Celebrating Academic Excellence: Teh Chien Huey’s Successful PhD Thesis Defense

The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine is thrilled to announce that Teh Chien Huey has successfully defended her thesis titled “Sociodemographic Patterns in Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Risk Factors and Their Impact on Mortality Risk in Malaysia, 1996-2015” during her Viva Voce on August 20, 2024. This significant academic milestone was achieved under the expert supervision of Professor Dr. Sanjay Rampal from our department, with co-supervision by Dr. Hj. Tahir Aris and Dr. Mohd Azahadi Omar from the National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia.

Thesis Overview

Teh Chien Huey’s research addresses a critical gap in understanding the age, period, and cohort (APC) associations of behavioral and biological NCD risk factors in Malaysia. Her study is pioneering in its approach, as it is the first to conduct an APC analysis in the Malaysian context. By examining data from four National Health and Morbidity Surveys conducted between 1996 and 2015, her work provides invaluable insights into how these risk factors evolve over time and their impact on mortality risk.

Key Findings

The study utilised the extended Hierarchical APC (HAPC) analysis and causal mediation analysis to explore the trajectories of five behavioral and six biological NCD risk factors. Some of the notable findings include:

• Age and Cohort Effects: Malaysian adults are becoming less healthy as they age, with younger cohorts showing similar trends. This underscores the need for targeted health interventions.
• Sex and Ethnicity Variations: While behavioral risk factors did not vary significantly by sex, postmenopausal women and women from recent cohorts exhibited more pronounced increases in biological NCD risk factors. Ethnic differences were also observed, with Chinese individuals showing less pronounced increases in biological risk factors compared to other ethnicities.
• Mediation Analysis: Smoking, physical inactivity, and sedentarism emerged as significant mediators of mortality risk, particularly among males and Malays.

Implications for Public Health

The findings from Teh Chien Huey’s research highlight the importance of considering sex- and ethnic-specific factors when developing health policies and preventive measures. The study emphasizes the urgent need to address rising NCD risk factors, particularly smoking and abdominal obesity, to improve health outcomes in Malaysia.

Academic Contributions

Teh Chien Huey’s work has already made significant academic contributions, with published papers in reputable journals such as Nicotine & Tobacco Research and the International Journal of Obesity. These publications further establish her research as a cornerstone for future studies and policy formulation in the field of public health.

Acknowledgments

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Teh Chien Huey for her dedication and hard work. We also thank her supervisors, Professor Dr. Sanjay Rampal, Dr. Hj. Tahir Aris, and Dr. Mohd Azahadi Omar, for their invaluable guidance. Additionally, we acknowledge the contributions of her examiners, Professor Dr. Yu-Kang Tu from the National Taiwan University, Taiwan, Professor Dr. Heejin Kimm form Yonsei University, South Korea, and Dr. ‘Abqariyah Yahya@Ahmad Noor, for their critical insights and support. We would like to thank Professor Dr. Tunku Kamarul Zaman Tunku Zainol for chairing the session and Professor Dr. Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman, Deputy Dean (Postgraduate), Professor Dr. Rosli Ramli from Faculty of Science who is the Senate Representative and the Professor Dr Victor Hoe the Head of Department for participating in the Viva Voce session.

Teh Chien Huey’s successful thesis defense marks a significant achievement not only for her but also for the advancement of public health research in Malaysia. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of her work on health policies and interventions in the future.