151
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Abbas YA, Mehmood W, Ali A, Aman-Ullah A. Sustainability reporting and corporate financial performance of IPOs: witnessing emerging market. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:85508-85519. [PMID: 37389753 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28446-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to investigate the impact of sustainability reporting (SR) quality on the corporate financial performance (CFP) of initial public offering (IPO) in Malaysia. This research applies the OLS and WLS regressions through content analysis of annual reports. The data was collected from Datastream, where 131 IPOs listed companies on Bursa Malaysia between 2007 and 2017. The findings indicate a positive and negative association between SR and its components with CFP. It is found that there is a negative and significant association between the SR characteristics of employees and products with CFP. However, it was discovered that the societal and environmental components have a significantly positive association with CFP. This finding shows that SR practices might be seen as an attempt to enhance IPO performance. The findings can facilitate financial institutions and regulatory agencies in driving responsibility on the part of companies regarding SR issues. The firms should involve SR practices in their SR decisions. Thus, this study emphasises the significance of combining social and organisational activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasir Abdullah Abbas
- Department of Management and Marketing of Oil and Gas, College of Industrial Management for Oil and Gas, Basrah University for Oil and Gas, Basrah, Iraq
| | - Waqas Mehmood
- School of Accounting and Finance, Faculty of Business and Law, Taylor's University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia.
| | - Anis Ali
- Department of Management, College of Business Administration, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, 11942, Saudi Arabia
| | - Attia Aman-Ullah
- Faculty of Management Sciences, Preston University Islamabad, Islamabad, Pakistan
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152
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Tahar AS, Ong EJ, Rahardja A, Mamora D, Lim KT, Ahmed K, Kulai D, Tan CS. Emergence of equine-like G3 and porcine-like G9 rotavirus strains in Sarawak, Malaysia: 2019-2021. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28987. [PMID: 37501648 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Rotavirus is the leading causative viral agent of pediatric acute gastroenteritis globally, infecting mostly children 5 years old and below. Data on rotavirus prevalence in Malaysia is scarce, despite the WHO's recommendation for continuous rotavirus surveillance, and has underestimated the need for national rotavirus vaccination. Characteristics of the current rotavirus strains in Malaysia have to be determined to understand the rotavirus epidemiology and vaccine compatibility. This study sought to determine the genetic relatedness of Sarawak rotavirus strains with global strains and to determine the antigenic coverage and epitope compatibility of Rotarix and RotaTeq vaccines with the Sarawak rotavirus strains via in silico analysis. A total of 89 stool samples were collected from pediatric patients (<5 years old) with acute gastroenteritis at private hospitals in Kuching, Sarawak. Rotavirus was detected using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Positive amplicons were analyzed using nucleotide sequencing before phylogenetic analyses and assessment of epitope compatibility. Genotyping revealed G1P[8] (1/13; 7.7%), G3P[8] (3/13; 23%), G9P[4] (1/13; 7.7%), and G9P[8] (3/13; 23%), G9P[X] (1/13; 7.7%), GXP[4] (1/13; 7.7%), and GXP[8] (3/13; 23%) in samples. All wild-type Sarawak rotavirus strains, with the exception of G1, showed variations in their phylogenetic and antigenic epitope characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Syatir Tahar
- Centre for Tropical and Emerging Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Eng Joe Ong
- Borneo Medical Centre, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | | | - Dewi Mamora
- Borneo Medical Centre, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | | | - Kamruddin Ahmed
- Department of Pathobiology and Medical Diagnostics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Dorothy Kulai
- Universiti Teknologi Mara Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Cheng Siang Tan
- Centre for Tropical and Emerging Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
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153
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Afshan S, Cheong CWH, Sharif A. Modelling the role of energy price movements toward economic stability in Malaysia: new evidence from wavelet-based analysis. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:88861-88875. [PMID: 37440132 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-28660-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Energy is one of the prime factors in influencing the sustainable development of a country. Different energy sources play important roles in driving the income growth of different economic sectors such as industrial, agricultural, and services. Fossil fuels, however, have come under strong criticism for actively accelerating climate change. As such, it is imperative to investigate the contributions of various energy sources toward sustainable growth. With Malaysia as the test-bed, the present study analyzes the impact of energy prices on economic stability using the novel wavelet-based analysis. Specifically, the study analyzed the impact of crude oil, natural gas, and gasoline prices on the economic (brown) and green growth from 1995 to 2020. The results show that in continuous wavelet transform, the cone of influence of all five factors exhibits strong short-run variance and fluctuations from 2005 to 2013. However, the intensity of brown growth is more influential than green growth. Similarly, in wavelet coherence graphs, the downward right arrows indicate positively significant associations between crude oil prices, natural gas prices, and gasoline prices with brown and green growth. Additionally, wavelet-based Granger causality reveals a bidirectional causal relationship between all variables. The results thus strongly suggest that energy prices predominantly affect the economic (brown) and green growth progression of the Malaysian economy. The study concludes with some suggested implications to augment the country's sustainable growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Afshan
- Sunway Business School, Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | | | - Arshian Sharif
- Sunway Business School, Sunway University, Subang Jaya, Malaysia.
- University of Economics and Human Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
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154
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Choon SE, Tok PSK, Wong KW, Lim YT, Nanu NM, Barker JN, Capon F. Clinical profile of patients with acute generalized pustular psoriasis with and without IL36RN mutations in multi-ethnic Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Exp Dermatol 2023; 32:1263-1271. [PMID: 36843152 DOI: 10.1111/exd.14776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
Generalized Pustular psoriasis (GPP), a rare and potentially life-threatening auto-inflammatory disease, is associated with IL36RN mutations. Here, we analyse the prevalence of IL36RN mutations in our multi-ethnic GPP cohort and assess differences in the clinical profile of patients with (IL36RN-positive) and without (IL36RN-negative) mutations. IL36RN mutations were present in 17.7% of 137 GPP patients (29.7% of Chinese cases, 17.3% of Malay cases, but 0% of Indian patients). 92% of these individuals carried the c.115 + 6 T > C mutation. Male: female ratio was 1:2.3. Females predominate in both groups with no significant difference between IL36RN-positive and IL36RN-negative individuals. The overall mean age (±SD) at disease onset for GPP was 37.6 ± 17.2 years, but disease onset was significantly earlier in IL36RN-positive vs IL36RN-negative cases (mean age:30.6 ± 18.92 vs. 39.2 ± 16.49 years, p = 0.027). IL36RN-positive patients were less likely to have associated plaque psoriasis (52.4% vs. 83.5%, p-value = 0.002). There was no difference in the common clinical and laboratory manifestations or triggers of GPP between IL36RN-positive and -negative patients, except for geographic tongue which was significantly more common in IL36RN-positive patients (41.7% vs. 11.9%, p-value = 0.002). Annual flare rate was significantly higher in IL36RN-positive compared to IL36RN-negative (mean ± SD of 1.92 ± 1.32 vs. 1.46 ± 0.90, p = 0.041) cases. However, no significant difference in the rate of hospitalization and length of hospital stay was observed between the two groups. These observations demonstrate that IL36RN disease alleles occur with varying frequencies among Asian populations and are associated with a severe, early-onset clinical phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siew Eng Choon
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
- Clinical School Johor Bahru, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Monash University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Peter Seah Keng Tok
- Institute for Clinical Research, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Kit Wan Wong
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
| | - Yee Ting Lim
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
| | - Nalini M Nanu
- Department of Dermatology, Hospital Sultanah Aminah Johor Bahru, Johor Bahru, Malaysia
| | - Jonathan N Barker
- St John's Institute of Dermatology at Guys and St Thomas's Hospitals and Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Francesca Capon
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, King's College London, London, UK
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155
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Sulaiman RNR, Bakar AA, Ngadi N, Kahar INS, Nordin AH, Ikram M, Nabgan W. Microplastics in Malaysia's Aquatic Environment: Current Overview and Future Perspectives. Glob Chall 2023; 7:2300047. [PMID: 37635702 PMCID: PMC10448155 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202300047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023]
Abstract
Microplastic pollution has adversely affected the aquatic ecosystem, living creatures, and human health. Several studies in Malaysia have provided baseline information on the existence of microplastics in surface water, ingestion by marine life and sediment. Also, humans are exposed to microplastic due to consumption of contaminated abiotic and biotic products, such as processed seafood. Nonetheless, knowledge is still scarce among Malaysian on the potential remediation and pollution management of microplastics, which poses a significant challenge to preserve a good environmental status. Green technologies also other alternative to mitigate the contamination of microplastics for sustainable future. Hence, this review aims to provide an overview of microplastic's occurrence, fate, and implications in Malaysia's aquatic environment. Detection of microplastics from the water surface, ingestion by aquatics, and sediment samples are highlighted. Available different treatment processes toward microplastic remediation are also discussed. Additionally, the potential challenges, current perspective for plastic management in Malaysia, as well as green strategies for reducing microplastic contamination are also put forward. The goal of this work is to improve the understanding of the seriousness of microplastic contamination in aquatic environments, thus encouraging key concerns that need to be investigated further.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aznizam Abu Bakar
- Faculty of Chemical and Energy EngineeringUniversiti Teknologi MalaysiaSkudaiJohor81310Malaysia
| | - Norzita Ngadi
- Faculty of Chemical and Energy EngineeringUniversiti Teknologi MalaysiaSkudaiJohor81310Malaysia
| | | | - Abu Hassan Nordin
- Faculty of Chemical and Energy EngineeringUniversiti Teknologi MalaysiaSkudaiJohor81310Malaysia
- Faculty of Applied SciencesUniversiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM)ArauPerlis02600Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Ikram
- Solar Cell Application Research LabDepartment of PhysicsGovernment College University LahoreLahorePunjab54000Pakistan
| | - Walid Nabgan
- Departament d'Enginyeria QuímicaUniversitat Rovira i VirgiliAv Països Catalans 26Tarragona43007Spain
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156
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Md Khairi LNH, Gnanasan S. Emerging Roles of Malaysian Pharmacists in Asthma Management Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review. Malays J Med Sci 2023; 30:33-47. [PMID: 37655143 PMCID: PMC10467601 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2023.30.4.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The arrival of COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 adversely affected every aspect of human life, including the management of asthma. The pandemic has forced clinicians to revisit the application of high-risk aerosol-generating procedures in asthma management, including spirometry and nebuliser therapy. The use of commercial spacers with pressurised metered-dose inhalers to replace nebulisation is limited by the high cost and pandemic-induced stock unavailability of these inhalers. The need for social distancing, healthcare reserves reallocation, and scarce personal protective equipment has promote increased telemedicine uptake for patients' asthma control and monitoring. Malaysian pharmacists have been providing long-term care of asthma through the introduction of the respiratory Medication Therapy Adherence Clinic (MTAC) to empower patients' general health literacy, train and regularly evaluate their inhalation technique, and reinforce the importance of medication compliance. To minimise the use of unplanned healthcare resources and avoidable COVID-19 infection exposure, Malaysian pharmacists need to better support asthma self-management via increased uptake of written Asthma Action Plans (AAPs). Pharmacist-led asthma treatment step-down to attain the lowest effective dose of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) has become increasingly relevant during the pandemic, as its prolonged use carries risk of numerous side effects and possible hospitalisation. Telepharmacy offers a promising model for exploration and an alternative to the traditional service delivery of asthma education. Despite not being authorised as vaccinators, Malaysian pharmacists hold strong positions in COVID-19 immunisation programmes for pharmacovigilance and advocacy. The pandemic demands an increased role for pharmacists within medication management to prevent patients from the stockpiling that can cause adverse effects on pharmaceutical supply chain. This review intends to summarise the impact of COVID-19 on asthma management, with a focus on the transitional roles of Malaysian pharmacists before and after the pandemic era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukman Nul Hakim Md Khairi
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Pharmacy, Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Shubashini Gnanasan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Selangor, Malaysia
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157
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Lim ZN, Ng WJ, Lee CC. Advance Care Planning in Malaysia. Z Evid Fortbild Qual Gesundhwes 2023; 180:103-106. [PMID: 37357108 DOI: 10.1016/j.zefq.2023.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Malaysia, advance care planning is still in its infancy. There is no national implementation of Advance Care Planning. AIMS To describe the national state of advance care planning development in Malaysia METHODS: Review of relevant advance care planning literature locally and internationally was undertaken. RESULTS Positive development in Malaysia includes implementation of advance care planning at institutional level, initiatives to develop educational programmes as well as research activities to understand the attitude and perception of patients on advance care planning. However, there remain challenges, including lack of knowledge and awareness, lack of legislative framework to guide advance care planning implementation and lack of strong initiatives at a national level. CONCLUSIONS It is evident that there is much to learn nationally and internationally about ACP before any decision on implementation of ACP is made in Malaysia. ACP is a public health issue and requires concerted effort of all stakeholders, including Government agencies, academic institutions, and non-government organizations to raise public awareness. More research is needed to shape the future direction of ACP development in Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wan Jun Ng
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
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158
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Lee TY, Lim WF, Ang GY, Yu CY. Genomic Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in Malaysia during the Era of Endemic COVID-19. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1644. [PMID: 37629505 PMCID: PMC10455073 DOI: 10.3390/life13081644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
On 5 May 2023, WHO declared the end of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a public health emergency of international concern. However, the risk of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants causing rapid and high surges in cases and deaths remained. In Malaysia, five COVID-19 waves during the pandemic phase were well characterized, but similar studies focusing on the endemic phase were lacking. Hence, we retrieved 14,965 SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences from the GISAID EpiCoV database for clade, lineage, and phylogenetic analysis in order to provide an insight into the population dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 that circulated in Malaysia from June 2022 to April 2023. The dominance of the Omicron variants was observed, and two new waves of infections driven by BA.5.2 and XBB.1, respectively, were detected. Data as of April 2023 also pointed to a possible eighth wave driven by XBB.1.9. Although new variants associated with higher transmissibility were behind the multiple surges, these subsequent waves had lower intensities as compared to the fourth and fifth waves. The on-going circulation and evolution of SARS-CoV-2 mean that COVID-19 still poses a serious threat, necessitating active genomic surveillance for early warning of potential new variants of concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tze Yan Lee
- School of Liberal Arts, Science and Technology (PUScLST), Perdana University, Kuala Lumpur 50490, Malaysia
| | - Wai Feng Lim
- Sunway Medical Centre, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia;
| | - Geik Yong Ang
- Faculty of Sports Science and Recreation, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam 40450, Malaysia;
| | - Choo Yee Yu
- Laboratory of Vaccine and Biomolecules, Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Malaysia
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159
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Lee YS, Jamaluddin J, Ho BK. Characteristics and factors associated with severity of COVID-19 infections in primary care. Malays Fam Physician 2023; 18:42. [PMID: 37593088 PMCID: PMC10431198 DOI: 10.51866/oa.285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Primary care service plays a vital role in early clinical assessment of patients with COVID-19 in Malaysia. This study aimed to evaluate the potential risk factors of COVID-19 severity at presentation to primary care facilities in the post-vaccination period. Method Clinical records from the Selangkah system of all patients with COVID-19 aged above 18 years seen at COVID-19 assessment centres located in 10 government health clinics in Gombak district, Selangor, from 1 October to 31 December 2021 with complete documentation and outcomes were retrieved. Demographics, comorbidities, clinical features and vaccination statuses and types were retrospectively evaluated. The variables were compared between mild and severe diseases. Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify the factors affecting disease severity. Results A total of 4406 patients (median age=37 years, men=51.2%) were analysed. Approximately 97.1% of the cases were mild, while 2.9% were severe. Fever, difficulty breathing, lethargy, throat irritation/runny nose, oxygen saturation of <95%, respiratory rate of >20 breaths per minute, CoronaVac vaccination and hypertension were the determinants of severity (P<0.05). Conclusion The high proportion (97.1%) of mild cases in this study compared with an earlier report (81.8%) during the pre-vaccination period may suggest the impact of vaccine, as 84.9% of this cohort was fully vaccinated. Our study also demonstrated a significant difference in COVID-19 severity between the vaccine types. The identified clinical features and comorbidities could assist primary care doctors in stratifying patients with COVID-19 judiciously in terms of hospital referral or home quarantine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeow Siong Lee
- MBBS (IMU), MMed (Family Medicine) (UM), Klinik Kesihatan Selayang Baru, Jalan Sungai Tua, Batu Caves, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Jazlan Jamaluddin
- MD (Moscow), MMed (Family Medicine) (UiTM), Klinik Kesihatan Sauk, Jalan Besar Lenggong, Sauk, Kuala Kangsar, Perak, Malaysia.
