Publications for 2021

@article{RN23,

title = {A comprehensive bibliometrics of 'walkability' research landscape: visualization of the scientific progress and future prospects},

author = {L. Ramakreshnan and N. Aghamohammadi and C. S. Fong and N. M. Sulaiman},

doi = {10.1007/s11356-020-11305-x},

issn = {0944-1344},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

urldate = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Environ Sci Pollut Res Int},

volume = {28},

number = {2},

pages = {1357-1369},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {This study quantitatively investigated the scientific progress of walkability research landscape and its future prospects using bibliometric indicators to highlight the research hotspots. The results accentuated multifaceted nature of walkability research landscape with a strong association towards public health disciplines. Keyword co-occurrence analysis emphasized that majority of the walkability studies centred on the interactions between walking and other three main factors such as built environment attributes, transportation and obesity. Based on the identified research hotspots, a brief state-of-the-art review of walkability studies was presented. Future prospects based on the unexplored research gaps within the hotspots were also discussed. High correlation (r = 0.99, p \< 0.05) between annual publications and citation counts demonstrated the significance of walkability studies to the contemporary scientific community. Being one of the comprehensive studies to evaluate the historic trajectory of walkability research landscape, the findings were expected to accelerate a comprehensive understanding of the walkability research domain that will assist future research direction.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN155,

title = {A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step: Applying evidence-based medicine to answer clinical questions},

author = {P. S. K. Tok},

doi = {10.51866/lte1336},

issn = {1985-207X (Print) 

1985-2274},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Malays Fam Physician},

volume = {16},

number = {3},

pages = {132},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN183,

title = {A preliminary study of the original TIBSIT and its cultural adaptation in Malaysia},

author = {S. D. Kevin and R. Govindaraju and M. Danaee and T. A. Shahrizal and N. Prepageran},

issn = {0300-5283 (Print) 

0300-5283},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Med J Malaysia},

volume = {76},

number = {Suppl 4},

pages = {3-8},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: A simple and self-administered 'scratch \& sniff' test kit like the TIBSIT smell kit based on the Taiwan Smell Identification Test (TWSIT), provides a safe and quick assessment of olfaction. The original TIBSIT has been validated for use in Taiwan with age specific scores for different age groups and diagnosis. The main aim of this study is to examine if TIBSIT can be applicable for the Malaysian population and perform cultural adaptation as necessary to allow a more accurate assessment using this tool. METHOD AND MATERIAL: A preliminary study of the original TIBSIT (Phase 1) followed by cultural adaption (Phase 2) were carried out on volunteers from various neighbourhoods in Klang Valley, Malaysia comprising of age group 16-80 years. A total of 150 test subjects and 50 test subjects were recruited for Phase 1 and Phase 2 respectively. Cultural adaptation was done with changes to the distractors that were found to be confusing. In addition, modifications included added language translation and visual reinforcement with images of the odour's substance of origin. RESULTS: 109 out of the 150 responses were accepted for Phase 1. A detection rate of less than 75% was found in three of the odours with the remaining showing an average rate of 87.2% to 97.7%. These three odours were culturally adapted for Phase 2. All 50 responses for Phase 2 were accepted; two of the odours' detection rates improved to 98% but the plum odour was only detected 53% of the time. CONCLUSION: TIBSIT provides a quick office-based olfaction testing. The culturally adapted test kit is a potentially useful screening test for the Malaysian population. It is also safe and excludes the need of the clinician to carry out the test. This becomes especially useful in testing any dysosmia (hyposmia/anosmia) cases suspected of SARS-COV-2 virus infection (COVID-19).},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN171,

title = {A qualitative exploration: Dietary behaviour of Malaysian breast cancer survivors},

author = {S. J. Kiew and H. A. Majid and N. A. Mohd Taib},

doi = {10.1111/ecc.13530},

issn = {0961-5423},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Eur J Cancer Care (Engl)},

pages = {e13530},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the dietary practices and factors affecting Malaysian breast cancer survivors' dietary behaviours. METHODS: We conducted an in-depth qualitative interview on 20 participants from a cohort study. An ecological framework was used to construct the semi-structured topic guide. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis with theoretical saturation was used in data analysis. RESULTS: The participants were found to have variable dietary practices that either followed or did not follow dietary recommendations. The social environment was critical as most women relied on family and friends for food choices; additionally, individuals in charge of food preparation had to prepare food based on their family member preferences. Furthermore, individuals had difficulty sustaining healthy dietary changes during the acute survivorship phase due to a lack of health consciousness and difficulty in healthy food access. Notably, there was a lack of dietary guidance from health care professionals, especially dietitians, in long-term survivorship care. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the lack of breast cancer survivors' healthy diet and lifestyle knowledge. A holistic multidisciplinary approach involving individual, social, physical, and macro-level environmental elements are crucial to influencing healthy eating behaviours.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN181,

title = {A Qualitative Investigation on the Roles of Social Support on Physical Activity Behaviour among the Rural-Dwelling Older Women in Malaysia},

author = {T. Marthammuthu and F. M. Hairi and W. Y. Choo and N. A. M. Salleh and N. N. Hairi},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph18189609},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {18},

number = {18},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Despite many health benefits of physical activities, both physically and mentally, the majority of the older women in the rural areas of Malaysia are showing a low prevalence of physical activities. Understanding the roles of social support to improve physical activities is imperative to promote active and healthy ageing among the rural-dwelling older women in Malaysia. Hence, this qualitative study adopted an inductive design using 17 in-depth interviews to understand the role of social support on physical activity behaviour among the rural community-dwelling older woman in Kuala Pilah District, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia from December 2019 to January 2020. Three categories of themes were identified in this study. Firstly, adaptive social support in terms of informational, companionship and emotional supports reported enhancing physical activity levels among older women. Secondly, the absence of help and assistance from the social network asserts independence and triggers the older women to perform the activities by themselves, thus engage in physically active lifestyles. Thirdly, lacking social support demotivate older women to be engaged in physical activities. In particular, loss of companionship support, poor acceptance or appraisal support, logistic issues to attend exercise programmes and neighbourhood safety and security issues were among the main barriers of physical activities reported by the older women. The main findings of this study shed some light on the exigency of strengthening social support from the social network to engage the older women in physical activities. The roles of social media, effective patient-doctor communication and interventions targeting the spouses and family members must be strengthened to create a supportive atmosphere to enhance physical activity levels among older women.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN194,

title = {A systematic review of group therapy programs for smoking cessation in Asian countries},

author = {R. Mohamed and C. Bullen and F. M. Hairi and A. S. A. Nordin},

doi = {10.18332/tid/140089},

issn = {2070-7266 (Print) 

1617-9625},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Tob Induc Dis},

volume = {19},

pages = {63},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Tobacco causes more than 8 million deaths each year. Behavioral interventions such as group therapy, which provides counselling for smoking cessation, can be delivered in group form and smokers who receive cessation counselling are more likely to quit smoking compared to no assistance. We review the evidence of group-based counselling for smoking cessation for smokers in Asian countries. METHODS: The review aims to determine the availability of group-based therapy for smoking cessation in Asian countries. The outcome measured was abstinence from smoking following group therapy. Electronic database searches in PubMed, OVID Medline, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO, using keywords such as: 'smoking', 'cigarette', 'tobacco', 'nicotine', 'group therapy' and 'cessation' (smok*, *cigarette*, tobacco, nicotine, group therap*, cessation) were used. The results were reported following PRISMA and PROSPERO guidelines. Review Manager was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 21251 records were retrieved for screening the abstracts. In all, 300 articles for review were identified and assessed for eligibility. Nine articles, including Cochrane reviews, randomized control trials, cohort, observational and cross-sectional studies, were included in the final review. There were three observational qualitative studies, two prospective cohort studies, two crosssectional studies, one non-randomized quasi-experimental study and a single cluster-randomized, controlled trial. Group therapy was found to significantly increase the abstinence rate. Group therapy provided at the workplace, smoking cessation services, availability of pharmacotherapy, and socioeconomic status, appear to be key factors determining success. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of the use of group therapy for smoking cessation in Asian countries is still lacking despite publications in the Western population showed that group therapy was effective. Further research on group-based interventions for smoking cessation in Asian countries is required and direct one-to-one comparisons between group therapy and individual therapy for smokers who want to quit smoking, are needed.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN246,

title = {Accelerating action on cervical screening in lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs) post COVID-19 era},

author = {Y. L. Woo and P. Gravitt and S. K. Khor and C. W. Ng and M. Saville},

doi = {10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106294},

issn = {0091-7435 (Print) 

0091-7435},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Prev Med},

volume = {144},

pages = {106294},

abstract = {Cervical cancer remains the fourth most common cancer in women, with 85% of deaths occurring in LMICs. Despite the existence of effective vaccine and screening tools, efforts to reduce the burden of cervical cancer must be considered in the context of the social structures within the health systems of LMICs. Compounding this existing challenge is the global COVID-19 pandemic, declared in March 2020. While it is too soon to tell how health systems priorities will change as a result of COVID-19 and its impact on the cervical cancer elimination agenda, there are opportunities to strengthen cervical screening by leveraging on several trends. Many LMICs maximized the strengths of their long established community-based primary care and public health systems with expansion of surveillance systems which incorporated mobile technologies. LMICs can harness the momentum of the measures taken against COVID-19 to consolidate the efforts against cervical cancer. Self-sampling, molecular human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and digital health will shift health systems towards stronger public health and primary care networks and away from expensive hospital-based care investments. While COVID-19 will change health systems priorities in LMICs in ways that may de-prioritize cervical cancer screening, there are significant opportunities for integration into longer-term trends towards universal health coverage, self-care and digital health.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN268,

title = {Additional SNPs improve risk stratification of a polygenic hazard score for prostate cancer},

author = {R. A. Karunamuni and M. P. Huynh-Le and C. C. Fan and W. Thompson and R. A. Eeles and Z. Kote-Jarai and K. Muir and A. Lophatananon and J. Schleutker and N. Pashayan and J. Batra and H. Gr\"{o}nberg and E. I. Walsh and E. L. Turner and A. Lane and R. M. Martin and D. E. Neal and J. L. Donovan and F. C. Hamdy and B. G. Nordestgaard and C. M. Tangen and R. J. MacInnis and A. Wolk and D. Albanes and C. A. Haiman and R. C. Travis and J. L. Stanford and L. A. Mucci and C. M. L. West and S. F. Nielsen and A. S. Kibel and F. Wiklund and O. Cussenot and S. I. Berndt and S. Koutros and K. D. S\orensen and C. Cybulski and E. M. Grindedal and J. Y. Park and S. A. Ingles and C. Maier and R. J. Hamilton and B. S. Rosenstein and A. Vega and M. Kogevinas and K. L. Penney and M. R. Teixeira and H. Brenner and E. M. John and R. Kaneva and C. J. Logothetis and S. L. Neuhausen and A. Razack and L. F. Newcomb and M. Gamulin and N. Usmani and F. Claessens and M. Gago-Dominguez and P. A. Townsend and M. J. Roobol and W. Zheng and I. G. Mills and O. A. Andreassen and A. M. Dale and T. M. Seibert},

doi = {10.1038/s41391-020-00311-2},

issn = {1365-7852 (Print) 

1365-7852},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis},

volume = {24},

number = {2},

pages = {532-541},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Polygenic hazard scores (PHS) can identify individuals with increased risk of prostate cancer. We estimated the benefit of additional SNPs on performance of a previously validated PHS (PHS46). MATERIALS AND METHOD: 180 SNPs, shown to be previously associated with prostate cancer, were used to develop a PHS model in men with European ancestry. A machine-learning approach, LASSO-regularized Cox regression, was used to select SNPs and to estimate their coefficients in the training set (75,596 men). Performance of the resulting model was evaluated in the testing/validation set (6,411 men) with two metrics: (1) hazard ratios (HRs) and (2) positive predictive value (PPV) of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing. HRs were estimated between individuals with PHS in the top 5% to those in the middle 40% (HR95/50), top 20% to bottom 20% (HR80/20), and bottom 20% to middle 40% (HR20/50). PPV was calculated for the top 20% (PPV80) and top 5% (PPV95) of PHS as the fraction of individuals with elevated PSA that were diagnosed with clinically significant prostate cancer on biopsy. RESULTS: 166 SNPs had non-zero coefficients in the Cox model (PHS166). All HR metrics showed significant improvements for PHS166 compared to PHS46: HR95/50 increased from 3.72 to 5.09, HR80/20 increased from 6.12 to 9.45, and HR20/50 decreased from 0.41 to 0.34. By contrast, no significant differences were observed in PPV of PSA testing for clinically significant prostate cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Incorporating 120 additional SNPs (PHS166 vs PHS46) significantly improved HRs for prostate cancer, while PPV of PSA testing remained the same.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN191,

title = {Analyzing Predictors of Control Measures and Psychosocial Problems Associated with COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Eight Countries},

author = {S. S. R. Jony and U. Haque and N. J. Webb and E. Spence and M. S. Rahman and N. Aghamohammadi and Y. Lie and A. Angulo-Molina and S. Ananth and X. Ren and N. Kawachi and H. Ito and O. Ulvi and J. Lubinda and A. Karamehic-Muratovic and W. Maher and P. Ali and M. S. Rahman},

doi = {10.3390/bs11080106},

issn = {2076-328X (Print) 

2076-328x},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Behav Sci (Basel)},

volume = {11},

number = {8},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {COVID-19 has harshly impacted communities globally. This study provides relevant information for creating equitable policy interventions to combat the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to predict the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the COVID-19 pandemic at a global level to determine control measures and psychosocial problems. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to October 2020 using an online questionnaire. Questionnaires were initially distributed to academicians worldwide. These participants distributed the survey among their social, professional, and personal groups. Responses were collected and analyzed from 67 countries, with a sample size of 3031. Finally, based on the number of respondents, eight countries, including Bangladesh, China, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United States, and Zambia were rigorously analyzed. Specifically, questionnaire responses related to COVID-19 accessibility, behavior, knowledge, opinion, psychological health, and susceptibility were collected and analyzed. As per our analysis, age groups were found to be a primary determinant of behavior, knowledge, opinion, psychological health, and susceptibility scores. Gender was the second most influential determinant for all metrics except information about COVID-19 accessibility, for which education was the second most important determinant. Respondent profession was the third most important metric for all scores. Our findings suggest that health authorities must promote health educations, implement related policies to disseminate COVID-19-awareness that can prevent and control the spread of COVID-19 infection.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN216,

title = {Antibiotic usage and resistance in animal production in Vietnam: a review of existing literature},

author = {K. N. Di and D. T. Pham and T. S. Tee and Q. A. Binh and T. C. Nguyen},

doi = {10.1007/s11250-021-02780-6},

issn = {0049-4747},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Trop Anim Health Prod},

volume = {53},

number = {3},

pages = {340},

abstract = {Inappropriate use of antibiotics in animal production system is one of the major factors leading to the antibiotic resistance (ABR) development. In Vietnam, the ABR situation is crucial as antibiotics have been used indiscriminately for disease prevention and as growth promoters in animals. Thus, a thorough understanding on the ABR in veterinary settings would be beneficial to the Vietnam public health authority in formulating timely interventions. This review aimed to provide information on the current status of antibiotic usage in animal husbandry in Vietnam, identified gaps in research, and suggested possible solutions to tackle ABR. To this end, data on ABR in animals were extracted from 3 major electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect) in the period of January 2013-December 2020. The review findings were reported according to PRISMA, which highlighted the emergence and persistence of ABR in bacterial isolates, including Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., and Salmonella species, obtained from pigs and poultry. The lack of awareness of Vietnamese farmers on the antibiotic utilization guidelines was one of the main causes driving the animal ABR. Hence, this paper calls for interventions to restrict antibiotics use in food-producing animals by national action plan and antibiotics control programs. Additionally, studies to evaluate knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of the community are required to promote rational use of antibiotics in all sectors.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN267,

title = {Anticipated delay in help-seeking for cancer symptoms: Findings from a nationwide study of Malaysian adults},

author = {D. Schliemann and R. Ismail and M. Donnelly and T. T. Su},

doi = {10.1016/j.canep.2020.101882},

issn = {1877-7821},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Cancer Epidemiol},

volume = {71},

number = {Pt A},

pages = {101882},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between anticipated delay in help-seeking and cancer symptom recognition and the extent to which this relationship varied according to socio-demographic and health-related characteristics. METHODS: A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted of 1895 adults aged ≥40 years who were randomly selected across Malaysia and interviewed using the Awareness and Beliefs about Cancer questionnaire, which was previously validated and culturally adapted by the research team. Logistic regression analysis was used to test the associations between anticipated delay for help seeking \>2 weeks and socio-demographic and health-related variables. RESULTS: Anticipated delay in help-seeking was reported for persistent cough (19.3 %), rectal bleeding (6.1 %) and breast changes (2.5 %). Difficulty in accessing a doctor was associated with anticipated delayed help-seeking for breast changes and rectal bleeding (adjusted ORs 7.58; 95 % CI 1.98, 28.94 and 2.37; 95 % CI 1.21, 4.66, respectively); not recognising the symptom 'unexplained bleeding' as a colorectal cancer warning sign was associated with anticipated delayed help-seeking for rectal bleeding (adjusted OR 1.54; 95 % CI 1.03, 2.31); and ethnicity was associated with anticipated delay for rectal bleeding and persistent cough. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, anticipated delay to help-seeking for cancer symptoms in Malaysia (a middle-income country) appeared to be a less significant problem compared to other countries including high-income countries. There appeared to be a significant association between social variation indicators in Malaysia and anticipated delay in help-seeking.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN260,

title = {Assessing the impact of non-pharmaceutical interventions on the transmissibility and severity of COVID-19 during the first five months in the Western Pacific Region},

author = {E. K. Yeoh and K. C. Chong and C. J. Chiew and V. J. Lee and C. W. Ng and H. Hashimoto and S. Kwon and W. Wang and N. N. S. Chau and C. H. K. Yam and T. Y. Chow and C. T. Hung},

doi = {10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100213},

issn = {2352-7714 (Print) 

2352-7714},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {One Health},

volume = {12},

pages = {100213},

abstract = {While most countries in the Western Pacific Region (WPR) had similar trajectories of COVID-19 from January to May, their implementations of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) differed by transmission stages. To offer a better understanding for an implementation of multidisciplinary policies in COVID-19 control, we compared the impact of NPIs by assessing the transmissibility and severity of COVID-19 in different phases of the epidemic during the first five months in WPR. In this study, we estimated the piecewise instantaneous reproduction number (R (t) ) and the reporting delay-adjusted case-fatality ratio (dCFR) of COVID-19 in seven WPR jurisdictions: Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Japan, Malaysia, Shanghai, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. According to the results, implementing NPIs was associated with an apparent reduction of the piecewise R (t) in two epidemic waves in general. However, large cluster outbreaks raised the piecewise R (t) to a high level. We also observed relaxing the NPIs could result in an increase of R (t) . The estimated dCFR ranged from 0.09% to 1.59% among the jurisdictions, except in Japan where an estimate of 5.31% might be due to low testing efforts. To conclude, in conjunction with border control measures to reduce influx of imported cases which might cause local outbreaks, other NPIs including social distancing measures along with case finding by rapid tests are also necessary to prevent potential large cluster outbreaks and transmissions from undetected cases. A comparatively lower CFR may reflect the health system capacity of these jurisdictions. In order to keep track of sustained disease transmission due to resumption of economic activities, a close monitoring of disease transmissibility is recommended in the relaxation phase. The report of transmission of SARS CoV-2 to pets in Hong Kong and to mink in farm outbreaks highlight for the control of COVID-19 and emerging infectious disease, the One Health approach is critical in understanding and accounting for how human, animals and environment health are intricately connected.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN192,

title = {Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Dengue among Physicians: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Survey},

author = {K. S. Koonisetty and N. Aghamohammadi and T. Urmi and S\.{I} Yava\c{s}oglu and M. S. Rahman and R. Nandy and U. Haque},

doi = {10.3390/bs11080105},

issn = {2076-328X (Print) 

2076-328x},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Behav Sci (Basel)},

volume = {11},

number = {8},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Dengue fever is one of the most important viral infections transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes and a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Accurate identification of cases and treatment of dengue patients at the early stages can reduce medical complications and dengue mortality rate. This survey aims to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) among physicians in dengue diagnosis and treatment. This study was conducted among physicians in Turkey as one nonendemic country and Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia as three dengue-endemic countries. The dosing frequencies, maximum doses, and contraindications in dengue fever were examined. The results found that physicians from Bangladesh, India, and Malaysia have higher KAP scores in dengue diagnosis and treatment compared to physicians in Turkey. This may be due to a lack of physician's exposure to a dengue patient as Turkey is considered a nonendemic country. This assessment may help establish a guideline for intervention strategies among physicians to have successful treatment outcomes and reduce dengue mortality.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN252,

title = {Association between structural social support and quality of life among urban older Malaysians},

author = {A. Abu Hammattah and R. Mohd Yunus and A. Matthias M\"{u}ller and S. Bahyah Kamaruzzaman and N. Naqiah Hairi},

doi = {10.1111/ajag.12919},

issn = {1440-6381},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Australas J Ageing},

volume = {40},

number = {4},

pages = {390-396},

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the association between structural social support and quality of life (QoL) among urban older people in Malaysia. METHODS: Cross-sectional data of 1484 participants from the first wave of the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) were analysed. QoL was measured with the Control, Autonomy, Self-realization, and Pleasure 12-item scale (CASP-12). Multivariate analyses were run using the generalised linear interactive model (GLIM) to determine the association between structural social support measures and QoL. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 70.1 (SD = 7.4) years. Being married (B = 0.05, 95%CI 0.02, 0.08), larger social networks (B = 0.01, 95%CI 0.01, 0.02) and social participation (B = 0.02, 95%CI 0.02, 0.09) were associated with higher QoL, while living alone (B= -0.04, 95%CI -0.06, -0.02) was associated with lower QoL. CONCLUSION: Structural social support plays an important role in the QoL of older people in Malaysia.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN231,

title = {Association of Pre-diagnostic Antibody Responses to Escherichia coli and Bacteroides fragilis Toxin Proteins with Colorectal Cancer in a European Cohort},

author = {J. Butt and M. Jenab and J. Werner and V. Fedirko and E. Weiderpass and C. C. Dahm and A. Tj\onneland and A. Olsen and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and J. A. Rothwell and G. Severi and R. Kaaks and R. Turzanski-Fortner and K. Aleksandrova and M. Schulze and D. Palli and V. Pala and S. Panico and R. Tumino and C. Sacerdote and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and C. H. Van Gils and I. T. Gram and M. Lukic and N. Sala and M. J. S\'{a}nchez P\'{e}rez and E. Ardanaz and M. D. Chirlaque and R. Palmquist and T. L\"{o}wenmark and R. C. Travis and A. Heath and A. J. Cross and H. Freisling and S. Zouiouich and E. Aglago and T. Waterboer and D. J. Hughes},

doi = {10.1080/19490976.2021.1903825},

issn = {1949-0976 (Print) 

1949-0976},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Gut Microbes},

volume = {13},

number = {1},

pages = {1-14},

abstract = {Experimental evidence has implicated genotoxic Escherichia coli (E. coli) and enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) in the development of colorectal cancer (CRC). However, evidence from epidemiological studies is sparse. We therefore assessed the association of serological markers of E. coli and ETBF exposure with odds of developing CRC in the European Prospective Investigation into Nutrition and Cancer (EPIC) study.Serum samples of incident CRC cases and matched controls (n = 442 pairs) were analyzed for immunoglobulin (Ig) A and G antibody responses to seven E. coli proteins and two isoforms of the ETBF toxin via multiplex serology. Multivariable-adjusted conditional logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of sero-positivity to E. coli and ETBF with CRC.The IgA-positivity of any of the tested E. coli antigens was associated with higher odds of developing CRC (OR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.05-1.91). Dual-positivity for both IgA and IgG to E. coli and ETBF was associated with \>1.7-fold higher odds of developing CRC, with a significant association only for IgG (OR: 1.75; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.94). This association was more pronounced when restricted to the proximal colon cancers (OR: 2.62; 95% CI: 1.09, 6.29) compared to those of the distal colon (OR: 1.24; 95% CI: 0.51, 3.00) (p(heterogeneity) = 0.095). Sero-positivity to E. coli and ETBF was associated with CRC development, suggesting that co-infection of these bacterial species may contribute to colorectal carcinogenesis. These findings warrant further exploration in larger prospective studies and within different population groups.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN153,

title = {Associations of Health Literacy with Blood Pressure and Dietary Salt Intake among Adults: A Systematic Review},

author = {D. Mohd Isa and S. Shahar and F. J. He and H. A. Majid},

doi = {10.3390/nu13124534},

issn = {2072-6643},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nutrients},

volume = {13},

number = {12},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Health literacy has been recognized as a significant social determinant of health, defined as the ability to access, understand, appraise, and apply health-related information across healthcare, disease prevention, and health promotion. This systematic review aims to understand the relationship between health literacy, blood pressure, and dietary salt intake. A web-based search of PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, ProQuest, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Prospero was performed using specified search/MESH terms and keywords. Two reviewers independently performed the data extraction and analysis, cross-checked, reviewed, and resolved any discrepancies by the third reviewer. Twenty out of twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria and were rated as good quality papers and used in the final analysis. Higher health literacy had shown to have better blood pressure or hypertension knowledge. However, the relationship between health literacy with dietary salt intake has shown mixed and inconsistent findings. Studies looking into the main four domains of health literacy are still limited. More research exploring the links between health literacy, blood pressure, and dietary salt intake in the community is warranted. Using appropriate and consistent health literacy tools to evaluate the effectiveness of salt reduction as health promotion programs is required.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN198,

title = {Barriers, Enablers, and Perceptions on Dietary Salt Reduction in the Out-of-Home Sectors: A Scoping Review},

author = {V. Michael and Y. X. You and S. Shahar and Z. A. Manaf and H. Haron and S. N. Shahrir and H. A. Majid and Y. C. Chia and M. K. Brown and F. J. He and G. A. MacGregor},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph18158099},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {18},

number = {15},

abstract = {In this review, we have investigated the perceptions, barriers, and enabling factors that were responsible for a dietary salt reduction in the out-of-home sectors. For this purpose, we examined different knowledge databases such as Google Scholar, Ebscohost, MEDLINE (PubMed), Ovid, and Cochrane Library for research articles from September to December 2020. The inclusion criteria for the research articles were that they had to be published in English and had to be a qualitative or quantitative study that was conducted after 2010. These studies also had to report the various enablers, barriers, and perceptions regarding salt reduction in the out-of-home sectors. After implementing the inclusion criteria, we successfully screened a total of 440 studies, out of which 65 articles fulfilled all the criteria. The perceived barriers that hindered salt reduction among the out-of-home sectors included lack of menu and food variabilities, loss of sales due to salt reduction, lack of technical skills for implementing the salt reduction processes for cooking or reformulation, and an absence of environmental and systemic support for reducing the salt concentration. Furthermore, the enablers for salt reduction included the intervention programs, easy accessibility to salt substitutes, salt intake measurement, educational availability, and a gradual reduction in the salt levels. With regards to the behavior or perceptions, the effect of organizational and individual characteristics on their salt intake were reported. The majority of the people were not aware of their salt intake or the effect of salt on their health. These people also believed that low salt food was recognized as tasteless. In conclusion, the enablers, barriers, and perceptions regarding salt reduction in the out-of-home sectors were multifaceted. Therefore, for the implementation of the strategies, policies, and initiatives for addressing the barriers, the policymakers need to encourage a multisectoral collaboration for reducing the salt intake in the population.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN164,

title = {Baseline cardiovascular comorbidities, and the influence on cancer treatment decision-making in women with breast cancer},

author = {S. Subramaniam and Y. C. Kong and H. Zaharah and Cspm Uiterwaal and A. Richard and N. A. Taib and A. Deniel and K. H. Chee and R. S. Bustamam and M. H. See and A. Fong and C. H. Yip and N. Bhoo-Pathy},

doi = {10.3332/ecancer.2021.1293},

issn = {1754-6605 (Print) 

