Violence against women is a worldwide public health problem and becomes more crucial when it involves pregnant women. The primary aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of violence against pregnant women (VAPW), while the secondary aim was to identify the factors associated with violence and complications of violence during pregnancy. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in 1,200 postnatal women from March 1, 2015 through August 31, 2015 using a validated Malay Version of the WHO Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire. Data on pregnancy complications were obtained from antenatal records and discharge summaries. The prevalence of any form of VAPW was 35.9%, consisting of: any psychological (29.8%); any physical (12.9%); and any sexual (9.8%) violence. VAPW was significantly associated with: (1) women's use of drugs, having had exposure to violence during childhood, having a violence-supporting attitude, having two or more children; and (2) having partners who were smokers, alcohol drinkers, or had controlling behavior. VAPW was significantly associated with anemia, urinary tract infection, premature rupture of membranes, antepartum hemorrhage, poor weight gain during pregnancy, low birth weight, and prematurity. In conclusion, the high prevalence of violence requires further research on preventive strategies for VAPW.
BACKGROUND: Research on antepartum psychiatric morbidities investigating depressive and anxiety symptoms in expectant mothers and fathers is lacking in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of antepartum depressive, anxiety and co-occurring significant symptoms and explore the associated factors in a cross-section of Malaysian expectant mothers and fathers.
METHODS: We used cross-sectional data from a prospective cohort study of 911 expectant mothers and 587 expectant fathers during their third trimester of pregnancy, from health clinics of two states in the east and west coasts of Malaysia. The validated Malay version of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the anxiety sub-scale of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale were used to measure the depressive and anxiety symptoms. Multiple logistic regression analyses identified the determinants of antepartum depressive and anxiety symptoms (ADS and AAS).
RESULTS: Prevalence of ADS was 12.2% in expectant mothers and 8.4% in expectant fathers, while AAS was 28.8% in expectant mothers and 13.3% in expectant fathers, and co-occurring significant symptoms was 8.0% in expectant mothers and 4.0% in expectant fathers. Expectant mothers and fathers having perceived social/family support were less likely to suffer from ADS. Intimate partner violence, poor relationship with husbands, depression in earlier pregnancy and husband's depression in current pregnancy in expectant mothers, and living in rented house, sex preference for the unborn child, stressful life events and wife's depression in current pregnancy in expectant fathers were associated with a greater likelihood of ADS. The determinants for AAS were living in rented house and with parents/in-laws, poor relationship with husbands, restrictions during pregnancy and stressful life events for expectant mothers, and stressful life events and being unsupportive towards wives in household chores for expectant fathers.
CONCLUSION: Both ADS and AAS are prevalent in expectant mothers and fathers, and largely an undetected problem in Malaysia. Administration of couple-based screening and referral program during antenatal check-up should be universal practices to identify and treat the psychiatric morbidities.
Using the SRQR EQUATOR checklist, we review the gendered burdens and impacts of SARS-CoV-2. Although men are primarily detected to be slightly more vulnerable in succumbing to the ongoing COVID-19 contagion, many researchers have recognized that women are facing more of the devastating brunt in secondary terms. Aside gendered health and social impacts, women are more disproportionately disadvantaged than men in economic terms, as they are predominantly found in the part-time and informal occupations, which have been closed down for months now since the emergence of the current global crisis. Also, since women form the vast proportion of the caregivers within the health sector, their role in handling the pandemic as frontline respondents at the hospitals put them in higher risks of contracting the disease. Despite this higher risk of infection, the peculiar attentions to women's health in the planning and rolling out of actions to contain the virus have been overlooked. Additionally, their unpaid domestic care works have also increased due to closure of schools and businesses, which have forced family members to stay at home for as long as movement control orders remain in place. In this confined state, the domestic violence against women have been recorded to be on the increase. To recommend measures that consider gendered dimensions of the current crisis, we have reviewed the various sex-based burdens and impacts of the pandemic, and proceeded to suggest necessary response actions to handle the situation. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of the outbreak on women, and how the gendered flaws in the current response strategies could be avoided in managing future global crises.