| | - Bee Kiau Ho
- MBBS (UM), MMed (Family Medicine) (UM), Klinik Kesihatan Bandar Botanic, Blok A, Jalan Langat, Bandar Botanic, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia
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160
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Munir SMI, Mokhtar MI, Arham AF. Public perspectives on strays and companion animal management in Malaysia. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1428. [PMID: 37495958 PMCID: PMC10373340 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16276-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Strays and companion animal management is a sensitive issue in Malaysia that incites solid and conflicting views. Through structured questionnaires administered to a random sample of 704 respondents, this study explored public opinion on a) causes of the stray animal population, b) the management of the stray animal population, and c) the national strategy on strays and companion Animal Management. The results show that 70.3% of respondents agreed that a lack of public awareness regarding animal care was the major contributor to the stray animal population. In addition, 58.1% of respondents felt that treating and vaccinating animals exposed to zoonotic diseases is a viable approach that could be instituted as a reasonable measure in stray animal population management. Finally, developing animal protection areas through a multi-stakeholder partnership strategy initiative recorded the highest support (48.4%) for intervention planning for stray animal management at a national level. Notably, a significant percentage of public responses were implicitly influenced by demographic variables. These findings provide valuable insights into public opinion regarding stray and companion animal management in Malaysia. These findings could inform the development of future legislation aimed at reducing the unfavorable effects of stray animal populations on humans and the ecology of MalaysiaPlease check if affiliations [is/are] captured correctly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Syafiq Munir Ismail Munir
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Istajib Mokhtar
- Department of Science and Technology Studies, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Ahmad Firdhaus Arham
- Pusat Pengajian Citra Universiti, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
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161
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Idris F, Azman M, Mohd Zawawi NS, Mat Baki M. Determining Cutoff Point in Bahasa Malaysia Version of Voice Handicap Index-10 (mVHI-10). J Voice 2023:S0892-1997(23)00170-4. [PMID: 37500358 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvoice.2023.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Determining the cutoff point on Bahasa Malaysia version of Voice Handicap Index (mVHI-10) questionnaire scores for distinguishing between dysphonic and normal voice samples. STUDY DESIGN A cross-sectional study was conducted in the tertiary hospital, Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck clinic. METHODS The study involved 205 subjects (105 in the dysphonia group; 100 in the normal group) with a complete database of flexible laryngoscopy/stroboscopy, voice recording, acoustic analysis, and mVHI-10 score. A sample with a discrepancy between subjective evaluation and acoustic analysis results was excluded from the study. Each classified dataset matched with the respective mVHI-10 questionnaire score. Finally, all the collected data were subjected to data analysis. RESULTS The best cutoff point for mVHI-10 was 7.5 by the receiver operating characteristic curve, with an area under the curve value of 0.997. Its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 92.4%, 100.0%, 100.0%, and 93.0%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The best cutoff point for mVHI-10 is 7.5, as determined by stringent data evaluation and rigorous statistical analysis. With excellent diagnostic accuracy properties, it enhances the usage of the mVHI-10 questionnaire as an excellent screening tool. Nevertheless, we advocate multidimensional voice assessment for diagnostic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fathiyah Idris
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mawaddah Azman
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nor Shahrina Mohd Zawawi
- Speech Therapy Unit, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Services, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Marina Mat Baki
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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162
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Chan YM, Ismail MZH, Khaw WF. Factors influencing the prevalence of cervical cancer screening in Malaysia: a nationwide survey. BMC Womens Health 2023; 23:389. [PMID: 37491253 PMCID: PMC10369820 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02553-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In 2020, cervical cancer ranked fourth in terms of both frequency of diagnosis and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women globally. Among Malaysian women, it was the third most prevalent form of cancer. Published data on nationally representative cervical cancer screening in Malaysia have been limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of receiving a Pap smear test in the past three years, its relationship with socio-demographic factors and physical activity. METHODS Using a subset of survey data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019, a secondary data analysis was performed. Trained research assistants collected data through face-to-face method using a mobile tablet questionnaire system application. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between sociodemographic factors, physical activity, and cervical cancer screening. The analyses were conducted using STATA version 14 (Stata Corp, College Station, Texas, USA), accounting for sample weighs and complex sampling design. RESULTS The analysis included 5,650 female respondents, representing an estimated 10.3 million Malaysian female adults aged 18 and above. Overall, 35.2% (95%CI 33.2, 37.4) respondents had a Pap smear test within the past three years. Respondents who were physically active were 1.41 times more likely to have a Pap smear test. Similarly, respondents aged 35-59 (OR 1.84; 95%CI 1.46, 2.34) and those living in rural localities (OR 1.38; 95%CI 1.13, 1.70) had higher odds of receiving a Pap smear test. Compared to married respondents, single respondents (OR 0.04; 95%CI 0.02, 0.07) and widowed/divorcee respondents (OR 0.72; 95%CI 0.56, 0.82) were less likely to receive a Pap smear test. Educated respondents were more likely to have had a Pap smear test. CONCLUSIONS The overall prevalence of cervical cancer screening in Malaysia remains low (35.2%). Efforts should be made to strengthen health promotion programs and policies in increasing awareness on the significance of cervical cancer screening. These initiatives should specifically target younger women, single women, and widowed/divorced individuals. The higher cervical screening uptake among rural women should be studied further, and the enabling factors in the rural setup should be emulated in urban areas whenever possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee Mang Chan
- Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, 40170, Malaysia.