1754-6605},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Ecancermedicalscience},

volume = {15},

pages = {1293},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {PURPOSE: To measure the baseline prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), its modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors in breast cancer patients, and determine their association with adjuvant treatment decision-making. METHOD: From 2016 to 2017, 2,127 women newly-diagnosed with breast cancer were prospectively recruited. Participants' cardiovascular biomarkers were measured prior to adjuvant treatment decision-making. Clinical data and medical histories were obtained from hospital records. Adjuvant treatment decisions were collated 6-8 months after recruitment. A priori risk of cardiotoxicity was predicted using the Cardiotoxicity Risk Score. RESULTS: Mean age was 54 years. Eighty-five patients had pre-existing cardiac diseases and 30 had prior stroke. Baseline prevalence of hypertension was 47.8%. Close to 20% had diabetes mellitus, or were obese. Dyslipidaemia was present in 65.3%. The proportion of women presenting with ≥2 modifiable CVD risk factors at initial cancer diagnosis was substantial, irrespective of age. Significant ethnic variations were observed. Multivariable analyses showed that pre-existing CVD was consistently associated with lower administration of adjuvant breast cancer therapies (odds ratio for chemotherapy: 0.32, 95% confidence interval: 0.17-0.58). However, presence of multiple risk factors of CVD did not appear to influence adjuvant treatment decision-making. In this study, 63.6% of patients were predicted to have high risks of developing cardiotoxicities attributed to a high baseline burden of CVD risk factors and anthracycline administration. CONCLUSION: While recent guidelines recommend routine assessment of cardiovascular comorbidities in cancer patients prior to initiation of anticancer therapies, this study highlights the prevailing gap in knowledge on how such data may be used to optimise cancer treatment decision-making.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN250,

title = {Behavioural responses and anxiety symptoms during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan: A large scale cross-sectional study},

author = {G. Cai and Y. Lin and Y. Lu and F. He and K. Morita and T. Yamamoto and K. Aoyagi and T. Taguri and Z. Hu and H. Alias and M. Danaee and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.02.008},

issn = {0022-3956 (Print) 

0022-3956},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Psychiatr Res},

volume = {136},

pages = {296-305},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: This study explored the behavioural responses and anxiety symptoms of the general adult population in Japan during the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. METHODS: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between 12th and May 13, 2020. Quota sampling was used to attain equal gender and age distributions representative of the Japanese population. RESULTS: A total of 4127 complete responses were analysed. Higher educational level (B = 0.045},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN220,

title = {Beliefs, Facilitating Factors, and Barriers in Using Personal Dosimeter among Medical Radiation Workers in a Middle-Income Asian Setting},

author = {S. F. Mohd Ridzwan and N. Bhoo-Pathy and L. H. Wee and M. Isahak},

doi = {10.1093/annweh/wxab025},

issn = {2398-7308},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Ann Work Expo Health},

volume = {65},

number = {8},

pages = {940-954},

abstract = {This qualitative study explores the medical radiation workers' (MRWs) beliefs with the support of the theory of planned behaviour's constructs regarding the use of personal dosimeters in order to identify the facilitating factors and barriers to practising good personal dose monitoring. The exploration was conducted through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 63 MRWs from the public, private, and university hospitals. Belief statements from the informants were organized under the behavioural, normative, and control belief, as guided by the theory. A thematic analysis found that a majority of informants acknowledged the benefits of using dosimeters. However, several factors influenced the actual usage. The informants were hesitant to use the dosimeter as the loss of the device involved an expensive penalty. They also mentioned that delayed dosimeter supplies due to late budget approval in the hospitals and some other reasons had got them disconnected from the monitoring system. The workers' attitudes and social norms highly induced their dosimeter usage as well; some perceived themselves to be at low risk for high exposure to radiation, and forgetfulness was also mentioned as a reason for lack of adherence. Device physical factor influenced low dosimeter use too. This study highlighted some unique findings in Asian settings. A better understanding of the underlying reasons for the lack of dosimeter use will be useful in developing strategies to increase good practices in personal radiation monitoring.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN31,

title = {Breaking News of Cancer Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study on the Experiences and Emotional Needs of Patients With Cancer in a Multiethnic Asian Setting},

author = {L. P. Wong and Y. C. Kong and N. T. Bhoo-Pathy and S. Subramaniam and R. S. Bustamam and N. A. Taib and G. F. Ho and H. Zaharah and M. Mellor and Y. L. Woo and C. H. Yip and N. Bhoo-Pathy},

doi = {10.1200/jop.20.00002},

issn = {2688-1527},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {JCO Oncol Pract},

volume = {17},

number = {4},

pages = {e548-e555},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {PURPOSE: The breaking of news of a cancer diagnosis is an important milestone in a patient's cancer journey. We explored the emotional experiences of patients with cancer during the breaking of news of a cancer diagnosis and the arising needs in a multiethnic Asian setting with limited supportive cancer care services. METHODS: Twenty focus group discussions were conducted with 102 Asian patients with cancer from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds. Thematic analysis was performed. RESULTS: While most participants, especially younger patients with young children, experienced intense emotional distress upon receiving a cancer diagnosis, those with a family history of cancer were relatively calm and resigned. Nonetheless, the prior negative experience with cancer in the family made affected participants with a family history less eager to seek cancer treatment and less hopeful for a cure. Although a majority viewed the presence of family members during the breaking of bad news as important, a minority opted to face it alone to lessen the emotional impact on their family members. Difficulties disclosing the news of a cancer diagnosis to loved ones also emerged as an important need. Sensitive and empathetic patient-physician communication during the breaking of news of a cancer diagnosis was stressed as paramount. CONCLUSION: A patient-centered communication approach needs to be developed to reduce the emotional distress to patients and their families after the breaking of bad news of a cancer diagnosis. This is expected to positively affect the patients' subsequent coping skills and attitudes toward cancer, which may improve adherence to cancer therapy.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN212,

title = {Breast Cancer Screening in Malaysia: A Policy Review},

author = {M. N. N. Htay and M. Donnelly and D. Schliemann and S. Y. Loh and M. Dahlui and S. Somasundaram and N. S. B. Ibrahim Tamin and T. T. Su},

doi = {10.31557/apjcp.2021.22.6.1685},

issn = {1513-7368 (Print) 

1513-7368},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Asian Pac J Cancer Prev},

volume = {22},

number = {6},

pages = {1685-1693},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer among Malaysian women. The implementation of prevention measures including screening has the potential to reduce the burden of breast cancer which caused by late presentation. AIMS: This paper aimed to review the public health policy relating to breast cancer screening in Malaysia that was undertaken in order to contribute to policy development regarding cancer prevention, detection and the improvement of services for Malaysian women. METHODS: The policy review strategy included a specific search of the website of the Ministry of Health in Malaysia for relevant policies. In addition, we searched Google and Pubmed for breast cancer screening programmes, policies, and guidelines for women in Malaysia. In addition, experts and stakeholders provided additional resources, published in Malay language. Relevant guidelines in the Malay language were translated into English and included the document review. RESULTS: The policy analysis indicated that although it is known that screening, early detection and diagnosis improve survival rates, delayed diagnosis remains a significant issue. The Ministry of Health policy stipulates the provision of opportunistic mammography screening. However, the uptake is varied, and implementation is challenging due to a lack of awareness about screening and difficulties related to accessing services, especially in rural areas. The establishment and implementation of referral guidelines is essential to receive timely treatment for breast cancer patients. There is a need to enhance the cancer reporting by the doctors to the national cancer registry, in collaboration with government services and the private cancer-care sector to improve the monitoring and evaluation of cancer control policies and programmes. CONCLUSION: A focus on raising awareness, increasing the accessibility of screening facilities and improving referral processes and the overall connectivity of the cancer care system are key steps to down-staging breast cancer in Malaysia.\<br /\>.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN240,

title = {C-reactive protein/albumin ratio is a prognostic indicator for predicting surgical intervention and mortality in neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis},

author = {A. T. Mohd Amin and R. A. Zaki and F. Friedmacher and S. P. Sharif},

doi = {10.1007/s00383-021-04879-1},

issn = {0179-0358 (Print) 

0179-0358},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Pediatr Surg Int},

volume = {37},

number = {7},

pages = {881-886},

abstract = {PURPOSE: The role of hypoalbuminemia and raised C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in predicting critical prognosis has been described extensively in adult literature. However, there are limited studies in pediatrics, particularly neonates. The CRP/albumin (CRP/ALB) ratio is often associated with higher mortality, organ failure and prolonged hospital stay. We hypothesized that the serum CRP/ALB ratio has a prognostic value in predicting surgery and mortality in neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). METHODS: Retrospective review of all neonates with clinical and radiological evidence of non-perforated NEC that were treated in a tertiary-level referral hospital between 2009 and 2018. General patient demographics, laboratory parameters and outcomes were recorded. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was performed to evaluated optimal cut-offs and area under the curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: A total of 191 neonates were identified. Of these, 103 (53.9%) were born at ≤ 28 weeks of gestation and 101 (52.9%) had a birth weight of ≤ 1000 g. Eighty-four (44.0%) patients underwent surgical intervention for NEC. The overall survival rate was 161/191 (84.3%). A CRP/ALB ratio of ≥ 3 on day 2 of NEC diagnosis was associated with a statistically significant higher likelihood for surgery [AUC 0.71 (95% CI 0.63-0.79); p \< 0.0001] and mortality [AUC 0.66 (95% CI 0.54-0.77); p = 0.0150], respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A CRP/ALB ratio of ≥ 3 on day 2 is indicative of a critical pathway in neonates with radiologically confirmed, non-perforated NEC. This could be used as an additional criterion to guide parental counselling in NEC for surgical intervention and mortality.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN151,

title = {Cancer Incidence, Mortality, Years of Life Lost, Years Lived With Disability, and Disability-Adjusted Life Years for 29 Cancer Groups From 2010 to 2019: A Systematic Analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019},

author = {J. M. Kocarnik and K. Compton and F. E. Dean and W. Fu and B. L. Gaw and J. D. Harvey and H. J. Henrikson and D. Lu and A. Pennini and R. Xu and E. Ababneh and M. Abbasi-Kangevari and H. Abbastabar and S. M. Abd-Elsalam and A. Abdoli and A. Abedi and H. Abidi and H. Abolhassani and I. A. Adedeji and Q. E. S. Adnani and S. M. Advani and M. S. Afzal and M. Aghaali and B. O. Ahinkorah and S. Ahmad and T. Ahmad and A. Ahmadi and S. Ahmadi and T. Ahmed Rashid and Y. Ahmed Salih and G. T. Akalu and A. Aklilu and T. Akram and C. J. Akunna and H. Al Hamad and F. Alahdab and Z. Al-Aly and S. Ali and Y. Alimohamadi and V. Alipour and S. M. Aljunid and M. Alkhayyat and A. Almasi-Hashiani and N. A. Almasri and S. A. A. Al-Maweri and S. Almustanyir and N. Alonso and N. Alvis-Guzman and H. Amu and E. W. Anbesu and R. Ancuceanu and F. Ansari and A. Ansari-Moghaddam and M. H. Antwi and D. Anvari and A. E. Anyasodor and M. Aqeel and J. Arabloo and M. Arab-Zozani and O. Aremu and H. Ariffin and T. Aripov and M. Arshad and A. Artaman and J. Arulappan and Z. Asemi and M. Asghari Jafarabadi and T. Ashraf and P. Atorkey and A. Aujayeb and M. Ausloos and A. F. Awedew and B. P. Ayala Quintanilla and T. Ayenew and M. A. Azab and S. Azadnajafabad and A. Azari Jafari and G. Azarian and A. Y. Azzam and A. D. Badiye and S. Bahadory and A. A. Baig and J. L. Baker and S. Balakrishnan and M. Banach and T. W. B\"{a}rnighausen and F. Barone-Adesi and F. Barra and A. Barrow and M. Behzadifar and U. I. Belgaumi and W. M. M. Bezabhe and Y. M. Bezabih and D. S. Bhagat and A. S. Bhagavathula and N. Bhardwaj and P. Bhardwaj and S. Bhaskar and K. Bhattacharyya and V. S. Bhojaraja and others},

doi = {10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.6987},

issn = {2374-2437},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {JAMA Oncol},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {IMPORTANCE: The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019 (GBD 2019) provided systematic estimates of incidence, morbidity, and mortality to inform local and international efforts toward reducing cancer burden. OBJECTIVE: To estimate cancer burden and trends globally for 204 countries and territories and by Sociodemographic Index (SDI) quintiles from 2010 to 2019. EVIDENCE REVIEW: The GBD 2019 estimation methods were used to describe cancer incidence, mortality, years lived with disability, years of life lost, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2019 and over the past decade. Estimates are also provided by quintiles of the SDI, a composite measure of educational attainment, income per capita, and total fertility rate for those younger than 25 years. Estimates include 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). FINDINGS: In 2019, there were an estimated 23.6 million (95% UI, 22.2-24.9 million) new cancer cases (17.2 million when excluding nonmelanoma skin cancer) and 10.0 million (95% UI, 9.36-10.6 million) cancer deaths globally, with an estimated 250 million (235-264 million) DALYs due to cancer. Since 2010, these represented a 26.3% (95% UI, 20.3%-32.3%) increase in new cases, a 20.9% (95% UI, 14.2%-27.6%) increase in deaths, and a 16.0% (95% UI, 9.3%-22.8%) increase in DALYs. Among 22 groups of diseases and injuries in the GBD 2019 study, cancer was second only to cardiovascular diseases for the number of deaths, years of life lost, and DALYs globally in 2019. Cancer burden differed across SDI quintiles. The proportion of years lived with disability that contributed to DALYs increased with SDI, ranging from 1.4% (1.1%-1.8%) in the low SDI quintile to 5.7% (4.2%-7.1%) in the high SDI quintile. While the high SDI quintile had the highest number of new cases in 2019, the middle SDI quintile had the highest number of cancer deaths and DALYs. From 2010 to 2019, the largest percentage increase in the numbers of cases and deaths occurred in the low and low-middle SDI quintiles. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The results of this systematic analysis suggest that the global burden of cancer is substantial and growing, with burden differing by SDI. These results provide comprehensive and comparable estimates that can potentially inform efforts toward equitable cancer control around the world.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN214,

title = {Changes in body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, and LDL-cholesterol among type 2 diabetes patients in Malaysia: A population-based longitudinal study},

author = {K. S. Wan and F. M. Moy and F. I. Mustapha and M. Ismail and N. N. Hairi},

doi = {10.1111/1753-0407.13206},

issn = {1753-0407},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Diabetes},

volume = {13},

number = {11},

pages = {915-929},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: This study aimed to describe changes in body mass index, glycosylated hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol among type 2 diabetes patients in Malaysia. METHODS: A five-year retrospective cohort study was conducted using data from the National Diabetes Registry. Type 2 diabetes patients aged ≥18 years and had ≥2 clinical audits between 2013 and 2017 were included in the analysis. The first audit information formed the baseline characteristics, and the last audit information was used for comparison. Individualized A1C, blood pressure, and LDL-cholesterol goals were adapted from Malaysian Clinical Practice Guidelines on Type 2 Diabetes Management 2020, American Diabetes Association 2020, and European Association for the Study of Diabetes 2019. RESULTS: Of the 18 341 patients, 55.8% were female and 64.9% Malay ethnicity. The baseline mean age was 59.3 ± 10.6 years. During an average of 2.5 person-years of follow-up, the mean body mass index dropped by 0.16 kg/m(2) to 27.9 kg/m(2) , A1C increased by 0.16% to 8.0%, systolic blood pressure increased by 1.4 mm Hg to 136.2 mm Hg, diastolic blood pressure decreased by 1.0 mm Hg to 77.3 mm Hg and LDL-cholesterol reduced by 0.12 mmol/L to 2.79 mmol/L, P \< 0.001 for all. Out of eight categories of individualized goals, most patients achieved the A1C goal of ≤8.0%. The new LDL-cholesterol goal of \<1.4 mmol/L was least likely to be achieved. CONCLUSIONS: The body mass index, A1C, blood pressure, and LDL-cholesterol performance remained suboptimal. Standards of care for these clinical parameters remain to be achieved by the majority of diabetes patients.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN158,

title = {Changes in Dietary Intake of Breast Cancer Survivors: Early Findings of a Malaysian Breast Cancer Prospective Cohort Study},

author = {S. J. Kiew and N. A. Mohd Taib and T. Islam and H. Abdul Majid},

doi = {10.1080/01635581.2021.2013508},

issn = {0163-5581},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nutr Cancer},

pages = {1-9},

abstract = {This study aimed to evaluate the changes in post-diagnosis dietary intake of breast cancer survivors. A total of 112 participants from the Malaysian Breast Cancer Survivorship Cohort study with dietary intake at one-year post-diagnosis (T1) and three-year post-diagnosis (T2) were included. A three-day food record was used to assess the dietary intake of breast cancer survivors. The participants' anthropometrical measurements were measured at both time points (n = 95). Notably, we found that around half of the participants were obese at both time points. Body weight and body mass index increased significantly between the two time points (P \< 0.01). Most of the participants did not meet the Malaysian recommended nutrient intake for dietary fat, fiber, and calcium at both time points. The energy intake significantly decreased (from 1,596 kcal/day to 1,524 kcal/day},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN76,

title = {Chinese mothers' intention to vaccinate daughters against human papillomavirus (HPV), and their vaccine preferences: a study in Fujian Province},

author = {Y. Lin and Z. Su and F. Chen and Q. Zhao and G. D. Zimet and H. Alias and S. He and Z. Hu and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.1080/21645515.2020.1756152},

issn = {2164-5515 (Print) 

2164-5515},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Hum Vaccin Immunother},

volume = {17},

number = {1},

pages = {304-315},

abstract = {Little is known regarding Chinese mothers' intention to vaccinate their daughters against human papillomavirus (HPV) since the HPV vaccine was approved for use in China in 2016. The aim was to explore maternal HPV vaccination acceptance, preference for 2-, 4- or 9-valent HPV vaccine and acceptance of domestically manufactured HPV vaccines. Study participants were mothers of primary school children in Southeastern region of Fujian. An online cross-sectional survey was undertaken between June and August 2019. Among the total of 3,586 completed responses (response rate 28.5%), the intention to vaccinate daughter against HPV was high (83.3%). Higher maternal education and perceived benefit and barriers were associated with greater intention to vaccinate. Among mothers who did not intend to vaccinate their daughters, the three most common reasons were daughter being too young to receive HPV vaccination (40.6%), fear of side effects (31.9%) and vaccine price is too high (16.0%). The largest proportion (41.4%) preferred their daughter to be vaccinated with the 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV). Greater preference for 9vHPVwas strongly associated with higher maternal education level and annual household income. The majority of mothers expressed a preference for imported HPV vaccine (56.3%). Our result indicates that lower intentions to vaccinate daughters against HPV among less educated and lower-income mothers may lead to significant social inequalities in HPV vaccine uptake in the country.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN156,

title = {Chinese parents' intentions to vaccinate their children against SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccine preferences},

author = {Y. Lin and Z. Hu and Q. Zhao and H. Alias and M. Danaee and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.1080/21645515.2021.1999143},

issn = {2164-5515},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Hum Vaccin Immunother},

pages = {1-10},

abstract = {This study aims to determine the intention of Chinese parents to vaccinate their children against SARS-CoV-2. Secondly, preferences for foreign- or domestically made COVID-19 vaccines were also explored. A nationwide, cross-sectional, self-administered online survey based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) and new vaccine concerns was used. Participants were eligible if they were residents of China with children aged 12 years old or younger. A total of 2,026 parents responded to the survey. Half reported a probable intent (50.7%) and 26.9% reported a definite intent. The results of the data analysis of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) found that perceived cost barriers (B = -0.210, p \< .001) and new vaccine concerns (B = -0.201, p \< .001) had major effects in vaccination intent. Important constructs of vaccine concerns that predict vaccination intent were efficacy (B = 0.898, p \< .001), followed by safety (B = 0.861, p \< .001), side-effect (B = 0.806, p \< .001) and faulty/fake vaccine (B = 0.579, p \< .001). Perceived benefits (B = 1.81, p \< .001), self-efficacy (B = 0.159, p \< .001) and severity (B = 0.083, p \< .01) were also significant predictors in vaccination intent. Almost two-thirds (62.0%; 95%CI 59.8 to 64.1) reported a preference for domestically made and 19.1% (95%CI 17.2 to 20.7) preferred foreign-made COVID-19 vaccines. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that higher incomes and concern of side-effects of the new COVID-19 vaccine were two of the most important influencing factors of preference for a foreign-made vaccine. This study sheds light on the importance of addressing concerns of new vaccines and the helpfulness of HBM in understanding parental decisions toward their children being vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN210,

title = {Chronic respiratory disease surveys in adults in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic scoping review of methodological approaches and outcomes},

author = {N. S. Hanafi and D. Agarwal and S. Chippagiri and E. A. Brakema and H. Pinnock and A. Sheikh and S. M. Liew and C. W. Ng and R. Isaac and K. Chinna and L. P. Wong and N. Hussein and A. I. Abu Bakar and Y. K. Pang and S. Juvekar and E. M. Khoo},

doi = {10.7189/jogh.11.04026},

issn = {2047-2978 (Print) 

2047-2978},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Glob Health},

volume = {11},

pages = {04026},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) contribute significantly towards the global burden of disease, but the true prevalence and burden of these conditions in adults is unknown in the majority of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to identify strategies - in particular the definitions, study designs, sampling frames, instruments, and outcomes - used to conduct prevalence surveys for CRDs in LMICs. The findings will inform a future RESPIRE Four Country ChrOnic Respiratory Disease (4CCORD) study, which will estimate CRD prevalence, including disease burden, in adults in LMICs. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review to map prevalence surveys conducted in LMICs published between 1995 and 2018. We followed Arksey and O'Malley's six-step framework. The search was conducted in OVID Medline, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, Global Health, WHO Global Index Medicus and included three domains: CRDs, prevalence and LMICs. After an initial title sift, eight trained reviewers undertook duplicate study selection and data extraction. We charted: country and populations, random sampling strategies, CRD definitions/phenotypes, survey procedure (questionnaires, spirometry, tests), outcomes and assessment of individual, societal and health service burden of disease. RESULTS: Of 36 872 citations, 281 articles were included: 132 from Asia (41 from China). Study designs were cross-sectional surveys (n = 260), cohort studies (n = 11) and secondary data analysis (n = 10). The number of respondents in these studies ranged from 50 to 512 891. Asthma was studied in 144 studies, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 112. Most studies (100/144) based identification of asthma on symptom-based questionnaires. In contrast, COPD diagnosis was typically based on spirometry findings (94/112); 65 used fixed-ratio thresholds, 29 reported fixed-ratio and lower-limit-of-normal values. Only five articles used the term 'phenotype'. Most studies used questionnaires derived from validated surveys, most commonly the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (n = 47). The burden/impact of CRD was reported in 33 articles (most commonly activity limitation). CONCLUSION: Surveys remain the most practical approach for estimating prevalence of CRD but there is a need to identify the most predictive questions for diagnosing asthma and to standardise diagnostic criteria.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN262,

title = {Climate Change, Food Supply, and Dietary Guidelines},

author = {C. W. Binns and M. K. Lee and B. Maycock and L. E. Torheim and K. Nanishi and D. T. T. Duong},

doi = {10.1146/annurev-publhealth-012420-105044},

issn = {0163-7525},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Annu Rev Public Health},

volume = {42},

pages = {233-255},

abstract = {Food production is affected by climate change, and, in turn, food production is responsible for 20-30% of greenhouse gases. The food system must increase output as the population increases and must meet nutrition and health needs while simultaneously assisting in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Good nutrition is important for combatting infection, reducing child mortality, and controlling obesity and chronic disease throughout the life course. Dietary guidelines provide advice for a healthy diet, and the main principles are now well established and compatible with sustainable development. Climate change will have a significant effect on food supply; however, with political commitment and substantial investment, projected improvements will be sufficient to provide food for the healthy diets needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Some changes will need to be made to food production, nutrient content will need monitoring, and more equitable distribution is required to meet the dietary guidelines. Increased breastfeeding rates will improve infant and adult health while helping to reduce greenhouse gases.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN225,

title = {Comparison of cooling methods on denture base adaptation of rapid heat-cured acrylic using a three-dimensional superimposition technique},

author = {L. W. May and J. John and L. G. Seong and Z. Z. Abidin and N. Ibrahim and M. Danaee and N. R. Mohd},

doi = {10.4103/jips.jips_41_21},

issn = {0972-4052 (Print) 