Starting peace-building in early childhood is crucial as this is the best time to model a harmonious personality as well as exposure to value-based curriculum. Peace-building helps in preventing conflict and violence among peers, at home and in the community. In Malaysia, the elements of moral values such as tolerance, respect and unity are integrated across the National Preschool Curriculum in order to instill the awareness of maintaining peace and unity. This qualitative study aimed to explore the perspectives of the children, parents and teachers regarding peace and peace-building. Instruments in the form of questions were sent to various kindergarten teachers from public and private setting including those from urban and rural areas. Seven preschools responded. Interview of children, parents and teachers were conducted and transcribed through a focal point from each school and sent back to the researchers for analysis. Constant comparative method analysis was used where categories were created. Based on the analysis, children’s perception of peace is predominantly linked to love and orderliness and is within the environment they live in; whereas parents and teachers have more comprehensive and complicated views of peace which is related to harmony and tolerance in a bigger perspective. Children perceived peace-building pragmatically, to them peace-building just happened in everyday living. They perceived cleaning up, helping each other, sharing happiness, listening and cooperating as actions for peace-building. Parents and teachers understood their roles in creating peace for the young children; and unanimously agreed that they must be the role model for the children in creating peace. Parents and teachers believed that the immediate environment children live in must be harmonious, caring, and loving so that they can build up the character of their children who will love and practice peace in their own life. Methodology of peace building adopted by parents and children were mainly dialogue, negotiation and situational learning.
Introduction: Workers in health sector are exposed 5 times more workplace violence as compared to workers in other sectors. Their consequences can range from mild to severe, affecting the victim, quality of services and orga-nization. The objective is to evaluate the effectiveness of educational intervention on workplace violence among healthcare workers in health clinics. Methods: This study is a single blinded cluster randomized trial to see the ef-fectiveness of education intervention on coping with workplace violence involving 10 cluster clinics with total 82 respondents in each control and intervention group. Data was collected using pretested questionnaire at baseline, 1-month and 6-months post intervention. The analysis used were descriptive, compared mean at baseline, repeated measures of variance and Mixed Model. Results: Response rate 94% at 1-month due to loss to follow up. Majority of the respondents were female (82.3%), and Malays (83.5%). The prevalence of workplace violence was 27.4% and mostly involved psychological violence (95.6%). There were no significant different between control and interven-tion group characteristic at baseline. Repeated measures MANOVA test was conducted to test intervention effect on dependent variables. The results until 1-month time showed significant difference between intervention and control group on combination of the dependent variables over time in coping (F(1,162)=9.51, p=0.002, and η2=0.06), knowledge (F(1,162)=10.47, p=0.001, and η2=0.061) and confidence (F(1,162)=15.65, p
Introduction: Domestic violence is a serious issue that has often been overlooked by the society. It includes any physical, emotional or sexual violence that occurs between family members. Year after year, many cases of domestic violence have been reported in news and the numbers keep increasing from time to time. Experiencing this violence may give negative impacts on the victim. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of domestic violence among university students in Selangor, Malaysia and to discover its effects on their academic achievement. Methods: A cross-sectional study was implemented in a form of questionnaire that was distributed to 368 university students at Selangor, Malaysia in the period from June 2018 to December 2018. Results: Results showed that 69 respondents (18.7%) had experienced DV throughout their life; all of them suffered physical violence, 95.7% had suffered emo- tional violence while 14.5% had suffered sexual violence. Age, gender, residence, family income, institution’s type and speciality of study has no significant association with DV while, race, religion and parents’ status were signifi- cantly associated with DV. Also it was noticed that out of these 69 respondents that had experience of domestic violence, 36 of them were studying in private universities and 33 of them were studying in public universities. Most of those experienced domestic violence showed low CGPA. Conclusion: It is concluded that there is low prevalence of DV among university students in Selangor. Experiencing DV during childhood has an impact on the academic achievement of the victim in the future university life.
