Publications from 2020

@article{RN148,

title = {"You Have to Keep Yourself Hidden": Perspectives From Malaysian Malay-Muslim Men Who Have Sex With Men on Policy, Network, Community, and Individual Influences on HIV Risk},

author = {S. H. Lim and S. E. Brown and S. A. Shaw and A. Kamarulzaman and F. L. Altice and C. Beyrer},

doi = {10.1080/00918369.2018.1525946},

issn = {0091-8369},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Homosex},

volume = {67},

number = {1},

pages = {104-126},

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

abstract = {Malay-Muslim men who have sex with men (MSM) are marginalized and hidden in Malaysia, a predominantly Muslim country in southeast Asia. We explored the policy, network, community, and individual factors related to HIV infection among Malay-Muslim MSM through 26 in-depth interviews and one focus group discussion (n = 5) conducted in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Bharu between October 2013 and January 2014. As religion plays an important role in their lives, participants viewed homosexuality as a sin. Low risk perception and misconceptions about HIV/AIDS were common, and most participants expressed reluctance to consult a doctor unless they had symptoms. Additionally, buying condoms was embarrassing and anxiety-producing. Fear of discrimination by health care providers and community hindered participants from disclosing sexual behaviors and accessing health services. Homophobic comments and policies by the government and religious leaders were concerns of participants. A safe and enabling environment is needed to reduce HIV risks among Malay-Muslim MSM.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN37,

title = {A Body Shape Index (ABSI) achieves better mortality risk stratification than alternative indices of abdominal obesity: results from a large European cohort},

author = {S. Christakoudi and K. K. Tsilidis and D. C. Muller and H. Freisling and E. Weiderpass and K. Overvad and S. S\"{o}derberg and C. H\"{a}ggstr\"{o}m and T. Pischon and C. C. Dahm and J. Zhang and A. Tj\onneland and J. Halkj\aer and C. MacDonald and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and F. R. Mancini and T. K\"{u}hn and R. Kaaks and M. B. Schulze and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and E. Peppa and G. Masala and V. Pala and S. Panico and R. Tumino and C. Sacerdote and J. R. Quir\'{o}s and A. Agudo and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and L. Cirera and A. Barricarte-Gurrea and P. Amiano and E. Memarian and E. Sonestedt and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and A. M. May and K. T. Khaw and N. J. Wareham and T. Y. N. Tong and I. Huybrechts and H. Noh and E. K. Aglago and M. Ellingjord-Dale and H. A. Ward and D. Aune and E. Riboli},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-71302-5},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Sci Rep},

volume = {10},

number = {1},

pages = {14541},

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

abstract = {Abdominal and general adiposity are independently associated with mortality, but there is no consensus on how best to assess abdominal adiposity. We compared the ability of alternative waist indices to complement body mass index (BMI) when assessing all-cause mortality. We used data from 352,985 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for other risk factors. During a mean follow-up of 16.1 years, 38,178 participants died. Combining in one model BMI and a strongly correlated waist index altered the association patterns with mortality, to a predominantly negative association for BMI and a stronger positive association for the waist index, while combining BMI with the uncorrelated A Body Shape Index (ABSI) preserved the association patterns. Sex-specific cohort-wide quartiles of waist indices correlated with BMI could not separate high-risk from low-risk individuals within underweight (BMI \< 18.5 kg/m(2)) or obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) categories, while the highest quartile of ABSI separated 18-39% of the individuals within each BMI category, which had 22-55% higher risk of death. In conclusion, only a waist index independent of BMI by design, such as ABSI, complements BMI and enables efficient risk stratification, which could facilitate personalisation of screening, treatment and monitoring.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN92,

title = {A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial of Pre-incision Wound Infiltration Using Diclofenac Versus Bupivacaine for Post-operative Pain Relief in Open Thyroid and Parathyroid Surgery},

author = {J. W. Loh and N. A. Taib and Y. T. Cheong and T. S. Tin},

doi = {10.1007/s00268-020-05458-6},

issn = {0364-2313},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {World J Surg},