0972-4052},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Indian Prosthodont Soc},

volume = {21},

number = {2},

pages = {198-203},

abstract = {AIM: To investigate the effect of different cooling methods on denture base adaptation of rapid heat-cured acrylic resin using 3D superimposition technique. SETTING AND DESIGN: In vitro - Comparative study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Denture base adaptation of two different rapid heat-cured polymethyl methacrylate acrylic resins using five different cooling methods were compared. Forty maxillary edentulous stone cast were prepared to produce the denture bases with standardized thickness. The specimens were divided into five groups (n = 8) according to type of materials and cooling methods. The master stone cast and all forty denture bases were scanned with 3Shape E1 laboratory scanner. The scanned images of each of the denture bases were superimposed over the scanned image of the master cast using Materialize 3-matic software. Three dimensional differences between the two surfaces were calculated and color surface maps were generated for visual qualitative assessment. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Generalized Linear Model Test, Bonferroni Post Hoc Analysis. RESULTS: All bench-cooled specimens showed wide green-colored area in the overall palatal surface, while the rapid cooled specimens presented with increased red color areas especially at the palate and post dam area. Generalized Linear Model test followed by Bonferroni post hoc analysis showed significant difference in the root mean square values among the specimen groups. CONCLUSION: Samples that were bench cooled, demonstrated better overall accuracy compared to the rapid cooling groups. Regardless of need for shorter denture processing time, bench cooling of rapid heat-cured PMMA is essential for acceptable denture base adaptation.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN261,

title = {Comparison of deep and moderate neuromuscular blockade in microwave ablation of liver tumours: a randomized-controlled clinical trial},

author = {P. S. Loh and C. H. Yeong and N. S. Masohood and N. Sulaiman and R. A. Zaki and K. Fabell and B. J. J. Abdullah},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-81913-1},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Sci Rep},

volume = {11},

number = {1},

pages = {2299},

abstract = {Microwave ablation (MWA) is gaining popularity for the treatment of small primary hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic lesions especially if patients are not candidates for surgical resection. Deep neuromuscular blockade (DMB) is perceived to improve surgical working conditions compared to moderate neuromuscular blockade (MMB) but no studies have examined the same benefits in MWA of liver tumours. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of DMB and MMB in MWA of liver tumours in terms of liver excursion, performance scores by the interventional radiologists and patients, requirements of additional muscle relaxants and complications. 50 patients were recruited and 45 patients (22 in MMB group, 23 in DMB group) completed the study. The mean liver excursion for the MMB group (1.42 ± 1.83 mm) was significantly higher than the DMB group (0.26 ± 0.38 mm) (p = 0.001). The mean Leiden-Surgical Rating Scale (L-SRS) rated by the two interventional radiologists were 4.5 ± 0.59 and 3.6 ± 0.85 for the DMB and MMB groups, respectively (p = 0.01). There was also statistically significant difference on patient satisfaction scores (0-10: Extremely Dissatisfied-Extremely Satisfied) between DMB (8.74 ± 1.1) and MMB (7.86 ± 1.25) groups (p = 0.01). 5 patients from MMB group and none from DMB group required bolus relaxant during the MWA procedure. Adverse events were also noted to be more severe in the MMB group. In conclusion, DMB significantly reduced liver excursion and movement leading to improved accuracy, safety and success in ablating liver tumour.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN222,

title = {Continuation of Screening Endoscopy for Colorectal Cancer in Older Adults},

author = {N. Bhoo-Pathy and N. N. Bujang and C. W. Ng},

doi = {10.1001/jamaoncol.2021.1119},

issn = {2374-2437},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {JAMA Oncol},

volume = {7},

number = {7},

pages = {973-975},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN170,

title = {Correction to: Do we need different predictive equations for the acute and late phases of critical illness? A prospective observational study with repeated indirect calorimetry measurements},

author = {P. C. Tah and B. K. Poh and C. C. Kee and Z. Y. Lee and V. R. Hakumat-Rai and M. B. Mat Nor and M. Kamarul Zaman and H. A. Majid and M. S. Hasan},

doi = {10.1038/s41430-021-01011-3},

issn = {0954-3007},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Eur J Clin Nutr},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Seemingly unrelated events such as parity, age of mother, prior obstetrical complications, antepartum complications, etc., have been noted by workers such as Prechtl (1967) and Goodwin et al. (1963) as having a cumulative effect on the ultimate foetal risk. Also, multivariate analysis of the findings of the British Perinatal Mortality Survey of 1958 have singled out factors such as social and biological characteristics of the mother, the obstetrical history, the course of gestation and the birth of the baby as having a major influence on perinatal mortality (W.H.O. Public Health Papers No. 42). Based on these and other such statistical analyses various workers have attempted scoring systems for the identification of the foetus at risk. The objective of this study was to design a similar form for the identification of the foetus at risk, modified for local use and needs. In a developing country like Malaysia, with its limited financial and trained manpower resources, obstetrical care is still being provided by auxiliaries to the rural population, which accounts for 70% of the total population. Hospital and specialist obstetric services are available in major towns. From the foregoing, it was considered that it would be of great advantage if a simple scoring system for the identification of high risk pregnancies for use by auxiliaries in rural areas be formulated. For the purpose of designing a risk scoring form (study/ designed form) for this study, 4 scoring systems viz those used by Nesbitt et al. (1969), Goodwin et al. (1969), Wilson, et al. (1973) and Coopland et al. (1977) were considered in conjunction with the antenatal recording card which is currently being used for recording the examination findings in an antenatal mother attending any rural health clinic in Malaysia. Selection of factors for use in the assessment of the foetal risk, in the study/designed form, was based on the following criteria: (i) that the factors should be those for which particulars are routinely obtained from antenatal mothers attending any rural health clinic. (ii) that the recognition of the factor should be within the technical capabilities of the auxiliary. The decision for the scoring system that could be used as an index for designing the study form was based on the following criteria: (i) the scoring system should be easy to understand. (ii) the scoring system which could be adapted with the minimum of modifications. Having thus designed the form, it was evaluated by using the form to score 2 groups of mothers, one prospectively, and the other retrospectively. The only difference between the 2 groups being that in the former the outcome was not known prior to scoring and in the latter, the outcome was already known before scoring. The former group consisted of a group of 100 mothers selected randomly from those mothers whose last menstrual period was in March 1978 and who were attending rural health clinics in Kuala Pilah, and the latter group consisted of all the mothers in the same district who had a perinatal death during the whole of 1978. Altogether 135 mothers were scored, 96 in the prospective group and 39 in the retrospective group. This resulted in 137 births because there were 2 twin deliveries. Among these, there were a total of 43 perinatal and 96 surviving infants. The lowest score recorded was 0 and the highest score recorded was 10. When the 137 births were tabulated according to the risk score it was shown in the group with risk score 0 the percentage perinatal deaths was 9.5 and in the group with risk score 1 it was 16.2. Between risk score 2 to 7 the percentage perinatal deaths was higher than in the group with risk score 1. However a steady rise in percentage perinatal deaths with increasing score was not apparent probably because of the small numbers in each group. For the risk scores 9 and 10, the percentage perinatal death was 100%. A test of significance using the chi-square test gave a p value of \< 0.001, hence suggesting highly significant results. The sensitivity and specificity of the risk scoring form was found to be 60.5% and 77.7% respectively. By relating the risk scores and outcome of pregnancy to place of delivery and birth attendant it seemed to indicate that whatever the place of delivery the percentage perinatal death increases with increasing risk scores. It was apparently shown that percentage perinatal loss was high even in the low risk group where the delivery was conducted by untrained personnel. When the risk scores and outcome of pregnancy were related to period of gestation at delivery it seemed to show that prematurity was a major factor in the perinatal death irrespective of risk score. It also showed that with increasing risk score the percentage of pregnancies reaching 37 weeks gestation or more prior to delivery decreased from 92.4% in the risk score group 0 to 1 to 40% in the group with risk score of more than or equal to 6. In conclusion, this form seems to have a potential for use in detecting the foetus at risk. However, further widescale tests need to be carried out to confirm the validity of the scoring system.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN163,

title = {COVID-19 Anti-Vaccine Sentiments: Analyses of Comments from Social Media},

author = {L. P. Wong and Y. Lin and H. Alias and S. A. Bakar and Q. Zhao and Z. Hu},

doi = {10.3390/healthcare9111530},

issn = {2227-9032 (Print) 

2227-9032},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Healthcare (Basel)},

volume = {9},

number = {11},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {PURPOSE: This study analyzed the insights and sentiments of COVID-19 anti-vaccine comments from Instagram feeds and Facebook postings. The sentiments related to the acceptance and effectiveness of the vaccines that were on the verge of being made available to the public. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The qualitative software QSR-NVivo 10 was used to manage, code, and analyse the data. RESULTS: The analyses uncovered several major issues concerning COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The production of the COVID-19 vaccine at an unprecedented speed evoked the fear of skipping steps that would compromise vaccine safety. The unknown long-term effects and duration of protection erode confidence in taking the vaccines. There were also persistent concerns with regard to vaccine compositions that could be harmful or contain aborted foetal cells. The rate of COVID-19 death was viewed as low. Many interpreted the 95% effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine as insufficient. Preference for immunity gains from having an infection was viewed as more effective. Peer-reviewed publication-based data were favoured as a source of trust in vaccination decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: The anti-COVID-19 vaccine sentiments found in this study provide important insights for the formulation of public health messages to instill confidence in the vaccines.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN232,

title = {COVID-19 Impact on Healthcare and Supportive Services for People Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) in Malaysia},

author = {B. Vicknasingam and N. A. Mohd Salleh and W. T. Chooi and D. Singh and N. Mohd Zaharim and A. Kamarulzaman and M. C. Chawarski},

doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2021.630730},

issn = {1664-0640 (Print) 

1664-0640},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Front Psychiatry},

volume = {12},

pages = {630730},

abstract = {Background: Restrictive orders and temporary programmatic or ad hoc changes within healthcare and other supportive systems that were implemented in response to the COVID-19 epidemic in Malaysia may have created hindrances to accessing healthcare and/or receiving other supportive services for people who use drugs (PWUDs). Design: A primarily qualitative study has been conducted to evaluate how service providers and recipients were adapting and coping during the initial periods of the COVID-19 response. Settings: The study engaged several healthcare and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the peninsular states of Penang, Kelantan, Selangor, and Melaka. Participants: Medical personnel of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs (n = 2) and HIV clinics (n = 3), staff of NGO services (n = 4), and MMT patients (n = 9) were interviewed using a semi-structured format. Results: Interviewed participants reported significant organizational, programmatic, and treatment protocols related changes implemented within the healthcare and support services in addition to nationally imposed Movement Control Orders (MCOs). Changes aimed to reduce patient flow and concentration at the on-site services locations, including less frequent in-person visits, increased use of telemedicine resources, and greater reliance on telecommunication methods to maintain contacts with patients and clients; changes in medication dispensing protocols, including increased take-home doses and relaxed rules for obtaining them, or delivery of medications to patients' homes or locations near their homes were reported by the majority of study participants. No significant rates of COVID-19 infections among PWUDs, including among those with HIV have been reported at the study sites. Conclusions: Although the reported changes presented new challenges for both services providers and recipients and resulted in some degree of initial disruption, generally, all participants reported successful implementation and high levels of compliance with the newly introduced restrictions, regulations, and protocols, resulting in relatively low rates of treatment disruption or discontinuation at the study sites.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN175,

title = {COVID-19 vaccination intention and vaccine characteristics influencing vaccination acceptance: a global survey of 17 countries},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and M. Danaee and J. Ahmed and A. Lachyan and C. Z. Cai and Y. Lin and Z. Hu and S. Y. Tan and Y. Lu and G. Cai and D. K. Nguyen and F. N. Seheli and F. Alhammadi and M. D. Madhale and M. Atapattu and T. Quazi-Bodhanya and S. Mohajer and G. D. Zimet and Q. Zhao},

doi = {10.1186/s40249-021-00900-w},

issn = {2095-5162 (Print) 

2049-9957},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Infect Dis Poverty},

volume = {10},

number = {1},

pages = {122},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: The availability of various types of COVID-19 vaccines and diverse characteristics of the vaccines present a dilemma in vaccination choices, which may result in individuals refusing a particular COVID-19 vaccine offered, hence presenting a threat to immunisation coverage and reaching herd immunity. The study aimed to assess global COVID-19 vaccination intention, vaccine characteristics influencing vaccination acceptance and desirable vaccine characteristics influencing the choice of vaccines. METHODS: An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted between 4 January and 5 March 2021 in 17 countries worldwide. Proportions and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and vaccine characteristics influencing vaccination acceptance were generated and compared across countries and regions. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. RESULTS: Of the 19,714 responses received, 90.4% (95% CI 81.8-95.3) reported likely or extremely likely to receive COVID-19 vaccine. A high proportion of likely or extremely likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was reported in Australia (96.4%), China (95.3%) and Norway (95.3%), while a high proportion reported being unlikely or extremely unlikely to receive the vaccine in Japan (34.6%), the U.S. (29.4%) and Iran (27.9%). Males, those with a lower educational level and those of older age expressed a higher level of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Less than two-thirds (59.7%; 95% CI 58.4-61.0) reported only being willing to accept a vaccine with an effectiveness of more than 90%, and 74.5% (95% CI 73.4-75.5) said they would accept a COVID-19 vaccine with minor adverse reactions. A total of 21.0% (95% CI 20.0-22.0) reported not accepting an mRNA vaccine and 51.8% (95% CI 50.3-53.1) reported that they would only accept a COVID-19 vaccine from a specific country-of-origin. Countries from the Southeast Asia region reported the highest proportion of not accepting mRNA technology. The highest proportion from Europe and the Americas would only accept a vaccine produced by certain countries. The foremost important vaccine characteristic influencing vaccine choice is adverse reactions (40.6%; 95% CI 39.3-41.9) of a vaccine and effectiveness threshold (35.1%; 95% CI 33.9-36.4). CONCLUSIONS: The inter-regional and individual country disparities in COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy highlight the importance of designing an efficient plan for the delivery of interventions dynamically tailored to the local population.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN165,

title = {COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy and Emerging Variants: Evidence from Six Countries},

author = {S. Mangla and F. T. Zohra Makkia and A. K. Pathak and R. Robinson and N. Sultana and K. S. Koonisetty and A. Karamehic-Muratovic and U. D. T. Nguyen and A. J. Rodriguez-Morales and J. A. Sanchez-Duque and P. T. Zamba and N. Aghamohammadi and F. Cs and U. Haque},

doi = {10.3390/bs11110148},

issn = {2076-328X (Print) 

2076-328x},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Behav Sci (Basel)},

volume = {11},

number = {11},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {As the world tries to cope with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging variants of the virus, COVID-19 vaccination has become an even more critical tool toward normalcy. The effectiveness of the vaccination program and specifically vaccine uptake and coverage, however, is a function of an individual's knowledge and individual opinion about the disease and available vaccines. This study investigated the knowledge, attitudes, and resulting community practice(s) associated with the new COVID-19 variants and vaccines in Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, and the USA. A cross-sectional web-based Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) survey was administered to respondents living in six different countries using a structured and multi-item questionnaire. Survey questions were translated into English, Spanish, and Malay to accommodate the local language in each country. Associations between KAP and a range of explanatory variables were assessed using univariate and multiple logistic regression. A total of 781 responses were included in the final analysis. The Knowledge score mean was 24 (out of 46), Attitude score 28.9 (out of 55), and Practice score 7.3 (out of 11). Almost 65% of the respondents reported being knowledgeable about COVID-19 variants and vaccination, 55% reported a positive attitude toward available COVID-19 vaccines, and 85% reported engaging in practices that supported COVID-19 vaccination. From the multiple logistic models, we found post-graduate education (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.23-2.74) and an age range 45-54 years (AOR = 5.81, 95% CI: 2.30-14.69) to be significantly associated with reported COVID-19 knowledge. In addition, positive Attitude scores were associated with respondents living in Zimbabwe (AOR = 4.49, 95% CI: 2.04-9.90) and positive Practice scores were found to be associated with people from India (AOR = 3.68, 95% CI: 1.15-11.74) and high school education (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.07-4.38). This study contributes to the identification of socio-demographic factors associated with poor knowledge, attitudes, and practices relating to COVID-19 variants and vaccines. It presents an opportunity for collaboration with diverse communities to address COVID-19 misinformation and common sources of vaccine hesitancy (i.e., knowledge, attitudes, and practices).},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN174,

title = {Determinants of smokeless tobacco use and prevalence among Sudanese adolescents},

author = {M. Othman and N. D. N. Farid and N. Aghamohammadi and M. Danaee},

doi = {10.1186/s13690-021-00699-w},

issn = {0778-7367 (Print) 

0778-7367},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Arch Public Health},

volume = {79},

number = {1},

pages = {176},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Smokeless tobacco is a part of social and cultural life in Sudan. The affordability and availability of this kind of tobacco make it a fundamental issue in adolescents. The aim of this study is to investigate the extent of the use of smokeless tobacco in adolescents and its determinants. METHODS: A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Khartoum state in Sudan. The study targeted male and female adolescents in secondary schools. A total of 3387 students from public and private schools participated in the study. Multistage random sampling was used to select the participants. The Arabic version questionnaire from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) was utilised to collect the data from the participants. RESULTS: Among the participants, 57.3% were females and 42.7% were males. Students from private and public schools were 48.4 and 51.6%, respectively. The overall prevalence of those who had ever used smokeless tobacco was 7.6%, in which the prevalence among male students was 11.0% while among females was 5.0%. The determinant factors were male gender (OR 1.53 CI 95% 1.03-2.28), family structure (OR 1.52 CI 95% 1.03-2.23), exposure to second-hand smoke at home (OR 1.60 CI 95% 1.11-2.31), friends smoking cigarettes (OR 1.78 CI 95% 1.22-2.60), lack of restriction of selling tobacco to minors (OR 1.73 CI 95% 1.25-2.39), promotion of smokeless tobacco (OR 2.12 CI 95% 1.20-3.72) and low self-efficacy (OR 7.47 CI 95% 4.45-12.52). CONCLUSION: A comprehensive prevention programme that enforces the prohibition of the promotion of smokeless tobacco and the selling of smokeless tobacco to minors is crucial. Moreover, the prevention programme should enhance adolescents' self-efficacy.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN202,

title = {Developing a policy to reduce the salt content of food consumed outside the home in Malaysia: protocol of a qualitative study},

author = {M. K. Brown and S. Shahar and Y. X. You and V. Michael and H. A. Majid and Z. A. Manaf and H. Haron and N. S. Sukiman and Y. C. Chia and F. J. He and G. A. MacGregor},

doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2020-044628},

issn = {2044-6055},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {BMJ Open},

volume = {11},

number = {7},

pages = {e044628},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Current salt intake in Malaysia is high. The existing national salt reduction policy has faced slow progress and does not yet include measures to address the out of home sector. Dishes consumed in the out of home sector are a known leading contributor to daily salt intake. This study aims to develop a salt reduction strategy, tailored to the out of home sector in Malaysia. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a qualitative analysis of stakeholder views towards salt reduction. Participants will be recruited from five zones of Malaysia (Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern regions and East Malaysia), including policy-makers, non-governmental organisations, food industries, school canteen operators, street food vendors and consumers, to participate in focus group discussions or in-depth interviews. Interviews will be transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Barriers will be identified and used to develop a tailored salt reduction strategy. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Research Ethics Committee (UKM PPI/1118/JEP-2020-524), the Malaysian National Medical Research Ethics Committee (NMRR-20-1387-55481 (IIR)) and Queen Mary University of London Research Ethics Committee (QMERC2020/37) . Results will be presented orally and in report form and made available to the relevant ministries for example, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Trade to encourage adoption of strategy as policy. The findings of this study will be disseminated through conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications and webinars.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN265,

title = {Developing an evidence assessment framework and appraising the academic literature on migrant health in Malaysia: a scoping review},

author = {A. W. Smalen and Z. X. Chan and C. Abreu Lopes and M. Vanore and T. Loganathan and N. S. Pocock},

doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2020-041379},

issn = {2044-6055},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {BMJ Open},

volume = {11},

number = {1},

pages = {e041379},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: A large number of international migrants in Malaysia face challenges in obtaining good health, the extent of which is still relatively unknown. This study aims to map the existing academic literature on migrant health in Malaysia and to provide an overview of the topical coverage, quality and level of evidence of these scientific studies. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted using six databases, including Econlit, Embase, Global Health, Medline, PsycINFO and Social Policy and Practice. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they were conducted in Malaysia, peer-reviewed, focused on a health dimension according to the Bay Area Regional Health Inequities Initiative (BARHII) framework, and targeted the vulnerable international migrant population. Data were extracted by using the BARHII framework and a newly developed decision tree to identify the type of study design and corresponding level of evidence. Modified Joanna Briggs Institute checklists were used to assess study quality, and a multiple-correspondence analysis (MCA) was conducted to identify associations between different variables. RESULTS: 67 publications met the selection criteria and were included in the study. The majority (n=41) of studies included foreign workers. Over two-thirds (n=46) focused on disease and injury, and a similar number (n=46) had descriptive designs. The average quality of the papers was low, yet quality differed significantly among them. The MCA showed that high-quality studies were mostly qualitative designs that included refugees and focused on living conditions, while prevalence and analytical cross-sectional studies were mostly of low quality. CONCLUSION: This study provides an overview of the scientific literature on migrant health in Malaysia published between 1965 and 2019. In general, the quality of these studies is low, and various health dimensions have not been thoroughly researched. Therefore, researchers should address these issues to improve the evidence base to support policy-makers with high-quality evidence for decision-making.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN226,

title = {Development of the Active Ageing Awareness Questionnaire in Malaysia},

author = {N. H. Ahmad Bahuri and H. Rizal and H. Abdul Majid and M. A. Said and T. T. Su},

doi = {10.3390/healthcare9050499},

issn = {2227-9032 (Print) 

2227-9032},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Healthcare (Basel)},

volume = {9},

number = {5},

abstract = {The world's ageing population is associated with increased morbidity, disability, and social and financial insecurity, which may affect quality of life (QoL). Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the Active Ageing Framework (AAF) in 2002 to enhance QoL as people age. However, little is known about the status of awareness of active ageing among the population, and there is no appropriate tool for assessment. Hence, the Awareness of Active Ageing Questionnaire (AAAQ) was developed. The content, linguistic and face validations together with test-retest reliability were conducted. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to test the structural validity of the AAAQ. A total of 110 participants (mean ± SD = 50.19 ± 5.52) were selected for the pilot, 81 participants (mean ± SD = 49.40 ± 5.70) for the test-retest, and 404 participants (mean ± SD = 49.90 ± 5.80) for CFA and EFA tests. The 16-item AAAQ Malay version showed satisfactory reliability and validity. The Cronbach's alpha was more than 0.7 and showed good fit: Cmin/df = 2.771},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN190,

title = {Do we need different predictive equations for the acute and late phases of critical illness? A prospective observational study with repeated indirect calorimetry measurements},

author = {P. C. Tah and B. K. Poh and C. C. Kee and Z. Y. Lee and V. R. Hakumat-Rai and M. B. Mat Nor and M. Kamarul Zaman and H. A. Majid and M. S. Hasan},

doi = {10.1038/s41430-021-00999-y},

issn = {0954-3007 (Print) 

0954-3007},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Eur J Clin Nutr},

pages = {1-8},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Predictive equations (PEs) for estimating resting energy expenditure (REE) that have been developed from acute phase data may not be applicable in the late phase and vice versa. This study aimed to assess whether separate PEs are needed for acute and late phases of critical illness and to develop and validate PE(s) based on the results of this assessment. METHODS: Using indirect calorimetry, REE was measured at acute (≤5 days; n = 294) and late (≥6 days; n = 180) phases of intensive care unit admission. PEs were developed by multiple linear regression. A multi-fold cross-validation approach was used to validate the PEs. The best PEs were selected based on the highest coefficient of determination (R(2)), the lowest root mean square error (RMSE) and the lowest standard error of estimate (SEE). Two PEs developed from paired 168-patient data were compared with measured REE using mean absolute percentage difference. RESULTS: Mean absolute percentage difference between predicted and measured REE was \<20%, which is not clinically significant. Thus, a single PE was developed and validated from data of the larger sample size measured in the acute phase. The best PE for REE (kcal/day) was 891.6(Height) + 9.0(Weight) + 39.7(Minute Ventilation)-5.6(Age) - 354, with R(2) = 0.442},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN203,

title = {Economic Burden of Stroke Disease: A Systematic Review},

author = {T. N. Rochmah and I. T. Rahmawati and M. Dahlui and W. Budiarto and N. Bilqis},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph18147552},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {18},

number = {14},

abstract = {Globally, one of the main causes of non-communicable disease as a cause of death every year is stroke. The objective of this study was to analyze the burden in consequence of stroke. This research used a systematic review method. Furthermore, a search for articles was carried out in June-July 2020. Four databases were used to search articles from 2015 to 2020. Eligible studies were identified, analyzed, and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The inclusion criteria were prospective cost studies, retrospective cost studies, database analysis, mathematical models, surveys, and COI studies that assess burden of stroke in primary and referral healthcare (hospital-based). The results showed that from four databases, 9270 articles were obtained, and 13 articles were qualified. A total of 9270 articles had the identified search keywords, but only 13 articles met the set criteria for inclusion. The criteria for inclusion were stroke patients, the economic burden of stroke disease based on cost of illness method, which is approximately equal to USD 1809.51-325,108.84 (direct costs 86.2%, and indirect costs 13.8%). Those that used the health expenditure method did not present the total cost; instead, only either direct or indirect cost of health expenditure were reported. For most hospital admissions due to stroke, LOS (length of stay) was the dominant cost. The high economic burden to manage stroke justifies the promotion and preventive efforts by the policymakers and motivates the practice of healthy lifestyles by the people.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN160,

title = {Education for non-citizen children in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study},

author = {T. Loganathan and Z. X. Chan and F. Hassan and W. Kunpeuk and R. Suphanchaimat and H. Yi and H. A. Majid},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0259546},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {16},

number = {12},

pages = {e0259546},

abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling for children worldwide. Most vulnerable are non-citizen children without access to public education. This study aims to explore challenges faced in achieving education access for children of refugee and asylum-seekers, migrant workers, stateless and undocumented persons in Malaysia during the pandemic. In-depth interviews of 33 stakeholders were conducted from June 2020 to March 2021. Data were thematically analysed. Our findings suggest that lockdowns disproportionately impacted non-citizen households as employment, food and housing insecurity were compounded by xenophobia, exacerbating pre-existing inequities. School closures disrupted school meals and deprived children of social interaction needed for mental wellbeing. Many non-citizen children were unable to participate in online learning due to the scarcity of digital devices, and poor internet connectivity, parental support, and home learning environments. Teachers were forced to adapt to online learning and adopt alternative arrangements to ensure continuity of learning and prevent school dropouts. The lack of government oversight over learning centres meant that measures taken were not uniform. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for the design of more inclusive national educational policies, by recognising and supporting informal learning centres, to ensure that no child is left behind.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN167,

title = {Effect of COVID-19 on tuberculosis notification in Johor Bahru, Malaysia},

author = {P. S. K. Tok and N. Kamarudin and M. Jamaludin and M. F. Ab Razak and M. A. S. Ahmad and F. A. Abu Bakar and N. Rosli and H. R. Toha},

doi = {10.1080/23744235.2021.2000636},

issn = {2374-4243},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Infect Dis (Lond)},

pages = {1-3},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN219,

title = {Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical Student Career Perceptions: Perspectives from Medical Students in China},

author = {C. Z. Cai and Y. Lin and H. Alias and Z. Hu and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph18105071},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {18},

number = {10},

abstract = {Our aim was to examine perceived occupational turnover intentions among medical students and the associated factors. A cross-sectional study using a Web-based survey was conducted. A total of 2922 completed responses were received (response rate 55.7%). A total of 58.4% (95% CI 56.6-60.2) reported high turnover intention (score of 7-15). The odds of higher total turnover score among the fifth-year students was nearly four times that of first-year students (OR = 3.88, 95% CI 2.62-5.73). Perception of the medical profession as not being of high social status and reputation significantly influenced high turnover intention scores (OR = 2.26, 95% CI 1.90-2.68). All three dimensions of the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) significantly predict turnover intention. Lower scores in the support from Significant Other (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.17-1.84), Family (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 1.18-1.83) and Friend (OR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.14-1.77) subscales were associated with higher turnover intention. Low score in the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) was also associated with higher turnover intention (OR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.17-1.77). The findings shed light on the importance of changing public attitudes towards respecting the medical profession and improving the implementation of policies to protect the well-being of people in the medical profession.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN234,

title = {Environmental heat-related health symptoms among community in a tropical city},

author = {N. Aghamohammadi and C. S. Fong and M. H. M. Idrus and L. Ramakreshnan and N. M. Sulaiman},

doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146611},

issn = {0048-9697},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Sci Total Environ},

volume = {782},

pages = {146611},

abstract = {Due to the changing climate, more frequent and prolonged heatwaves are expected to have a catastrophic consequence on urban human settlement. In tropical cities such as Kuala Lumpur (KL), the quality of the urban environment is made worse by urban heat island (UHI) phenomena due to poor urban planning practices. The prolonged exposure to urban heat is hypothesized to influence human health and well-being, especially in tropical urban areas with high population density. Therefore, a study was conducted to understand the association of urban heat stress with physical, psychosomatic and psychological (PPP) health symptoms within a tropical urban setting. Continuous urban microclimate monitoring is conducted using an automated weather station to define the level of heat stress in the study area expressed as Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET). A cross-sectional approach is used to identify heat-related health symptoms experienced by the urban population. Through exploratory factor analysis, a total of 38 PPP health symptoms are reduced into 8 heat-related health clusters which are sensory organ pain, heat-related illnesses, cardiopulmonary, pain, fatigue, anxiety, somatization, and depression-related symptoms. Heat stress was found to significantly affect psychosomatic pain (p = 0.016) as well as psychological anxiety (p = 0.022) and somatization (p = 0.041) related symptoms. Other health clusters were not significantly associated with heat stress. More studies are needed to unravel the influence of confounding factors and the long-term impact of urban heat on the health and well-being of the urban population in a tropical city.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN242,

title = {Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and A. A. Md Fuzi and I. S. Omar and A. Mohamad Nor and M. P. Tan and D. L. Baranovich and C. Z. Saari and S. H. Hamzah and K. W. Cheong and C. H. Poon and V. Ramoo and C. C. Che and K. Myint and S. Zainuddin and I. Chung},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0248916},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {16},