Introduction: Violence Against Women has increasingly been recognized in the international areas as an obstacle to women’s development and it may have a myriad of devastating consequences on women’s long or short- term health and wellbeing. The study explored the highlight the prevalence and health effects of Violence Against Women which might reflect the probable causes, the types of injuries, leading factors and consequences of the violence. Methods:Hospital based case study, which was referred to forensic department, Mandalay General Hospital from 1st Jan 2000 to 30th Sept 2000. Personal interview and medical examination of 50-100 victims, girls & women, who were phys-ically and sexually violated was done. Results: Total 92 patients were interviewed and examined, prevalence of dif-ferent age ranging from 5 to 56, were physically and sexually violated during the study period, 62 patients were phys-ically assaulted, and 30 victims were sexually violated. 20-40 age group is more commonly conflicted by physical violence 69.3%) while 10-20 age group were commonly conflicted by sexual violence (56.6%). Pattern of different types of injury and locations are also recorded as a consequence of physical assault and commonest injury is bruise (47%). Commonest location is injury over head & neck (61.8%). Relationship to perpetrator were recorded, physical assaults were commonly by spouse (39%) while sexual assaults were acquaintance (58%). Events leading to violence at home are recorded as nuclear family and alcohol consumption is more common, fights were most common events in community setting. Conclusion: Violence Against Women is neither prevalent nor uncommon in Myanmar. In this study, all forms of injuries were recorded and among them the commonest injuries were bruises, the event leading to violence recorded as fights, alcohol consumption, nuclear family was most common. Violence has a psychological impact on other members of the family, particularly children. However, a multi-sectoral approach has become a necessity to create a happy family, society and nation. It could be achieved by uplifting the socio-economic status of the family, practising the religious teachings and abiding within the framework of the laws. The Trans-National Committed should be formed to effectively minimize trafficking in women and children in the Region.
Norm enforcement may be important for resolving conflicts and promoting cooperation. However, little is known about how preferred responses to norm violations vary across cultures and across domains. In a preregistered study of 57 countries (using convenience samples of 22,863 students and non-students), we measured perceptions of the appropriateness of various responses to a violation of a cooperative norm and to atypical social behaviors. Our findings highlight both cultural universals and cultural variation. We find a universal negative relation between appropriateness ratings of norm violations and appropriateness ratings of responses in the form of confrontation, social ostracism and gossip. Moreover, we find the country variation in the appropriateness of sanctions to be consistent across different norm violations but not across different sanctions. Specifically, in those countries where use of physical confrontation and social ostracism is rated as less appropriate, gossip is rated as more appropriate.