| | - Muhd Zulfadli Hafiz Ismail
- Sector for Biostatistics and Data Repository, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, 40170, Malaysia
| | - Wan-Fei Khaw
- Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, 40170, Malaysia
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163
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Rumaseb A, Moraes Barros RR, Sá JM, Juliano JJ, William T, Braima KA, Barber BE, Anstey NM, Price RN, Grigg MJ, Marfurt J, Auburn S. No Association between the Plasmodium vivax crt-o MS334 or In9 pvcrt Polymorphisms and Chloroquine Failure in a Pre-Elimination Clinical Cohort from Malaysia with a Large Clonal Expansion. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2023; 67:e0161022. [PMID: 37314336 PMCID: PMC10353443 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01610-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Increasing reports of resistance to a frontline malaria blood-stage treatment, chloroquine (CQ), raises concerns for the elimination of Plasmodium vivax. The absence of an effective molecular marker of CQ resistance in P. vivax greatly constrains surveillance of this emerging threat. A recent genetic cross between CQ sensitive (CQS) and CQ resistant (CQR) NIH-1993 strains of P. vivax linked a moderate CQR phenotype with two candidate markers in P. vivax CQ resistance transporter gene (pvcrt-o): MS334 and In9pvcrt. Longer TGAAGH motif lengths at MS334 were associated with CQ resistance, as were shorter motifs at the In9pvcrt locus. In this study, high-grade CQR clinical isolates of P. vivax from a low endemic setting in Malaysia were used to investigate the association between the MS334 and In9pvcrt variants and treatment efficacy. Among a total of 49 independent monoclonal P. vivax isolates assessed, high-quality MS334 and In9pvcrt sequences could be derived from 30 (61%) and 23 (47%), respectively. Five MS334 and six In9pvcrt alleles were observed, with allele frequencies ranging from 2 to 76% and 3 to 71%, respectively. None of the clinical isolates had the same variant as the NIH-1993 CQR strain, and none of the variants were associated with CQ treatment failure (all P > 0.05). Multi-locus genotypes (MLGs) at 9 neutral microsatellites revealed a predominant P. vivax strain (MLG6) accounting for 52% of Day 0 infections. The MLG6 strain comprised equal proportions of CQS and CQR infections. Our study reveals complexity in the genetic basis of CQ resistance in the Malaysian P. vivax pre-elimination setting and suggests that the proposed pvcrt-o MS334 and In9pvcrt markers are not reliable markers of CQ treatment efficacy in this setting. Further studies are needed in other endemic settings, applying hypothesis-free genome-wide approaches, and functional approaches to understand the biological impact of the TGAAGH repeats linked to CQ response in a cross are warranted to comprehend and track CQR P. vivax.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Rumaseb
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Roberto R. Moraes Barros
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana M. Sá
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan J. Juliano
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Timothy William
- Clinical Research Centre, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Sabah, Malaysia
- Infectious Diseases Society Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Kamil A. Braima
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Bridget E. Barber
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nicholas M. Anstey
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Society Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Ric N. Price
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Matthew J. Grigg
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Society Sabah-Menzies School of Health Research Clinical Research Unit, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Jutta Marfurt
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Sarah Auburn
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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164
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Khaw WF, Chan YM, Nasaruddin NH, Alias N, Tan L, Ganapathy SS. Malaysian burden of disease: years of life lost due to premature deaths. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1383. [PMID: 37464344 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16309-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Malaysia, the previous mortality burden has been a significant concern, particularly due to the high prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) as the leading cause of death. Estimates of mortality are key indicators for monitoring population health and determining priorities in health policies and health planning. The aim of this study was to estimate the disease burden attributed to 113 major diseases and injuries in Malaysia in 2018 using years of life lost (YLL) method. METHODS This study included all deaths that occurred in Malaysia in 2018. The YLL was derived by adding the number of deaths from 113 specific diseases and multiplying it by the remaining life expectancy for that age and sex group. Data on life expectancy and mortality were collected from the Department of Statistics Malaysia. RESULTS In 2018, there were 3.5 million YLL in Malaysia. Group II (NCDs) caused 72.2% of total YLL. Ischaemic heart disease was the leading cause of premature mortality among Malaysians (17.7%), followed by lower respiratory infections (9.7%), road traffic injuries (8.7%), cerebrovascular disease (stroke) (8.0%), and diabetes mellitus (3.9%). CONCLUSIONS NCDs are a significant health concern in Malaysia and are the primary contributor to the overall burden of disease. These results are important in guiding the national health systems on how to design and implement effective interventions for NCDs, as well as how to prioritise and allocate healthcare resources. Key strategies to consider include implementing health promotion campaigns, adopting integrated care models, and implementing policy and regulatory measures. These approaches aim to enhance health outcomes and the managements of NCDs in Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Fei Khaw
- Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Yee Mang Chan
- Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Nazirah Alias
- Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - LeeAnn Tan
- Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
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165
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Chan CMH, Siau CS, Wong JE, Yahya N, Azmi NA, Chu SY, Ahmad M, Chong ASS, Wee LH, Tan JP. Characterizing Employees with Primary and Secondary Caregiving Responsibilities: Informal Care Provision in Malaysia. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:2033. [PMID: 37510474 PMCID: PMC10379380 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11142033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a need to determine the extent to which Malaysian employees reconcile both paid employment and informal care provision. We examined data from the Malaysia's Healthiest Workplace via AIA Vitality Online Survey 2019 (N = 17,286). A multivariate multinomial regression was conducted to examine characteristics for the following groups: primary caregiver of a child or disabled child, primary caregiver of a disabled adult or elderly individual, primary caregiver for both children and elderly, as well as secondary caregivers. Respondent mean age ± SD was 34.76 ± 9.31, with 49.6% (n = 8573), identifying as either a primary or secondary caregiver to at least one child under 18 years, an elderly individual, or both. Males (n = 6957; 40.2%) had higher odds of being primary caregivers to children (OR 2.06; 95% CI 1.85-2.30), elderly (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.09-1.41) and both children and elderly (OR 1.87; 95% CI 1.57-2.22). However, males were less likely to be secondary caregivers than females (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.53-0.71). Our results highlight the differences in characteristics of employees engaged in informal care provision, and to a lesser degree, the extent to which mid-life individual employees are sandwiched into caring for children and/or the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caryn Mei Hsien Chan
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Ching Sin Siau
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Jyh Eiin Wong
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Noorazrul Yahya
- Center for Diagnostic, Therapeutic and Investigative Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Nor Aniza Azmi
- Center for Diagnostic, Therapeutic and Investigative Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Shin Ying Chu
- Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Mahadir Ahmad
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Agnes Shu Sze Chong
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Lei Hum Wee
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Lakeside Campus, No. 1, Jalan Taylor's, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Medical Advancement for Better Quality of Life Impact Lab, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors,Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Jo Pei Tan
- Department of Social Care and Social Work, Faculty of Health and Education, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M15 6BH, UK
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166
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Jalil MF, Tariq B, Ali A. Does meaningful work mediate the relationship between empowering leadership and mental health? Evidence from Malaysian SME employees. Front Sociol 2023; 8:1138536. [PMID: 37520493 PMCID: PMC10375414 DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2023.1138536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Introduction In Malaysia, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for more than half of all employment and 98.7% of all businesses. There is little research on empowering behaviors in SMEs, despite leadership empowerment being often practiced. Therefore, the study aims to investigate how empowering leadership affects employees' mental health. The study also reveals meaningful work's role in mediating the relationship between empowering leadership and employees' mental health. Methods A stratified random sample approach was used to collect data from 516 employees of Malaysian SMEs. The data was analyzed, and the hypothesis was tested using structural equation modeling (AMOS 21.0) with bootstrap confidence intervals computed to evaluate the mediating effect. Results The results demonstrate that empowering leadership significantly improves employees' mental health. Furthermore, the association between empowering leadership and mental health is partially mediated by meaningful work. Discussion This study contributes to the present empowering leadership-meaningful work-mental health model for SME employees, which reduces stress and anxiety at the workplace and positively impacts psychological empowerment and their capacity to control their overall emotions in instances of success.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bilal Tariq
- Department of Economics, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus, Vehari, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Azlan Ali
- Graduate School of Management, Management and Science University, Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
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167
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Javaid MU, Rehman N, Mirza MZ, Ibrahim AM. Rampart of Health-Specific Leadership and Social Support of Colleagues to Overcome Burnout in an Emotionally Demanding Situations: The Mediating Role of Stress. J Healthc Leadersh 2023; 15:121-128. [PMID: 37465199 PMCID: PMC10350413 DOI: 10.2147/jhl.s420584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Past studies have neglected the role of resources that enhance motivation, such as health-specific leadership (H-SL) and social support colleagues (SSC), in dealing with the prerequisites of psychological health of workers, especially the duo of stress and burnout. Objective This empirical study aimed to identify the impact of psychosocial job demands (emotional demands) and psychosocial job resources (health-specific leadership and social support of colleagues) on the psychological health (stress, burnout) of 284 Malaysian industrial workers (who participated both times). Methods The Hierarchical regression analysis was employed to examine all study hypotheses and a time lagged study design was used with a lag of three months between T1 and T2 for data collection. Results The survey data found a significant impact of emotional demands on stress and burnout, while we found insignificant findings of health-specific leadership and social support from colleagues on workers' psychological health. Future Directions Future studies should consider the different formations of psychosocial job resources and higher dimensions of health promotion leadership.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nabeel Rehman
- Department of Management Sciences, Lahore Garrison University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Zeeshan Mirza
- NUST Business School, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
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168
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Naserrudin NA, Lin PYP, Monroe A, Culleton R, Baumann SE, Sato S, Adhikari B, Fornace KM, Hod R, Jeffree MS, Ahmed K, Hassan MR. Exploring barriers to and facilitators of malaria prevention practices: a photovoice study with rural communities at risk to Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in Sabah, Malaysia. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1316. [PMID: 37430300 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16173-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The control of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria remains challenging due to the presence of macaque monkeys and predominantly outdoor-biting Anopheles mosquitoes around human settlements. This study aims to explore the barriers and facilitators related to prevention of mosquito bites among rural communities living in Sabah, Malaysia using the participatory visual method, photovoice. METHODS From January through June 2022, 26 participants were recruited from four villages in Kudat, Sabah, using purposive sampling. Participants were male and female villagers, aged > 18 years old. After photovoice training in the villages, participants documented facilitators of and barriers related to avoiding mosquito bites using their own smartphone cameras, and provided narratives for their photos. Twelve Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) sessions in three rounds were held to share and discuss the photos, and to address challenges to the avoidance of mosquito bites. All discussions were conducted in the Sabah Malay dialect, and were video and audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The Ideation Model, a meta-theoretical model of behaviour change, underpinned this study. RESULTS The most common types of barriers identified by participants included (I) intrapersonal factors such as low perceived threat of malaria, (II) livelihood and lifestyle activities consisting of the local economy and socio-cultural activities, and (III) physical and social environment. The facilitators were categorized into (I) intrapersonal reasons, including having the opportunity to stay indoors, especially women who are housewives, (II) social support by the households, neaighbours and healthcare workers, and (III) support from healthcare services and malaria awareness program. Participants emphasized the importance of stakeholder's support in implementing feasible and affordable approaches to P. knowlesi malaria control. CONCLUSION Results provided insights regarding the challenges to preventing P. knowlesi malaria in rural Kudat, Sabah. The participation of communities in research was valuable in expanding knowledge of local challenges and highlighting possible ways to overcome barriers. These findings may be used to improve strategies for zoonotic malaria control, which is critical for advancing social change and minimizing health disparities in malaria prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurul Athirah Naserrudin
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia, 88400, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Sabah State Health Department, Ministry of Health, 88590, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Pauline Yong Pau Lin
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - April Monroe
- Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard Culleton
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan
| | - Sara Elizabeth Baumann
- Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Shigeharu Sato
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia, 88400, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Bipin Adhikari
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kimberly M Fornace
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rozita Hod
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Mohammad Saffree Jeffree
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia, 88400, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Kamruddin Ahmed
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia, 88400, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Rohaizat Hassan
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Universiti Malaysia, 88400, Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
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169
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Wee LH, Galvan JAA, Patil SS, Madhavan P, Mahalingam D, Yeong CH, Wong YH, Poh HQ, Suthahar S, David SD, Tan XJ, Rosli IA, Chan CMH, Baharom N, Muhamad NA, Siau CS. Understanding Factors Associated with Motivation to Quit Vaping among Vapers in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1980. [PMID: 37510421 PMCID: PMC10379365 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11141980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of vaping worldwide is showing an upward trend. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with motivation to quit vaping among vapers in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, through a cross-sectional, purposive sampling study. Respondents were required to complete a questionnaire consisting of vapers' sociodemographic questions, habitual behavioral pattern questions, the e-Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence, the Glover-Nilsson Smoking Behavioral Dependence Questionnaire, perception questions, motivation to quit questions, and withdrawal symptom questions. A total of 311 vapers participated in this study. The majority of the vapers were male (84.6%), younger (18-25 years) (55.3%), and with monthly income less than RM 4000 (USD 868; 83.9%). The level of motivation to quit vaping was found to have a significant association with the perception of vaping being as satisfying as cigarette smoking (p = 0.006) and mild to very strong nicotine dependence (p = 0.001). Participants who recorded moderate and strong habitual vaping behaviors had lower odds of having high motivation to quit vaping compared to those recording slight habitual behaviors (OR = 0.279, 95%CI(0.110-0.708), p = 0.007 and OR = 0.185, 95%CI(0.052-0.654), p = 0.009, respectively). Factors associated with higher motivation to quit vaping could be explored to gain better understanding of how to increase their motivation level for future quit attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Hum Wee
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Non-communicable Diseases and Public Health Research Group, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Medical Advancement for Better Quality of Life Impact Lab, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Jo Ann Andoy Galvan
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Non-communicable Diseases and Public Health Research Group, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Medical Advancement for Better Quality of Life Impact Lab, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Sapna Shridhar Patil
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Non-communicable Diseases and Public Health Research Group, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Medical Advancement for Better Quality of Life Impact Lab, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Priya Madhavan
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Non-communicable Diseases and Public Health Research Group, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Medical Advancement for Better Quality of Life Impact Lab, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Dinesh Mahalingam
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- SP Care Group, Level 3, Menara SP Care, Rawang Sentral, Rawang 48000, Malaysia
| | - Chai Hong Yeong
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Non-communicable Diseases and Public Health Research Group, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Medical Advancement for Better Quality of Life Impact Lab, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Yin How Wong
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Non-communicable Diseases and Public Health Research Group, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
- Medical Advancement for Better Quality of Life Impact Lab, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Hui Qi Poh
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Sanjay Suthahar
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Shamella Diya David
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Xiao Jing Tan
- School of Medicine, Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, 1 Jalan Taylors, Subang Jaya 47500, Malaysia
| | - Izzah Athirah Rosli
- Sector for Evidence-Based Healthcare, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia
| | - Caryn Mei Hsien Chan
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Nizam Baharom
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai 71800, Malaysia
| | - Nor Asiah Muhamad
- Sector for Evidence-Based Healthcare, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam 40170, Malaysia
| | - Ching Sin Siau
- Centre for Community Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
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Lim PC, Tan HH, Mohd Noor NA, Chang CT, Wong TY, Tan EL, Ong CT, Nagapa K, Tai LS, Chan WP, Sin YB, Tan YS, Velaiutham S, Mohd Hanafiah R. The impact of pharmacist interventions, follow-up frequency and default on glycemic control in Diabetes Medication Therapy Adherence Clinic program: a multicenter study in Malaysia. J Pharm Policy Pract 2023; 16:83. [PMID: 37408067 DOI: 10.1186/s40545-023-00583-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacist's involvement in optimizing medication adherence among diabetic patients has been implemented for over a decade. Diabetes Medication Therapy Adherence Clinic (DMTAC) was set up to educate diabetic patients, monitor treatment outcomes, and manage drug-related problems. While evidence shows that pharmacist-led DMTAC was effective in reducing HbA1c, there was limited data regarding the impact of different intervention types and default to follow-up on glycemic control. AIM To assess the impact DMTAC on glycemic control and the difference in glycemic control between hospital and health clinic settings as well as defaulter and non-defaulter. In addition, the impact of pharmacist's interventions, DMTAC follow-up frequencies, and duration of diabetes on glycemic control were also determined. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted among diabetes patients under DMTAC care between January 2019 and June 2020 in five hospitals and 23 primary health clinics. Patients' demographics data, treatment regimens, frequencies of DMTAC visits, defaulter (absent from DMTAC visits) and types of pharmacists' intervention were retrieved from patients' medical records and electronic database. HbA1c was collected at baseline, 4-6 months (post-1), and 8-12 months (post-2). RESULTS We included 956 patients, of which 60% were females with a median age of 58.0 (IQR: 5.0) years. Overall, the HbA1c reduced significantly from baseline (median: 10.2, IQR: 3.0) to post-1 (median: 8.8, IQR: 2.7) and post-2 (median: 8.3, IQR: 2.6%) (p < 0.001). There were 4317 pharmacists' interventions performed, with the majority being dosage adjustment (n = 2407, 55.8%), followed by lab investigations (849, 19.7%), drugs addition (653, 15.1%), drugs discontinuation (408, 9.5%). Patients treated in hospitals received significantly more interventions than those treated in primary health clinics (p < 0.001). We observed significantly less reduction in HbA1c in DMTAC follow-up defaulters than non-defaulters after 1 year (- 1.02% vs. - 2.14%, p = 0.001). Frequencies of DMTAC visits (b: 0.19, CI: 0.079-0.302, p = 0.001), number of dosage adjustments (b: 0.83, CI: 0.015-0.151, p = 0.018) and number of additional drugs recommended (b: 0.37, CI: 0.049-0.691, p = 0.024) had positive impact on glycemic control whereas duration of diabetes (b: - 0.0302, CI: - 0.0507, - 0.007, p = 0.011) had negative impact. CONCLUSION Glycemic control improved significantly and sustained up to one year among patients in pharmacists-led DMTAC. However, DMTAC defaulters experienced poorer glycemic control. Considering more frequent visits and targeted interventions by pharmacists at DMTAC resulted in improved HbA1c control, these strategies should be taken into account for future program planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phei Ching Lim
- Pharmacy Department, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Ministry of Health Malaysia, George Town, Malaysia
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Science Malaysia, Gelugor, Malaysia
| | - Hooi Hoon Tan
- Pharmacy Department, Northeast District Health Office, Penang, Ministry of Health Malaysia, George Town, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Ain Mohd Noor
- Pharmacy Department, Hospital Balik Pulau, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Balik Pulau, Malaysia
| | - Chee Tao Chang
- Clinical Research Centre, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Ipoh, Malaysia.