number = {3},

pages = {e0248916},

abstract = {Since the first nationwide movement control order was implemented on 18 March 2020 in Malaysia to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, to what extent the uncertainty and continuous containment measures have imposed psychological burdens on the population is unknown. This study aimed to measure the level of mental health of the Malaysian public approximately 2 months after the pandemic's onset. Between 12 May and 5 September 2020, an anonymous online survey was conducted. The target group included all members of the Malaysian population aged 18 years and above. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health. There were increased depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms throughout the study period, with the depression rates showing the greatest increase. During the end of the data collection period (4 August-5 September 2020), there were high percentages of reported depressive (59.2%) and anxiety (55.1%) symptoms compared with stress (30.6%) symptoms. Perceived health status was the strongest significant predictor for depressive and anxiety symptoms. Individuals with a poorer health perception had higher odds of developing depression (odds ratio [OR] = 5.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.81-8.47) and anxiety (OR = 3.50; 95%CI 2.37-5.17) compared with those with a higher health perception. By demographics, young people-particularly students, females and people with poor financial conditions-were more vulnerable to mental health symptoms. These findings provide an urgent call for increased attention to detect and provide intervention strategies to combat the increasing rate of mental health problems in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN180,

title = {Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Healthy School Canteen Intervention among Malaysian Adolescents: A Qualitative Study},

author = {N. A. Azizan and A. Papadaki and T. T. Su and M. Y. Jalaludin and S. Mohammadi and M. Dahlui and M. Nahar Azmi Mohamed and H. A. Majid},

doi = {10.3390/nu13093078},

issn = {2072-6643},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nutrients},

volume = {13},

number = {9},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {This study evaluated implementing a school-based intervention to promote healthier dietary habits in the school environment among Malaysian adolescents using qualitative methods. This qualitative study was conducted in four secondary schools in Perak and Selangor (two urban and two rural schools) that received the intervention (either training or training and food subsidy). A total of eight focus groups (68 students aged 15 years old) and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with canteen operators, school convenience shop operators, school teachers and school principals in each school. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data to identify suitable themes. We found several initiatives and changes by the schools' stakeholders to change to a healthy school canteen programme. The stakeholders also noticed the students' food preferences that influence healthy food intake in canteens and convenience shops. The food vendors and school administrators also found that subsidising healthy meals might encourage healthy eating. Among barriers to implementing healthy school initiatives were the student's perception of healthy food and their eating habits, which also affect the food vendors' profit if they want to implement a healthy canteen. The school-based intervention has the potential to promotes healthier eating among school adolescents. Continuous training and monitoring of canteen operators and convenience shops are needed, including building partnerships and educating the students on healthy eating to cultivate healthy eating habits.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN178,

title = {Factors associated with prevention and control practices against Zika virus infection among pregnant women in Malaysia, a dengue-endemic country},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and J. Hassan and S. AbuBakar},

doi = {10.7883/yoken.JJID.2021.342},

issn = {1344-6304},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Jpn J Infect Dis},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {This study aimed to determine the prevention and control practices of ZIKV infection among pregnant women in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women who attended antenatal care. Only 7.8% reported that they abstain from sex or use barrier methods during sexual intercourse to prevent ZIKV transmission. The odd of abstaining from sex or using barrier methods was significantly higher among the Chinese ethnic group than the Malay ethnic group (OR=4.569; 95% CI: 2.696-7.743). Having a total ZIKV knowledge score of 12-24 was also significantly associated with higher odds of abstaining from sex or using barrier methods than a score of 0-11 (OR=2.819; 95% CI 1.682-4.725). In total, 38.6% recorded a higher mean total score for all the current mosquito control practices than before hearing of ZIKV. Participants living in bungalows or village houses (OR=2.006; 95% CI 1.023-3.936) and low-rise houses (OR=1.566; 95% CI 1.109-2.212) were more likely to have a higher mean total score of current mosquito control practices than control practices before hearing of ZIKV compared to those in high-rise houses. The deficit in ZIKV knowledge and control practices provides insight for the development of health education for pregnant women during antenatal care visits.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN173,

title = {Factors influencing inappropriate use of antibiotics: Findings from a nationwide survey of the general public in Malaysia},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and S. A. Husin and Z. B. Ali and B. Sim and S. S. S. Ponnampalavanar},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0258698},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {16},

number = {10},

pages = {e0258698},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global public health. Misuse of antibiotics has never been investigated on a nationwide scale among the general public in Malaysia. This study aimed to identify sociodemographic and knowledge factors associated with inappropriate use of antibiotics in the Malaysian context to inform the development of interventions to mitigate inappropriate antibiotic use. We conducted computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) between June 2019 and December 2019. The telephone numbers were randomly generated from the electronic residential telephone directory of all 13 states and 3 Federal Territories in Malaysia. The survey consisted of questions on demographics, knowledge about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance (53 items), and practices of antibiotic use (16 questions). A total of 864 complete responses were received. Pronounced erroneous beliefs that antibiotics are effective against infections caused by viruses and that antibiotics can speed up recovery from coughs and colds were evident. The proportions that were aware of the terms 'drug resistance', 'antimicrobial resistance', and 'superbugs' were low. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the antibiotic knowledge score was 23.7 (SD ±9.25; range 0 to 50) out of a possible score of 52. Regarding antibiotic practices, a considerable proportion reported non-adherence to recommended doses. The mean and SD for the antibiotic practices score was 37.9 (SD ± 6.5; range 17 to 47) out of a possible score of 48. Participants who earned an average monthly household income of MYR1001-3000 (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.04-2.50) were more likely to report higher antibiotic practice scores than those with \<MYR1000. Participants with tertiary education attainment reported higher antibiotic practice scores (OR 1.99; 95%CI 1.02-3.91) than those with primary school and below. High antibiotic knowledge scores (OR 3.94; 95% CI 2.71-5.73) were associated with higher antibiotic practice scores. Inappropriate antibiotic use is influenced by demographics and antibiotic knowledge. This study calls for education interventions focused on the lower socio-economic status population to increase awareness and to promote appropriate antibiotic use.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN205,

title = {Filtering Facepiece Respirators for Healthcare Workers Protection in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic},

author = {C. T. Chang and P. Rajan and V. C. W. Hoe},

doi = {10.21315/mjms2021.28.3.14},

issn = {1394-195X (Print) 

1394-195x},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Malays J Med Sci},

volume = {28},

number = {3},

pages = {151-154},

abstract = {Protecting healthcare workers (HCWs) who are in the frontline during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic is paramount. The filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) or N95 respirator is one of the personal protective equipment (PPE) used to protect HCWs exposed to airborne pathogens in clinical practice or when performing aerosol generating procedures. The FFRs should be able to serve the intended purpose without causing additional health and safety hazards for the HCWs. The following commentary will provide some basic information on selecting correct FFRs and conducting fitness test.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN176,

title = {Francisella philomiragia bacteremia in an immunocompromised patient: a rare case report},

author = {H. S. Chua and Y. H. Soh and S. K. Loong and S. AbuBakar},

doi = {10.1186/s12941-021-00475-2},

issn = {1476-0711},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob},

volume = {20},

number = {1},

pages = {72},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Francisella philomiragia is a very rare opportunistic pathogen of humans which causes protean diseases such as pneumonia and other systemic infections. Subsequent failure of prompt treatment may result in poor prognosis with mortality among infected patients. CASE PRESENTATION: The present report describes a case of F. philomiragia bacteraemia first reported in Malaysia and Asian in a 60-year-old patient with underlying end-stage renal disease (ESRF) and diabetes mellitus. He presented with Acute Pulmonary Oedema with Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) in our hospital. He was intubated in view of persistent type I respiratory failure and persistent desaturation despite post haemodialysis. Blood investigation indicated the presence of ongoing infection and inflammation. The aerobic blood culture growth of F. philomiragia was identified using the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (Score value: 2.16) and confirmed by 16S Ribosomal DNA (16S rDNA) sequencing. He was discharged well on day 26 of admission, after completing one week of piperacillin/tazobactam and two weeks of doxycycline. CONCLUSION: Clinical suspicion should be raised if patients with known risk factors are presenting with pneumonia or pulmonary nodules especially as these are the most common manifestations of F. philomiragia infection. Early diagnosis via accurate laboratory identification of the organism through MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and molecular technique such as 16S rDNA sequencing are vital for prompt treatment that results in better outcomes for the afflicted patients.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN227,

title = {Heavy metals drinking water contamination and health risk assessment among primary school children of Pakistan},

author = {J. Ahmed and L. P. Wong and Y. P. Chua and N. Channa and U. U. Memon and J. V. Garn and A. Yasmin and J. A. VanDerslice},

doi = {10.1080/10934529.2021.1915653},

issn = {1093-4529},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Environ Sci Health A Tox Hazard Subst Environ Eng},

volume = {56},

number = {6},

pages = {667-679},

abstract = {The purpose of this study was to characterize the concentrations of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and Fe (Fe) in drinking water sources in primary schools in Sindh Province, Pakistan and to quantify potential health risks among those school children. We conducted a representative, cross-sectional study among 425 primary schools in Sindh province of Pakistan. We used risk assessment models to estimate the metal index, pollution index, lifetime cancer risk, and hazard quotient index. Across the 425 sampled schools, the levels of heavy metals in the drinking water often exceeded the WHO permissible limits (67% of schools exceeded Pb limit, 17% for Cd, 15% for Fe). The average incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) for Pb exceeded tolerable limits in all of the districts under study. The findings, particularly for Pb, are of concern, as Pb may negatively influence children's growth, development, school performance, and long-term health.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN254,

title = {Hepatitis C virus core antigen as alternative diagnostic algorithm for active hepatitis C virus infection among haemodialysis population: Cost implications},

author = {X. Z. Wong and A. Amirah and C. C. Gan and S. Fatiha and D. Maznah and R. Yahya and S. Ganapathy and S. S. Tan and R. Mohamed and S. K. Lim},

doi = {10.1111/nep.13862},

issn = {1320-5358},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nephrology (Carlton)},

volume = {26},

number = {5},

pages = {463-470},

abstract = {AIMS: In Malaysia, majority anti-HCV positive haemodialysis patients do not undergo hepatitis C confirmation due to the high cost of HCV RNA. HCV Core Antigen might be a cost-effective diagnostic test to identify HD patients who have active HCV infection eligible for Direct Acting Anti-viral therapy. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the correlation between HCV Ag and HCV RNA and the cost implications of different diagnostic algorithms to diagnose active HCV infection using Anti-HCV, HCV Ag, and HCV RNA. Pre-dialysis blood was tested for both HCV Ag and HCV RNA. HCV Ag was tested with Abbott ARCHITECT HCV Ag test. RESULTS: Two-hundred twenty-seven haemodialysis patients were recruited from 20 centres with mean age of 57.68 ± 12.48 years, and male constitutes 56.8% (129) of the study population. HCV Ag correlated well with HCV RNA (Spearman test coefficient 0.943, p \< .001) with sensitivity of 93.9%, specificity 99.3%, and the accuracy was 97.36%. Cost analysis indicated that a sequential test involving Anti-HCV antibody as initial screening, followed by HCV Ag on Anti-HCV positive and HCV RNA on HCV Ag negative cases translated to a modest cost-saving algorithm compared to standard diagnostic algorithm. CONCLUSION: HCV Ag correlated well with HCV RNA and can potentially be fused in an alternative diagnostic algorithm to generate cost savings methods to diagnose active HCV infection among haemodialysis patients. This alternative algorithm is especially relevant in low to middle-income countries such as Malaysia to optimize the use of the healthcare resource and gains in clinical outcomes.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN245,

title = {Heterogeneous contributions of change in population distribution of body mass index to change in obesity and underweight},

author = {NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC)},

doi = {10.7554/eLife.60060},

issn = {2050-084x},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Elife},

volume = {10},

abstract = {From 1985 to 2016, the prevalence of underweight decreased, and that of obesity and severe obesity increased, in most regions, with significant variation in the magnitude of these changes across regions. We investigated how much change in mean body mass index (BMI) explains changes in the prevalence of underweight, obesity, and severe obesity in different regions using data from 2896 population-based studies with 187 million participants. Changes in the prevalence of underweight and total obesity, and to a lesser extent severe obesity, are largely driven by shifts in the distribution of BMI, with smaller contributions from changes in the shape of the distribution. In East and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, the underweight tail of the BMI distribution was left behind as the distribution shifted. There is a need for policies that address all forms of malnutrition by making healthy foods accessible and affordable, while restricting unhealthy foods through fiscal and regulatory restrictions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN221,

title = {HIV treatment outcomes among people who acquired HIV via injecting drug use in the Asia-Pacific region: a longitudinal cohort study},

author = {W. M. Han and A. Jiamsakul and N. A. M. Salleh and J. Y. Choi and B. V. Huy and E. Yunihastuti and C. D. Do and T. P. Merati and Y. M. Gani and S. Kiertiburanakul and F. Zhang and Y. J. Chan and M. P. Lee and R. Chaiwarith and O. T. Ng and S. Khusuwan and R. Ditangco and N. Kumarasamy and S. Sangle and J. Ross and A. Avihingsanon},

doi = {10.1002/jia2.25736},

issn = {1758-2652},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Int AIDS Soc},

volume = {24},

number = {5},

pages = {e25736},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Data on HIV treatment outcomes in people who inject drugs (PWID) in the Asia-Pacific are sparse despite the high burden of drug use. We assessed immunological and virological responses, AIDS-defining events and mortality among PWID receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). METHODS: We investigated HIV treatment outcomes among people who acquired HIV via injecting drug use in the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD) between January 2003 and March 2019. Trends in CD4 count and viral suppression (VS, HIV viral load \<1000 copies/mL) were assessed. Factors associated with mean CD4 changes were analysed using repeated measures linear regression, and combined AIDS event and mortality were analysed using survival analysis. RESULTS: Of 622 PWID from 12 countries in the Asia-Pacific, 93% were male and the median age at ART initiation was 31 years (IQR, 28 to 34). The median pre-ART CD4 count was 71 cells/µL. CD4 counts increased over time, with a mean difference of 401 (95% CI, 372 to 457) cells/µL at year-10 (n = 78). Higher follow-up HIV viral load and pre-ART CD4 counts were associated with smaller increases in CD4 counts. Among 361 PWID with ≥1 viral load after six months on ART, proportions with VS were 82%, 88% and 93% at 2-, 5- and 10-years following ART initiation. There were 52 new AIDS-defining events and 50 deaths during 3347 person-years of follow-up (PYS) (incidence 3.05/100 PYS, 95% CI, 2.51 to 3.70). Previous AIDS or TB diagnosis, lower current CD4 count and adherence \<95% were associated with combined new AIDS-defining event and death. CONCLUSIONS: Despite improved outcomes over time, our findings highlight the need for rapid ART initiation and adherence support among PWID within Asian settings.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN233,

title = {Implementation of a COVID-19 surveillance programme for healthcare workers in a teaching hospital in an upper-middle-income country},

author = {K. S. Wan and P. S. K. Tok and K. K. Yoga Ratnam and N. Aziz and M. Isahak and R. Ahmad Zaki and N. D. Nik Farid and N. N. Hairi and S. Rampal and C. W. Ng and M. F. Samsudin and V. Venugopal and M. Asyraf and N. H. Damanhuri and S. Doraimuthu and C. T. Arumugam and T. Marthammuthu and F. A. Nawawi and F. Baharudin and D. W. Q. Chong and V. J. Jayaraj and V. Magarita and S. Ponnampalavanar and N. Hasnan and A. Kamarulzaman and M. A. Said},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0249394},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {16},

number = {4},

pages = {e0249394},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: The reporting of Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) mortality among healthcare workers highlights their vulnerability in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Some low- and middle-income countries have highlighted the challenges with COVID-19 testing, such as inadequate capacity, untrained laboratory personnel, and inadequate funding. This article describes the components and implementation of a healthcare worker surveillance programme in a designated COVID-19 teaching hospital in Malaysia. In addition, the distribution and characteristics of healthcare workers placed under surveillance are described. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A COVID-19 healthcare worker surveillance programme was implemented in University Malaya Medical Centre. The programme involved four teams: contact tracing, risk assessment, surveillance and outbreak investigation. Daily symptom surveillance was conducted over fourteen days for healthcare workers who were assessed to have low-, moderate- and high-risk of contracting COVID-19. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted for data collected over 24 weeks, from the 6th of March 2020 to the 20th of August 2020. RESULTS: A total of 1,174 healthcare workers were placed under surveillance. The majority were females (71.6%), aged between 25 and 34 years old (64.7%), were nursing staff (46.9%) and had no comorbidities (88.8%). A total of 70.9% were categorised as low-risk, 25.7% were moderate-risk, and 3.4% were at high risk of contracting COVID-19. One-third (35.2%) were symptomatic, with the sore throat (23.6%), cough (19.8%) and fever (5.0%) being the most commonly reported symptoms. A total of 17 healthcare workers tested positive for COVID-19, with a prevalence of 0.3% among all the healthcare workers. Risk category and presence of symptoms were associated with a positive COVID-19 test (p\<0.001). Fever (p\<0.001), cough (p = 0.003), shortness of breath (p = 0.015) and sore throat (p = 0.002) were associated with case positivity. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 symptom surveillance and risk-based assessment have merits to be included in a healthcare worker surveillance programme to safeguard the health of the workforce.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN244,

title = {Insights on emotional distress following cancer, sources of support and the unmet needs in a setting with limited supportive care services for people living with cancer},

author = {H. D. A. Rajah and C. M. H. Chan and Y. C. Kong and L. P. Wong and R. S. Bustaman and G. F. Ho and K. M. Lai and C. H. Yip and N. Bhoo-Pathy},

doi = {10.1007/s00520-021-06148-2},

issn = {0941-4355},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Support Care Cancer},

volume = {29},

number = {10},

pages = {5811-5819},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Delivery of supportive cancer care is often deemed a low priority in resource-limited settings. We aimed to explore the sources of emotional distress, the related support and the unmet needs of cancer survivors in Malaysia, where cancer survivorship services are presently limited. METHOD: Twenty focus group discussions were conducted with 102 cancer patients from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Thematic analyses were performed. RESULTS: Patient narratives suggested that emotional distress arose from direct and indirect stressors. Direct stressors comprised physical and cognitive side effects of cancer surgery and therapies, and fear of recurrence. Indirect stressors included worry over dependent family members, financial distress following cancer, working with cancer and lack of practical support at home. Distress from altered physical appearances, fear of recurrence and lack of practical support were mainly raised by women, implying that men and women may have disproportionate emotional needs. Emotional support largely came from informal sources including self, family, friends and religion. While formal emotional support from professional counsellors and cancer support groups was acknowledged as important, it appeared to be largely lacking. Unmet needs in coping with fear of recurrence, financial distress, workplace discrimination and household chores were particularly highlighted. CONCLUSION: The unmet needs revealed in this study provide insights to initiate actionable changes to improve the emotional wellbeing of people living with cancer in settings where cancer survivorship services are still in its infancy.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN215,

title = {Is pre-operative axillary ultrasound alone sufficient to determine need for axillary dissection in early breast cancer patients?},

author = {S. Jamaris and J. Jamaluddin and T. Islam and M. H. See and F. Fadzli and K. Rahmat and N. Bhoo-Pathy and N. A. M. Taib},

doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000025412},

issn = {0025-7974 (Print) 

0025-7974},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Medicine (Baltimore)},

volume = {100},

number = {19},

pages = {e25412},

abstract = {Pre-operative status of axillary lymph node (ALN) in early breast cancer is usually initially assessed by pre-operative ultrasound, followed by ultrasound-guided needle biopsy (UNB) confirmation. Patients with positive nodal status will undergo axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), while those with negative nodal status will have sentinel lymph node biopsy. ALND is associated with higher morbidity than Sentinel lymph node biopsy. The objective of this study is to determine if axillary ultrasound alone without UNB is predictive enough to assign patients to ALND and to identify ultrasound features that are significantly associated with pathologically positive ALN.383 newly diagnosed primary breast cancer patients between 2012 and 2014, and who had undergone pre-operative axillary ultrasound in University Malaya Medical Centre with a complete histopathology report of the axillary surgery were retrospectively reviewed. ALN was considered positive if it had any of these features: cortical thickening \> 3 mm, loss of fatty hilum, hypoechoic solid node, mass-like appearance, round shape and lymph node size \> 5 mm. Post-operative histopathological reports were then analyzed for nodal involvement.The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of pre-operative axillary ultrasound in detecting diseased nodes were 45.5%, 80.7%, and 60.3% respectively. The positive (PPV) and negative predictive values were 76.5% and 51.8%. Round shape, loss of fatty hilum and mass-like appearance had the highest PPVs of 87%, 83% and 81.6% respectively and significant odds ratios (ORs) of 5.22 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52 - 17.86), ORs of 4.77 (95% CI: 2.62 - 8.70) and ORs of 4.26 (95% CI: 2.37 - 7.67) respectively (P-value \< .05). Cortical thickness of \> 3 mm was identified to have low PPV at 69.1%, ORs of 1.71 (95% CI: 0.86 - 3.41},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN253,

title = {Is there any association between body mass index and severity of dengue infection?},

author = {M. S. Zulkipli and S. Rampal and A. Bulgiba and D. Peramalah and N. Jamil and L. L. C. See and R. A. Zaki and S. F. S. Omar and M. Dahlui},

doi = {10.1093/trstmh/trab021},

issn = {0035-9203},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg},

volume = {115},

number = {7},

pages = {764-771},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Dengue, an acute infectious disease caused by a flavivirus, is a threat to global health. There is sparse evidence exploring obesity and the development of more severe dengue cases in adults. With increasing prevalence of obesity in areas with a high risk of dengue infection, obesity may increase the burden and mortality related to dengue infection. Our study aimed to determine the association between obesity and the development of more severe dengue infection in primary healthcare settings and whether these associations were modified by dengue fever phase. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted among laboratory-confirmed dengue patients aged \>18 y in the central region of Peninsular Malaysia from May 2016 to November 2017. We collected demographic, clinical history, physical examination and laboratory examination information using a standardized form. Dengue severity (DS) was defined as either dengue with warning signs or severe dengue. Participants underwent daily follow-up, during which we recorded their vital signs, warning signs and full blood count results. Incidence of DS was modeled using mixed-effects logistic regression. Changes in platelet count and hematocrit were modeled using mixed-effects linear regression. The final multivariable models were adjusted for age, gender, ethnicity and previous dengue infection. RESULTS: A total of 173 patients were enrolled and followed up. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 37.4±13.75 kg/m2. The majority of patients were Malay (65.9%), followed by Chinese (17.3%), Indian (12.7%) and other ethnic groups (4.1%). A total of 90 patients (52.0%) were male while 36 patients (20.8%) had a previous history of dengue infection. BMI was significantly associated with DS (adjusted OR=1.17; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.34) and hematocrit (%) (aβ=0.09; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.16), but not with platelet count (x103/µL) (aβ=-0.01; 95% CI -0.84 to 0.81). In the dose response analysis, we found that as BMI increases, the odds of DS, hematocrit levels and platelet levels increase during the first phase of dengue fever. CONCLUSION: Higher BMI and higher hematocrit levels were associated with higher odds of DS. Among those with high BMI, the development of DS was observed during phase one of dengue fever instead of during phase two. These novel results could be used by clinicians to help them risk-stratify dengue patients for closer monitoring and subsequent prevention of severe dengue complications.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN256,

title = {Knowledge acquisition and retention among nurses after an educational intervention on endotracheal cuff pressure},

author = {U. R. Murugiah and V. Ramoo and M. F. H. Jamaluddin and A. Yahya and A. A. Baharudin and H. Abu and R. R. R. Thinagaran},

doi = {10.1111/nicc.12600},

issn = {1362-1017},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nurs Crit Care},

volume = {26},

number = {5},

pages = {363-371},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Nurses play a key role in the proper management of endotracheal tube (ETT) cuff pressure, which is important for patients' safety, so it is vital to improve nurses' knowledge on safe cuff management practices. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention related to ETT cuff pressure management on improving and retaining critical care nurses' knowledge. DESIGN: A single group pre-post interventional study was conducted involving 112 registered nurses (RNs) from a 24-bed adult general intensive care unit at a teaching hospital in Malaysia. METHODS: The educational intervention included a theoretical session on endotracheal cuff pressure management and demonstration plus hands-on practice with the conventional cuff pressure monitoring method. Nurses' knowledge was measured using a self-administered questionnaire pre- and post-intervention. Data were analysed using repeated measure analysis of variance and bivariate analysis. RESULTS: In this study, 92% of the total number of RNs in the unit participated. A significant difference in mean knowledge score was noted between the pre- (mean = 8.13; SD = 1.53) and post-intervention phases (3 months [mean = 8.97; SD = 1.57) and 9 months post-intervention [mean = 10.34; SD = 1.08), P \< .001), indicating significant knowledge acquisition and retention between the phases. Knowledge gained between the pre- and 9 months post-intervention phases significantly differed according to nurses' educational level. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports existing evidence that ongoing educational interventions are essential to improve nurses' knowledge. However, further exploration is suggested to assess how well this knowledge is translated into clinical practice. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Regular educational programmes with current updates would enhance nurses' knowledge through proper practice and clinical decision-making skills; this, in turn, would help to standardize cuff management practices.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN179,

title = {Longitudinal assessment between lifestyle-related risk factors and a composite cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk index among adolescents in Malaysia},

author = {N. Thangiah and T. T. Su and K. Chinna and M. Y. Jalaludin and M. N. A. Mohamed and H. A. Majid},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-98127-0},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Sci Rep},

volume = {11},

number = {1},

pages = {19135},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {The study aims to create a composite risk index of CVD among adolescents and examine the influence of demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle-related risk factors on the composite risk index of biological CVD risk factors among adolescents in Malaysia. A Malaysian adolescent cohort of 1320 adolescents were assessed at 13, 15 and 17 years. Seven biological CVD risk factors with moderate correlation were identified, standardized and averaged to form a composite CVD risk index. Generalised estimating equation using longitudinal linear regression was used to examine the effects of changes in adolescent lifestyle-related risk factors on the composite CVD risk index over time. From the ages 13 to 17 years, physical fitness (β = - 0.001, 90% CI = - 0.003, 0.00002) and BMI (β = 0.051, 95% CI = 0.042, 0.060) were significant predictors of attaining high scores of CVD risk. Female (β = 0.118, 95% CI = 0.040, 0.197), Chinese (β = 0.122, 95% CI = 0.006, 0.239), Indians (β = - 0.114, 95% CI = - 0.216, - 0.012) and adolescents from rural schools (β = 0.066, 95% CI = - 0.005, 0.136) were also found to be considerably significant. A more robust and gender-specific intervention programme focusing on healthy lifestyle (including achieving ideal BMI and improving physical fitness) need to be implemented among school-going adolescents.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN188,

title = {Longitudinal Follow-Up of Death Anxiety and Psychophysical-Symptom Experience of Participants in the Silent Mentor Program},

author = {L. P. Wong and S. L. Tan and H. Alias and T. E. Sia and A. Saw},

doi = {10.1177/00302228211043613},

issn = {0030-2228},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Omega (Westport)},

pages = {302228211043613},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {This study assessed death anxiety (Death Anxiety Questionnaire, DAQ) and psychophysical- (psychological and physical) symptom experience following cadaveric dissection among the Silent Mentor Program (SMP) participants before thawing (T1), after the suturing, dressing and coffining session (T2), and one month post-program (T3). There was a significant decline in the total DAQ score comparing T1 and T2 (t = 7.69, p \< 0.001) and T2 and T3 (t = 5.00, p \< 0.001) and T1 and T3 (t = 10.80, p \< 0.001). There was a significant reduction in total psychological-symptom score comparing T1 and T2 (t = 4.92, p \< 0.001) and between T1 and T3 (t = 4.85, p \< 0.001). However, for the physical-symptom experience, a significant increase in the physical-symptom score between T1 and T2 (t = -3.25},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN207,

title = {Longitudinal Vitamin D Deficiency Among Malaysian Pregnant Women and Its Correlation With Neonatal Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels},