A cross-sectional study was done to determine the prevalence of violence among 15-year-old adolescents and to identify associated protective or risk factors. The study involved 758 adolescents, 384 males and 3 74 females in the District of Kuala Terengganu and Besut, Terengganu. About 39.0% of adolescents under study were ever involved in violence. Percentage of girls were slightly higher 19.8% as compared to boys 19.2%. About 30% of the violent adolescents were from Kuala Terengganu and 9.1% from Besut. There was no significant relationship between violence and ethnic groups. Family total income above poverty line was significant protective towards violent behaviour < 0.01, OR 0.61, CI 0.45 - 0.82). Using univariate analysis, selected parental factors were protective against violence, such as good parental connection (p < 0.01), presence of parental regulation (p < 0.001), religious parents (p < 0.05) and parents who had dinner everyday with adolescents (p < 0.01, OR 0.59, CI 0.43 - 0.80). Adolescent who perceived to have interest in learning (p < 0.001, OR 0.32, CI 0.17 - 0.59) were less likely to involve in violence. Adolescent who felt well connected to their school (p < 0.01), and perceived themselves religious (P < 0.001) were more likely to be non-violent. Those who felt satisfied with day to day life were less likely to be involved in violence (p < 0.001, OR 0.52, CI 0.37 - 0.71). On the contrary, adolescents who ever had the feeling to run away from home (p < 0.001), had 3 times risk of violence, ever smoked cigarette had 2.4 times risk (p < 0.001, CI 1.55 - 3.69) ever been bullied by peers were 2.3 times risk (p < 0.001, CI 1.46 - 3.60) to violence. Same factors remained significant in multivariate analysis. Such factors were total family income below poverty line (p < 0.001, OR 1.82,CI 1.28 - 2.59), parental regulation (p < 0.05, OR 0.34, CI 0.13 - 0.89), had dinner every night and frequently (p < 0.01, OR 0. 62, CI 0.43 - 0.89), and adolescents' religiosity (p < 0.05, OR 0.81, CI 0.66 - 0.98) were protective, whereas ever· smoke cigarettes (12 < 0.01, OR 2.24,Cl 1.38 - 3.62), being bullied by peers (o < 0.01, OR 2. 09, C1 1.26 - 3.45), and frequently felt depressed previous one year (p < 0.001, OR 3.01,CI 1.79 - 5.07) were risk factors. The findings of the study will serve as baseline in planning adolescent health programme specifically to prevent violence behaviour from developing right from young, in the home and in the school environment.
Depression is usually discussed as an adult problem; however there is a need to recognize it being a significant problem for children. Rarely is depression focused on how it affects parenting and child outcomes, particularly for young children.Often women are victims of violence, and the devastating effects of depression are significant in such households. However one must not ignore, the effect depression has on parenting, where in these contexts, women themselves, become the perpetrators of violence. When mothers are not well-2 central parental functions are threatened: the ability to foster healthy relationships and to carry out the practical functions of parenting2.When this is not carried out, one sees obvious reductions in young children’s behavioral, cognitive, and social and emotional functioning. Neuroscience is clearly evident that the primary ingredient for healthy early brain development is the quality of the earliest relationships from a baby’s primary caregiver.
Five patterns of dyadic foreign conflict behavior were delineated for 1963. The first of these patterns was negative communications, which accounted for patterns, violence intensity, and warning and defensive acts, marked the general decrease in military activity from 1966 to 1963. The most militant conflict behavior in 1963 was that of China to Taiwan and Taiwan to China. There were a number of warning and defensive acts, most noteworthy being those of Indonesia to Malaysia and Malaysia to Indonesia. Negative sanctions and unofficial incidence of violence were the most stable patterns of foreign conflict behavior between 1966 to 1963, each accounting for about ten percent of foreign conflict behavior. The United States was involved in a number of sanctions directed against Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Russia, and South Vietnam. The unofficial incidents of violence occurred most frequently in the less developed, smaller nations, and were frequently directed against major world powers. The negative communication pattern characterized the primary behavior of the major world powers.
Lately, increasing workplace violence is a problem that requires serious attention by the management of the healthcare sector. This study was carried out to examine workplace violence experienced by nurses in the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre. It aimed to identify the category of nursing staff who formed the highest number of victims, the perpetrators and the common types of workplace violence. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out over a three month period on 55 nurses who had participated voluntarily in this study. The demographic data and data on the violent incident were collected by using a 21-item questionnaire. The reliability and validity with Cronbach’s alpha was 0.872. Information on the most common types of violence, victims and the perpetrators was also collected. The study revealed that workplace violence among the nursing staff was 3.7% with an average of 1.2% being abused per month and one nurse being abused every other day. The study also revealed that the staff nurses were the most common victims and the perpetrators were mainly the patients (40.6%) and the patients’ relatives (37.5%). The most common forms of violence were verbal abuse (31.9%) and verbal threat (23.7%). Physical violence was experienced by 44.4% of the victims. These results suggest that workplace violence is a serious problem which should be addressed in order to create a safe environment for the nurses.
