Author:
Lim Yin Cheng,Soelar Shahrul Aiman,Shakor¹ Ameerah Su’ad Abdul,Mohamad Nadia,Pahrol Muhammad Alfatih,Ismail Rohaida,Danaee Mahmoud,Shaharudin Rafiza
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The existing respiratory fit test panels (RFTPs) are based on Bivariate and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) which utilise American and Chinese head and facial dimensions. As RFTPs based on local facial anthropometric data for Malaysia are not available, this study was conducted with the aim to develop new RFTPs using Malaysian data.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study was conducted across Malaysia among 3,324 participants of the study of National Health and Morbidity Survey 2020 aged 18 and above. Ten head and facial dimensions were measured. Face length and face width were used to construct bivariate facial panel, whereas the scores from the first two PCA were used to develop the PCA panel.
Results
This study showed that Malaysians have the widest upper limit for facial width. It also found that three factors could be reduced from the PCA analysis. However only 2 factors were selected with PCA 1 representing head and facial size and PCA 2 representing facial shape. Our bivariate panel could accommodate 95.0% of population, while our PCA panel accommodated 95.6%.
Conclusion
This was the first study to use Malaysian head and facial anthropometry data to create bivariate and PCA panels. Respirators constructed using these panels are likely to fit ≥ 95.0% of Malaysia’s population.
Funder
Ministry of Health, Malaysia
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
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