author = {M. A. Mustapa Kamal Basha and H. Abdul Majid and N. Razali and A. Abd Rashed and H. Muhammad and A. Yahya},

doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2021.654292},

issn = {2296-2565},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Front Public Health},

volume = {9},

pages = {654292},

abstract = {Objective: This study aimed to investigate the longitudinal relationship between maternal vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy and neonatal vitamin D concentrations at birth. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort of 236 healthy pregnant women from various ethnicity in early pregnancy (≤20 weeks of pregnancy) was followed at late pregnancy (28-40 weeks of pregnancy) and birth. Maternal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) was assessed at early pregnancy (baseline) and late pregnancy, while neonatal cord serum 25(OH)D at birth. General estimating equations (GEE) were used to analyze the longitudinal association of maternal serum 25(OH)D levels during pregnancy and neonatal cord serum 25(OH)D levels at birth with adjusting for the time exposure, maternal weight gain, ethnicity, and skin type. Results: The results showed that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (25(OH)D \<50 nmol/L) was at 89.9, 92.2, and 96.1% in early, late pregnancy and in neonatal cord serum, respectively. The GEE analysis showed a trend that longitudinal vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy leads to lower vitamin D concentrations in neonatal cord blood (RR = 1.17; 95% CI (1.05-1.36); p = 0.04). Conclusion: Longitudinal vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy leads to vitamin D deficiency in neonates at birth. A further trial is needed to affirm this association.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN172,

title = {Malay version of the modified Conflict Tactics Scale of elder abuse and neglect (MMCTS-EAN): Validation and methodological challenges},

author = {S. W. Wazid and R. M. Yunus and N. N. Mohd Hairi and W. Y. Choo},

doi = {10.1080/08946566.2021.1990815},

issn = {0894-6566},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Elder Abuse Negl},

volume = {33},

number = {5},

pages = {368-384},

abstract = {Among the challenges in systematic inquiry into elder abuse and neglect (EAN) is the lack of standardized tool of measurement. Existing literature demonstrates diverse tools being used, with the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) and its versions being the most common. The Malaysian Elder Mistreatment Project (MAESTRO) utilized the Modified CTS developed and used by the National Study of Elder Abuse and Neglect in Ireland (NSEA-I). This article aimed to validate this Malay version of the modified CTS for use in the Malaysian context and by Malay-speaking populations across Southeast Asia while highlighting the various practical and methodological challenges encountered along the process. Data were collected from 1927 older respondents who lived in Kuala Pilah district. Preliminary data screening led to the dropping of 10 items due to 0 variance. Further four items were deleted during CFA due to low loading. The indicators of neglect factor were made into a composite factor due to high collinearity. The final scale had acceptable reliability and validity. This tool is likely to assist in assessing and detecting EAN more quickly and conveniently. It will also assist future researches of EAN in taking into account the issues that arise in the measurement of EAN.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN152,

title = {Maternal diet during pregnancy and infant respiratory morbidity: A prospective study},

author = {K. N. Chong and H. C. E and R. A. Zaki and S. H. Mohd and H. A. Majid and A. K. Ng and K. P. Eg and S. Y. Hng and C. S. J. Teh and N. Razali and A. M. Nathan and J. A. Bruyne},

doi = {10.6133/apjcn.202112_30(4).0010},

issn = {0964-7058},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Asia Pac J Clin Nutr},

volume = {30},

number = {4},

pages = {632-642},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Maternal diet during pregnancy may impact infant respiratory morbidity. The aim was to determine the association between antenatal maternal diet and respiratory morbidity of their infants during their first 6 months of life. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: This prospective cohort study included healthy motherinfant pairs. Maternal diet during the last trimester was determined with a validated food frequency questionnaire. Infant respiratory morbidity was solicited at 1, 3 and 6 months. RESULTS: Three hundred mother-baby pairs were recruited. Maternal consumption of milk and dairy products was associated with reduced respiratory symptoms at 1 month (aOR 0.29 [95% CI: 0.10, 0.86]},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN237,

title = {Measuring Time-Varying Effective Reproduction Numbers for COVID-19 and Their Relationship with Movement Control Order in Malaysia},

author = {K. I. Musa and W. N. Arifin and M. H. Mohd and M. S. Jamiluddin and N. A. Ahmad and X. W. Chen and T. M. Hanis and A. Bulgiba},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph18063273},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {18},

number = {6},

abstract = {To curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19) in Malaysia, the government imposed a nationwide movement control order (MCO) from 18 March 2020 to 3 May 2020. It was enforced in four phases (i.e., MCO 1, MCO 2, MCO 3 and MCO 4). In this paper, we propose an initiative to assess the impact of MCO by using time-varying reproduction number (Rt). We used data from the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Systems Science and Engineering Coronavirus repository. Day 1 was taken from the first assumed local transmission of COVID-19. We estimated Rt by using the EpiEstim package and plotted the epidemic curve and Rt. Then, we extracted the mean Rt at day 1, day 5 and day 10 for all MCO phases and compared the differences. The Rt values peaked around day 43, which was shortly before the start of MCO 1. The means for Rt at day 1, day 5, and day 10 for all MCOs ranged between 0.665 and 1.147. The average Rt gradually decreased in MCO 1 and MCO 2. Although spikes in the number of confirmed cases were observed when restrictions were gradually relaxed in the later MCO phases, the situation remained under control with Rt values being stabilised to below unity level (Rt value less than one).},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN201,

title = {Mental health crisis in healthcare providers in the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional facility-based survey},

author = {C. W. Sung and C. H. Chen and C. Y. Fan and J. H. Chang and C. C. Hung and C. M. Fu and L. P. Wong and E. P. Huang and T. S. Lee},

doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052184},

issn = {2044-6055},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {BMJ Open},

volume = {11},

number = {7},

pages = {e052184},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: During a pandemic, healthcare providers experience increased mental and physical burden. Burnout can lead to treatment errors, patient mortality, increased suicidal ideation and substance abuse as well as medical malpractice suits among medical staff. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of burnout, acute stress disorder, anxiety disorder and depressive disorder among healthcare providers at the third month of the COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: A cross-sectional facility-based survey. SETTING: Hospitals around the country with different levels of care. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1795 respondents, including 360 men and 1435 women who participated in the survey. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Burnout was assessed using the Physician Work Life Study. A score of ≥3 implied burnout. RESULTS: Of the 1795 respondents, 723 (40.3%) reported burnout, and 669 (37.3%) cared for patients with COVID-19. Anxiety levels were mild in 185 (10.3%) respondents, moderate in 209 (11.6%) and severe in 1401 (78.1%). The mean Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-10 score was 9.5±6.3, and 817 (45.5%) respondents were classified as having depression. Factors associated with burnout were working in acute and critical care (ACC) divisions (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.84, 95% CI 1.20 to 3.39},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN46,

title = {Metabolic perturbations prior to hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis: Findings from a prospective observational cohort study},

author = {M. Stepien and P. Keski-Rahkonen and A. Kiss and N. Robinot and T. Duarte-Salles and N. Murphy and G. Perlemuter and V. Viallon and A. Tj\onneland and A. L. Rostgaard-Hansen and C. C. Dahm and K. Overvad and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and F. R. Mancini and Y. Mahamat-Saleh and K. Aleksandrova and R. Kaaks and T. K\"{u}hn and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and S. Panico and R. Tumino and D. Palli and G. Tagliabue and A. Naccarati and R. C. H. Vermeulen and H. B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and E. Weiderpass and G. Skeie and J. Ram\'{o}n Quir\'{o}s and E. Ardanaz and O. Mokoroa and N. Sala and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and J. M. Huerta and A. Winkvist and S. Harlid and B. Ohlsson and K. Sj\"{o}berg and J. A. Schmidt and N. Wareham and K. T. Khaw and P. Ferrari and J. A. Rothwell and M. Gunter and E. Riboli and A. Scalbert and M. Jenab},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.33236},

issn = {0020-7136},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {148},

number = {3},

pages = {609-625},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development entails changes in liver metabolism. Current knowledge on metabolic perturbations in HCC is derived mostly from case-control designs, with sparse information from prospective cohorts. Our objective was to apply comprehensive metabolite profiling to detect metabolites whose serum concentrations are associated with HCC development, using biological samples from within the prospective European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort (\>520 000 participants), where we identified 129 HCC cases matched 1:1 to controls. We conducted high-resolution untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics on serum samples collected at recruitment prior to cancer diagnosis. Multivariable conditional logistic regression was applied controlling for dietary habits, alcohol consumption, smoking, body size, hepatitis infection and liver dysfunction. Corrections for multiple comparisons were applied. Of 9206 molecular features detected, 220 discriminated HCC cases from controls. Detailed feature annotation revealed 92 metabolites associated with HCC risk, of which 14 were unambiguously identified using pure reference standards. Positive HCC-risk associations were observed for N1-acetylspermidine, isatin, p-hydroxyphenyllactic acid, tyrosine, sphingosine, l,l-cyclo(leucylprolyl), glycochenodeoxycholic acid, glycocholic acid and 7-methylguanine. Inverse risk associations were observed for retinol, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, glycerophosphocholine, γ-carboxyethyl hydroxychroman and creatine. Discernible differences for these metabolites were observed between cases and controls up to 10 years prior to diagnosis. Our observations highlight the diversity of metabolic perturbations involved in HCC development and replicate previous observations (metabolism of bile acids, amino acids and phospholipids) made in Asian and Scandinavian populations. These findings emphasize the role of metabolic pathways associated with steroid metabolism and immunity and specific dietary and environmental exposures in HCC development.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN22,

title = {Methadone maintenance therapy service components linked to improvements in HIV care cascade outcomes: A systematic review of trials and observational studies},

author = {N. A. Mohd Salleh and P. Voon and M. Karamouzian and M. J. Milloy and L. Richardson},

doi = {10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108342},

issn = {0376-8716 (Print) 

0376-8716},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Drug Alcohol Depend},

volume = {218},

pages = {108342},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: The beneficial links between engagement in methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) and HIV treatment outcomes have been extensively described. Nevertheless, people who use drugs (PWUD) continue to experience suboptimal HIV treatment outcomes. In this systematic review, we sought to identify components of MMT service provision that are associated with improvements in HIV care outcomes across the HIV care cascade. METHODS: We searched for peer-reviewed studies in online databases. To be eligible for inclusion in this review, studies must have involved a population or sub-population of PWUD engaged in MMT; report improved uptake of HIV testing, exposure to ART, or HIV-1 RNA plasma viral load suppression; provide details on MMT services; and be published in English between 1 January 2006 until 31 December 2018. RESULTS: Out of the 5594 identified records, 22 studies were eligible for this systematic review. Components of MMT services associated with HIV care cascade outcomes described in the studies were classified in three categories of care models: 1) standard MMT care with adequate doses, 2) standard MMT care and alongside additional medical component(s), and 3) standard MMT care, additional medical component(s) as well as informational or instrumental social support. CONCLUSION: The few studies identified reflect a scarcity of evidence on the role of social support to increase the benefits of MMT for PWUD who are living with HIV. Further research is needed to assess the role of medical and social service components in MMT care delivery in advancing PWUD along the HIV care cascade.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN248,

title = {Nicotine Dependence among Adolescents Single and Dual Cigarette Users},

author = {N. A. Mohd Radzi and R. Saub and Z. Y. Mohd Yusof and M. Dahlui and S. L. Sujak},

doi = {10.3390/children8020144},

issn = {2227-9067 (Print) 

2227-9067},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Children (Basel)},

volume = {8},

number = {2},

abstract = {The prevalence of concurrent use of combustible and electronic cigarettes (dual-use) is on the rise among Malaysian adolescents. This study compares nicotine dependence among exclusive cigarette users, e-cigarette users, and dual adolescent users. A total of 227 adolescent smokers completed a self-administrated questionnaire with items based on Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC) incorporated. Endorsement of at least one HONC item indicates nicotine dependence. Exhaled carbon monoxide readings and salivary cotinine data were also collected. Over half (52.9%) of the participants were exclusive e-cigarette users (EC). The prevalence of exclusive conventional cigarette smokers (CC) and dual users was 11.9% and 35.2%, respectively. Adolescents who have mothers with secondary school education were more likely to become addicted to nicotine (Adjusted Odd Ratio (aOR) = 2.72; 95% CI = 1.17-6.32). Adolescents' "mother's education" level predicted nicotine dependence. This highlighted the need to target families within the identified demography with a more supportive anti-tobacco program.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN299,

title = {Nursing practice environment, resilience, and intention to leave among critical care nurses},

author = {L. Y. Ying and V. Ramoo and L. W. Ling and S. T. Nahasaram and C. P. Lei and L. K. Leong and M. Danaee},

doi = {10.1111/nicc.12551},

issn = {1362-1017},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nurs Crit Care},

volume = {26},

number = {6},

pages = {432-440},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Retaining experienced critical care nurses (CCNs) remains a challenge for health care organizations. Nursing practice environment and resilience are both seen as modifiable factors in ameliorating the impact on CCNs' intention to leave and have not yet been explored in Malaysia. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between perceived nursing practice environment, resilience, and intention to leave among CCNs and to determine the effect of resilience on intention to leave after controlling for other independent variables. DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional survey. METHODS: The universal sampling method was used to recruit nurses from adult and paediatric (including neonatal) critical care units of a large public university hospital in Malaysia. Descriptive analysis and χ(2) and hierarchical logistic regression tests were used to analyse the data. RESULTS: A total of 229 CCNs completed the self-administrated questionnaire. Of the nurses, 76.4% perceived their practice environment as being favourable, 54.1% were moderately resilient, and only 20% were intending to leave. The logistic regression model explained 13.1% of variance in intention to leave and suggested that being single, an unfavourable practice environment, and increasing resilience were significant predictors of nurses' intention to leave. CONCLUSION: This study found that an unfavourable practice environment is a strong predictor of intention to leave; however, further exploration is needed to explain the higher likelihood of expressing intention to leave among CCNs when their resilience level increases. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Looking into staff allocation and equality of workload assignments may improve the perception of the work environment and help minimize intention to leave among nurses.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN257,

title = {Obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) as a risk factor for secondary osteoporosis in children},

author = {N. S. Sies and A. A. Zaini and J. A. Bruyne and M. Y. Jalaludin and A. M. Nathan and N. Y. Han and S. Thavagnanam},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-82605-6},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Sci Rep},

volume = {11},

number = {1},

pages = {3193},

abstract = {Repetitive hypoxia seen in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) may affect bone metabolism increasing the risk for secondary osteoporosis. This study investigates the association between OSAS in children and secondary osteoporosis. This cross-sectional study included 150 children aged 10-17 years: 86 with OSAS and 64 with no OSAS. OSAS was confirmed by polysomnography. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) of calcaneum measuring speed of sound (SoS) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) were collected. Other parameters collected including bone profile, vitamin D levels, physical activity scoring and dietary calcium intake. Majority were male and Malay ethnicity. OSAS children were mostly obese (84%) and 57% had moderate to severe OSAS. Most had lower physical activities scores. Mean (SD) phosphate and Alkaline phosphatase were lower in OSA children compared to controls: PO(4)},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN161,

title = {Older people and responses to COVID-19: A cross-sectional study of prevention practices and vaccination intention},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and Y. R. Tan and K. M. Tan},

doi = {10.1111/opn.12436},

issn = {1748-3735},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Older People Nurs},

pages = {e12436},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a threat to everyone's health and can be especially devastating to older individuals. AIM: This study examined the behavioural prevention practices against SARS-CoV-2 infection and the intention to vaccinate among older people when the COVID-19 vaccine is on the verge of becoming available. METHOD: A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted between 14th July and 8th October 2020 among the older people in Malaysia. A questionnaire was designed to assess the practice towards measures preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection, and COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and intention. Socio-demographic characteristics, constructs of a health belief model (HBM), the 6-item state version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) were correlates of the main outcomes. FINDINGS: The mean score of total preventive measures scores was 13.4 ± 1.7 out of a maximum score of 15, indicating very good prevention practices. By demographics, females, having a tertiary education exhibited higher prevention practices in the univariable analyses. Components of the HBM and being female remain significant correlates of higher prevention practices in multivariable logistic regression analysis (MLRA). A total of 657 (87.1%) participants responded and intend to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. Provider recommendations may improve vaccination uptake (91.6%). MLRA revealed that having a positive vaccination attitude was 16 times more likely to accept the COVID-19 vaccination (OR = 16.10; 95% CI 8.97-28.91). Hearing of someone they know who has COVID-19 serves as a cue to action and significantly influences vaccination (OR = 4.25; 95% CI 1.80-10.03). Participants below 70 years old expressed higher vaccination intention (OR = 2.07; 95% CI 1.19-3.58). CONCLUSION: The results provide the first evidence for public authorities to target older people vulnerable to compliance with recommended preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2 infections.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN218,

title = {Out-of-Pocket Costs of Complementary Medicine Following Cancer and the Financial Impact in a Setting With Universal Health Coverage: Findings From a Prospective Cohort Study},

author = {N. Bhoo-Pathy and S. Subramaniam and S. Khalil and M. Kimman and Y. C. Kong and C. W. Ng and R. S. Bustamam and C. H. Yip},

doi = {10.1200/op.20.01052},

issn = {2688-1527},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {JCO Oncol Pract},

volume = {17},

number = {10},

pages = {e1592-e1602},

abstract = {PURPOSE: To determine household spending patterns on complementary medicine following cancer and the financial impact in a setting with universal health coverage. METHODS: Country-specific data from a multinational prospective cohort study, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Costs in Oncology Study, comprising 1,249 cancer survivors were included. Household costs of complementary medicine (healthcare practices or products that are not considered as part of conventional medicine) throughout the first year after cancer diagnosis were measured using cost diaries. Study outcomes comprised (1) shares of household expenditures on complementary medicine from total out-of-pocket costs and health costs that were respectively incurred in relation to cancer, (2) incidence of financial catastrophe (out-of-pocket costs related to cancer ≥ 30% of annual household income), and (3) economic hardship (inability to pay for essential household items or services). RESULTS: One third of patients reported out-of-pocket household expenditures on complementary medicine in the immediate year after cancer diagnosis, accounting to 20% of the total out-of-pocket costs and 35% of the health costs. Risk of financial catastrophe was higher in households reporting out-of-pocket expenditures on complementary medicine (adjusted odds ratio: 1.39 [95% CI, 1.05 to 1.86]). Corresponding odds ratio within patients from low-income households showed that they were substantially more vulnerable: 2.28 (95% CI, 1.41 to 3.68). Expenditures on complementary medicine were, however, not associated with economic hardship in the immediate year after cancer diagnosis. CONCLUSION: In settings with universal health coverage, integration of subsidized evidence-based complementary medicine into mainstream cancer care may alleviate catastrophic expenditures. However, this must go hand in hand with interventions to reduce the use of nonevidence-based complementary therapies following cancer.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN184,

title = {Outcomes after mastectomy with immediate breast reconstruction for breast cancer in a multiethnic, middle-income Asian setting},

author = {M. H. See and S. Sinnadurai and L. L. Lai and K. L. Tan and M. S. Teh and L. Y. Teoh and S. Jamaris and R. Abdul Malik and N. Bhoo-Pathy},

doi = {10.1016/j.surg.2021.08.001},

issn = {0039-6060},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Surgery},

volume = {170},

number = {6},

pages = {1604-1609},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Although immediate breast reconstruction is increasingly becoming popular worldwide, evidence from resource-limited settings is scarce. We investigated factors associated with immediate breast reconstruction in a multiethnic, middle-income Asian setting. Short-term surgical complications, timing of initiation of chemotherapy, and survival outcomes were compared between women undergoing mastectomy alone and their counterparts receiving immediate breast reconstruction. METHODS: This historical cohort study included women who underwent mastectomy after diagnosis with stage 0 to stage IIIa breast cancer from 2011 to 2015 in a tertiary hospital. Multivariable regression analyses were used to assess factors associated with immediate breast reconstruction and to measure clinical outcomes. RESULT: Out of 790 patients with early breast cancer who had undergone mastectomy, only 68 (8.6%) received immediate breast reconstruction. Immediate breast reconstruction was independently associated with younger age at diagnosis, recent calendar years, Chinese ethnicity, higher education level, and invasive ductal carcinomas. Although immediate breast reconstruction was associated with a higher risk of short-term local surgical complications (adjusted odds ratio: 3.58 [95% confidence interval 1.75-7.30]), there were no significant differences in terms of delay in initiation of chemotherapy, 5-year disease-free survival, and 5-year overall survival between both groups in the multivariable analyses. CONCLUSION: Although associated with short-term surgical complications, immediate breast reconstruction after mastectomy does not appear to be associated with delays in initiation of chemotherapy, recurrence, or mortality after breast cancer. These findings are valuable in facilitating shared surgical decision-making, improving access to immediate breast reconstruction, and setting priorities for surgical trainings in middle-income settings.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN209,

title = {Perception towards E-learning and COVID-19 on the mental health status of university students in Malaysia},

author = {F. M. Moy and Y. H. Ng},

doi = {10.1177/00368504211029812},

issn = {0036-8504},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Sci Prog},

volume = {104},

number = {3},

pages = {368504211029812},

abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of all including university students. With the preventive measures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, all face-to-face teaching and learning are converted to e-learning. The COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of e-learning may influence these students' mental conditions. This study aimed to determine the association of factors with mental health status (depression, anxiety and stress) among university students in Malaysia. Study participants were tertiary education students from both the private and public universities in Malaysia. Participants were recruited via university emails and social media. The survey was administered via the online REDCap platform, from April to June 2020, during the movement control order period in the country. The questionnaire captured data on socio-demographic characteristics, academic information, implementation of e-learning, perception towards e-learning and COVID-19; as well as DASS 21 to screen for depression, anxiety and stress. The levels of stress, anxiety and depression were 56.5% (95% CI: 50.7%, 62.1%), 51.3% (95% CI: 45.6%, 57.0%) and 29.4% (95% CI: 24.3%, 34.8%) respectively. Most participants had good perception towards e-learning but negative perception on COVID-19. From the multivariate analysis, participants with positive perception on COVID-19 were protective towards stress (aOR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.92, 0.99), anxiety (aOR: 0.94, 95% CI: 0.90, 0.98) and depression (aOR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.91, 0.99). Older students were 14% (aOR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.79, 0.94) and 11% (aOR: 0.89: 95% CI: 0.80, 0.99) less likely for anxiety and depression, respectively. Students originated from the Malay ethnicity had higher odds (aOR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.05, 3.56) for depression. These findings demonstrated that the mental status of university students was greatly affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Timely and credible information should be disseminated to alleviate their negative perception towards COVID-19.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN44,

title = {Perceptions of eating practices and physical activity among Malaysian adolescents in secondary schools: a qualitative study with multi-stakeholders},

author = {S. Mohammadi and T. T. Su and A. Papadaki and M. Y. Jalaludin and M. Dahlui and M. N. A. Mohamed and R. Jago and Z. Toumpakari and L. Johnson and H. A. Majid},

doi = {10.1017/s1368980020002293},

issn = {1368-9800},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Public Health Nutr},

volume = {24},

number = {8},

pages = {2273-2285},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To conduct formative research using qualitative methods among stakeholders of secondary schools to explore their perceptions, barriers and facilitators related to healthy eating and physical activity (PA) among Malaysian adolescents. DESIGN: A qualitative study involving eight focus groups and twelve in-depth interviews. Focus groups and interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data. SETTING: Four secondary schools in Perak and Selangor states (two urban and two rural schools) in Malaysia. PARTICIPANTS: Focus groups were conducted with seventy-six adolescents aged 13-14 years, and in-depth interviews were conducted with four headmasters, four PA education teachers and four food canteen operators. RESULTS: Stakeholders thought that adolescents' misperceptions, limited availability of healthy options, unhealthy food preferences and affordability were important challenges preventing healthy eating at school. Low-quality physical education (PE) classes, limited adolescent participation and teachers' commitment during lessons were perceived as barriers to adolescents being active at school. Affordability was the main challenge for adolescents from rural schools. Stakeholders perceived that a future school-based intervention should improve the availability and subsidies for healthy foods, provide health education/training for both adolescents and PE teachers, enhance active adolescent participation in PE and develop social support mechanisms to facilitate engagement with PA. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide important insights into developing school-based lifestyle interventions to improve healthy eating and strengthening PA of Malaysian adolescents.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN251,

title = {Polygenic hazard score is associated with prostate cancer in multi-ethnic populations},

author = {M. P. Huynh-Le and C. C. Fan and R. Karunamuni and W. K. Thompson and M. E. Martinez and R. A. Eeles and Z. Kote-Jarai and K. Muir and J. Schleutker and N. Pashayan and J. Batra and H. Gr\"{o}nberg and D. E. Neal and J. L. Donovan and F. C. Hamdy and R. M. Martin and S. F. Nielsen and B. G. Nordestgaard and F. Wiklund and C. M. Tangen and G. G. Giles and A. Wolk and D. Albanes and R. C. Travis and W. J. Blot and W. Zheng and M. Sanderson and J. L. Stanford and L. A. Mucci and C. M. L. West and A. S. Kibel and O. Cussenot and S. I. Berndt and S. Koutros and K. D. S\orensen and C. Cybulski and E. M. Grindedal and F. Menegaux and K. T. Khaw and J. Y. Park and S. A. Ingles and C. Maier and R. J. Hamilton and S. N. Thibodeau and B. S. Rosenstein and Y. J. Lu and S. Watya and A. Vega and M. Kogevinas and K. L. Penney and C. Huff and M. R. Teixeira and L. Multigner and R. J. Leach and L. Cannon-Albright and H. Brenner and E. M. John and R. Kaneva and C. J. Logothetis and S. L. Neuhausen and K. De Ruyck and H. Pandha and A. Razack and L. F. Newcomb and J. H. Fowke and M. Gamulin and N. Usmani and F. Claessens and M. Gago-Dominguez and P. A. Townsend and W. S. Bush and M. J. Roobol and M\'{E} Parent and J. J. Hu and I. G. Mills and O. A. Andreassen and A. M. Dale and T. M. Seibert},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-021-21287-0},

issn = {2041-1723},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nat Commun},

volume = {12},

number = {1},

pages = {1236},

abstract = {Genetic models for cancer have been evaluated using almost exclusively European data, which could exacerbate health disparities. A polygenic hazard score (PHS(1)) is associated with age at prostate cancer diagnosis and improves screening accuracy in Europeans. Here, we evaluate performance of PHS(2) (PHS(1), adapted for OncoArray) in a multi-ethnic dataset of 80,491 men (49,916 cases, 30,575 controls). PHS(2) is associated with age at diagnosis of any and aggressive (Gleason score ≥ 7, stage T3-T4, PSA ≥ 10 ng/mL, or nodal/distant metastasis) cancer and prostate-cancer-specific death. Associations with cancer are significant within European (n = 71,856), Asian (n = 2,382), and African (n = 6,253) genetic ancestries (p \< 10(-180)). Comparing the 80(th)/20(th) PHS(2) percentiles, hazard ratios for prostate cancer, aggressive cancer, and prostate-cancer-specific death are 5.32, 5.88, and 5.68, respectively. Within European, Asian, and African ancestries, hazard ratios for prostate cancer are: 5.54, 4.49, and 2.54, respectively. PHS(2) risk-stratifies men for any, aggressive, and fatal prostate cancer in a multi-ethnic dataset.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN193,

title = {Practice of New Normal Lifestyles, Economic and Social Disruption, and Level of Happiness Among General Public in China in the Post-COVID-19 Era},

author = {X. Lin and Y. Lin and Z. Hu and H. Alias and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.2147/rmhp.S320448},

issn = {1179-1594 (Print) 