Background: Little is known about the health of GMS commercial fishers and seafarers, many of whom are migrants and some trafficked. This systematic review summarizes evidence on occupational, physical, sexual and mental health and violence among GMS commercial fishers/seafarers.
Methods: We searched 5 electronic databases and purposively searched grey literature. Quantitative or qualitative studies reporting prevalence or risk of relevant outcomes were included. Two reviewers independently screened articles. Data were extracted on nationality and long/short-haul fishing where available.
Results: We identified 33 eligible papers from 27 studies. Trafficked fishers/seafarers were included in n=12/13 grey literature and n=1/20 peer-reviewed papers. Among peer-reviewed papers: 11 focused on HIV/AIDS/sexual health; nine on occupational/physical health; one study included mental health of trafficked fishers. Violence was quantitatively measured in eight papers with prevalence of: 11-26% in port convenience samples; 68-100% in post-trafficking service samples. Commercial fishers/seafarers whether trafficked or not worked extremely long hours; trafficked long-haul fishers had very limited access to care following injuries or illness. Lesser-known risks reported among fishers included penile oil injections and beriberi. We found just one work safety intervention study and inconclusive evidence for differences in the outcomes by nationality. Findings are limited by methodological weaknesses of primary studies.
Conclusion: Results show an absence of high-quality epidemiological studies beyond sexual health. Formative and pilot intervention research on occupational, physical and mental health among GMS commercial fishers and seafarers is needed. Future studies should include questions about violence and exploitation. Ethical and reporting standards of grey literature should be improved.
Background: Childhood maltreatment is a global problem, for which the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) has developed the Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child, Home Version (ICAST-CH) to obtain data concerning childhood maltreatment. The study aimed to translate the English version of the ICAST-CH into the Malay language and to assess its reliability and validity.
Methods: The original English version of the ICAST-CH was first translated into the Malay language. Its content and face validity were tested among five independent individuals. A cross-sectional study using the Malay version (ICAST-CH-M) was then conducted with 255 students in a secondary school in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. The data collected was used to examine the instrument's internal consistency and construct validity. The best ICAST-CH-M model was achieved after varimax rotation application.
Results: The analysis showed that the Malay version of the ICAST-CH had satisfactory internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.59-0.77. The exploratory factor analysis confirmed the validity of the underlying constructs into five domains in the Malay version, but they had to be re-classified as 'physical and psychological abuse', 'neglect', 'sexual abuse', 'exposure to domestic violence' and 'exposure to community violence'.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that the ICAST-CH-M is satisfactorily reliable and valid for measuring child maltreatment in Malaysia.
Physical fighting among adolescents is one manifestation of interpersonal violence that is an important issue globally, but attention to this problem in Malaysia has been limited. We analyzed data available from the Malaysia Global School-Based Health Survey conducted in 2012. Of the 25 507 respondents, 27.4% reported having been in a physical fight in the past 12 months. Being bullied (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.01; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.67-3.39) was significantly and highly associated with involvement in physical fighting. Smoking (aOR = 2.56; 95% CI = 2.20-2.97), males (aOR = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.62-1.93), using drugs (aOR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.09-2.15), and drinking alcohol (aOR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.24-1.63) were other factors associated with physical fighting. Parental supervision showed no significant association with physical fighting. These findings indicate that more attention needs to be given to bullying at school by school authorities and parents.
