Epidemiology and Society Health Review (ESHR)

Sustainable Diets in Southeast Asia: Development, Barriers, and Opportunities

Tri Fajarwaty — 2025-09-02

Background: Southeast Asia is experiencing a dietary shift from traditional plant-based diets to Westernized, processed foods, contributing to rising non-communicable diseases and environmental degradation. Given the significant impact of global food production on greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater consumption, and biodiversity loss, promoting sustainable diets in Southeast Asia is critical. This review aims to explore the current progress, barriers, and opportunities in adopting sustainable diets across the region.

Method: A scoping review was conducted using a systematic framework to map the existing literature on sustainable diets in Southeast Asia. A total of 37 studies were identified and analyzed to understand the progress, barriers, and opportunities in adopting sustainable diets.

Results: The review shows varying levels of progress across Southeast Asia, with countries like Indonesia and Malaysia advancing through government policies and sustainable agriculture practices. However, economic, cultural, and infrastructural barriers hinder broader adoption. Promising opportunities include leveraging alternative protein sources and the region’s biodiversity.

Conclusion: While Southeast Asia has substantial potential for implementing sustainable diets, overcoming economic, cultural, and infrastructural challenges will require coordinated efforts between governments, stakeholders, and communities. Collaborative action is necessary to promote food systems that benefit public health and the environment.

Evaluation of Leptospirosis Surveillance and Response Programs: A Systematic Review

Dessy Apriyani — 2025-09-02

Background: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease that poses a public health problem in various tropical countries, including Indonesia. This disease is caused by Leptospira bacteria, which can infect humans through contact with the urine of infected animals.

Method: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of surveillance and response programs for leptospirosis in Indonesia using a systematic literature review following the PRISMA guidelines. The data used were collected from three main databases: Google Scholar, Semantic Scholar, and PubMed. Six articles met our criteria and were included in this research.

Results: The results of the study indicate that the surveillance program continues to face challenges, including a shortage of trained health workers, suboptimal case reporting and recording systems, and inadequate intersectoral coordination. Although the leptospirosis mortality rate has decreased, the fluctuating case count underscores the need to improve the surveillance system and prevention efforts.

Conclusion: Increasing the capacity of health workers, optimizing the surveillance system, and strengthening coordination between sectors are needed to improve the effectiveness of leptospirosis prevention and control programs in Indonesia.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes at the Bon Samaritain University Hospital Complex in N’Djamena, Chad

Suitambaye Noubaramadji Yamti — 2025-09-02

Introduction: The Metabolic Syndrome (MS) is characterized by the presence of at least three of the following five factors: abdominal obesity, hypertriglyceridemia, low HDL-cholesterol, glucose intolerance or type 2 diabetes, hypertension. It is relatively common with a prevalence that increases with age and predisposes to the occurrence of cardiovascular complications, hence the motivation of this study, the aim of which was to determine its prevalence in a Chadian population.

Method: We conducted a prospective study involving 115 subjects aged 20 to 80 received at the Biochemistry laboratory as part of a monthly visit. The anthropometric and clinical data were recorded, and the biochemical parameters were analyzed on the PENTRA C400 automaton. The MS was defined according to the criteria of the NCEP-ATP III (2001). All of these data were analyzed using Excel 2013 and IBM SPSS software.

Results: in our study the prevalence of MS is 72.2% of cases with a female predominance of 86.15% and it increases with age. The most frequent components of the metabolic syndrome were abdominal obesity (71%), arterial hypertension (45%), hypo HDL-cholesterol.

Conclusion: our results show a high prevalence of MS and its main components which are abdominal obesity, arterial hypertension, hypo HDL-cholesterol, explaining in parallel a high level of cardiovascular risk. Management should be multidisciplinary to optimize the risk of chronic complications.

The Effectiveness of Galltrap Compared to Commercial Fly Trap

Bilham Ramadhan — 2025-09-08

Background: Synanthropic flies such as Musca domestica are capable of transmitting pathogens that cause diseases in humans, including diarrhea, cholera and dysentery. One effective method for controlling adult flies is the use of baited fly traps. The Ranch Fly Trap is a widely used commercial trap but has drawbacks such as being difficult to clean and relatively expensive. Galltrap was developed as an alternative made from disposable gallon containers (5L water bottles), offering a more economical, easy-to-use, and environmentally friendly option.

Method: This research was an experimental study with a post-test only control group design, comparing Galltrap (experimental group) and Ranch Fly Trap (control group). Data collection was carried out over 16 repetitions at a poultry farm in Karanganjir, Sleman, in May 2025. Data were analyzed using an Independent Samples T-Test with significance level (α) = 0.05.

Results: A total of 1,108 flies were trapped during the study, with 699 caught by Galltrap and 409 by Ranch Fly Trap. The average number of flies caught per day was 43.7 for Galltrap and 25.6 for Ranch Fly Trap. The T-test revealed a significant difference (p = 0.025), indicating that Galltrap was more effective, with a 71% higher daily catch rate compared to the Ranch Fly Trap.

Conclusion: Galltrap demonstrated significantly greater effectiveness in capturing adult flies and offers a promising, low-cost solution for vector control in resource-limited settings.

The Relationship Between Sitting Posture When Using Digital Devices and the Risk of Low Back Pain in Final Year Students

Novita Sari — 2025-09-13

Background: Low Back Pain (LBP) refers to discomfort in the lower back and is recognized as the leading cause of global disability, with 619 million cases reported in 2020. This number is expected to rise as students become increasingly dependent on digital devices due to technological advancements. Non-ergonomic sitting postures while using laptops or smartphones may increase spinal pressure and contribute to functional impairments. This study aims to examine the relationship between sitting posture when using digital devices and the risk of LBP among final-year Public Health students.

Method: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with 117 respondents selected through simple random sampling from a population of 168 students. Sitting posture was assessed using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method, and the risk of LBP was measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) questionnaire.

Results: The results showed that most students adopted non-ergonomic sitting postures (60.7%), with the highest proportion experiencing moderate disability (41.9%). Statistical analysis revealed a significant association between sitting posture and LBP risk (P = 0.00).

Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between sitting posture and the risk of LBP among students. Poor posture increases the likelihood of functional limitations due to back pain. It is recommended that students adopt ergonomic sitting habits and perform regular stretching to reduce LBP risk. These findings may serve as a reference for developing targeted health promotion and prevention strategies within the university setting.