1179-1594},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Risk Manag Healthc Policy},

volume = {14},

pages = {3383-3393},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the practice of 'new normal' lifestyles, economic and social distribution, and individuals' well-being of people in China after the country ease the lockdown restriction. METHODS: A cross-sectional, self-administered online survey was carried out between 3 September and 15 October 2020. RESULTS: A total of 8393 complete responses were received from a nationwide sample. Poor sustainability in the practice of "new norm" was reported. Noteworthy disparities were observed in willingness to carry out "new normal" practices by gender, urban-rural locality, non-Han and Han Chinese and educational attainment. There was evidence of economic and social disruption associated with COVID-19 or "new normal" practices. The current mean (±standard deviation [SD]) happiness score (110.45 ± 17.55) was slightly lower than the mean happiness score before (111.12 ± 17.83) the COVID-19 pandemic (t= -9.01, p\<0.001). Lower socioeconomic status and greater economic and social disruptions were associated with lower current happiness scores. Moreover, greater willingness to adapt to "new normal" practices was associated with higher levels of happiness. CONCLUSION: There is a need to encourage sustainable practice of new norm post-pandemic. Segments of the public continue to experience significant economic and social effects and the post-pandemic 'new norms' remain at risk of leading to psychological consequences.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN162,

title = {Pre-diagnostic alterations in circulating bile acid profiles in the development of hepatocellular carcinoma},

author = {M. Stepien and M. Lopez-Nogueroles and A. Lahoz and T. K\"{u}hn and G. Perlemuter and C. Voican and D. Ciocan and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and E. Jansen and V. Viallon and M. Leitzmann and A. Tj\onneland and G. Severi and F. R. Mancini and C. Dong and R. Kaaks and R. T. Fortner and M. M. Bergmann and H. Boeing and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and E. Peppa and D. Palli and V. Krogh and R. Tumino and C. Sacerdote and S. Panico and H. B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and G. Skeie and S. Merino and R. Z. Ros and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and P. Amiano and J. M. Huerta and A. Barricarte and K. Sj\"{o}berg and B. Ohlsson and H. Nystr\"{o}m and M. Werner and A. Perez-Cornago and J. A. Schmidt and H. Freisling and A. Scalbert and E. Weiderpass and S. Christakoudi and M. J. Gunter and M. Jenab},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.33885},

issn = {0020-7136},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

abstract = {Bile acids (BA) play different roles in cancer development. Some are carcinogenic and BA signaling is also involved in various metabolic, inflammatory, and immune-related processes. The liver is the primary site of BA synthesis. Liver dysfunction and microbiome compositional changes, such as during hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development, may modulate BA metabolism increasing concentration of carcinogenic BAs. Observations from prospective cohorts are sparse. We conducted a study (233 HCC case-control pairs) nested within a large observational prospective cohort with blood samples taken at recruitment when healthy with follow-up over time for later cancer development. A targeted metabolomics method was used to quantify 17 BAs (primary/secondary/tertiary; conjugated/un-conjugated) in pre-diagnostic plasma. Odd ratios (OR) for HCC risk associations were calculated by multivariable conditional logistic regression models. Positive HCC risk associations were observed for the molar sum of all BAs (OR(doubling) = 2.30, 95%CI = 1.76-3.00) and choline- and taurine-conjugated BAs. Relative concentrations of BAs showed positive HCC risk associations for glycoholic acid and most taurine-conjugated BAs. We observe an association between increased HCC risk and higher levels of major circulating BAs, from several years prior to tumor diagnosis and after multivariable adjustment for confounders and liver functionality. Increased in BA concentration is accompanied by a shift in BA profile towards higher proportions of taurine-conjugated BAs, indicating early alterations of BA metabolism with HCC development. Future studies are needed to assess BA profiles for improved stratification of patients at high HCC risk and to determine whether supplementation with certain BAs may ameliorate liver dysfunction. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN217,

title = {Pre-schoolers' tooth brushing behaviour and association with their oral health: a cross sectional study},

author = {I. M. Khan and S. A. Mani and J. G. Doss and M. Danaee and L. Y. L. Kong},

doi = {10.1186/s12903-021-01643-8},

issn = {1472-6831},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {BMC Oral Health},

volume = {21},

number = {1},

pages = {283},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Toothbrushing is an important yet neglected behaviour that affects the oral health of preschool children. Little is reported on parental supervision, an essential aspect of routine effective toothbrushing in this age group. The aim of this study was to evaluate pre-schoolers' toothbrushing behaviour including parental involvement and its association with their oral health. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 92 preschool children (4-6 years) were invited to participate with their parents/guardians. Nine parameters of toothbrushing behaviour were assessed from parental responses (questionnaire) and observation of child and parents/guardians (video recording). Oral examination included recording plaque, gingival and dental caries indices. BORIS software was used to assess toothbrushing parameters and Smart PLS was used to perform association with a second-generation multivariate analysis to create models with and without confounding factors. RESULTS: Girls were slightly more (53%) than boys (47%). Children aged 4 years were slightly more in number (38%), followed by 6-year-olds and 5-year-olds. Nearly, 90% parents had tertiary education and 46% had more than 2 children. Differences were recorded in the reported and observed behaviour. Thirty-five percent parents/guardians reported using pea-size toothpaste amount but only 28% were observed. Forty percent reported to brush for 30 s-1 min, however 51% were observed to brush for 1-2 min. Half the children were observed to use fluoridated toothpaste (F \< 1000 ppm) under parental supervision (11%). The mean (SD) plaque score reduction after toothbrushing was 10.80 (2.46), mean pre-brushing plaque score was 90.3 (10.2), mean gingival index was 0.89 (0.65) and mean dental caries status (ICDAS((1-6))) was 18.87 (12.39). Toothbrushing behaviour in terms of toothbrushing technique, duration, pattern and frequency, toothbrush type and grip type, toothpaste type and amount, post-brushing mouth rinsing and parental involvement contributed significantly to plaque score change (86%), dental caries status (73%), gingival index (66%) and pre-brushing plaque score (31%). The significant confounding variables had a small influence on oral health of preschool children. CONCLUSIONS: Preschool children's toothbrushing behaviour was inadequate while their oral health was poor, with a significant association between the two parameters.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN243,

title = {Predictors of glycosylated haemoglobin A1C trend among type 2 diabetes patients in a multi-ethnic country},

author = {K. S. Wan and N. N. Hairi and F. I. Mustapha and K. Mohd Yusof and Z. Mohd Ali and F. M. Moy},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-86277-0},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Sci Rep},

volume = {11},

number = {1},

pages = {6803},

abstract = {Good control of glycosylated haemoglobin A1C in diabetes patients prevents cardiovascular complications. We aim to describe the A1C trend and determine the predictors of the trend among type 2 diabetes patients in Malaysia. Longitudinal data in the National Diabetes Registry from 2013 to 2017 were analysed using linear mixed-effects modelling. Among 17,592 patients, 56.3% were females, 64.9% Malays, and the baseline mean age was 59.1 years. The U-shaped A1C trend changed marginally from 7.89% in 2013 to 8.07% in 2017. The A1C excess of 1.07% as reported in 2017 represented about 22% higher risk of diabetes-related death, myocardial infarction, and stroke, which are potentially preventable. The predictors for higher baseline A1C were non-Chinese ethnicity, younger age groups, longer diabetes duration, patients on insulin treatment, polypharmacy use, patients without hypertension, and patients who were not on antihypertensive agents. Younger age groups predicted a linear increase in the A1C trend, whereas patients on insulin treatment predicted a linear decrease in the A1C trend. Specifically, the younger adults and patients of Indian and Malay ethnicities had the poorest A1C trends. Targeted interventions should be directed at these high-risk groups to improve their A1C control.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN169,

title = {Preparing for and conducting the National Health and Morbidity Survey in Malaysia amid the COVID-19 pandemic: balancing risks and benefits to participants and society},

author = {Z. L. Chong and N. A. Lodz and M. H. A. Mutalip and Y. C. Lim and M. Mahjom and N. A. Ahmad},

doi = {10.5365/wpsar.2021.12.3.842},

issn = {2094-7321 (Print) 

2094-7321},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Western Pac Surveill Response J},

volume = {12},

number = {3},

pages = {71-76},

abstract = {PROBLEM: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic adversely affected the preparation of Malaysia's National Health and Morbidity Survey for 2020 because conducting it would expose data collectors and participants to an increased risk of infection. CONTEXT: The survey is nationally representative and community based and is conducted by the Institute for Public Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, to generate health-related evidence and to support the Malaysian Ministry of Health in policy-making. Its planned scope for 2020 was the seroprevalence of communicable diseases such as hepatitis B and C. ACTION: Additional components were added to the survey to increase its usefulness, including COVID-19 seroprevalence and facial anthropometric studies to ensure respirator fit. The survey's scale was reduced, and data collection was changed from including only face-to-face interviews to mainly self-administered and telephone interviews. The transmission risk to participants was reduced by screening data collectors before the survey and fortnightly thereafter, using standard droplet and contact precautions, ensuring proper training and monitoring of data collectors, and implementing other administrative infection prevention measures. OUTCOME: Data were collected from 7 August to 11 October 2020, with 5957 participants recruited. Only 4 out of 12 components of the survey were conducted via face-to-face interview. No COVID-19 cases were reported among data collectors and participants. All participants were given their hepatitis and COVID-19 laboratory test results; 73 participants with hepatitis B and 14 with hepatitis C who had been previously undiagnosed were referred for further case management. DISCUSSION: Preparing and conducting the National Health and Morbidity Survey during the COVID-19 pandemic required careful consideration of the risks and benefits, multiple infection prevention measures, strong leadership and strong stakeholder support to ensure there were no adverse events.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN213,

title = {Prevalence and risk factors associated with alcohol consumption among indigenous people in Sabah Borneo Island},

author = {R. B. Abd Rashid and M. N. B. Mohd Daud and R. M. Guad and S. H. Gan and Waib Wan Husin and N. Giloi and M. Danaee and M. A. B. Said and C. L. S. Lin Mmed and R. Bulan and A. M. B. Manah and A. B. Hashim and T. Seghatoleslam and M. H. Habil},

doi = {10.1111/ajr.12732},

issn = {1038-5282},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Aust J Rural Health},

volume = {29},

number = {3},

pages = {464-472},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors of alcohol use among a cohort of population in Sabah. DESIGN: This is a prospective, cohort study involving rural community residents. SETTING: Rural community resident at Bingkor, Keningau, Sabah. PARTICIPANTS: 363 individuals aged 13 years old and above. INTERVENTION: Community-based participatory research to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with alcohol use. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Measurement of alcohol use using Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and assessment of psychiatric morbidity using Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) questionnaires. RESULTS: Most alcohol drinkers aged between 36-45 years old, followed by 26-35 years old and 46-55 years old. Interestingly, there are almost similar female to male ratio. Most were Kadazan-Dusun ethnic, non-Muslims, and married. Although only less than a third of the participants received tertiary education, the majority were working. Based on the findings, being a male, non-Muslim and having an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (current) posed a significantly higher risk of alcohol consumption. CONCLUSION: A worryingly high prevalence of hazardous alcohol consumption among the locals is reported. There is a need for population-wide intervention towards preventive measures based on the identified risk factors for hazardous alcohol use.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN159,

title = {Prevalence of common mental health issues among migrant workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis},

author = {S. I. Hasan and A. Yee and A. Rinaldi and A. A. Azham and F. Mohd Hairi and A. S. Amer Nordin},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0260221},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {16},

number = {12},

pages = {e0260221},

abstract = {Previous literature has shown that migrant workers manifested higher common mental issues (especially depressive symptom) compared to local workers due to stressors such as financial constraint and lack of access to healthcare. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to summarize the current body of evidence for the prevalence of depression and anxiety among migrant workers as well as exploring the risk factors and the availability of social support for migrant workers. Seven electronic databases, grey literature and Google Scholar were searched for studies from 2015 to 2021 related to mental health, social support and migrant workers. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale and the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-QARI). Study heterogeneity was evaluated using I2 statistics. Random effects meta-analysis results were presented given heterogeneity among studies. The search returned 27 articles and only seven studies were included in meta-analysis, involving 44 365 migrant workers in 17 different countries. The overall prevalence of depression and anxiety among migrant workers was 38.99% (95% CI = 0.27, 0.51) and 27.31% (95% CI = 0.06, 0.58), respectively. Factors such as age, biological (health issue, family history of psychiatric disorder), individual (poor coping skills), occupational (workplace psychosocial stressors, poor working condition, salary and benefits issue, abuse), environmental (limited access towards healthcare, duration of residence, living condition) and social factor (limited social support) were associated with a mental health outcome in migrant workers. The availability of social support for migrant workers was mainly concentrated in emotional type of support. A high prevalence of depression and anxiety was found among migrant workers across the globe. This finding warrants a collective effort by different parties in providing assistance for migrant workers to promote their mental well-being.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN206,

title = {Prevalence of Insufficient Sleep and Its Associated Factors Among Working Adults in Malaysia},

author = {C. M. H. Chan and C. S. Siau and J. E. Wong and L. H. Wee and N. A. Jamil and V. C. W. Hoe},

doi = {10.2147/nss.S295537},

issn = {1179-1608 (Print) 

1179-1608},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nat Sci Sleep},

volume = {13},

pages = {1109-1116},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Given the scarcity of data on sleep insufficiency in developing countries and its emerging importance in public health, this study aims to provide the prevalence and factors associated with insufficient sleep among working Malaysian adults. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 11,356 working adults (≥18 years) were recruited from a cross-sectional online health and work survey. Sleep duration was self-reported and was categorised as insufficient sleep (\<7 h) and sufficient sleep (≥7 h) based on the National Sleep Guidelines' daily sleep time recommendation for adults. The 10-item Kessler scale was used to assess psychological distress levels (cutoff score ≥20). Bivariate and multivariable regression analyses were performed to examine the factors associated with insufficient sleep. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 35.7 years (standard deviation, SD±9.2). There were more female (n=6613; 58.2%) respondents. The mean sleep duration was 6.49 h (SD±1.10). A total of 6212 individuals (54.7%) reported getting \<7 h of sleep daily. After adjusting for gender, marital status and educational attainment, older age (odds ratio},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN266,

title = {Prevalence study of epilepsy in Malaysia},

author = {S. L. Fong and K. S. Lim and L. Tan and N. H. Zainuddin and J. H. Ho and Z. J. Chia and W. Y. Choo and S. D. Puvanarajah and S. Chinnasami and S. K. Tee and A. A. Raymond and W. C. Law and C. T. Tan},

doi = {10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2021.106551},

issn = {0920-1211},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Epilepsy Res},

volume = {170},

pages = {106551},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: The lifetime prevalence of epilepsy varies greatly from 1.5-14.0 per 1000 persons among the Asian countries. We aim to study the prevalence of epilepsy in Malaysia to have a better insight into the burden of disease in the country. METHODS: A population-based door-to-door survey was carried out throughout the country, using questionnaire for brief screening in ascertainment of epilepsy, using a questionnaire and its validated multilingual versions. Respondents who were screened positive underwent second-stage diagnostic phone interview by neurologists/ research assistants. RESULTS: A total 16, 686 respondents participated in the survey and 646 (3.8 %) respondents were screened positive during the first stage interview. A total of 185 consented for second stage diagnostic interview and 118 (63.8 %) respondents were contacted successfully for the second stage diagnostic phone interview, of which 17 (14.4 %) respondents were diagnosed to have epilepsy. An additional 68 (57.6 %) respondents had febrile seizures only. After applying a weighting factor to each respondent to adjust for non-response and for the varying probabilities of selection, the adjusted lifetime epilepsy prevalence was 7.8 in 1000 population, and the adjusted prevalence for active epilepsy was 4.2 in 1000 population in Malaysia. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of lifetime epilepsy in Malaysia is 7.8 per 1000 persons.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN258,

title = {Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of young-onset hypertension in Malaysia, 2006-2015},

author = {Y. Y. Khoo and N. D. N. Farid and W. Y. Choo and A. Omar},

doi = {10.1038/s41371-020-00478-0},

issn = {0950-9240},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Hum Hypertens},

abstract = {The continuous presence of elevated blood pressure (BP) when young is a strong predictor of future cardiovascular risk. This study aimed to elucidate the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of young-onset hypertension (YOH) in Malaysia during the period 2006-2015. Data on respondents aged 18-39 diagnosed with YOH according to the 7th Joint National Committee Report (USA) were extracted from three National Health and Morbidity Surveys (2006, 2011, and 2015). The prevalence of YOH remained stable: 17.7%, 95% CI [17.0, 18.3] in 2006, 17.0%, 95% CI [16.0, 17.9] in 2011 and 18.4%, 95% CI [17.4, 19.4] in 2015. Awareness, treatment and control rates were suboptimal; 15% were aware of their diagnosis, of which less than 50% were on treatment and less than 40% who were on treatment had their BP controlled. Trend analysis revealed a significant increase in YOH prevalence among urban dwellers; those with no formal and tertiary education and middle-income earners. YOH awareness and treatment rates were lower among respondents \<30 years; however, when treated, this group achieved overall better control rates. Females had higher awareness and treatment rates, but lower control. Treatment rates remained stable for all ethnicities with the exception of Chinese, which decreased. This study narrows the knowledge gap on YOH epidemiology in Malaysia by providing crucial information on the pervasiveness of hypertension among young adults. Results can be used to develop non-communicable disease policies and health promotion strategies specially targeted at young adults who are in the prime of life.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN187,

title = {Preventing Re-Emergence of COVID-19: A National Survey of Public Risk Perceptions and Behavioural Intentions Concerning Travel Plan Among Taiwanese},

author = {L. P. Wong and C. J. Chiu and H. Alias and T. S. Lee and Z. Hu and Y. Lin},

doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2021.710508},

issn = {2296-2565},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Front Public Health},

volume = {9},

pages = {710508},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Background: The objectives of this study were to investigate risk perceptions and travel intention among the general public in Taiwan during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: This study used a cross-sectional online survey to collect data. The questionnaire was disseminated via the social media platform (LINE and Facebook) to the general public. Results: A total of 3,237 complete responses were received, of whom 5.8% (95% CI 5.1-6.7) of the participants reported intent to travel to overseas countries with an apparent community spread and 5.5% (95% CI 4.7-6.3) reported intent to travel to other overseas countries in the next 1 month. A relatively higher proportion (46.5%; 95% CI 44.7-48.2) reported intention for domestic travelling. Participants who viewed travelling to only be risky for older adults or those with medical conditions (OR = 2.19; 95% CI 1.38-3.47) and who perceived that one will not get infected if one takes recommended precautionary measures (OR = 3.12; 95% CI 1.85-5.27) reported higher travelling intention to overseas countries with an apparent community spread. Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that risk perceptions were depicted as a strong influence of travel intentions.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN195,

title = {Primary care nurses' challenges, opportunities, and facilitators of elder abuse intervention in Malaysia},

author = {F. H. Mohd Mydin and S. Othman and W. Y. Choo and N. N. Mohd Hairi and F. Mohd Hairi and Z. Ali and S. Abdul Aziz},

doi = {10.1111/phn.12961},

issn = {0737-1209},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Public Health Nurs},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To explore the views of nurses on challenges, perceived roles and improvement strategies concerning elder abuse intervention in Malaysia. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: Eleven focus group discussions were conducted using a semi-structured interview based on the socio-ecological framework. The data were analyzed using a multistep process of thematic analysis. RESULTS: Three themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) The predicament: being unwilling or not able to intervene (2) Bridging the older people and health system gap (3) Getting to grips with the barriers. There are multifactorial contributors identified at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community and policy levels in each theme. These factors interact across the levels to influence nurses' capability to intervene in elder abuse. CONCLUSION: A framework is needed to articulate Malaysian nurses' role in elder abuse intervention in terms of personal and professional development through culturally sensitive education and the establishment of clinical guidelines in the primary care setting. Strengthening organizational support and the institution of national policy and permissive reporting laws of elder abuse will empower the primary care nurses to address elder abuse in primary care settings and communities.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN157,

title = {Propagation of a hospital-associated cluster of COVID-19 in Malaysia},

author = {D. W. Chong and V. J. Jayaraj and C. W. Ng and I. C. Sam and M. A. Said and R. Ahmad Zaki and N. N. Hairi and N. D. Nik Farid and V. C. Hoe and M. Isahak and S. Ponnampalavanar and S. F. Syed Omar and S. B. Kamaruzzaman and H. C. Ong and K. Hasmukharay and N. Hasnan and A. Kamarulzaman and Y. F. Chan and Y. M. Chong and S. Rampal},

doi = {10.1186/s12879-021-06894-y},

issn = {1471-2334},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {BMC Infect Dis},

volume = {21},

number = {1},

pages = {1238},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Hospitals are vulnerable to COVID-19 outbreaks. Intrahospital transmission of the disease is a threat to the healthcare systems as it increases morbidity and mortality among patients. It is imperative to deepen our understanding of transmission events in hospital-associated cases of COVID-19 for timely implementation of infection prevention and control measures in the hospital in avoiding future outbreaks. We examined the use of epidemiological case investigation combined with whole genome sequencing of cases to investigate and manage a hospital-associated cluster of COVID-19 cases. METHODS: An epidemiological investigation was conducted in a University Hospital in Malaysia from 23 March to 22 April 2020. Contact tracing, risk assessment, testing, symptom surveillance, and outbreak management were conducted following the diagnosis of a healthcare worker with SARS-CoV-2 by real-time PCR. These findings were complemented by whole genome sequencing analysis of a subset of positive cases. RESULTS: The index case was symptomatic but did not fulfill the initial epidemiological criteria for routine screening. Contact tracing suggested epidemiological linkages of 38 cases with COVID-19. Phylogenetic analysis excluded four of these cases. This cluster included 34 cases comprising ten healthcare worker-cases, nine patient-cases, and 15 community-cases. The epidemic curve demonstrated initial intrahospital transmission that propagated into the community. The estimated median incubation period was 4.7 days (95% CI: 3.5-6.4), and the serial interval was 5.3 days (95% CI: 4.3-6.5). CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated the contribution of integrating epidemiological investigation and whole genome sequencing in understanding disease transmission in the hospital setting. Contact tracing, risk assessment, testing, and symptom surveillance remain imperative in resource-limited settings to identify and isolate cases, thereby controlling COVID-19 outbreaks. The use of whole genome sequencing complements field investigation findings in clarifying transmission networks. The safety of a hospital population during this COVID-19 pandemic may be secured with a multidisciplinary approach, good infection control measures, effective preparedness and response plan, and individual-level compliance among the hospital population.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN200,

title = {Psychological and mental health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers in China: A review},

author = {C. Z. Cai and Y. L. Lin and Z. J. Hu and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.5498/wjp.v11.i7.337},

issn = {2220-3206 (Print) 

2220-3206},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {World J Psychiatry},

volume = {11},

number = {7},

pages = {337-346},

abstract = {The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has put healthcare workers in an unprecedented situation, increasing their psychological and mental health distress. Much research has focused on the issues surrounding anxiety, depression, and stress among healthcare workers. The consequences of mental health problems on healthcare workers' physical health, health-compromising behaviours, suicide ideation, family relationships, and job satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic are not well studied. Enhanced psychological stress has known effects on an individual's physical health. In healthcare workers with pre-existing comorbidities, psychological stressors may exacerbate their current health problems. Healthcare professionals are known to have a high risk of substance use, hence they may be at risk of development of substance use addiction or vulnerable to addiction relapse. Frontline COVID-19 healthcare workers are being pushed above and beyond their limits, possibly resulting in suicidal tendencies. Furthermore, the burden of high workload and burnout may also have serious manifestations in relationships with family and an intention to quit their jobs. Future studies should explore the above-mentioned deleterious consequences to provide insight into the development of mental healthcare strategies to combat the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers during the COVID-19 emergency. It is imperative to employ strategies to care for and policies to protect the psychological well-being of healthcare workers.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN235,

title = {Psychological Consequences of the Delay in the Silent Mentor Programme During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives From Family Members of Silent Mentors},

author = {L. P. Wong and S. L. Tan and H. Alias and T. E. Sia and A. Saw},

doi = {10.1177/00302228211000952},

issn = {0030-2228},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Omega (Westport)},

pages = {302228211000952},

abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic has put a hold on the Silent Mentor Programme (SMP); this pause has not only caused unprecedented challenges for the delivery of medical education but has forced changes in the programme ceremony sessions. We aimed to describe the psychological impact and experiences of family members of silent mentors during the COVID-19 pandemic using qualitative interviews. Many expressed feelings of remorse and unrest about the unprecedented delay of the SMP. The delay increased negative emotions particularly among some elderly family members; however, there was no prominent negative effect on their functional health and well-being. Several participants relayed the belief that the soul cannot rest until the body receives a proper burial while some worried about the deterioration of the physical condition of the mentors. In conclusion, findings provide insights into the importance of not overlooking the mental health implications of delaying the SMP in future outbreaks or crises.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN239,

title = {Psychological distress among cancer survivors during implementation of a nationwide Movement Control Order over the COVID-19 pandemic},

author = {L. P. Wong and L. L. Lai and M. H. See and H. Alias and M. Danaee and C. Y. Ting and P. S. K. Tok},

doi = {10.1007/s00520-021-06182-0},

issn = {0941-4355 (Print) 

0941-4355},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Support Care Cancer},

volume = {29},

number = {10},

pages = {6087-6097},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the psychological distress and its associated factors among cancer survivors in Malaysia during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: An anonymous Internet-based study was conducted between 23 April and 26 June 2020. During the study period, the country underwent phase 3 and phase 4 of the Movement Control Order (MCO), Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), and Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO). Psychological distress was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), which is a 14-item self-assessment scale for measuring distress (total HADS score; HADS-T) with two subscales, namely, anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D). Perceived threat of infection was measured based on the health belief model. RESULTS: From a total of 631 responses received, the proportion of participants with anxiety and depression symptoms (above threshold score of 8 on HADS-A and HADS-D) was 29.0 and 20.9%, respectively. Psychological distress (HADS-T \> 16) was reported in 22.3% of the respondents. A total of 16.5% had combined anxiety and depression symptoms. The highest HADS-A (6.10; 95% CI 5.64-6.56), HADS-D (5.61; 95% CI 5.14-6.08), and HADS-T (11.71; 95% CI 10.84-12.58) scores were reported among respondents during phase 4 of the MCO. Partial least square-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) revealed that self-perceived health status, perceived susceptibility, and severity of COVID-19 have the greatest effect, leading to higher HADS-A, HADS-D, and HADS-T scores. CONCLUSION: Heightened psychological distress was evident in cancer survivors particularly during the enforcement of the MCO over COVID-19. Providing support to address cancer survivors' psychological and emotional needs during the COVID-19 pandemic is essential.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN197,

title = {Psychosocial stress, sleep deprivation, and its impact on type II diabetes mellitus: Policies, guidelines, and initiatives from Malaysia},

author = {A. L. Samy and N. N. Hairi and W. Y. Low},

doi = {10.1096/fba.2020-00115},

issn = {2573-9832},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {FASEB Bioadv},

volume = {3},

number = {8},

pages = {593-600},

abstract = {Type II Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a serious public health issue, affecting the global population, particularly those living in low- and middle-income countries. Worldwide, the prevalence of T2DM ranges between 10.4% and 13.5%, depending on the domiciliary. T2DM negatively affects individuals' quality of life and causes high economic burden due to the increasing cost of treatment and management of the disease. Risk factors associated with T2DMs include aging, lifestyle or behavior, genetics, and important biopsychological aspects, which are psychological stress and sleep deprivation. By understanding the associations of psychological stress and sleep deprivation, which contribute to pathophysiology of T2DM, policies, programs, and guidelines were developed in Malaysia to combat the issue among population at large. This narrative review examines 19 national public health policies, programs, and guidelines from the past 20 years in Malaysia that aimed to mitigate the negative health effects of psychological stress, sleep deprivation, and T2DM, both from the government and non-governmental organizations. Both psychological stress and sleep deprivation works independently or as combined effects in the pathophysiology of T2DM. Besides, in Malaysia, the government, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations, have been developing and implementing policies, programs, and guidelines to combat mental health and T2DM issues, targeted to population at large. Integration of digital technology, such as usage of social media for health promotion and dissemination of public health messages to the community and good governance from government were deemed important in the effective implementation of health policies and guidelines, resulting in better health outcome.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN263,

title = {Publisher Correction: Trans-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of prostate cancer identifies new susceptibility loci and informs genetic risk prediction},

author = {D. V. Conti and B. F. Darst and L. C. Moss and E. J. Saunders and X. Sheng and A. Chou and F. R. Schumacher and A. A. A. Olama and S. Benlloch and T. Dadaev and M. N. Brook and A. Sahimi and T. J. Hoffmann and A. Takahashi and K. Matsuda and Y. Momozawa and M. Fujita and K. Muir and A. Lophatananon and P. Wan and L. Le Marchand and L. R. Wilkens and V. L. Stevens and S. M. Gapstur and B. D. Carter and J. Schleutker and T. L. J. Tammela and C. Sipeky and A. Auvinen and G. G. Giles and M. C. Southey and R. J. MacInnis and C. Cybulski and D. Woko\lorczyk and J. Lubi\'{n}ski and D. E. Neal and J. L. Donovan and F. C. Hamdy and R. M. Martin and B. G. Nordestgaard and S. F. Nielsen and M. Weischer and S. E. Bojesen and M. A. R\oder and P. Iversen and J. Batra and S. Chambers and L. Moya and L. Horvath and J. A. Clements and W. Tilley and G. P. Risbridger and H. Gronberg and M. Aly and R. Szulkin and M. Eklund and T. Nordstr\"{o}m and N. Pashayan and A. M. Dunning and M. Ghoussaini and R. C. Travis and T. J. Key and E. Riboli and J. Y. Park and T. A. Sellers and H. Y. Lin and D. Albanes and S. J. Weinstein and L. A. Mucci and E. Giovannucci and S. Lindstrom and P. Kraft and D. J. Hunter and K. L. Penney and C. Turman and C. M. Tangen and P. J. Goodman and Jr. I. M. Thompson and R. J. Hamilton and N. E. Fleshner and A. Finelli and M\'{E} Parent and J. L. Stanford and E. A. Ostrander and M. S. Geybels and S. Koutros and L. E. B. Freeman and M. Stampfer and A. Wolk and N. Hr{a}kansson and G. L. Andriole and R. N. Hoover and M. J. Machiela and K. D. S\orensen and M. Borre and W. J. Blot and W. Zheng and E. D. Yeboah and J. E. Mensah and Y. J. Lu and others},

doi = {10.1038/s41588-021-00786-2},

issn = {1061-4036},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nat Genet},

volume = {53},

number = {3},

pages = {413},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN241,

title = {Quarantine for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan city: Support, understanding, compliance and psychological impact among lay public},

author = {Y. Lin and Z. Hu and H. Alias and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychores.2021.110420},

issn = {0022-3999 (Print) 