Study name: Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS)
There is little doubt that family factors can influence involvement in delinquency, although the full nature and extent of their influences remain unclear. In recent decades, testosterone has been increasingly implicated as a contributor to adolescent offending. The present study sought to determine whether two important types of familial factors--parental socioeconomic status and amicable parent-child relationships--are interacting with testosterone (and possibly other androgens) to affect delinquency. A large sample of North American college students self-reported their involvement in eight categories of delinquency along with self-ratings of various androgen-promoted traits (e.g., muscularity and low-deep voice), parental social status, and the quality of the relationships they had with parents. In both sexes, parent-child relationships and androgens were significantly associated with delinquency but parental social status was not. Factor analysis revealed that the authors' measures of all four categories of variables exhibited strong loadings onto their respective factors. Androgens and amicable parent-child relationships were associated with delinquency but parental social status was not. About one third of the influence of parent-child relationships on delinquency appeared to be attributable to androgens. Findings are discussed from the perspective of the evolutionary neuroandrogenic theory of delinquent and criminal behavior.
Childhood cruelty to animals is a symptom of conduct disorder that has been linked to the perpetration of violence in later life. Research has identified several factors associated with its etiology, including social factors. However, no cross-cultural studies on this phenomenon have been reported. This study investigated childhood cruelty to animals in Japan, Australia and Malaysia. Parents of 1,358 children between the ages of 5 and 13 years completed the Children's Attitudes and Behaviours towards Animals questionnaire (CABTA) which assesses Typical and Malicious Cruelty to animals. Analyses revealed no overall differences between children from these countries on either scale. However, younger boys were more likely to be cruel than younger girls in each country, and younger children in Australia and Japan were more likely to be cruel that older children in those countries. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research, and recommendations for future studies are suggested.
Domestic maid violence is an assault and coercive behaviour, which mainly includes physical, psychological and at times sexual too, by employer or household members of employer against a person hired as a domestic help. Maid abuse is well known but poorly documented in scientific literature. This is an important global issue. In this article, two illustrated cases of maid abuse are discussed. Their employers allegedly subjected both the victims to physical and psychological trauma. The physical examination of the victims showed poor state of clothing, nutrition, and presence of injuries of different duration. The bruises were irregular to patterned, and were inflicted by beating. Both cases had eczematous contact dermatitis over palms and soles, paronechia, and sub-ungal fungal infection due to unprotected working in wet conditions. In both cases, external ears were deformed like cauliflowers due to repeated trauma. All cases had multiple injuries of varying duration. In this paper, medico-legal and social issues related to maid abuse are also discussed in detail. A possible solution to minimise maid abuse is also suggested. This paper highlights and document maid abuse.
INTRODUCTION: An estimated 13% of women in the postnatal period suffer from postnatal depression (PND) worldwide. In addition to underprivileged women, women who are exposed to violence are at higher risk of PND. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and PND in Malaysia.
METHODS: This survey was conducted as a nationwide cross-sectional study using a cluster sampling design. Probable PND was assessed using a self-administered Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Demographic profiles and IPV were assessed using a locally validated WHO Multicountry Study on Women's Health and Life Events Questionnaire that was administered in a face-to-face interview. An EPDS total score of 12 or more and/or a positive tendency to self-harm were used to define PND.
RESULTS: Out of 6669 women, 5727 respondents were successfully interviewed with a response rate of 85.9%. The prevalence of probable PND was 4.4% (95% CI 2.9 to 6.7). The overall prevalence of IPV was 4.9% (95% CI 3.8 to 6.4). Among the women in this group, 3.7% (95% CI 2.7 to 5.0), 2.6% (95% CI 1.9 to 3.5) and 1.2% (95% CI 0.9 to 1.7) experienced emotional, physical and sexual violence, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that women who were exposed to IPV were at 2.3 times the risk for probable PND, with an adjusted OR (aOR) of 2.34 (95% CI 1.12 to 4.87). Other factors for PND were reported emotional violence (aOR 3.79, 95% CI 1.93 to 7.45), unplanned pregnancy (aOR 3.32, 95% CI 2.35 to 4.69), lack of family support during confinement (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.87), partner's use of alcohol (aOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.35) or being from a household with a low income (aOR 2.99; 95% CI 1.63 to 5.49).
CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to IPV was significantly associated with probable PND. Healthcare personnel should be trained to detect and manage both problems. An appropriate referral system and support should be made available.