The Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, extends its warmest congratulations to Dr Siti Sarah binti Fadzil on the successful completion of her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) viva voce examination on 26 August 2026.
Her doctoral dissertation, entitled “Determinants of Public Stigma on Dementia among Community-Dwelling Malaysian Adults”, addresses an increasingly important public health challenge in Malaysia. As the population ages and the burden of dementia grows, understanding and addressing stigma is essential to encouraging timely help-seeking, improving social inclusion, and strengthening support for people living with dementia and their families.
Understanding Public Stigma towards Dementia in Malaysia
Dr Siti Sarah’s research sought to determine the level of public stigma towards dementia and identify the factors associated with stigma among community-dwelling Malaysian adults. Importantly, the study responds to a significant gap in Malaysian evidence on public attitudes and social responses towards dementia.
The research was conducted in two phases. In the first phase, Dr Siti Sarah undertook the translation, validation and reliability testing of instruments for measuring dementia knowledge and public stigma among Malaysian adults. A total of 491 participants attending five Ministry of Health primary care health services in Selangor were involved.
Through rigorous psychometric evaluation, including exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, the research produced two locally validated instruments: the Malaysian version of the Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS-My) and the Malay version of the Dementia Public Stigma Scale (DePSS-M). Both demonstrated satisfactory to excellent model fit and reliability, providing valuable tools for future dementia research, programme evaluation and population monitoring in Malaysia.
In the second phase, Dr Siti Sarah conducted a cross-sectional study involving 1,338 community-dwelling Malaysian adults recruited from 12 Ministry of Health primary care health services in Selangor.
One of the most important findings was that 70.0% of participants had a moderate to high level of public stigma towards dementia, with stigma particularly prominent in the cognitive domain. The study further identified eight significant factors associated with dementia stigma, including sex, ethnicity, marital status, educational attainment, perceived susceptibility to dementia, caregiving experience and beliefs about dementia.
Together, these findings provide an important evidence base for understanding not only the extent of dementia stigma but also the population groups and beliefs that could be addressed through targeted public health interventions.
An Important Doctoral Achievement
Completing a Doctor of Public Health is a significant academic and professional accomplishment. Dr Siti Sarah’s work is particularly noteworthy for combining instrument validation, community-based research and applied public health relevance within a single doctoral programme.
Her research involved 1,829 participants across the two phases, demonstrating the substantial scope of the work. Beyond documenting the prevalence and determinants of stigma, the study has produced locally validated measurement tools that can continue to support dementia research and programme evaluation in Malaysia.
Most importantly, her thesis contributes original Malaysian evidence to an area where locally relevant data have been limited. The successful defence of this work represents the culmination of sustained research, methodological rigour and commitment to addressing an important public health issue.
Contribution to Public Health
Dementia is not solely a clinical issue. Stigma can influence whether individuals and families recognise symptoms, seek professional assistance, obtain a diagnosis and access appropriate care and support. It can also shape how people living with dementia are perceived and included within families, communities and society.
Dr Siti Sarah’s research therefore has important implications for public health policy, health promotion and dementia care in Malaysia.
By identifying groups and beliefs associated with higher levels of stigma, the findings can inform more targeted dementia education and awareness programmes rather than relying solely on broad, one-size-fits-all approaches. The validated DKAS-My and DePSS-M instruments also provide practical tools for measuring dementia knowledge and stigma and evaluating whether future interventions are achieving meaningful change.
The findings can further support the development of dementia-related policies, community awareness initiatives and healthcare worker training. Ultimately, reducing stigma has the potential to promote earlier recognition and diagnosis, improve help-seeking behaviour and foster more supportive and dementia-inclusive communities.
Acknowledgement
We wish to acknowledge the invaluable guidance and mentorship provided by Dr Siti Sarah binti Fadzil’s supervisors, Assoc. Prof. Dr Nik Daliana Nik Farid, Assoc. Prof. Dr ‘Abqariyah Yahya@Ahmad Noor, and Professor Dr Shahrul Bahyah Kamaruzzaman, whose expertise and support were instrumental in the completion of her thesis.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Professor Dr Kua Ee Heok, Department of Psychological Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, the External Examiner, and Professor Dr Rafdzah Ahmad Zaki, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, the Internal Examiner.
We would also like to thank the Committee of Examiners for their thorough evaluation and insightful feedback, including Professor Dr Sajaratulnisah Othman, Chairperson of the viva voce session, and Professor Dr Victor Hoe Chee Wai, Head of the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya.
Congratulations and Looking Ahead
Heartiest congratulations once again to Dr Siti Sarah binti Fadzil on this outstanding milestone.
The successful completion of her DrPH viva voce marks not only the conclusion of an important academic journey but also the beginning of new opportunities to translate research evidence into meaningful public health action.
We look forward to seeing the findings of this research contribute to stronger dementia awareness initiatives, evidence-informed policies, healthcare training and stigma-reduction strategies in Malaysia. We also hope that the validated instruments developed through this work will facilitate further research and enable the impact of future dementia programmes to be monitored over time.
May this achievement inspire Dr Siti Sarah to continue advancing dementia research, public health practice and advocacy, and to champion a society in which people living with dementia and their families are met with knowledge, understanding, dignity and support.
Congratulations, Dr Siti Sarah binti Fadzil, on the successful completion of your Doctor of Public Health viva voce!
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