0022-3999},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Psychosom Res},

volume = {144},

pages = {110420},

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus diseases (COVID-19) outbreak, has been locked down on January 23, 2020. We conducted a study among the lay public in Wuhan to access their support, understanding of, compliance with, and the psychological impacts of the quarantine. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional, online-based survey study between January 28, 2020, and February 2, 2020 among the adult lay public in Wuhan to access their support, understanding of, compliance with, and the psychological impacts of the quarantine. Multivariable logistic analysis was used to identify factors associated with psychological impacts. RESULTS: Among the 4100 participants investigated, a total of 15.9% were compliant with all the five household prevention measures, whereas 74.4% were compliant with all the three community prevention measures investigated. By demographics, participants of younger age, higher income, residing in an urban area, knowing neighbors infected with COVID-19 reported significantly higher psychological impact score. Participants with a lower level of support for quarantine were more likely to have a higher psychological impact score (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.07-1.96). Participants with a lower level of compliance with preventive measures (score of 0-19) reported higher psychological impact (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.22-1.60 vs. score 20-24). Participants who had been out of house socializing and attended public events expressed higher psychological impact. CONCLUSIONS: Support, understanding of the rationale for quarantine are essential in ensuring appropriate psychological well-being during the quarantine. Improvements in compliance with preventive measures are highly warranted and may bring about a reduction in psychological distress.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN150,

title = {Reliability analysis of the Malay version of the center for epidemiologic studies-depression scale (CESD) among adolescents in Malaysia},

author = {S. Singh and R. A. Zaki and N. D. N. Farid and K. Kaur},

doi = {10.1016/j.pmedr.2021.101585},

issn = {2211-3355 (Print) 

2211-3355},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Prev Med Rep},

volume = {24},

pages = {101585},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Depression is a common mental disorder that affects many adolescents worldwide. Therefore, there is a need for reliable instruments to screen for depression symptoms among adolescents. This study aims to determine the reliability of the Malay version of the Centre of Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) among adolescents in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 65 adolescents ages between 12 and 14 years from two secondary schools in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur from May 2017 to July 2017. Cronbach's alpha (α), McDonald's omega (ω), Spearman Brown split half reliability (r(SB)), and Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were examine to determine the internal consistency and two week test-retest reliability. The overall CESD scale was found to have good internal consistency with α = 0.882 (95% CI 0.837, 0.914), ω = 0.886 (95% CI 0.837, 0.916) and r(SB) = 0.909. The CESD subscales, Somatic symptoms (α = 0.824; 95% CI 0.739, 0.878; ω = 0.828; 95% CI 0.738, 0.885; r(SB) = 0.825), Depressive affect (α = 0.822; 95% CI 0.745, 0.880; ω = 0.834; 95% CI 0.750, 0.884; r(SB) = 0.847) and Positive affect (α = 0.610; 95% CI 0.326, 0.721; ω = 0.612; 95% CI 0.379, 0.723 and r(SB) = 0.608) indicated acceptable to good internal consistency. The 2-week test-retest reliability ICC was 0.926 (95% CI 0.851, 0.961) for the total score reliability. The reliability analysis of the Malay version of CESD shows satisfactory α, ω, r(SB) and ICC values, therefore making it a reliable instrument to screen for depression among adolescents in Malaysia.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN264,

title = {Religious Coping, Depression and Anxiety among Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Malaysian Perspective},

author = {S. K. Chow and B. Francis and Y. H. Ng and N. Naim and H. C. Beh and M. A. A. Ariffin and M. H. M. Yusuf and J. W. Lee and A. H. Sulaiman},

doi = {10.3390/healthcare9010079},

issn = {2227-9032 (Print) 

2227-9032},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Healthcare (Basel)},

volume = {9},

number = {1},

abstract = {Anxiety and depression have been prevalent among Healthcare Workers (HCWs) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression among HCWs amid the pandemic and their association with religious coping. A cross-sectional study design was applied. The scales utilized were Malay versions of the Brief Religious Coping Scale (Brief RCOPE M) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS M). In total, 200 HCWs were recruited. HCWs scored higher in positive religious coping (mean: 21.33) than negative religious coping (mean: 10.52). The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 36.5% and 29.5%. Both positive and negative religious coping were significantly associated with anxiety (p \< 0.01) and depression (p \< 0.05, p \< 0.01). Positive coping predicted reduction in anxiety (adjusted b = -0.15},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN196,

title = {Screen-based media and young children: Review and recommendations},

author = {C. T. Arumugam and M. A. Said and N. D. Nik Farid},

doi = {10.51866/rv1143},

issn = {1985-207X (Print) 

1985-2274},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Malays Fam Physician},

volume = {16},

number = {2},

pages = {7-13},

abstract = {Early childhood development is influenced by a child's environmental experiences. The qualities of surrounding in which a child lives, grows up and learns are key for attaining their milestones. Increased availability of screen-based media in families leads to excessive screen time among young children, resulting in high chances of displacing parent-child interaction which is fundamental in a thriving child's process of learning and development. Numerous publications have investigated the potential health impacts of early exposure and excessive usage of screen-based media among children, with literature suggesting links between excessive screen time and behavioural difficulties, developmental delay and increased risk of obesity, among other issues. Existing guidelines from international bodies call for limiting screen time to an hour per day for children aged two to five years old and urge that children below the age of two should not be exposed to any screen time. To spark awareness among parents and caregivers concerning the potential health impacts of screen-based media usage among young children, child media habits are recommended to be incorporated as part of toddlers' developmental assessment in health clinics. A guideline for mindful usage of screen-based media focusing on children below the age of five tailored to a Malaysian context ought to be developed based on current evidence from research, theory and practice. A collaborative effort between concerned agencies is essential to ensuring a developmentally stimulating environment in which young children may grow up.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN229,

title = {Silver linings: a qualitative study of desirable changes to cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic},

author = {D. Lombe and R. Sullivan and C. Caduff and Z. Ali and N. Bhoo-Pathy and J. Cleary and M. Jalink and T. Matsuda and D. Mukherji and D. Sarfati and V. Vanderpuye and A. Yusuf and C. Booth},

doi = {10.3332/ecancer.2021.1202},

issn = {1754-6605 (Print) 

1754-6605},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Ecancermedicalscience},

volume = {15},

pages = {1202},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Public health emergencies and crises such as the current COVID-19 pandemic can accelerate innovation and place renewed focus on the value of health interventions. Capturing important lessons learnt, both positive and negative, is vital. We aimed to document the perceived positive changes (silver linings) in cancer care that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and identify challenges that may limit their long-term adoption. METHODS: This study employed a qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews (n = 20) were conducted with key opinion leaders from 14 countries. The participants were predominantly members of the International COVID-19 and Cancer Taskforce, who convened in March 2020 to address delivery of cancer care in the context of the pandemic. The Framework Method was employed to analyse the positive changes of the pandemic with corresponding challenges to their maintenance post-pandemic. RESULTS: Ten themes of positive changes were identified which included: value in cancer care, digital communication, convenience, inclusivity and cooperation, decentralisation of cancer care, acceleration of policy change, human interactions, hygiene practices, health awareness and promotion and systems improvement. Impediments to the scale-up of these positive changes included resource disparities and variation in legal frameworks across regions. Barriers were largely attributed to behaviours and attitudes of stakeholders. CONCLUSION: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to important value-based innovations and changes for better cancer care across different health systems. The challenges to maintaining/implementing these changes vary by setting. Efforts are needed to implement improved elements of care that evolved during the pandemic.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN255,

title = {Smoking Modifies Pancreatic Cancer Risk Loci on 2q21.3},

author = {E. Mocci and P. Kundu and W. Wheeler and A. A. Arslan and L. E. Beane-Freeman and P. M. Bracci and P. Brennan and F. Canzian and M. Du and S. Gallinger and G. G. Giles and P. J. Goodman and C. Kooperberg and L. Le Marchand and R. E. Neale and X. O. Shu and K. Visvanathan and E. White and W. Zheng and D. Albanes and G. Andreotti and A. Babic and W. R. Bamlet and S. I. Berndt and A. L. Blackford and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and J. E. Buring and D. Campa and S. J. Chanock and E. J. Childs and E. J. Duell and C. S. Fuchs and J. M. Gaziano and E. L. Giovannucci and M. G. Goggins and P. Hartge and M. M. Hassan and E. A. Holly and R. N. Hoover and R. J. Hung and R. C. Kurtz and I. M. Lee and N. Malats and R. L. Milne and K. Ng and A. L. Oberg and S. Panico and U. Peters and M. Porta and K. G. Rabe and E. Riboli and N. Rothman and G. Scelo and H. D. Sesso and D. T. Silverman and V. L. Stevens and O. Strobel and Jr. I. M. Thompson and A. Tjonneland and A. Trichopoulou and S. K. Van Den Eeden and J. Wactawski-Wende and N. Wentzensen and L. R. Wilkens and H. Yu and F. Yuan and A. Zeleniuch-Jacquotte and L. T. Amundadottir and D. Li and E. J. Jacobs and G. M. Petersen and B. M. Wolpin and H. A. Risch and P. Kraft and N. Chatterjee and A. P. Klein and R. Stolzenberg-Solomon},

doi = {10.1158/0008-5472.Can-20-3267},

issn = {0008-5472 (Print) 

0008-5472},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Cancer Res},

volume = {81},

number = {11},

pages = {3134-3143},

abstract = {Germline variation and smoking are independently associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We conducted genome-wide smoking interaction analysis of PDAC using genotype data from four previous genome-wide association studies in individuals of European ancestry (7,937 cases and 11,774 controls). Examination of expression quantitative trait loci data from the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project followed by colocalization analysis was conducted to determine whether there was support for common SNP(s) underlying the observed associations. Statistical tests were two sided and P \< 5 × 10(-8) was considered statistically significant. Genome-wide significant evidence of qualitative interaction was identified on chr2q21.3 in intron 5 of the transmembrane protein 163 (TMEM163) and upstream of the cyclin T2 (CCNT2). The most significant SNP using the Empirical Bayes method, in this region that included 45 significantly associated SNPs, was rs1818613 [per allele OR in never smokers 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.82-0.93; former smokers 1.00, 95% CI, 0.91-1.07; current smokers 1.25, 95% CI 1.12-1.40, P (interaction) = 3.08 × 10(-9)). Examination of the Genotype-Tissue Expression Project data demonstrated an expression quantitative trait locus in this region for TMEM163 and CCNT2 in several tissue types. Colocalization analysis supported a shared SNP, rs842357, in high linkage disequilibrium with rs1818613 (r (2) = 0. 94) driving both the observed interaction and the expression quantitative trait loci signals. Future studies are needed to confirm and understand the differential biologic mechanisms by smoking status that contribute to our PDAC findings. SIGNIFICANCE: This large genome-wide interaction study identifies a susceptibility locus on 2q21.3 that significantly modified PDAC risk by smoking status, providing insight into smoking-associated PDAC, with implications for prevention.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN228,

title = {Supporting family doctors to address elder abuse: a quasi-experimental study in Malaysia},

author = {F. H. Mohd Mydin and S. Othman and W. Y. Choo and N. N. M. Hairi and F. M. Hairi and S. N. Syed Karim and M. P. Tan and Z. Ali and S. Abdul Aziz and R. Mohd and R. Mohamad and R. Ramli and L. R. Awaludin},

doi = {10.1080/08946566.2021.1919272},

issn = {0894-6566},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Elder Abuse Negl},

volume = {33},

number = {2},

pages = {151-167},

abstract = {This quasi-experimental study examined the effect of Supporting Family Doctors to Address Elder Abuse (SAFE) educational intervention among family doctors practicing at public primary care clinics in Malaysia. SAFE is an intensive, multimodal, locally tailored, and culturally sensitive face-to-face educational intervention on elder abuse. A significant mean score improvement of knowledge [Baseline: 5.33 (SD:1.33) to 6-month post-intervention: 6.45 (SD: 1.35); p\<0.001] and perceived behavioral control [Baseline: 50.83 (SD: 8.87) to six-month post-intervention: 56.16 (SD: 9.56); p\<0.001] observed in the intervention group compared to the control group. No significant difference in attitude, subjective norm, and practice scores between the two groups over time. SAFE educational intervention for family doctors was effective to improve but not sustainable knowledge and perceived behavioral control toward elder abuse identification and management. We recommend SAFE educational intervention as part of the continuous medical education for family doctors supplemented with a change in organization and national policy.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN43,

title = {Temporal changes in psychobehavioural responses during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias},

doi = {10.1007/s10865-020-00172-z},

issn = {0160-7715 (Print) 

0160-7715},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Behav Med},

volume = {44},

number = {1},

pages = {18-28},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Monitoring public psychological and behavioural responses during the early phase of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is important for the management and control of infection. This study aims to investigate the temporal trend in (1) avoidance and protective behaviors, (2) fear, (3) socio-economic impact, and (4) anxiety levels during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a high level of anxiety may have a detrimental impact during an infectious disease outbreak, factors associated with anxiety were also explored. The survey was carried out for 10 weeks and the responses were divided into three periods of around 3 weeks: 25 January-21 February, 22 February-17 March and 18 March-3 April (the period the Malaysian Government issued Movement Control Order). Findings revealed that most of the pyschobehavioural variables showed small increases during first (25 January-21 February) and second (22 February-17 March) periods, and high psychobehavioral responses were reported during the third period. A total of 72.1% (95%CI = 69.2-75.0) reported moderate to severe anxiety as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Factor influencing moderate to severe anxiety is a high perception of severity (OR = 2.09; 95%CI = 1.48-2.94), high perceived susceptibility (OR = 1.71; 95%CI = 1.17-2.50), high impact score (OR = 1.63; 95%CI = 1.17-2.26) and high fear score (OR = 1.47; 95%CI = 1.01-2.14). In conclusion, the psychological and behavioural responses were found to increase with the progression of the outbreak. High anxiety levels found in this study warrant provision of mental health intervention during the early phase of COVID-19 outbreak.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN204,

title = {The association between elder abuse and childhood adversity: A study of older adults in Malaysia},

author = {M. Asyraf and M. P. Dunne and N. N. Hairi and F. Mohd Hairi and N. Radzali and C. Wan Yuen},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0254717},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {16},

number = {7},

pages = {e0254717},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Childhood adversity has been linked with later victimization of young and middle-aged adults, but few studies have shown persistence of this effect among elders, especially outside of North America. This research examined the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and elder abuse among older adults aged 60 years and over in Malaysia. DESIGN: Cross sectional data were collected via face-to-face interview from June to August 2019. SETTING: Eight government community health clinics in Kuala Pilah, a district in Negeri Sembilan state approximately 100km from Malaysian capital city Kuala Lumpur. PARTICIPANTS: Older adults aged 60 years and above (N = 1984; Mean age 69.2, range 60-93 years) attending all eight government health clinics in the district were recruited for a face-to-face interview about health and well-being. MEASUREMENT: The Adverse Childhood Experience International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) were utilized to estimate childhood adversity and elder abuse respectively. RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between the number of cumulative ACEs and elder abuse. Compared to older adults with no self-reported adversity, those reporting three ACEs (OR 2.67, 95% CI 1.84,3.87) or four or more ACEs (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.16, 2.48) had higher risk of any elder abuse occurrence since age 60 years. The effect was most prominent for financial and psychological elder abuse. The associations persisted in multivariate logistic regression models after adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors. CONCLUSION: Early life adversities were significantly associated with victimization of older adults. Social and emotional support to address elder abuse should recognize that, for some men and women, there is a possibility that vulnerability to maltreatment persisted throughout their life course.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN208,

title = {The authors reply},

author = {P. C. Tah and Z. Y. Lee and B. K. Poh and H. Abdul Majid and V. R. Hakumat-Rai and M. B. Mat Nor and C. C. Kee and M. Kamarul Zaman and M. S. Hasan},

doi = {10.1097/ccm.0000000000005082},

issn = {0090-3493},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Crit Care Med},

volume = {49},

number = {8},

pages = {e804-e805},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN386,

title = {The Effectiveness of Educational Intervention in Improving Primary Health-Care Service Providers' Knowledge, Identification, and Management of Elder Abuse and Neglect: A Systematic Review},

author = {F. H. M. Mydin and C. W. Yuen and S. Othman},

doi = {10.1177/1524838019889359},

issn = {1524-8380},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Trauma Violence Abuse},

volume = {22},

number = {4},

pages = {944-960},

abstract = {Elder abuse and neglect (EAN) occurrence is expected to increase in many countries due to rapidly aging populations, yet it is still unrecognized and underreported. Gaps were identified in the knowledge and skills to intervene EAN among health-care service providers. It is still unclear whether educating health-care service providers on EAN improve the identification and management of EAN cases. A systematic review was conducted on the effectiveness of educational intervention designed to improve primary health-care service providers' (PHSPs) knowledge, attitude, and practice in managing EAN cases. We performed a comprehensive and systematic search for original studies in the following major electronic databases (ScienceDirect, PubMed, EMBASE, and CINAHL) and specialist registers (Cochrane Central Controlled Trials Register) with a set of search terms. Studies included were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies on EAN education intervention that aimed to improve knowledge, attitude, and management skills of the PHSPs. There were no publication period restrictions until June 2018 and written in English. Overall, three RCTs and 10 observational studies were selected. These studies were grouped based on the type of the study, methodological quality (six moderate risk of bias and seven serious risk of bias), and the type of educational intervention (seven face-to-face educational intervention, two educational videos, two simulation-based training, and two online educational training). The education programs in the selected studies range from brief didactic to experiential learning. EAN educational intervention among primary care service providers potentially result in increasing awareness and knowledge on EAN. However, there is a lack of evidence on the changes of attitude and practice.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN166,

title = {The epidemiology of COVID-19 in ten Southeast Asian countries},

author = {S. Rampal and L. Rampal and V. J. Jayaraj and A. Pramanick and M. Choolani and B. S. Liew and A. Gosavi and S. Arj-Ong Vallibhakara},

issn = {0300-5283 (Print) 

0300-5283},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Med J Malaysia},

volume = {76},

number = {6},

pages = {783-791},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Periodic benchmarking of the epidemiology of COVID-19 in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries is critical for the continuous understanding of the transmission and control of COVID-19 in the region. The incidence, mortality, testing and vaccination rates within the ASEAN region from 1 January 2020 to 15 October 2021 is analysed in this paper. METHODS: COVID-19 data on cases, deaths, testing, and vaccinations were extracted from the Our World in Data (OWID) COVID-19 data repository for all the ten ASEAN countries. Comparative time-trends of the epidemiology of COVID-19 using the incidence rate, cumulative case fatality rate (CFR), delay-adjusted case fatality rate, cumulative mortality rate (MR), test positivity rate (TPR), cumulative testing rate (TR) and vaccination rate was carried out. RESULTS: Over the study period, a total of 12,720,661 cases and 271,475 deaths was reported within the ASEAN region. Trends of daily per capita cases were observed to peak between July and September 2021 for the ASEAN region. The cumulative case fatality rate (CFR) in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, was of 0.9% (N=68), 2.2% (N=2,610), 3.5% (N=142,889), 0.1% (N=36), 1.2% (N=27,700), 4.0% (N=18,297), 1.6% (N=40,424), 0.1% (N=215), 1.7% (N=18,123), and 2.6% (N=21,043), respectively. CFR was consistently highest between January-June 2020. The cumulative mortality rate (MR) was 9.5, 13.7, 51.4, 0.2, 80.3, 32.4, 34.5, 1.6, 23.9 and 19.7 per 100,000 population, respectively. The cumulative test positivity rate (TPR) was 8.4%, 16.9%, 4.6%, 7.5%, 11.1%, 12.9%, 0.5%, 11.7%, and 3.6%, with the cumulative testing rate (TR) at 25.0, 90.1, 27.4, 917.7, 75.8, 177.8, 3303.3, 195.2, and 224.9 tests per 1,000 population in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, respectively. The percentage of population that completed vaccinations (VR) was 44.5%, 65.3%, 18.5%, 28.2%, 61.8%, 6.8%, 19.2%, 76.8%, 22.7%, and 10% in Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, respectively. CONCLUSION: In 2020, most countries in ASEAN had higher case fatality rates but lower mortalities per population when compared to the third quarter of 2021 where higher mortalities per population were observed. Low testing rates have been one of the factors leading to high test positivity rates. Slow initiation of vaccination programs was found to be the key factor leading to high incidence and case fatality rate in most countries in ASEAN. Effective public health measures were able to interrupt the transmission of this novel virus to some extent. Increasing preparedness capacity within the ASEAN region is critical to ensure that any future similar outbreaks can be dealt with collectively.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN177,

title = {The impact of organisational communication satisfaction on health care professionals' work engagement},

author = {H. J. Abu Dalal and V. Ramoo and M. C. Chong and M. Danaee and Y. I. Aljeesh},

doi = {10.1111/jonm.13476},

issn = {0966-0429},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Nurs Manag},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {AIM: To assess the impact of organisational communication satisfaction (OCS) on the work engagement of health care professionals (HCPs). BACKGROUND: Organisational communication can influence employees' work engagement, which is an essential component of an organisation's effectiveness. However, these concepts have not been broadly investigated in health care organisations. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was administered to 235 HCPs in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The SPSS statistical software (version 25) and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) were used to analyse the collected data. RESULTS: The HCPs reported a moderate level of OCS (M = 4.96},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN189,

title = {The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Future Nursing Career Turnover Intention Among Nursing Students},

author = {Y. Lin and Z. Hu and M. Danaee and H. Alias and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.2147/rmhp.S322764},

issn = {1179-1594 (Print) 

