online Information

Wahab MSA, Abd Hamid NN, Yassen AO, Naim MJ, Ahamad J, Zulkifli NW, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2022 Sep 20;19(19).
PMID: 36231154 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191911853

BACKGROUND: Tongkat Ali (TA) or Eurycoma longifolia is a herbal medicine (HM) plant traditionally used to treat sexual dysfunction and enhance libido in men. Websites containing information about HM are abundant. However, studies have shown that in general the quality of websites containing information on HM is low. The present study aims to assess the quality and risks of websites containing information about TA supplements and to identify the health claims for TA.
METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional study to evaluate the quality and risks of websites discussing TA supplements was conducted. Online marketing websites, research articles, news articles, personal opinions, and those restricted by password were excluded. The quality and risks of websites were assessed using a modified DISCERN tool and a set of risk assessment criteria, respectively. The health claims for TA were identified and analyzed using content analysis.
RESULTS: Overall, 321 websites met the inclusion criteria and were further evaluated. The overall rating of the quality of the websites was low, with a mean score ± standard deviation of 1.07 ± 0.51. Most websites lacked information that there may be more than one possible treatment choice and did not discuss areas of uncertainty. However, 67.9% (218/321) of the websites received a risk score of zero. A minority of websites (5/321, 1.6%) discouraged the use of conventional medicines. The most common health claims for TA included in the websites related to the enhancement of testosterone level (121/321, 37.7%), treatment of malaria (112/321, 34.9%), and improvement in libido (108/321, 33.6%).
CONCLUSIONS: Websites containing information about TA supplements generally have a low-quality rating based on a modified DISCERN tool despite having a low-risk score. Government agencies and healthcare professionals (HCPs) must be more proactive in the critique and dissemination of information relating to HM, and in ensuring the safe use of HM among the public and patients.

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