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia.
| | - Te Ying Wong
- Pharmacy Department, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Ministry of Health Malaysia, George Town, Malaysia
| | - Ee Linn Tan
- Pharmacy Department, Hospital Bukit Mertajam, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Bukit Mertajam, Malaysia
| | - Chiou Ting Ong
- Pharmacy Department, Hospital Sungai Bakap, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Sungai Jawi, Malaysia
| | - Kalyhani Nagapa
- Pharmacy Department, Hospital Seberang Jaya, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Perai, Malaysia
| | - Lee Shyong Tai
- Pharmacy Department, Southwest District Health Office, Penang, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Balik Pulau, Malaysia
| | - Wei Ping Chan
- Pharmacy Department, North District Health Office, Seberang Perai, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kepala Batas, Malaysia
| | - Yong Boey Sin
- Pharmacy Department, Center District Health Office, Seberang Perai, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Bukit Mertajam, Malaysia
| | - Yin Shan Tan
- Pharmacy Department, South District Health Office, Seberang Perai, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Nibong Tebal, Malaysia
| | - Shanty Velaiutham
- Medical Department, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Ministry of Health Malaysia, George Town, Malaysia
| | - Rohaizan Mohd Hanafiah
- Penang Pharmaceutical Services Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, George Town, Malaysia
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171
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Ahmed Meelad R, Abd Hamid IJ, Zainudeen ZT, Hashim IF, Azizuddin MNA, Mangantig E, Taib F, Mohamad N, Ismail IH, Abdul Latiff AH, Mohd Noh L. Health-Related Quality of Life of Patients and Families with Primary Immunodeficiency in Malaysia: a Cross-Sectional Study. J Clin Immunol 2023; 43:999-1006. [PMID: 36882668 PMCID: PMC9990971 DOI: 10.1007/s10875-023-01463-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Primary immunodeficiency disease (PID) affects various aspects of a patient's life. However, the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of PID among Malaysian patients is poorly described. This study aimed to determine the quality of life of PID patients and their respective parents. METHOD This cross-sectional study was performed from August 2020 to November 2020. Patients with PID and their families were invited to answer the PedsQL Malay version (4.0) questionnaire, the tool used to assess the HRQOL. A total of 41 families and 33 patients with PID answered the questionnaire. A comparison was performed with the previously published value of healthy Malaysian children. RESULT Parents of respondents recorded a lower mean of total score than the parents of healthy children (67.26 ± 16.73 vs. 79.51 ± 11.90, p-value = 0.001, respectively). PID patients reported lower mean total score to healthy children (73.68 ± 16.38 vs. 79.51 ± 11.90, p-value = 0.04), including the psychosocial domain (71.67 ± 16.82 vs. 77.58 ± 12.63, p-value = 0.05) and school functioning (63.94 ± 20.87 vs. 80.00 ± 14.40, p-value = 0.007). No significant difference of reported HRQOL when comparing between subgroup of PID on immunoglobulin replacement therapy and those without immunoglobulin replacement (56.96 ± 23.58 vs. 65.83 ± 23.82, p-value 0.28). Socioeconomic status was found to be predictive of the lower total score of PedsQL in both parent and children reports. CONCLUSION Parents and children with PID, especially those from middle socioeconomic status, have lower HRQOL and school function impairment than healthy children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruwaydah Ahmed Meelad
- Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Institut Perubatan & Pergigian Termaju, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 13200, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Intan Juliana Abd Hamid
- Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Institut Perubatan & Pergigian Termaju, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 13200, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
| | - Zarina Thasneem Zainudeen
- Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Institut Perubatan & Pergigian Termaju, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 13200, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Ilie Fadzilah Hashim
- Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Institut Perubatan & Pergigian Termaju, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 13200, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Muhd Nur Akmal Azizuddin
- Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Institut Perubatan & Pergigian Termaju, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 13200, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Ernest Mangantig
- Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases Group, Department of Clinical Medicine, Institut Perubatan & Pergigian Termaju, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 13200, Kepala Batas, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Fahisham Taib
- Paediatric Department, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Norsarwany Mohamad
- Paediatric Department, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 16150, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Intan Hakimah Ismail
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Lokman Mohd Noh
- Hospital Tunku Azizah, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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172
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Adli Zakaria MN, Ahmed AN, Abdul Malek M, Birima AH, Hayet Khan MM, Sherif M, Elshafie A. Exploring machine learning algorithms for accurate water level forecasting in Muda river, Malaysia. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17689. [PMID: 37456046 PMCID: PMC10344711 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Accurate water level prediction for both lake and river is essential for flood warning and freshwater resource management. In this study, three machine learning algorithms: multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLP-NN), long short-term memory neural network (LSTM) and extreme gradient boosting XGBoost were applied to develop water level forecasting models in Muda River, Malaysia. The models were developed using limited amount of daily water level and meteorological data from 2016 to 2018. Different input scenarios were tested to investigate the performance of the models. The results of the evaluation showed that the MLP model outperformed both the LSTM and the XGBoost models in predicting water levels, with an overall accuracy score of 0.871 compared to 0.865 for LSTM and 0.831 for XGBoost. No noticeable improvement has been achieved after incorporating meteorological data into the models. Even though the lowest reported performance was reported by the XGBoost, it is the faster of the three algorithms due to its advanced parallel processing capabilities and distributed computing architecture. In terms of different time horizons, the LSTM model was found to be more accurate than the MLP and XGBoost model when predicting 7 days ahead, demonstrating its superiority in capturing long-term dependencies. Therefore, it can be concluded that each ML model has its own merits and weaknesses, and the performance of different ML models differs on each case because these models depends largely on the quantity and quality of data available for the model training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhamad Nur Adli Zakaria
- Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ali Najah Ahmed
- Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), 43000, Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Energy Infrastructure (IEI) , Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), 43000, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Marlinda Abdul Malek
- Cataclysmic Management and Sustainable Development Research Group (CAMSDE), Department of Civil Engineering, Kulliyyah of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Malaysia
| | - Ahmed H. Birima
- Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Qassim University, Unaizah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Md Munir Hayet Khan
- Faculty of Engineering & Quantity Surveying, INTI International University (INTI-IU), Persiaran Perdana BBN, Putra Nilai, Nilai, 71800, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Mohsen Sherif
- Civil and Environmental Eng. Dept., College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, 15551, United Arab Emirates
- National Water and Energy Center, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box. 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmed Elshafie
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya (UM), 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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173
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Wong TS, Chan JKL. Experience attributes and service quality dimensions of peer-to-peer accommodation in Malaysia. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18403. [PMID: 37539243 PMCID: PMC10393735 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper reports the empirical findings of experience attributes and service quality dimensions of peer-to-peer accommodation (P2P) in Malaysia. Data collection was conducted using in-depth interviews, which involved 10 P2P accommodation hosts and 15 P2P accommodation guests. Thematic analysis of the data guided by the concepts of service experience and service quality, revealed that P2P accommodation has four experience dimensions (property/accommodation, hosts, local people/culture, and location) and seven service quality dimensions (home facilities, personal advice, helpfulness, feeling welcome, responsiveness, reliability, and caring). These dimensions differentiate P2P accommodation from other types of accommodation, such as hotels, and are different from those of the SERVQUAL model. Subsequently, a new model, P2PSERVQUAL, is proposed for peer-to-peer accommodation. The findings add to the tourism and hospitality literature on experience attributes and service quality, with implications for the marketing and management of P2P accommodation.
