In the lush landscapes of Peninsular Malaysia, a sneaky parasite called Plasmodium knowlesi is causing trouble. Scientists wanted to figure out who's most likely to get infected and why. They did a case-control study, comparing people who got malaria with those who didn't. Guess what? More men than women got sick. Living or working near the forest's edge seemed to lower the risk. Also, people living in traditional Orang Asli villages had a lower risk compared to those in more organized villages.
When it comes to gender, being male was a big risk factor. Men were 3. 5 times more likely to get malaria. But, if you lived or worked near the forest edge, your risk dropped by 44%. And if you lived in an Orang Asli village, your risk was 56% lower compared to those in organized villages.
So, what does this mean? Gender is a key personal risk factor. Environment also plays a big role. Living near forests or in traditional villages could help protect you. This is crucial for designing better prevention and control programs tailored to each community.