1179-1594},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Risk Manag Healthc Policy},

volume = {14},

pages = {3605-3615},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: A shortage of nurses has been a major global concern, particularly during pandemics. Nursing students turning away from the nursing profession upon graduation may exacerbate nursing workforce shortfalls. The main objective of this study was to assess perceived occupational turnover intention among nursing students and associated factors (fear of COVID-19 and life satisfaction). Students were also asked to provide suggestions that could enhance their intention to join the nursing profession. METHODS: An online survey was sent to all registered undergraduate nursing students at Fujian Medical University, China. The partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was used to investigate key factors influencing turnover intention. RESULTS: A total of 1020 complete responses were received (response rate: 86.2%). Nearly half (49.1%) reported that they would choose not to be on a nursing course if given a choice, 45.4% often think of not going into the nursing profession in the future, and 23.7% would consider entering a healthcare industry that has zero contact with patients. The total turnover intention score range was 3 to 15, and the mean ± standard deviation (SD) was 9.2 (SD ± 2.5). PLS-SEM path analysis revealed that fear of COVID-19 (β = 0.226, p \< 0.001) had a positive effect on turnover intention. Satisfaction with life (β = -0.212, p \< 0.001) had a negative effect on turnover intention. Analysis of open-ended survey data on students' perspectives on how to encourage nursing students to enter the nursing workforce revealed five central themes: 1) professional role, respect, and recognition; 2) higher wages; 3) reduce workload; 4) enhance occupational health and safety; and 5) career advancement opportunities. CONCLUSION: Factors influencing turnover intention and suggestions to reduce students' apprehension towards joining the nursing profession found in this study should be seriously taken into consideration in initiatives to address the nurse shortages.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN211,

title = {The Implementation of Childhood Obesity Related Policy Interventions in Malaysia-A Non Communicable Diseases Scorecard Project},

author = {W. K. H. Mok and N. N. Hairi and C. M. H. Chan and F. I. Mustapha and T. A. Saminathan and W. Y. Low},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph18115950},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {18},

number = {11},

abstract = {(1) Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has increased tremendously in the ASEAN region, including Malaysia. In Malaysia, the National Strategic Plan for Non-Communicable Diseases (2015-2025) provides the overall framework for its response to the non-communicable diseases (NCD) epidemic. Preventing childhood obesity is one of the key strategies for early intervention to prevent NCDs. The objective of this research is to examine the current status of policy interventions in addressing childhood obesity in Malaysia. (2) Methods: A panel of 22 stakeholders and experts from Malaysia, representing the government, industry, academia and non-governmental organizations, were sampled using a modified Delphi technique. Data were collected using a modified NCD scorecard under four domains (governance, risk factors, surveillance and research and health systems response). A heat map was used to measure the success of the four realms of the NCD scorecard. For each domain of the NCD scorecard, the final score was grouped in quintiles. (3) Results: A total of 22 participants responded, comprising of eight (36.4%) males and 14 (63.4%) females. All the domains measured in implementing policies related to childhood obesity were of low progress. Nine governance indicators were reported as 22.5% (low progress), four in the risk factors domain, and two in the surveillance. This shows that timely and accurate monitoring, participatory review and evaluation, and effective remedies are necessary for a country's surveillance system. (4) Conclusion: Although Malaysia has published several key strategic documents relating to childhood obesity and implemented numerous policy interventions, we have identified several gaps that must be addressed to leverage the whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach in addressing childhood obesity in the country.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN154,

title = {The Importance of Sociocultural Context When Choosing to Eat Healthier},

author = {J. Dai and N. F. Zulkefli and F. M. Moy and D. L. Humphries},

doi = {10.1016/j.jneb.2021.08.019},

issn = {1499-4046},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Nutr Educ Behav},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To explore how working women in metropolitan Malaysia make food decisions. DESIGN: A grounded theory approach and semistructured interviews. SETTING: A large university in metropolitan Malaysia. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-four female employees purposively recruited to vary in ethnicity, body mass index, age, and marital status via convenience sampling. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Perceptions of sociocultural influences on healthy eating behavior among working women. ANALYSIS: Researchers audio-recorded interviews and analyzed verbatim transcripts. RESULTS: Working women shared a desire to eat a healthier, more balanced diet by reducing processed food consumption through home-cooked meals. Participants described aspects of their living situations and cultural values about food that made it seem impossible to change their diets. Living with other people limited their ability to cook the food they wanted to eat. In addition, unspoken rules about communal eating in Malaysia, such as not refusing food and not wasting food, prevented working women from practicing healthy eating. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: In this population of working women in metropolitan Malaysia, experiences of time scarcity and limited sociocultural support for behavior change were major barriers to healthy eating. Interventions could prioritize leveraging these realities about food to facilitate environments in which women feel like they have control of their own food intake.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN185,

title = {The longitudinal relationship between nutritional status and anaemia among Malaysian adolescents},

author = {V. Krishnan and R. A. Zaki and A. M. Nahar and M. Y. Jalaludin and H. A. Majid},

doi = {10.1016/j.lanwpc.2021.100228},

issn = {2666-6065},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Lancet Reg Health West Pac},

volume = {15},

pages = {100228},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: The triple burden of malnutrition characterised by stunting and wasting, overweight/obesity, and anaemia experienced by Malaysians causes severe and long-lasting damage during the period of development and rapid growth, particularly in adolescence. This study aimed to demonstrate the trend of anaemia prevalence and to determine its longitudinal association with nutritional status and lifestyle among Malaysian adolescents. METHOD: The study involved secondary data analysis from the Malaysian Health and Adolescents Longitudinal Research Team (MyHeART) study. A closed cohort secondary data analysis was performed from the dynamic cohort of 528 adolescents (male = 151; female = 377) aged 13 years attending secondary school who were followed up at 15 and 17 years. Anaemia status was determined by haemoglobin level \< 12g/dL based on FBC, and iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) was determined when the Mentzer Index \< 13. A generalised estimating equation (GEE) was constructed to investigate the longitudinal relationship between nutritional status and lifestyle on anaemia status over five years. RESULTS: The trend of anaemia prevalence increased significantly across the age group (7•9%; 95% CI: 2•3-11•1, 13•9%; 95% CI: 10•8-15•7 and 15•8%; 95% CI: 3•8-23•1) at 13, 15 and 17 years, respectively, especially among females. The trend of anaemia prevalence among females, also increased significantly across the age group (11.1%;95% CI:6.7-17.8, 15.7%;95% CI:11.4-21.3, 23.1%;95% CI:16.8-31.0). A similar trend was noted for the prevalence of IDA among those who were anaemic (66•5%; 95% CI: 40•4-85•3, 72•2%;95% CI: 54•8-85•4, 76•3%; 95% CI: 59•2-87•7). A longitudinal analysis using GEE revealed that adolescents who did not meet the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for total iron intake per day were significantly associated with anaemia (RR=1•517;95% CI: 1•012-2•275; p=0•044) and IDA (RR=1•776;95% CI: 1•225-2•57; p= 0•002). CONCLUSION: The overall trend of anaemia among adolescents is in increasing trend and anaemia is prevalent among female adolescents in this study. It is crucial to understand that the current fortification strategy may need to be revisited, and robust intervention programmes are necessary and should be sex specific.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN230,

title = {The Risk of Transfusion-Transmitted Hepatitis E Virus: Evidence from Seroprevalence Screening of Blood Donations},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Y. Lee and C. S. Khor and J. Abdul-Jamil and H. Alias and N. Abu-Amin and M. Mat-Radzi and N. A. Rohimi and H. N. Mokhtardin and S. AbuBakar and Z. Zheng and T. Wu and Q. Zhao and N. Xia},

doi = {10.1007/s12288-021-01428-7},

issn = {0971-4502 (Print) 

0971-4502},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Indian J Hematol Blood Transfus},

pages = {1-8},

abstract = {Throughout the world, there has been growing concern over the risk of hepatitis E virus (HEV) transmission via blood transfusion. The present study screened blood donor samples for anti-HEV immunoglobulin M (IgM) and immunoglobulin G (IgG). The prevalence of HEV infection was assessed on a total of 1,003 archived serum samples obtained from the National Blood Centre, Malaysia. The samples were collected from healthy blood donor from Klang Valley between 2017 and 2018. All samples were tested for IgM and IgG antibodies to HEV using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). HEV-specific IgG antibodies were detected in 31/1003 (3.1%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1%-4.4%) and IgM in 9/1003 (0.9%; 95% CI 0.4%-1.7%) samples. In bivariate analysis, there was no significant difference in the prevalence of anti-HEV IgG with respect to gender and district of origin. Although not statistically significant, males had higher odds of having anti-HEV IgG than females (odds ratio [OR] = 2.86; 95% CI 0.95-8.64). All anti-HEV IgG positive individuals were people of Chinese descent. Anti-HEV IgG increased significantly with age, from 0.6% (95% CI 0.1%-2.6%) of 18-30-year-old donors to 7.4% (95% CI 2.7%-17.0%) of donors older than 50 years and was highest among non-professional workers (5.3%; 95% CI 2.5%-10.5%). Increasing age and a non-professional occupation remained significant predictors for anti-HEV IgG in the multivariable analysis. Screening of blood donations for HEV in Malaysia is important to safeguard the health of transfusion recipients. The higher rates of HEV infection in blood from older donors and donors who are non-professional workers may provide insights into targeted groups for blood screening.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN224,

title = {The role of institutional trust in preventive practices and treatment-seeking intention during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak among residents in Hubei, China},

author = {L. P. Wong and Q. Wu and Y. Hao and X. Chen and Z. Chen and H. Alias and M. Shen and J. Hu and S. Duan and J. Zhang and L. Han},

doi = {10.1093/inthealth/ihab023},

issn = {1876-3413 (Print) 

1876-3405},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int Health},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the association between institution trust and public responses to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. METHODS: An Internet-based, cross-sectional survey was administered on 29 January 2020. A total of 4393 adults ≥18 y of age and residing or working in the province of Hubei, central China were included in the study. RESULTS: The majority of the participants expressed a great degree of trust in the information and preventive instructions provided by the central government compared with the local government. Being under quarantine (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.35 [95% confidence interval CI 1.80 to 3.08]) and having a high institutional trust score (OR 2.23 [95% CI 1.96 to 2.53]) were both strong and significant determinants of higher preventive practices scores. The majority of study participants (n=3640 [85.7%]) reported that they would seek hospital treatment if they suspected themselves to have been infected with COVID-19. Few of the participants from Wuhan (n=475 [16.6%]) and those participants who were under quarantine (n=550 [13.8%]) expressed an unwillingness to seek hospital treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Institutional trust is an important factor influencing adequate preventive behaviour and seeking formal medical care during an outbreak.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN113,

title = {The role of occupational-participation, meaningful-activity and quality-of-life of colorectal cancer survivors: findings from path-modelling},

author = {S. Y. Loh and M. Sapihis and M. Danaee and Y. P. Chua},

doi = {10.1080/09638288.2020.1715492},

issn = {0963-8288},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Disabil Rehabil},

volume = {43},

number = {19},

pages = {2729-2738},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {PURPOSE: This novel study aims to explore the relationship between occupational participation, meaningful activity, and the health-related quality of life of people living with a diagnosis of colorectal cancer. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design with 113 colorectal cancer survivors (from two large public hospitals in Malaysia) was conducted. Data collection tools included the Occupational Participation Questionnaire, Engagement in Meaningful-activities, and the European Organization for Research and Treatment in Cancer Quality of Life (QOL) Questionnaire. Data analyses were conducted using SmartPLS to examine path analyses between the three measures. RESULTS: There were independent significant relationships between (1) occupational participation, and (2) meaningful activity engagements on the dependent variable of QOL in this cohort of cancer survivors. More importantly, the result showed that "meaningful-activity" positively and significantly mediates the path between occupational participation and quality of life [β = 0.250 (0.46*0.59), ρ \< 0.001(t = 3.91)]. CONCLUSIONS: Engagement in meaningful activity mediates the occupational participation of a cohort of colorectal survivors, and produces an impact on their quality of life. This study demonstrates that "occupational participation" (an important construct in occupational therapy), has the potential to improve colorectal cancer survivors' quality of lives. Therefore, the role of occupational therapists must be optimized within the oncology team, to improve occupational participation and patients' abilities to engage in meaningful activities for better quality of life.Implications for RehabilitationOccupational therapy intervention addresses the needs of people of all ages, who encountered limitations in their daily occupational participations.Cancer can have significant impact on occupational performance, and occupational therapy can improve these limitations to improve their Quality of Life.Occupational therapy should be a vital part in the cancer survivorship treatment plan for it can significantly improve occupational performance and quality of life of cancer survivors.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN238,

title = {Traditional and Novel Adiposity Indicators and Pancreatic Cancer Risk: Findings from the UK Women's Cohort Study},

author = {S. Shyam and D. Greenwood and C. W. Mai and S. S. Tan and B. N. Mohd Yusof and F. M. Moy and J. Cade},

doi = {10.3390/cancers13051036},

issn = {2072-6694 (Print) 

2072-6694},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Cancers (Basel)},

volume = {13},

number = {5},

abstract = {(1) Background: We studied the association of both conventional (BMI, waist and hip circumference and waist-hip ratio) and novel (UK clothing sizes) obesity indices with pancreatic cancer risk in the UK women's cohort study (UKWCS). (2) Methods: The UKWCS recruited 35,792 women from England, Wales and Scotland from 1995 to 1998. Cancer diagnosis and death information were obtained from the National Health Service (NHS) Central Register. Cox's proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the association between baseline obesity indicators and pancreatic cancer risk. (3) Results: This analysis included 35,364 participants with a median follow-up of 19.3 years. During the 654,566 person-years follow up, there were 136 incident pancreatic cancer cases. After adjustments for age, smoking, education and physical activity, each centimetre increase in hip circumference (HR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01-1.05},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN270,

title = {Trans-ancestry genome-wide association meta-analysis of prostate cancer identifies new susceptibility loci and informs genetic risk prediction},

author = {D. V. Conti and B. F. Darst and L. C. Moss and E. J. Saunders and X. Sheng and A. Chou and F. R. Schumacher and A. A. A. Olama and S. Benlloch and T. Dadaev and M. N. Brook and A. Sahimi and T. J. Hoffmann and A. Takahashi and K. Matsuda and Y. Momozawa and M. Fujita and K. Muir and A. Lophatananon and P. Wan and L. Le Marchand and L. R. Wilkens and V. L. Stevens and S. M. Gapstur and B. D. Carter and J. Schleutker and T. L. J. Tammela and C. Sipeky and A. Auvinen and G. G. Giles and M. C. Southey and R. J. MacInnis and C. Cybulski and D. Woko\lorczyk and J. Lubi\'{n}ski and D. E. Neal and J. L. Donovan and F. C. Hamdy and R. M. Martin and B. G. Nordestgaard and S. F. Nielsen and M. Weischer and S. E. Bojesen and M. A. R\oder and P. Iversen and J. Batra and S. Chambers and L. Moya and L. Horvath and J. A. Clements and W. Tilley and G. P. Risbridger and H. Gronberg and M. Aly and R. Szulkin and M. Eklund and T. Nordstr\"{o}m and N. Pashayan and A. M. Dunning and M. Ghoussaini and R. C. Travis and T. J. Key and E. Riboli and J. Y. Park and T. A. Sellers and H. Y. Lin and D. Albanes and S. J. Weinstein and L. A. Mucci and E. Giovannucci and S. Lindstrom and P. Kraft and D. J. Hunter and K. L. Penney and C. Turman and C. M. Tangen and P. J. Goodman and Jr. I. M. Thompson and R. J. Hamilton and N. E. Fleshner and A. Finelli and M\'{E} Parent and J. L. Stanford and E. A. Ostrander and M. S. Geybels and S. Koutros and L. E. B. Freeman and M. Stampfer and A. Wolk and N. Hr{a}kansson and G. L. Andriole and R. N. Hoover and M. J. Machiela and K. D. S\orensen and M. Borre and W. J. Blot and W. Zheng and E. D. Yeboah and J. E. Mensah and Y. J. Lu and others},

doi = {10.1038/s41588-020-00748-0},

issn = {1061-4036 (Print) 

1061-4036},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Nat Genet},

volume = {53},

number = {1},

pages = {65-75},

abstract = {Prostate cancer is a highly heritable disease with large disparities in incidence rates across ancestry populations. We conducted a multiancestry meta-analysis of prostate cancer genome-wide association studies (107,247 cases and 127,006 controls) and identified 86 new genetic risk variants independently associated with prostate cancer risk, bringing the total to 269 known risk variants. The top genetic risk score (GRS) decile was associated with odds ratios that ranged from 5.06 (95% confidence interval (CI), 4.84-5.29) for men of European ancestry to 3.74 (95% CI, 3.36-4.17) for men of African ancestry. Men of African ancestry were estimated to have a mean GRS that was 2.18-times higher (95% CI, 2.14-2.22), and men of East Asian ancestry 0.73-times lower (95% CI, 0.71-0.76), than men of European ancestry. These findings support the role of germline variation contributing to population differences in prostate cancer risk, with the GRS offering an approach for personalized risk prediction.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN39,

title = {Treatment abandonment in children with cancer: Does a sex difference exist? A systematic review and meta-analysis of evidence from low- and middle-income countries},

author = {A. Palagyi and C. Balane and J. Shanthosh and M. Jun and N. Bhoo-Pathy and T. Gadsden and K. Canfell and S. Jan},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.33279},

issn = {0020-7136},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {148},

number = {4},

pages = {895-904},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {In this systematic review and meta-analyses, we sought to determine sex-disparities in treatment abandonment in children with cancer in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and identify the characteristics of children and their families most disadvantaged by such abandonment. Sex-disaggregated data on treatment abandonment were collated from the available literature and a random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to compare the rates in girls with those in boys. Subgroup analyses were conducted in which studies were stratified by design, cancer type and the Gender Inequality Index of the country of study. Eighteen studies were included in the systematic review and of these studies, 16 qualified for the meta-analysis, representing 10 754 children. The pooled rate of treatment abandonment overall was 30%. We observed no difference in the proportion of treatment abandonment in girls relative to estimates observed in boys (rate ratio [RR] 0.95, 95% CI: 0.79-1.15; P = .61). There was significant heterogeneity across the included studies and in the pooled estimate of RR for girls vs boys (both I(2) \> 98%). Subgroup analyses did not reveal any effect on abandonment risk. Risk factors for abandonment observed fell into three main categories: socio-demographic; geographic; and travel-related. In conclusion, a high rate of treatment abandonment (30%) was observed overall for children with cancer in included studies in LMICs, although this was variable and context specific. No evidence of gender bias in childhood cancer treatment abandonment rates across LMICs was found. Given that the risk factors for abandonment are context specific, in-depth country-level analyses may provide further insights into the role of a child's gender in treatment abandonment decisions.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN19,

title = {Uncovering Physical and Attitudinal Barriers to Adherence to Precautions for Preventing the Transmission of COVID-19 and Anxiety Level of People in Wuhan: 2 Months After the Lockdown},

author = {Y. Lin and H. Alias and X. Luo and Z. Hu and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.1016/j.psym.2020.09.005},

issn = {2667-2979 (Print) 

2667-2960},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Acad Consult Liaison Psychiatry},

volume = {62},

number = {2},

pages = {201-210},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, was locked down on January 23, 2020. We aimed to investigate the barriers to the physical prevention, negative attitudes, and anxiety levels. METHODS: A online cross-sectional survey was conducted with the people living in Wuhan between March 12th and 23rd, 2020. RESULTS: Of a total of 2411 complete responses, the mean and standard deviation for the total physical prevention barriers score was 19.73 (standard deviation ± 5.3; range 12-45) out of a possible score of 48. Using a cut-off score of 44 for the State-Trait Inventory score, 79.9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 78.2-81.5) of the participants reported moderate to severe anxiety during the early phase of the outbreak, and 51.3% (95% CI 49.2-53.3) reported moderate to severe anxiety after the peak of coronavirus disease 2019 was over (during the study period). Comparing anxiety levels in the early phase of the outbreak and after the peak of the outbreak, 58.5% (95% CI 56.5-60.5) recorded a decreased anxiety. Females reported a higher likelihood of having decreased levels of anxiety than males (odds ratio = 1.78, 95% CI 1.48-2.14). Low negative attitudes score were associated with a higher decrease in anxiety (odds ratio = 1.59, 95% CI 1.33-1.89). CONCLUSIONS: The attitudinal barriers to prevention of transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 are more prominent than physical prevention barriers after the peak of coronavirus disease 2019. High anxiety levels even after the peak warrant serious attention.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN186,

title = {Validation of the Champion Health Belief Model Scale for an Investigation of Breast Cancer Screening Behaviour in Malaysia},

author = {M. N. N. Htay and D. Schliemann and M. Dahlui and C. R. Cardwell and S. Y. Loh and Nsbi Tamin and S. Somasundaram and V. Champion and M. Donnelly and T. T. Su},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph18179311},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {18},

number = {17},

school = {Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer among women globally, including in Malaysia. There is a need to assess women's beliefs about BC and screening in different cultural settings. This study aimed to translate and validate an adapted version of the United States (US) Champion Health Belief Model Scale (CHBMS) for an investigation of predictors of BC screening in Malaysia. The CHBMS was adapted, and forward and backward translated into the Malay language. The validity and reliability of the CHBMS-BC-M (M for Malay language) was investigated in a community sample of 251 multi-ethnic Malay-speaking women. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation indicated that the structure of the adapted CHBMS-BC-M comprised three subscales with 21 items, and an Item-Content Validity Index (I-CVI) of 0.83 and above for all items. The explanatory factor analysis (EFA) showed acceptable to high factor loadings on items. Cronbach's alpha for the subscales ranged from 0.59 to 0.87. The reproducibility of the scale was fair to high, with an Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) of 0.53 to 0.80 for the subscales. Overall, the analysis indicated that the translated CHBMS-BC-M is a valid and reliable scale to measure beliefs about BC and screening in the Malay-speaking ethnic population of Malaysia.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN236,

title = {Virtual Group Exercises and Psychological Status among Community-Dwelling Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic-A Feasibility Study},

author = {A. Ibrahim and M. C. Chong and S. Khoo and L. P. Wong and I. Chung and M. P. Tan},

doi = {10.3390/geriatrics6010031},

issn = {2308-3417},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Geriatrics (Basel)},

volume = {6},

number = {1},

abstract = {Social isolation, magnified by the restriction of movement order during the COVID-19 pandemic, may lead to negative psychosocial health impacts among community-dwelling older adults. We, therefore, aimed to evaluate recruitment rates, data collection, and group exercises conducted through virtual technology among individuals aged 60 years and over in Malaysia. Participants were recruited from the Promoting Independence in Seniors with Arthritis (PISA) pilot cohort through social media messaging. A four-week course of virtual group exercise was offered. Anxiety and depression were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) during the last attended follow-up of the cohort study (pre-pandemic), pre-intervention, and post-intervention. Exercise adherence was recorded using diaries with daily entries and attendance to the virtual group exercise sessions were also captured electronically daily. The outcomes of interest were changes in anxiety and depression scores from baseline to pre-intervention (pandemic-related) and post-intervention (virtual exercise related). Forty-three individuals were recruited. A significant increase in anxiety scores from baseline to pre-intervention was observed. Comparisons using repeated-measures analysis of variance between those who attendance ≥14 and \<14 group exercise sessions revealed no between-within subject differences in depression scores. There was a 23% dropout rate in the post intervention survey and 60.5% of diaries were returned. Virtual group exercises could be conducted among older adults residing in a middle-income country, though recruitment would have been limited to those with internet access.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN20,

title = {What Do Students in Pharmacy and Medicine Think About Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine Education? Awareness, Attitudes, and Perceptions in Malaysian Health Sciences},

author = {S. Siamoglou and M. Koromina and F. M. Moy and C. Mitropoulou and G. P. Patrinos and K. Vasileiou},

doi = {10.1089/omi.2020.0178},

issn = {1536-2310},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Omics},

volume = {25},

number = {1},

pages = {52-59},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {This study reports on the attitudes and perceptions toward pharmacogenomics (PGx) and personalized medicine (PM) education among pharmacy and medical students in Malaysian health sciences. Importantly, the survey was developed through a codesign approach, with field pretesting/design with users before the actual survey, and based on collaboration between institutions in Greece and Malaysia. The study addressed eight key areas of interest to education in health sciences: (1) General awareness about genetics and PGx, (2) Attitude toward genetic testing usefulness, (3) Benefits of direct-to-consumer personal genome testing as a "diagnostic" tool, (4) Concerns (risks) about genetics, (5) Effectiveness of genetic testing in PM, (6) Benefits of PGx on disease management, (7) Benefits of PGx on drug management, and (8) Attitudes toward genetic testing public endorsement. We observed that Malaysian students appear aware of the term PGx, but there are areas of critical knowledge gap such as the need for greater familiarity with the concept of PGx implementation science, and the availability of genetic testing in clinical practice. This is one of the first studies on perceptions and attitudes toward PGx testing in Southeast Asia. The present findings provide a map of the views and perspectives of medicine and pharmacy students regarding PGx and implementation of PM in Malaysia and should assist toward facilitating the integration of genomics into the medical decision-making process. To this end, it is necessary to enhance collaboration between universities, health care institutions, and governing bodies to incorporate further training and additional education topics related to PGx and genetic testing. This is the first study that assesses the level of PGx and genomics knowledge of pharmacy and medicine students in Southeast Asia, Malaysia in particular, and thus paves the way to guide future global PGx implementation science.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN24,

title = {Working after cancer: in-depth perspectives from a setting with limited employment protection policies},

author = {Y. C. Kong and N. Rauf and S. Subramaniam and R. S. Bustamam and L. P. Wong and G. F. Ho and H. Zaharah and M. Mellor and C. H. Yip and N. Bhoo-Pathy},

doi = {10.1007/s11764-020-00962-z},

issn = {1932-2259},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {J Cancer Surviv},

volume = {15},

number = {5},

pages = {706-712},

school = {Department of SPM, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya},

abstract = {PURPOSE: A considerable proportion of individuals who are diagnosed with cancer are at a working age. We aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges, and arising needs related to working after cancer in a setting with limited employment protection policies. METHODS: Focus group discussions were conducted with cancer patients who were diagnosed at least 1 year prior to recruitment, and either had paid work, were self-employed, currently unemployed, or currently retired (N = 66). RESULTS: Three main themes were identified: (1) loss of income: While some participants were entitled for a 1-year cancer-specific sick leave, many other participants recounted having insufficient paid sick leave, forcing them to take prolonged unpaid leave to complete treatment; (2) dealing with side effects of cancer and its treatment: The need for workplace accommodations was highlighted including flexible working hours, lighter workloads, and dedicated rest areas to enable patients to cope better; (3) Discrimination and stigma at workplace: Some participants mentioned being passed over on a promotion, getting demoted, or being forced to resign once their cancer diagnosis was disclosed, highlighting an urgent need to destigmatize cancer in the workplace. CONCLUSION: In settings with limited employment protection policies, a cancer diagnosis severely impacts the working experiences of patients, leading to financial loss. Urgent interventions and legislative reforms are needed in these settings to address the unmet employment needs of cancer survivors. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: This study may facilitate planning of local solutions to fulfill the unmet employment needs following cancer, such as return-to-work navigation services.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN223,

title = {Workplace Bullying Among Junior Doctors in Malaysia: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study},

author = {E. Z. Samsudin and M. Isahak and S. Rampal and I. Rosnah and M. I. Zakaria},

doi = {10.21315/mjms2021.28.2.13},

issn = {1394-195X (Print) 

1394-195x},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Malays J Med Sci},

volume = {28},

number = {2},

pages = {142-156},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Research suggests that junior doctors often experience workplace bullying, which may have adverse impacts on medical training and delivery of quality healthcare. However, evidence among local population has not been established. The present study aims to examine the prevalence of workplace bullying among Malaysian junior doctors and explore its associated sociodemographic and employment factors. METHODS: A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 government hospitals accredited for housemanship training within the central zone of Malaysia. The study included a total of 1,074 house officers who had been working for at least 6 months in various housemanship rotations. The Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) was used to examine workplace bullying. RESULTS: The 6-month prevalence of workplace bullying among study participants was 13%. Work-related bullying such as 'being ordered to do work below your level of competence', person-related bullying such as 'being humiliated or ridiculed in connection with your work', and physically intimidating bullying such as 'being shouted at or being the target of spontaneous anger' were commonly reported by study participants. Medical officers were reported to be the commonest perpetrators of negative actions at the workplace. Study participants who graduated from Eastern European medical schools (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.27; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.27, 4.07) and worked in surgical-based rotation (AOR 1.83; 95% CI: 1.13, 2.97) had higher odds of bullying compared to those who graduated from local medical schools and worked in medical-based rotation, whereas study participants with good English proficiency (AOR 0.14; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.94) had lower odds of bullying compared to those with poor English proficiency. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that workplace bullying is prevalent among Malaysian junior doctors. Considering the gravity of its consequences, impactful strategies should be developed and implemented promptly in order to tackle this serious occupational hazard.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN168,

title = {WTO must ban harmful fisheries subsidies},

author = {U. R. Sumaila and D. J. Skerritt and A. Schuhbauer and S. Villasante and A. M. Cisneros-Montemayor and H. Sinan and D. Burnside and P. R. Abdallah and K. Abe and K. A. Addo and J. Adelsheim and I. J. Adewumi and O. K. Adeyemo and N. Adger and J. Adotey and S. Advani and Z. Afrin and D. Aheto and S. L. Akintola and W. Akpalu and L. Alam and J. J. Alava and E. H. Allison and D. J. Amon and J. M. Anderies and C. M. Anderson and E. Andrews and R. Angelini and Z. Anna and W. Antweiler and E. K. Arizi and D. Armitage and R. I. Arthur and N. Asare and F. Asche and B. Asiedu and F. Asuquo and L. Badmus and M. Bailey and N. Ban and E. B. Barbier and S. Barley and C. Barnes and S. Barrett and X. Basurto and D. Belhabib and E. Bennett and N. J. Bennett and D. Benzaken and R. Blasiak and J. J. Bohorquez and C. Bordehore and V. Bornarel and D. R. Boyd and D. Breitburg and C. Brooks and L. Brotz and D. Campbell and S. Cannon and L. Cao and J. C. Cardenas Campo and S. Carpenter and G. Carpenter and R. T. Carson and A. R. Carvalho and M. Castrej\'{o}n and A. J. Caveen and M. N. Chabi and K. M. A. Chan and F. S. Chapin and T. Charles and W. Cheung and V. Christensen and E. O. Chuku and T. Church and C. Clark and T. M. Clarke and A. L. Cojocaru and B. Copeland and B. Crawford and A. S. Cr\'{e}pin and L. B. Crowder and P. Cury and A. N. Cutting and G. C. Daily and J. M. Da-Rocha and A. Das and S. Puente and A. Zeeuw and S. K. S. Deikumah and M. Deith and B. Dewitte and N. Doubleday and C. M. Duarte and N. K. Dulvy and T. Eddy and M. Efford and P. R. Ehrlich and L. G. Elsler and K. A. Fakoya and others},

doi = {10.1126/science.abm1680},

issn = {0036-8075},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-01-01},

journal = {Science},

volume = {374},

number = {6567},

pages = {544},

abstract = {[Figure: see text].},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}