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174
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Pramasivan S, Low VL, Jeyaprakasam NK, Liew JWK, Ngui R, Vythilingam I. Cryptic Diversity and Demographic Expansion of Plasmodium knowlesi Malaria Vectors in Malaysia. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1369. [PMID: 37510274 PMCID: PMC10378955 DOI: 10.3390/genes14071369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Although Malaysia is considered free of human malaria, there has been a growing number of Plasmodium knowlesi cases. This alarming trend highlighted the need for our understanding of this parasite and its associated vectors, especially considering the role of genetic diversity in the adaptation and evolution among vectors in endemic areas, which is currently a significant knowledge gap in their fundamental biology. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of Anopheles balabacensis, Anopheles cracens, Anopheles introlatus, and Anopheles latens-the vectors for P. knowlesi malaria in Malaysia. Based on cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) markers, the genealogic networks of An. latens showed a separation of the haplotypes between Peninsular Malaysia and Malaysia Borneo, forming two distinct clusters. Additionally, the genetic distances between these clusters were high (2.3-5.2% for CO1) and (2.3-4.7% for ITS2), indicating the likely presence of two distinct species or cryptic species within An. latens. In contrast, no distinct clusters were observed in An. cracens, An. balabacensis, or An. introlatus, implying a lack of pronounced genetic differentiation among their populations. It is worth noting that there were varying levels of polymorphism observed across the different subpopulations, highlighting some levels of genetic variation within these mosquito species. Nevertheless, further analyses revealed that all four species have undergone demographic expansion, suggesting population growth and potential range expansion for these vectors in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandthya Pramasivan
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Van Lun Low
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research & Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
| | - Nantha Kumar Jeyaprakasam
- Biomedical Science Program, Center for Toxicology and Health Risk Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Malaysia
| | - Jonathan Wee Kent Liew
- Environmental Health Institute, National Environment Agency, Singapore 569874, Singapore
| | - Romano Ngui
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
- Malaria Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Kota Samarahan 94300, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Indra Vythilingam
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur 50603, Malaysia
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175
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Hashim JH, Hashim Z, Hod R, Jalaludin J, Mohamed N, Karuppannan S, Mazeli AR, Sahrani S, Zulkaflli ZA. A priority list of environmental health issues for Malaysia. Rev Environ Health 2023; 38:349-359. [PMID: 35468665 DOI: 10.1515/reveh-2022-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Environmental risk factors contribute to 24% of the global burden of disease from all causes in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and to 23% of all global deaths. Malaysia being an advanced developing country, there is a need to prioritise environmental health issues to enable environmental health practitioners to focus on the most significant and urgent environmental health concerns. CONTENT This project was undertaken by a Thematic Working Group on Environmental Health Experts (TWG 10) under the Malaysian National Environmental Health Action Plan. Sixteen pre-selected environmental health issues were presented to a two focus group discussions among 20 environmental health and related professionals who then scored each issue on its magnitude and severity scale. SUMMARY The total of these scores generated a list of priority environmental health issues for Malaysia. Children environmental health came out as the environmental health issue of the highest priority. OUTLOOK We hope that this list of priority environmental health issues will be used for prioritising academic and professional manpower training, research funding allocation and planning for intervention programmes by various stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamal Hisham Hashim
- Department of Environmental Health and Occupational Safety, Universiti Selangor, Shah Alam Campus, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Zailina Hashim
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Rozita Hod
- Department of Community Health, National University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Juliana Jalaludin
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
| | - Norlen Mohamed
- Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Subramaniam Karuppannan
- Environmental Management and Research Association of Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ahmad Riadz Mazeli
- Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Suhaily Sahrani
- Engineering Services Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
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176
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Zaidun Z, Sutan R, Noor Aizuddin A. Psychometric evaluation of the Malay version of the Individual Community-Related Empowerment scale among older adults in Malaysia. Belitung Nurs J 2023; 9:287-292. [PMID: 37492756 PMCID: PMC10363965 DOI: 10.33546/bnj.2652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Malaysia is projected to become an aged country by 2030, with the older age group comprising 10 percent of the total population. To address this demographic shift, comprehensive plans and initiatives are being implemented at various levels, ranging from the government to local communities. A crucial aspect of these efforts is community empowerment, which requires a reliable and validated tool for measurement. Objective This study aimed to validate the Individual Community Related Empowerment (ICRE) scale in alignment with the national language of Malaysia. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from May to December 2019. Back-to-back translation from the English to Malay version of the ICRE scale was done. A total of 328 older persons aged 60 years old and above who attended clinics and understood Malay had been randomly selected. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), particularly Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation and Kaiser Normalization, was performed in this study using IBM SPSS version 27 Amos graphic. Results The findings revealed that the Malay version of the Individual Community Related Empowerment (ICRE-m) scale consists of five components: self-efficacy, intention, participation, motivation, and critical awareness, which collectively accounted for 92.3% of total variance. All five components demonstrated Cronbach's alpha values greater than 0.7, indicating the reliability of the selected items for field studies. Conclusion The ICRE-m scale is acceptable for field studies and valid for measuring individual-related community empowerment. Nurses and other healthcare professionals can employ this scale specifically within the Malay-speaking population, particularly in the Asian region. Future studies on community empowerment among older individuals can utilize this tool to assess community readiness for participating in community health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuraidah Zaidun
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Rosnah Sutan
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Azimatun Noor Aizuddin
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Mohamad MS, Abdul Maulud KN, Faes C. A practical illustration of spatial smoothing methods for disconnected regions with INLA: spatial survey on overweight and obesity in Malaysia. Int J Health Geogr 2023; 22:14. [PMID: 37344913 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-023-00336-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND National prevalence could mask subnational heterogeneity in disease occurrence, and disease mapping is an important tool to illustrate the spatial pattern of disease. However, there is limited information on techniques for the specification of conditional autoregressive models in disease mapping involving disconnected regions. This study explores available techniques for producing district-level prevalence estimates for disconnected regions, using as an example childhood overweight in Malaysia, which consists of the Peninsular and Borneo regions separated by the South China Sea. We used data from Malaysia National Health and Morbidity Survey conducted in 2015. We adopted Bayesian hierarchical modelling using the integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA) program in R-software to model the spatial distribution of overweight among 6301 children aged 5-17 years across 144 districts located in two disconnected regions. We illustrate different types of spatial models for prevalence mapping across disconnected regions, taking into account the survey design and adjusting for district-level demographic and socioeconomic covariates. RESULTS The spatial model with split random effects and a common intercept has the lowest Deviance and Watanabe Information Criteria. There was evidence of a spatial pattern in the prevalence of childhood overweight across districts. An increasing trend in smoothed prevalence of overweight was observed when moving from the east to the west of the Peninsular and Borneo regions. The proportion of Bumiputera ethnicity in the district had a significant negative association with childhood overweight: the higher the proportion of Bumiputera ethnicity in the district, the lower the prevalence of childhood overweight. CONCLUSION This study illustrates different available techniques for mapping prevalence across districts in disconnected regions using survey data. These techniques can be utilized to produce reliable subnational estimates for any areas that comprise of disconnected regions. Through the example, we learned that the best-fit model was the one that considered the separate variations of the individual regions. We discovered that the occurrence of childhood overweight in Malaysia followed a spatial pattern with an east-west gradient trend, and we identified districts with high prevalence of overweight. This information could help policy makers in making informed decisions for targeted public health interventions in high-risk areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Safura Mohamad
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Unit of Health Sciences, Tampere University, Arvo Ylpön Katu 34, 33520, Tampere, Finland.
| | - Khairul Nizam Abdul Maulud
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, National University of Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
- Earth Observation Centre, Institute of Climate Change, National University of Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Christel Faes
- Data Science Institute, I-BioStat, Hasselt University, Martelarenlaan 42, 3500, Hasselt, Belgium
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Karim MR, Zakaria Z, Hassan L, Mohd Faiz N, Ahmad NI. Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles and Co-Existence of Multiple Antimicrobial Resistance Genes in mcr-Harbouring Colistin-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae Isolates Recovered from Poultry and Poultry Meats in Malaysia. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:1060. [PMID: 37370378 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12061060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The co-existence of the colistin resistance (mcr) gene with multiple drug-resistance genes has raised concerns about the possibility of the development of pan-drug-resistant bacteria that will complicate treatment. This study aimed to investigate the antibiotic resistance profiles and co-existence of antibiotic resistance genes among the colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates recovered from poultry and poultry meats. The antibiotic susceptibility to various classes of antibiotics was performed using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method and selected antimicrobial resistance genes were detected using PCR in a total of 54 colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates including Escherichia coli (E. coli) (n = 32), Salmonella spp. (n = 16) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) (n = 6) isolates. Most of the isolates had multi-drug resistance (MDR), with antibiotic resistance against up to seven classes of antibiotics. All mcr-harbouring, colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae isolates showed this MDR (100%) phenotype. The mcr-1 harbouring E. coli isolates were co-harbouring multiple antibiotic resistance genes. The seven most commonly identified resistance genes (blaTEM, tetA, floR, aac-3-IV, aadA1, fosA, aac(6_)-lb) were detected in an mcr-1-harbouring E. coli isolate recovered from a cloacal swab. The mcr-5 harbouring Salmonella spp. isolate recovered from poultry meats was positive for blaTEM, tetA, floR, aac-3-IV, fosA and aac(6_)-lb genes. In conclusion, the colistin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae with mcr genes co-existing multiple clinically important antimicrobial resistance genes in poultry and poultry meats may cause potential future threats to infection treatment choices in humans and animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Rezaul Karim
- Department of Veterinary Pathology & Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
- Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, Savar, Dhaka 1341, Bangladesh
| | - Zunita Zakaria
- Department of Veterinary Pathology & Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
- Institute of Bioscience, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Latiffah Hassan
- Department of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnostics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nik Mohd Faiz
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nur Indah Ahmad
- Department of Veterinary Pathology & Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
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179
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San Martin P, Aunhachoke K, Batac MCF, Lodrono-Lim K, Kwanthitinan C, Santoso D, Fonseka T, Nguyen M, Guzman-Holst A. Systematic Literature Review of Herpes Zoster Disease Burden in Southeast Asia. Infect Dis Ther 2023:10.1007/s40121-023-00822-0. [PMID: 37314653 DOI: 10.1007/s40121-023-00822-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Herpes zoster (HZ; i.e., shingles) is caused by the reactivation of varicella zoster virus leading to a painful dermatomal rash. An increasing trend in cases of HZ is evident worldwide; however, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews for Southeast Asian countries. METHODS We performed a systematic literature review of articles published until May 2022 that reported HZ epidemiology, clinical management, and health economic data in six Southeast Asian countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Literature searches were conducted in Medline, Scopus, Embase, and gray literature. Articles written in English or local languages were considered for inclusion. RESULTS In total, 72 publications were included in the study; 22 were case studies and over 60% originated in Singapore and Thailand. Only two studies (data from Thailand) reported incidence of HZ. The proportion of patients reported with HZ was 0.68-0.7% among dermatology clinics, 0.14% at one emergency department (5.3% of dermatology cases) in Singapore, and 3% of admissions at another hospital in Singapore. Pain was the most common symptom associated with HZ, reported in 74.21-100% of patients. HZ complications were reported in 10.2-21.2% of patients, and the proportions with postherpetic neuralgia and HZ ophthalmicus were 6.3-50% and 4.98-28.57%, respectively. Additionally, there is a lack of comprehensive, up-to-date HZ economic data, with only six studies identified for the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. CONCLUSIONS Overall, there are limited data reporting incidence and prevalence of HZ in Southeast Asia at a national level. High rates of complications, symptoms, and abundance of case reports suggest substantial healthcare resource utilization for patients with HZ and highlight the need for further research in Southeast Asia assessing the societal impact.
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180
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Arham AF, Amin L, Mustapa MAC, Mahadi Z, Yaacob M, Wasli MMP, Rusly NS. Fogging to combat dengue: factors influencing stakeholders' attitudes in Malaysia. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1140. [PMID: 37312081 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-16054-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fogging is a conventional technique used to combat Aedes mosquitoes and prevent dengue disease. It is often implemented in outbreak areas or areas harbouring a high density of Aedes mosquitoes. Currently, studies on stakeholders' attitudes towards fogging are still limited in number. Therefore, this study aims to assess Malaysian attitudes, and identify the predicting factors influencing such attitudes. METHODS A validated instrument was used to interview 399 randomly selected respondents from the public (n = 202, 50.6%) and scientists (n = 197, 49.4%) in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. The data were analysed using PLS-SEM involving Smart-PLS software. RESULTS The results confirmed that stakeholder attitudes toward fogging should be viewed in terms of a multi-dimensional association. The stakeholders surveyed were highly positive with regard to the application of fogging to control dengue but professed moderate concerns as to associated risks. The PLS-SEM analyses demonstrated that the perceived benefit was the most important factor influencing attitudes, followed by trust in key players. CONCLUSIONS This result provides a good insight from the perspective of education and unravels the underlying fundamentals of stakeholders' attitudes toward the fogging technique. The findings also provide a positive indicator to the responsible parties involved to continue the usage of this technique in conjunction with improvements with regard to its safety aspects, and possibly in combination with other environmental-friendly alternatives in order to achieve a healthy environment without dengue in Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Firdhaus Arham
