The Faculty of Public Health (FPH) at the Universitas Indonesia (UI) is once again proud of the achievements of two of its students. Ulfi Hida Zainita, S.K.M., a Master’s Program student in Public Health Science (IKM), and Rizka Lailatul Rohmah, S.Tr.Kes., a Master’s Program student in Occupational Safety and Health at FPH UI, were announced as the Young Investigator Travel Award (YITA) Winners 2024 by the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health Early Career Network (APACPH-ECN) on September 12, 2024.
APACPH-ECN provides a platform to build networks and develop young professionals into future leaders, one of which is through the Young Investigator Travel Award (YITA). YITA aims to support outstanding researchers in conducting high-quality research in the field of public health. Awardees are selected by a panel of experts in their respective fields.
Ulfi and Rizka are two of the 10 YITA Winners from various countries who outperformed 500 other applicants and received travel funding to attend The 55th Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health 2024, which will be held from October 23-25, 2024, at BEXCO, Busan, South Korea.
These two FPH UI students will present their scientific work at The 55th APACPH 2024, which will focus on the theme “Public Health: Shifting Paradigm for Future Society and Community.” Ulfi Hida Zainita will present her abstract titled “A Nationwide Study: Climate Change Prevention Behavior among Indonesian Adolescents” as an oral presenter. This research aims to identify climate change prevention behaviors among Indonesian adolescents. Ulfi shared that adolescent behavior in climate change prevention is influenced by the parents’ education level. “Parental cooperation is necessary to instill climate change prevention behavior at home as a complement to the education their children receive at school. Cultivating preventive behaviors will create a healthy and safe environment for children’s lives in the future,” said Ulfi.
Meanwhile, Rizka Lailatul Rohmah will give an oral presentation on her abstract titled “Transforming Urban Landscapes through Sustainable Infrastructure: Environmental Impact Assessment of Fly Ash Substitution in Concrete.” Rapid population growth and urbanization have led to increased demand for infrastructure development. This includes the construction of buildings, roads, and other structures, which often heavily rely on concrete as the primary material. The production of construction materials directly impacts environmental degradation, leading to global warming and climate change. Based on this background, Rizka’s research aims to assess the environmental impact of substituting fly ash in concrete by comparing environmental performance indicators before and after the substitution. “The research results showed that replacing fly ash in concrete offers promising potential to reduce environmental impacts associated with concrete production. This is crucial in the practice of sustainable construction,” explained Rizka.
In addition to the oral presentation, Rizka will also present a poster titled “Prevalence, Causative, and Risk Factors of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs) Among Construction Workers: a Scoping Review.” In this work, Rizka highlights the construction industry, which is known for its physically demanding nature, leading to a high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). Her research aims to identify the prevalence, causes, and risk factors of WRMSDs among construction workers globally from 2014 to 2024. “This review in the poster presentation highlights the need for ergonomic interventions, better working practices, and improved safety measures to reduce the risk of WRMSDs among construction workers,” said Rizka.
The process that Ulfi and Rizka underwent to become the YITA Winners 2024 started in July 2024 with registration and evaluation as part of the selection process. Both students were fully supported by their academic advisors, Prof. Dr. Dra. Evi Martha, M.Kes., and Dr. Dadan Erwandi, S.Psi., M.Si.
The Dean of FPH UI, Prof. dr. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc., expressed his pride and appreciation for the achievements of the two FPH UI students. “Congratulations and high appreciation to Ulfi Hida Zainita, a Master’s Program student in Public Health Science, and Rizka Lailatul Rohmah, a Master’s Program student in Occupational Safety and Health at FPH UI, for their achievement as Young Investigator Travel Award (YITA) Winners 2024 from APACPH-ECN. We are very happy with their brilliant achievement, which brings pride to the faculty and university. We hope this accomplishment will inspire other FPH UI students to be more confident and determined to showcase their best works on the international stage,” said Prof. Mondastri.
The Dean of FPH UI also stated that outstanding students from FPH UI will play a vital role as ambassadors of public health science from Indonesia, strengthening the reputation and branding of FPH UI both nationally and globally. (wrk)