- Pusat Pengajian Citra Universiti, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Latifah Amin
- The Institute of Islam Hadhari (HADHARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Muhammad Adzran Che Mustapa
- Centre for Agro-Food Economy and Development (CREDA), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Casteldefells, Spain
| | - Zurina Mahadi
- Pusat Pengajian Citra Universiti, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mashitoh Yaacob
- Pusat Pengajian Citra Universiti, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Noor Sharizad Rusly
- Pusat Pengajian Citra Universiti, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
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181
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Lakshman SJ, Mohd Daud TI, Midin M, Ahmad F, Tommy K. Validation of the Malay-Version of Recovery Knowledge Inventory among mental health providers in Malaysia. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1078423. [PMID: 37383615 PMCID: PMC10293667 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1078423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Recovery Knowledge Inventory (RKI) is a widely used self-report instrument that assesses recovery-oriented knowledge among mental health professionals. The purpose of this study is to translate the RKI into the Malay language (RKI-M) and to examine its psychometric properties among Malaysian health care workers. Methods A cross-sectional study involving 143 participants was conducted at an urban teaching hospital, an urban government hospital, and a rural government hospital. Following the translation of the RKI, its internal reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was also determined using confirmatory factor analysis. Results The Malay-Version RKI (RKI-M) has good internal reliability with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.83. However, the Malay-version RKI failed to replicate the original four-factor structure. The final model only achieved the best model fit after the removal of 9 items with two-factor loadings: (GFI = 0.92; AGFI = 0 0.87; CFI = 0.91; RMSEA = 0.074). Conclusion The 20-item RKI-M is reliable but has poor construct validity. However, the modified 11-item Malay-version RKI is a more reliable measure as it has good construct validity, with room for future studies to examine the psychometric properties of the modified 11-item RKI among mental health care workers. More training on recovery knowledge should be done, and a simple worded questionnaire should be developed in keeping with local practitioners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Jane Lakshman
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Selayang, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Tuti Iryani Mohd Daud
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Marhani Midin
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz, Jalan Yaacob Latif, Bandar Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Kezia Tommy
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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182
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Xu X, Tran LT, Xie X. Between decolonization and recolonization: investigating Chinese doctoral students in Malaysia as a case of global South-South student mobility. High Educ (Dordr) 2023:1-17. [PMID: 37362761 PMCID: PMC10249937 DOI: 10.1007/s10734-023-01060-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
International student mobility has traditionally witnessed a global South-North pattern. In recent years, a shift has occurred as the appeal of alternative geographies waxes, with Malaysia being an exemplar of inbound student mobility destination. To facilitate a deep probe of the under-researched global South-South student mobility, this study utilized a qualitative method to delve into 10 Chinese doctoral students' emic perceptions of their sojourn in Malaysia. Guided by a theoretical framework incorporating decolonization and recolonization, this study unpacks how these sociohistorical forces penetrate into and shape the students' preparation and navigation of a doctoral sojourn. Findings of the study reveal that while taking advantage of the Southern niche to yield commensurate benefits, thereby delegitimizing the Western supremacy, the students' make-do mentality and self-subjugating resistance inadvertently reinforce the Western dominance. Besides, these macro effects generate interlocking and conflicting affective consequences, instilling simultaneously positivity and inclusivity, inferiority, and anxiety. Altogether, decolonization and recolonization are concretely registered at the emotional level and bear a broader social significance. This article concludes with an alert and a call to address covert yet compelling inequalities in international student mobility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Xu
- School of English Studies, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ly Thi Tran
- School of Education, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Xiao Xie
- Department of English, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Seri Kembangan, Malaysia
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183
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Arsat N, Lah NASN, Thomas DC, Soong SF, Chong LT, Sawatan W, Dasan N, Wider W. The effect of work setting and demographic factors on caring behaviour among nurses in the public hospitals and public health services, Sabah, Malaysia. BMC Nurs 2023; 22:194. [PMID: 37291559 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-023-01359-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The nursing profession's uniqueness contributes to the development of knowledge, experience, age, education, economy, and position, as well as a unique gender role. Thus, the development and advancement of demographic characteristics of nurses while in this profession influences their caring behavior. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of work setting and demographic factors on nurses' caring behaviour, as well as the differences in nurses' caring behaviour based on demographic factors between nurses in public hospitals and nurses in public health services in Sabah, Malaysia. METHODS This research is a cross-sectional study using the survey method. Data were collected from 3,532 nurses (88.3% response rate) in public hospitals and public health services within Sabah, Malaysia. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA. RESULTS The two-way ANOVA test revealed no significant impact of the work setting on CB, nor was there a notable interaction between the work setting and demographic factors influencing nurses' CB. However, demographic factors such as gender, age, education, economic status, position, and experience had a significant effect on CB. CONCLUSION The present research has provided convergent evidence on the effect of demographic factors on nurses caring behavior and the differences in caring behavior based on demographic factors among nurses in public hospitals and public health services in Sabah, Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norkiah Arsat
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Nik Amin Sahid Nik Lah
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Deena Clare Thomas
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Sui Fun Soong
- Nursing Department, Cyberjaya College, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Li Tsu Chong
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Waidah Sawatan
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Norsimah Dasan
- Faculty of Psychology and Education, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Walton Wider
- Faculty of Business and Communications, INTI International University, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
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184
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Paterson RRM. Future Climate Effects on Yield and Mortality of Conventional versus Modified Oil Palm in SE Asia. Plants (Basel) 2023; 12:2236. [PMID: 37375863 DOI: 10.3390/plants12122236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Palm oil is a very important commodity which will be required well into the future. However, the consequences of growing oil palm (OP) are often detrimental to the environment and contribute to climate change. On the other hand, climate change stress will decrease the production of palm oil by causing mortality and ill health of OP, as well as reducing yields. Genetically modified OP (mOP) may be produced in the future to resist climate change stress, although it will take a long time to develop and introduce, if they are successfully produced at all. It is crucial to understand the benefits mOP may bring for resisting climate change and increasing the sustainability of the palm oil industry. This paper employs modeling of suitable climate for OP using the CLIMEX program in (a) Indonesia and Malaysia, which are the first and second largest growers of OP respectively, and (b) Thailand and Papua New Guinea, which are much smaller growers. It is useful to compare these countries in terms of future palm oil production and what benefits planting mOP may bring. Uniquely, narrative models are used in the current paper to determine how climate change will affect yields of conventional OP and mOP. The effect of climate change on the mortality of mOP is also determined for the first time. The gains from using mOP were moderate, but substantial, if compared to the current production of other continents or countries. This was especially the case for Indonesia and Malaysia. The development of mOP requires a realistic appreciation of what benefits may accrue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Russell Monteith Paterson
- Department of Biological Engineering, Gualtar Campus, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
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185
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Cheah PK, Jalloh MB, Cheah PK, Ongkili D, Schneiders ML, Osterrieder A, Peerawaranun P, Waithira N, Davies A, Mukaka M, Cheah PY. Experiences, coping strategies and perspectives of people in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:1085. [PMID: 37280573 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15892-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A nationwide Movement Control Order (MCO) was enforced in Malaysia on 18 March 2020 in view of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Malaysia implemented various public health measures and later raced against time to administer COVID-19 vaccines when they became available. As a result of various public health measures to curb the spread of the virus, people in Malaysia faced unprecedented circumstances and new challenges. This study addressed the knowledge gap in our understanding the experiences, coping strategies and perspectives of the people in Malaysia about infection countermeasures by investigating their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A sequential mixed method approach was used to conduct an online survey and in-depth interviews among residents in Malaysia. A total of 827 respondents participated in the online survey from 1st May to 30th June 2020. Nineteen in-depth interviews were conducted online and by phone with key informants and members of the public, who were selected through maximum variation purposive sampling between 2nd May 2020 to 20th December 2021. The semi-structured interviews employed a phenomenological approach and transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. The survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics in Stata 15.0. RESULTS The survey reflected significant economic impacts of the pandemic, the maximum number of days that people could cope during the MCO, and their coping strategies, which generally entailed changes in lifestyle. The internet and social media were vital platforms to mitigate against the impact of public health measures. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed participant experiences and perceptions of COVID-19 and public health measures in four main themes: (1) work and business; (2) emotional impact (3) coping with change and (4) the COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insights into the experiences, coping strategies and perspectives of people in Malaysia living through the first-ever MCO during the COVID-19 pandemic. Such insights into COVID-19-related public health measures are pertinent for successfully planning and implementing future responses to pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phaik Kin Cheah
- Faculty of Arts & Social Science, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Barat, 31900, Kampar, Perak, Malaysia.
| | - Mohamed Bella Jalloh
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Phee-Kheng Cheah
- Sabah Women & Children's Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
- Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Darlene Ongkili
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Mira Leonie Schneiders
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Socio-Ecological Health Research Unit, Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anne Osterrieder
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pimnara Peerawaranun
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
| | - Naomi Waithira
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Alun Davies
- Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mavuto Mukaka
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Phaik Yeong Cheah
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine & Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- The SoNAR-Global Network, Mahidol University, 10400, Bangkok, Thailand
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186
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Al Mamun A, Rahman MK, Masud MM, Mohiuddin M. Willingness to pay premium prices for green buildings: evidence from an emerging economy. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023:10.1007/s11356-023-27998-9. [PMID: 37273051 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-27998-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The building sector is one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which may impede the achievement of Malaysia's intended nationally determined contribution (INDC) by 2030. Therefore, this paper is aimed at identifying the underlying factors that affect working adults' willingness to pay (WTP) premium prices for green buildings. Data were collected from a total of 1198 respondents and analyzed using structural equitation modeling partial least square (SEM-PLS) to measure the willingness to pay for green buildings among working adults in Malaysia. The findings reveal that environmental literacy affects environmental belief as well as awareness of consequences among working adults in Malaysia. The findings also reveal that incentives for green building buyers have a significant impact on perceived behavioral control, while awareness of consequences has a significant influence on ascription of responsibility. However, the results reveal that awareness of consequences does not influence buyers' willingness to pay for green buildings. Moreover, the ascription of responsibility and perceived behavioral control have a significant effect on willingness to pay for green buildings. The findings of this study will help the concerned authorities to take appropriate steps to promote willingness to pay for green buildings, which will contribute significantly to the realization of INDC by 2030 as part of the Paris Agreement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Al Mamun
- UKM - Graduate School of Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600, Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
| | - Muhammad Khalilur Rahman
- Faculty of Entrepreneurship and Business, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan, Pengkalan Chepa, 16100, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
- Angkasa-UMK Research Academy, Pengkalan Chepa, 16100, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Mehedi Masud
- Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Mohiuddin
- Department of Management, Faculty of Business Administration, Laval University, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada
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187
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Lim KS, Khoo CS, Fong SL, Tan HJ, Fong CY, Mohamed AR, Rashid AA, Law WC, Shaikh MF, Khalid RA, Yen-Leong Tan R, Ahmad SB, Chinnasami S, Wong SW, Raymond AA. Management of status epilepticus in Malaysia: A national survey of current practice and treatment gap. J Clin Neurosci 2023; 114:25-31. [PMID: 37279626 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2023.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Early and effective treatment is fundamental in status epilepticus (SE) management. At the initiative of the Epilepsy Council of Malaysia, this study aimed to determine the treatment gap in SE across different healthcare settings in Malaysia. METHODS A web-based survey was sent to clinicians involved in the management of SE, across all states and at all levels of healthcare services. RESULTS A total of 158 responses were received from 104 health facilities, including 23 tertiary government hospitals (95.8% of all government tertiary hospitals in Malaysia), 4 (80.0%) universities, 14 (6.7%) private, 15 (11.5%) district hospitals and 21 clinics. Intravenous (IV) diazepam was available in 14 (93.3%) district and 33 (80.5%) tertiary hospitals for prehospital management. Non-IV benzodiazepine (rectal diazepam and intramuscular midazolam) was not widely available in prehospital services (75.8% and 51.5%). Intramuscular midazolam was underutilised (60.0% in district and 65.9% in tertiary hospitals). IV sodium valproate and levetiracetam were only available in 66.7% and 53.3% of the district hospitals, respectively. Electroencephalogram (EEG) services were available in only 26.7% of the district hospitals. Non-pharmacological therapies such as ketogenic diet, electroconvulsive therapy, and therapeutic hypothermia were not available in most district and tertiary hospitals for refractory and super-refractory SE. CONCLUSIONS We identified several gaps in the current practice of SE management, including limited availability and underutilization of non-IV midazolam in prehospital services, underutilization of non-IV midazolam and other second-line ASMs, and lack of EEG monitoring in district hospitals and limited treatment options for refractory and super-refractory SE in tertiary hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kheng-Seang Lim
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia.
| | - Ching-Soong Khoo
- Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Si-Lei Fong
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia
| | - Hui-Jan Tan
- Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Choong Yi Fong
- Division of Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia
| | | | | | - Wan-Chung Law
- Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Sarawak General Hospital, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Farooq Shaikh
- Neuropharmacology Research Laboratory, Jeffrey CheahSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Raihanah Abdul Khalid
- School of Dentistry and Medical Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Orange, New South Wales, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Sau-Wei Wong
- Neurology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Azman Ali Raymond
- Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, MARA University of Technology, Malaysia; Epilepsy Council Malaysia, Malaysian Society of Neurosciences, Malaysia
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Ramli AS, Qureshi N, Abdul-Hamid H, Kamal A, Kanchau JD, Shahuri NS, Akyea RK, Silva L, Condon L, Abdul-Razak S, Al-Khateeb A, Chua YA, Mohamed-Yassin MS, Baharudin N, Badlishah-Sham SF, Abdul Aziz AF, Mohd Kasim NA, Sheikh Abdul Kadir SH, Kai J, Leonardi-Bee J, Nawawi H. Reducing Premature Coronary Artery Disease in Malaysia by Early Identification of Familial Hypercholesterolemia Using the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Case Ascertainment Tool (FAMCAT): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Evaluation Study. JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e47911. [PMID: 37137823 PMCID: PMC10276320 DOI: 10.2196/47911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is predominantly caused by mutations in the 4 FH candidate genes (FHCGs), namely, low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR), apolipoprotein B-100 (APOB-100), proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), and the LDL receptor adaptor protein 1 (LDLRAP1). It is characterized by elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels leading to premature coronary artery disease. FH can be clinically diagnosed using established clinical criteria, namely, Simon Broome (SB) and Dutch Lipid Clinic Criteria (DLCC), and can be identified using the Familial Hypercholesterolemia Case Ascertainment Tool (FAMCAT), a primary care screening tool. OBJECTIVE This study aims to (1) compare the detection rate of genetically confirmed FH and diagnostic accuracy between the FAMCAT, SB, and DLCC in the Malaysian primary care setting; (2) identify the genetic mutation profiles, including novel variants, in individuals with suspected FH in primary care; (3) explore the experience, concern, and expectation of individuals with suspected FH who have undergone genetic testing in primary care; and (4) evaluate the clinical utility of a web-based FH Identification Tool that includes the FAMCAT, SB, and DLCC in the Malaysian primary care setting. METHODS This is a mixed methods evaluation study conducted in 11 Ministry of Health primary care clinics located at the central administrative region of Malaysia. In Work stream 1, the diagnostic accuracy study design is used to compare the detection rate and diagnostic accuracy of the FAMCAT, SB, and DLCC against molecular diagnosis as the gold standard. In Work stream 2, the targeted next-generation sequencing of the 4 FHCGs is used to identify the genetic mutation profiles among individuals with suspected FH. In Work stream 3a, a qualitative semistructured interview methodology is used to explore the experience, concern, and expectation of individuals with suspected FH who have undergone genetic testing. Lastly, in Work stream 3b, a qualitative real-time observation of primary care physicians using the "think-aloud" methodology is applied to evaluate the clinical utility of a web-based FH Identification Tool. RESULTS The recruitment for Work stream 1, and blood sampling and genetic analysis for Work stream 2 were completed in February 2023. Data collection for Work stream 3 was completed in March 2023. Data analysis for Work streams 1, 2, 3a, and 3b is projected to be completed by June 2023, with the results of this study anticipated to be published by December 2023. CONCLUSIONS This study will provide evidence on which clinical diagnostic criterion is the best to detect FH in the Malaysian primary care setting. The full spectrum of genetic mutations in the FHCGs including novel pathogenic variants will be identified. Patients' perspectives while undergoing genetic testing and the primary care physicians experience in utilizing the web-based tool will be established. These findings will have tremendous impact on the management of patients with FH in primary care and subsequently reduce their risk of premature coronary artery disease. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/47911.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anis Safura Ramli
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nadeem Qureshi
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Hasidah Abdul-Hamid
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Aisyah Kamal
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Johanes Dedi Kanchau
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Nur Syahirah Shahuri
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ralph Kwame Akyea
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Luisa Silva
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Condon
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Suraya Abdul-Razak
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Cardio Vascular and Lungs Research Institute (CaVaLRI), Hospital Al-Sultan Abdullah, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Bandar Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Alyaa Al-Khateeb
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Yung-An Chua
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Mohamed-Syarif Mohamed-Yassin
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Noorhida Baharudin
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Siti Fatimah Badlishah-Sham
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Noor Alicezah Mohd Kasim
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Siti Hamimah Sheikh Abdul Kadir
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Joe Kai
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jo Leonardi-Bee
- Centre of Academic Primary Care, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Hapizah Nawawi
- Institute of Pathology, Laboratory and Forensic Medicine (I-PPerForM), Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
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189
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Liew TKW, Yong GY, Zainal Abidin Z, Asnir ZZ. Ocular Trauma Trends during COVID-19 Pandemic. Malays J Med Sci 2023; 30:135-142. [PMID: 37425384 PMCID: PMC10325137 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2023.30.3.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The article aims to study the demographics and clinical characteristics of ocular trauma patients presenting to the Eye Casualty Clinic between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 era in Ampang Hospital, Malaysia. Methods In this cross-sectional study, data of patients presented with ocular trauma injury to the Ampang Hospital during the COVID-19 era from 18 March 2020 to 17 September 2020 were retrieved and compared with the similar period of the previous non-COVID-19 era year. Results Among the total number of 453 patients, 76.82% (n = 348) were predominantly males. The commonest age group was between 21 years old-40 years old (49.45%, n = 224), and the commonest location of ocular trauma injury occurred at the workplace (38.19%, n = 173); welding was the commonest work-related injury (13.83% in 2019; 12.50% in 2020). Injury-to-treatment time was significantly longer during the COVID-19 era, where patients who sought treatment within a day of injury were 27.27% (n = 69) in 2019 and 18.50% (n = 37) in 2020 (P = 0.030). During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients with vision worse than 6/60 on presentation were higher at 8% compared with 3.56% before the COVID-19 pandemic (OR = 2.35; 95% CI: 1.01, 5.48; P = 0.047). Similarly, patients with a vision worse than 6/60 post-treatment during the COVID-19 period were significantly higher at 7.00% compared with 1.58% before the COVID-19 pandemic (OR = 4.72; 95% CI: 1.53, 14.62; P = 0.007). Conclusion The majority of ocular trauma cases in this study population were male adults between 21 years old and 40 years old, and welding was the commonest work-related injury. COVID-19 era has a higher percentage of patients presented with severe visual impairment, longer injury-to-treatment time and poorer post-treatment visual outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Geng-Yi Yong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Ampang Hospital, Selangor, Malaysia
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190
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Ranjit YS, Gibson BA, Altice FL, Kamarulzaman A, Azwa I, Wickersham JA. HIV care continuum among cisgender and transgender women sex workers in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. AIDS Care 2023; 35:784-790. [PMID: 34723714 PMCID: PMC9056582 DOI: 10.1080/09540121.2021.1995839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
An estimated 37,000 cisgender and transgender women work as sex workers in Malaysia, a population that has been disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic. Although Malaysia provides no-cost antiretroviral therapy (ART) to people with HIV, little is known about sex workers' engagement in the HIV care continuum. We analyzed data from 57 HIV-infected cisgender women (n = 33) and transgender women (n = 24) sex workers from a respondent-driven sampling study on HIV prevalence among sex workers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We examined the proportion of women who were newly diagnosed with HIV, had a baseline CD-4 count test, were initiated and retained on antiretroviral treatment (ART). Overall, only 26.3% had ever been HIV tested and almost 60% were newly diagnosed. Only a small proportion of cisgender (15.2%) and transgender (12.5%) women were currently taking ART. Interventions to enhance sex workers' engagement in the HIV care continuum are urgently needed. Deployment of evidence-based strategies to improve linkage and retention in HIV care should be adapted to address the unique needs of this important key population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yerina S Ranjit
- Department of Communication, University of Missouri, Columbia, MI, USA
| | | | - Frederick L Altice
- Department of Internal Medicine, AIDS Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Adeeba Kamarulzaman
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Iskandar Azwa
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jeffrey A Wickersham
- Department of Internal Medicine, AIDS Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Medicine, Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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191
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Paudel K, Gupta S, Gautam K, Wickersham JA, Khati A, Azwa I, Ha T, Shrestha R. High Interest in Long-acting Injectable Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (LAI-PrEP) for HIV Prevention Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM): Result From A Nationwide Survey in Malaysia. J Community Health 2023; 48:513-521. [PMID: 36732459 PMCID: PMC10200758 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-023-01195-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The recent approval of long-acting injectable cabotegravir (CAB-LA) as PrEP for HIV prevention could be an attractive alternative for MSM, particularly among those who face barriers to adherence using the oral pill. This study reports on the awareness of long-acting injectable PrEP (LAI-PrEP) and factors associated with interest in LAI-PrEP use among a nationwide sample of MSM in Malaysia. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and September 2021 to explore perspectives on PrEP modalities among Malaysian MSM (N = 870). Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants using ads on two platforms hornet and facebook. While only 9.1% of the study participants were aware of LAI-PrEP, the majority had heard of oral PrEP (80.9%). After giving a description of it, a large majority (86.6%) expressed interest in using it if made accessible. Those who had a prior history of HIV testing (aOR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.2-3.2) were more likely to use LAI-PrEP. Interestingly, despite the concerns related to potential high cost (aOR = 3.4; 95% CI = 2.1-5.5) and long-term side effects (aOR = 1.9; 95% CI = 1.2-3.1), the majority of the participants were interested in using LAI-PrEP. Those who were afraid of (or disliked) syringes were less interested in using it (aOR = 0.2; 95% CI; 0.1-0.4). In the recent context that LAI-PrEP was shown to be safe and effective at preventing HIV, our results indicate its potential relevance as an additional PrEP option that could accelerate the uptake and scale-up of PrEP. However, it is crucial to conduct future research urgently to improve the understanding of strategies that could enhance the accessibility, acceptability, and affordability of LAI-PrEP for MSM in low- and middle-income countries, including Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Paudel
- Nepal Health Frontiers, Tokha-5, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, 06269, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Sana Gupta
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, 06269, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Kamal Gautam
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, 06269, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Wickersham
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, 135 College St., Suite 323, 06510, New Haven, CT, USA
- Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Antoine Khati
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, 06269, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Iskandar Azwa
- Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Toan Ha
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, 15261, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Roman Shrestha
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of Connecticut, 06269, Storrs, CT, USA.
- Yale School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, 135 College St., Suite 323, 06510, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA), Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- , 358 Mansfield Road, 1101, 06260-1101, Unit, Storrs, CT, USA.
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192
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Foley L. Criminality, chaos and corruption: Analyzing the narratives of labor migration dynamics in Malaysia. Asian Pac Migr J 2023; 32:208-233. [PMID: 37744613 PMCID: PMC10516739 DOI: 10.1177/01171968231189139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
This paper analyzes how policy-relevant actors understand the causes and effects of labor immigration to Malaysia, the country that receives the highest number of migrant workers in Southeast Asia. Whereas most research on international migration governance has focused on governance system outputs, this paper adopts an actor-centered perspective to investigate how actors narratively construct labor migration dynamics in Malaysia and how they conceptualize the drivers and impacts of labor migration policies and practices. The empirical material comes from 41 in-depth interviews with government officials, policymakers, international and regional organizations, nongovernmental organizations, employers' organizations, trade unions, and embassy representatives. The study found that Malaysia's migration governance system was perceived as "chaotic" due to the seemingly inconsistent, unclear "ad hoc" policy measures implemented, and that the governance system is perceived as "corrupt." Economic incentives were also seen as the primary driver of labor immigration, yet the main impact on Malaysian society was perceived as the spread of criminality, violence and disease, a narrative centered on migrant men. This paper argues that this discourse is problematic as it may drive types of policy measures that target migrant men.
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193
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Ahamad F, Abdul Latiff AH, Mahmood J. Air pollution and allergy in Malaysia: The need for evidence and action. Asia Pac Allergy 2023; 13:85-87. [PMID: 37388812 PMCID: PMC10287109 DOI: 10.5415/apallergy.0000000000000105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
There is a scarcity in both epidemiological studies and forecast models on the impact of air pollution on respiratory allergic responses in Malaysia. The quantification of baseline allows for an understanding of the severity of the impact and target areas for intervention. High-quality forecasts not only provide information for the assessment of potential outcomes but also the dissemination of public health warnings, such as the application of mobile-based early warning systems. There is a need for a data repository system that facilitates research on such studies. However, a call for more evidence should not put a pause on actions and future plans that will help reduce pollution emission and exposure to air pollutants as there are sufficient evidence to indicate that air pollutants impact health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatimah Ahamad
- Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Amir Hamzah Abdul Latiff
- Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Jemilah Mahmood
- Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, Sunway University, Jalan Universiti, Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
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194
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Ong TIW, Lim LL, Chan SP, Chee WSS, Ch’ng ASH, Chong EGM, Damodaran P, Hew FL, Ibrahim LB, Khor HM, Lai PSM, Lee JK, Lim AL, Lim BP, Paramasivam SS, Ratnasingam J, Siow YS, Tan ATB, Thiagarajan N, Yeap SS. A summary of the Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of postmenopausal osteoporosis, 2022. Osteoporos Sarcopenia 2023; 9:60-69. [PMID: 37496985 PMCID: PMC10366466 DOI: 10.1016/j.afos.2023.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives The aim of these Clinical Practice Guidelines is to provide evidence-based recommendations to assist healthcare providers in the screening, diagnosis and management of patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis (OP). Methods A list of key clinical questions on the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of OP was formulated. A literature search using the PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Databases of Systematic Reviews, and OVID electronic databases identified all relevant articles on OP based on the key clinical questions, from 2014 onwards, to update from the 2015 edition. The articles were graded using the SIGN50 format. For each statement, studies with the highest level of evidence were used to frame the recommendation. Results This article summarizes the diagnostic and treatment pathways for postmenopausal OP. Risk stratification of patients with OP encompasses clinical risk factors, bone mineral density measurements and FRAX risk estimates. Non-pharmacological measures including adequate calcium and vitamin D, regular exercise and falls prevention are recommended. Pharmacological measures depend on patients' fracture risk status. Very high-risk individuals are recommended for treatment with an anabolic agent, if available, followed by an anti-resorptive agent. Alternatively, parenteral anti-resorptive agents can be used. High-risk individuals should be treated with anti-resorptive agents. In low-risk individuals, menopausal hormone replacement or selective estrogen receptor modulators can be used, if indicated. Patients should be assessed regularly to monitor treatment response and treatment adjusted, as appropriate. Conclusions The pathways for the management of postmenopausal OP in Malaysia have been updated. Incorporation of fracture risk stratification can guide appropriate treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terence Ing Wei Ong
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Lee Ling Lim
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siew Pheng Chan
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | | | | | | | - Fen Lee Hew
- Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Hui Min Khor
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Pauline Siew Mei Lai
- Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Ai Lee Lim
- Hospital Pulau Pinang, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - Boon Ping Lim
- Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Jeyakantha Ratnasingam
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yew Siong Siow
- Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | | | - Swan Sim Yeap
- Subang Jaya Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
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195
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Abas AH, Daud A, Mohd Hairon S, Shafei MN. Prevalence and Risk Factors of Low Back Pain in Malaysia: A Scoping Review. Malays J Med Sci 2023; 30:32-41. [PMID: 37425379 PMCID: PMC10325122 DOI: 10.21315/mjms2023.30.3.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Data on the prevalence and risk factors of low back pain (LBP) in Malaysia remain unclear as they are currently limited to specific settings and occupational groups. Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence and risk factors of low back pain in Malaysia. In this scoping review, we had systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar from January 2016 to April 2020. In addition, we had included cross-sectional studies on LBP in Malaysia. Studies without data on the prevalence and risk factors were excluded. The settings, population, design, sample size, evaluation methods, prevalence and risk factors of the studies were summarised. The literature search identified 435 potentially eligible studies; of these, 21 had met the inclusion criteria. The prevalence of LBP in Malaysia among various types of the population had ranged from 12.4% to 84.6%. Among the various types of occupation, the prevalence of LBP was the highest among nurses (67.9%), followed by drivers (65.7%). In addition, age, gender, body mass index (BMI), lifting heavy objects, working posture, lifestyle, working hours and mental health were identified as the risk factors of LBP in Malaysia. The current evidence suggests that LBP is a serious health problem among several occupational groups in Malaysia. Therefore, it is crucial to implement the correct interventions for the prevention of LBP among these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ab. Hamid Abas
- Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia
- Training Institute of Ministry of Health Malaysia Sultan Azlan Shah, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Aziah Daud
- Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Suhaily Mohd Hairon
- Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Nazri Shafei
- Department of Community Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia
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196
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Chew CC, Lim XJ, Narayanan MS, Letchumanan P, Rajan P, Chong CP. The Trend of the Burden of Allergic Rhinitis Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic in the Urban Population of Perak, Malaysia. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2023:1-8. [PMID: 37362103 PMCID: PMC10228421 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-023-03896-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims This study aims to determine the trend of allergic rhinitis (AR) prevalence in a tertiary hospital between 2017 and 2022, and to compare its prevalence pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This was a cross-sectional study involving the extraction of all Malaysian patients' medical records who were diagnosed with AR and attended the otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic of a government-funded tertiary hospital in Malaysia between 2017 and 2022. Results 3,744 cases out of the 57,968 first-encounter outpatient visits to the otorhinolaryngology clinic were extracted for analysis. Overall, the prevalence of AR cases ranged from 1.83 to 9.23% between 2017 and 2022. There was a significant drop of 21.38 to 70.22% between the pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.001). Males (0.34 to 1.60%) were more prevalent in the 6 to 18 year old than females (0.09 to 1.23%). The trend shifted with age, whereby females (0.50 to 2.45%) experienced a higher prevalence than males (0.21 to 1.77%) as they aged from 19 to 59. The Malay (1.01 to 4.59%) demonstrated a two-time higher prevalence than the Chinese (0.30 to 2.01%) and Indian (0.40 to 2.14%) ethnicities. After stratifying by gender and ethnicity, Indian women (0.17 to 1.09%) had a higher rate of AR than their Chinese counterparts (0.12 to 0.99%) across all years. Conclusion The AR prevalence consistently ranged from 8.14 to 9.23% pre-pandemic. A remarkable drop was observed post-pandemic, ranging from 1.83 to 6.40%. A gender shift from male to female predominance as age progressed. The Malay had the highest prevalence of AR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chii-Chii Chew
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Xin-Jie Lim
- Clinical Research Centre, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ministry of Health, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Maithrea Suresh Narayanan
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ministry of Health, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Pathma Letchumanan
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ministry of Health, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Philip Rajan
- Clinical Research Centre, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ministry of Health, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ministry of Health, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
| | - Chee Ping Chong
- Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
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197
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Naserrudin NA, Yong PPL, Monroe A, Culleton R, Baumann SE, Sato S, Hod R, Jeffree MS, Ahmed K, Hassan MR. Seeing malaria through the eyes of affected communities: using photovoice to document local knowledge on zoonotic malaria causation and prevention practices among rural communities exposed to Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in Northern Borneo Island. Malar J 2023; 22:166. [PMID: 37237418 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-023-04603-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many rural communities in Malaysian Borneo and Southeast Asia are at risk of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria. Multiple factors contribute to infection, however, a deep understanding of illness causation and prevention practices among at-risk communities remains limited. This study aims to document local knowledge on malaria causation and preventive practices of rural communities in Sabah, Malaysia, using photovoice-a participatory research method. METHODS From January to June 2022, a photovoice study was conducted with rural communities in Matunggong subdistrict, Malaysia, to explore their experiences with and local knowledge of non-human primate malaria and prevention practices. The study included (1) an introductory phase in which participants were introduced to the photovoice method; (2) a documentation phase in which participants captured and narrated photos from their communities; (3) a discussion phase in which participants discussed photos and relevant topics through a series of three focus group discussions (FGDs) per village; and (4) a dissemination phase where selected photos were shared with key stakeholders through a photo exhibition. A purposively selected sample of 26 participants (adults > 18 years old, male, and female) from four villages participated in all phases of the study. The study activities were conducted in Sabah Malay dialect. Participants and the research team contributed to data review and analyses. RESULTS Rural communities in Sabah, Malaysia possess local knowledge that attributes non-human primate malaria to natural factors related to the presence of mosquitoes that bite humans and which carry "kuman-malaria" or malaria parasite. Participants revealed various preventive practises ranging from traditional practises, including burning dried leaves and using plants that produce foul odours, to non-traditional approaches such as aerosols and mosquito repellents. By engaging with researchers and policymakers, the participants or termed as co-researchers in this study, showcased their ability to learn and appreciate new knowledge and perspectives and valued the opportunity to share their voices with policymakers. The study successfully fostered a balance of power dynamics between the co-researchers, research team members and policymakers. CONCLUSION There were no misconceptions about malaria causation among study participants. The insights from study participants are relevant because of their living experience with the non-human malaria. It is critical to incorporate rural community perspectives in designing locally effective and feasible malaria interventions in rural Sabah, Malaysia. Future research can consider adapting the photovoice methodology for further research with the community toward building locally tailored-malaria strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nurul Athirah Naserrudin
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Sabah State Health Department, Ministry of Health, 88590, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Pauline Pau Lin Yong
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - April Monroe
- Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Richard Culleton
- Division of Molecular Parasitology, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Toon, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan
| | - Sara Elizabeth Baumann
- Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Shigeharu Sato
- Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Rozita Hod
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohammad Saffree Jeffree
- Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Kamruddin Ahmed
- Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Rohaizat Hassan
- Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
- Borneo Medical and Health Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, 88400, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
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198
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Sureshkumar S, Mustapha F, Yusoff H, Mwangi KJ, Marcus K, Kohlbrenner B, Issom D, Benissa MR, Aebischer-Perone S, Braha N, Candela E, Chhabra KG, Desikachari BR, Dondi A, Etchebehere M, Gathecha G, Kengne AP, Missoni E, Palafox B, Pati S, Madhu PP, Peer N, Quint J, Tabrizi R, Oris M, Beran D, Balabanova D, Etter JF. An Online Survey of the Perceptions of Clinical and Non-Clinical Professionals on Healthcare for Non-Communicable Diseases and COVID-19 Measures During the Pandemic in Malaysia. Int J Public Health 2023; 68:1605861. [PMID: 37304500 PMCID: PMC10247991 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1605861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: This study assesses the opinions of health professionals in Malaysia on the disruption of non-communicable disease (NCD) services during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2022. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 191 non-clinical public health workers and clinical health service workers in Malaysia from November 2021 to January 2022. Participants were recruited by the Malaysian Ministry of Health using major networks including key experts and practitioners. Secondary respondents were subsequently enrolled through snowballing. Results: The most notable issues raised by the survey participants relate to NCD service disruption, the redirection of NCD care resources, and NCD care being overburdened post-pandemic. Respondents also reported accounts of resilience and prompt reaction from the healthcare system, as well as calls for innovation. Conclusion: Most respondents perceived that the challenges arising from COVID-19 were mostly managed well by the healthcare system, which was able to provide the necessary services to NCD patients during this health emergency. However, the study identifies gaps in the health system response and preparedness capacity, and highlights solutions for strengthening NCD services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Feisul Mustapha
- Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health (Malaysia), Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Haironi Yusoff
- Department of Medicine and Public Health, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
| | - Kibachio Joseph Mwangi
- Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Non-Communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health (Kenya), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Kailing Marcus
- Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - David Issom
- Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Egidio Candela
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero, Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | - Arianna Dondi
- IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero, Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Marina Etchebehere
- Faculty of Health Sciences (FICSAE), Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gladwell Gathecha
- Department of Non-Communicable Diseases, Ministry of Health (Kenya), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Andre Pascal Kengne
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Benjamin Palafox
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | | | - Nasheeta Peer
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Reza Tabrizi
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Centre, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
| | - Michel Oris
- Institute of Global Health, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David Beran
- University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dina Balabanova
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Nathan AD, Shankar PR, Sreeramareddy CT. Topical corticosteroid counselling among Malaysian community pharmacists: a qualitative interview study. BMC Prim Care 2023; 24:119. [PMID: 37231354 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-023-02071-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Topical corticosteroids (TCS) are commonly available in community pharmacies and are used in skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis among others. Problems such as overuse, use of potent steroids and steroid phobia have been identified in the use of TCS in the literature. The aim of the study was to obtain community pharmacists (CPs) views regarding factors influencing their counselling of patients about TCS; challenges associated, important problems, the counselling process, shared care with other healthcare professionals, and explore further the findings from the questionnaire-based study. METHODS Seven licensed practicing community pharmacists (from the Klang Valley, Malaysia) were interviewed between 23rd September to 14th November 2021. These were CPs participating in the questionnaire study who agreed to be interviewed. NVIVO 11 software was used for data analysis. Codes and themes were generated and agreed on by the researchers. RESULTS The major themes identified related to the process mentioned of providing information to patients, the issues addressed by CPs during the counselling (including steroid phobia, overuse of TCS, patients asking for a specific preparation by name), less counselling support material, language barriers, lesser knowledge about certain conditions, information sources used by CPs (material provided by Ministry of Health and Malaysian Pharmacists Association, MIMS) and suggestions to strengthen the quality of counselling (specialization in skin diseases, webinars, shared care models). For patients requesting a particular preparation by name, the pharmacist will decide whether the preparation requested is suitable or suggest an alternative. Steroid phobia was seen more commonly among parents of young children and young patients. MIMS was available as a smartphone application making it easier to use. Advanced training for CPs in the management of skin conditions like that provided for diabetes mellitus can be considered. CONCLUSIONS Counselling was conducted while dispensing TCS in the open area of the pharmacy. Challenges to counselling were lack of time, limited counselling materials, and language barriers. Steroid phobia requires attention. Initiatives to strengthen counselling were mentioned by respondents and appear feasible. Further research covering the entire country is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail Dayang Nathan
- Public Health student, School of Postgraduate Studies, International Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Pathiyil Ravi Shankar
- IMU Centre for Education, International Medical University, Bukit Jalil, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Abdullah NS, Ching SM, Ali H. Willingness to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine and its associated factors among adults with chronic disease: A cross-sectional study in Putrajaya, Malaysia. Malays Fam Physician 2023; 18:30. [PMID: 37292226 PMCID: PMC10246709 DOI: 10.51866/oa.260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Introduction Booster vaccination has been shown to reduce transmission and serious infection with COVID-19. This study examined the willingness to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine and its associated factors among high-risk patients at Klinik Kesihatan Putrajaya Presint 9. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients aged >18 years attending Klinik Kesihatan Putrajaya Presint 9 with a high risk of contracting COVID-19 recruited via systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the associated factors. Results The response rate for this study was 97.4% (N=489). The median patient age was 55 years. Approximately 51.7% were men, and 90.4% were Malays. Approximately 81.2% were willing to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine. The patients who perceived COVID-19 as a serious illness (Adjusted Odd Ratio, AOR=2.414), those who perceived COVID-19 booster vaccines as beneficial (AOR=7.796), those who disagreed that COVID-19 booster vaccines have many side effects (AOR=3.266), those who had no doubt about the content of COVID-19 vaccines (AOR=2.649) and those who were employed (AOR=2.559) and retired (AOR=2.937) were more likely to be willing to receive a booster vaccine than those who were unemployed and those who did not have close friends or family members who contracted severe COVID-19 (AOR=2.006). Conclusion The majority of the participants were willing to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine. Healthcare authorities should take initiatives to design targeted public intervention programmes to increase the willingness for COVID-19 booster vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Shahira Abdullah
- Bachelor of Medicine (Southampton), Klinik Kesihatan Putrajaya Presint 9, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Siew Mooi Ching
- MD (UNIMAS), MMed (Family Medicine)(UM), Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
- Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing (MyAgeing), Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Healthcare and Medical Sciences, Sunway University, 5 Jalan University, Bandar Sunway, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
| | - Hanifatiyah Ali
- MBBS (UM), MMed (Fam Med) (UKM), Department of Family Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
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