volume = {44},

number = {8},

pages = {2656-2666},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Pre-incision wound infiltration using NSAID is an alternative method to manage post-operative pain in surgery. It is postulated that NSAID delivered peripherally exerts efficient analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect with minimal systemic complication. This study explored the efficacy of using diclofenac for wound infiltration in open thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy as compared to conventional agent, bupivacaine. METHODOLOGY: The study was designed as a double-blind, randomized controlled trial involving 94 patients who underwent open thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy in Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, from November 2015 to November 2016. The study compared the efficacy of pre-incision wound infiltration of diclofenac (n = 47) versus bupivacaine (n = 47) in post-operative pain relief. Wound infiltration is given prior to skin incision. Mean pain score at designated time interval within the 24-h post-operative period, time to first analgesia, total analgesic usage and total analgesic cost were assessed. RESULTS: Ninety-four patients were recruited with no dropouts. Mean age was 49.3 (SD = 14.2) with majority being female (74.5%). Ethnic distribution recorded 42.6% Chinese, 38.3% Malay, followed by 19.1% Indian. Mean duration of surgery was 123.8 min (SD = 56.5), and mean length of hospital stay was 4.7 days (SD = 1.8). The characteristics of patient in both groups were generally comparable except that there were more cases of total thyroidectomy in the diclofenac group (n = 31) as compared to the bupivacaine group (n = 16). Mean pain score peaked at immediate post-operative period (post-operative 0.5 h) with a score of 3.5 out of 10 and the level decreased steadily over the next 20 h starting from 4 h post-operatively. Pre-incision wound infiltration using diclofenac had better pain control as compared to bupivacaine at all time interval assessed. In the resting state, the mean post-operative pain score difference was statistically significant at 2 h [2.1 (SD = 1.5) vs. 2.8 (SD = 1.8)},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN90,

title = {A holistic approach is needed to control the perpetual burden of soil-transmitted helminth infections among indigenous schoolchildren in Malaysia},

author = {N. A. Nasr and H. M. Al-Mekhlafi and Y. A. L. Lim and F. N. Elyana and H. Sady and W. M. Atroosh and S. Dawaki and A. K. Al-Delaimy and M. A. Al-Areeqi and A. A. Wehaish and T. S. Anuar and R. Mahmud},

doi = {10.1080/20477724.2020.1747855},

issn = {2047-7724 (Print) 

2047-7724},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Pathog Glob Health},

volume = {114},

number = {3},

pages = {145-159},

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

abstract = {A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,142 Orang Ali schoolchildren in six states of Peninsular Malaysia to investigate the current prevalence and risk factors of STH infections. Faecal samples were examined using direct smear, formalin-ether sedimentation, Kato-Katz, and Harada-Mori methods. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect information on the demographic, socioeconomic, personal hygiene, and health status of the participants. Overall, 70.1% (95% CI = 67.4, 72.7) of the participants were infected with at least one of the STH species. The prevalence of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, and hookworm infections was 63.1%, 61.8% and 11.5%, respectively. Moderate-to-heavy STH infections accounted for 61.3% of the total infections. Univariate and logistic regression analyses revealed different sets of risk factors, with age (\> 10 years) being the significant risk factor of all three STH species. Moreover, other species-specific risk factors were identified including being a member of the Senoi tribe, family size (≥ 7 members), school size (150-250 pupils), maternal unemployment, unimproved source of drinking water, lacking improved toilet in the house, inadequate WASH facilities at school, not washing hands before eating, and not washing fruits before eating; presence of domestic animals, and not wearing shoes when outside. The high prevalence of STH infections found in the study population exceeds the WHO policy intervention threshold (20% prevalence). Thus, an innovative holistic approach should be adopted to control STH infections among these children as part of the efforts to improve the quality of life of the entire Orang Asli population. .},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN121,

title = {A nutrient-wide association study for risk of prostate cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition and the Netherlands Cohort Study},

author = {N. Papadimitriou and D. Muller and P. A. Brandt and M. Geybels and C. J. Patel and M. J. Gunter and D. S. Lopez and T. J. Key and A. Perez-Cornago and P. Ferrari and P. Vineis and E. Weiderpass and H. Boeing and A. Agudo and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and K. Overvad and T. K\"{u}hn and R. T. Fortner and D. Palli and I. Drake and A. Bjartell and C. Santiuste and B. H. Bueno-de-Mesquita and V. Krogh and A. Tj\onneland and D. F. Lauritzen and A. B. Gurrea and J. R. Quir\'{o}s and P. Stattin and A. Trichopoulou and G. Martimianaki and A. Karakatsani and E. Thysell and I. Johansson and F. Ricceri and R. Tumino and N. Larra\~{n}aga and K. T. Khaw and E. Riboli and I. Tzoulaki and K. K. Tsilidis},

doi = {10.1007/s00394-019-02132-z},

issn = {1436-6207 (Print) 

1436-6207},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Eur J Nutr},

volume = {59},

number = {7},

pages = {2929-2937},

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

abstract = {PURPOSE: The evidence from the literature regarding the association of dietary factors and risk of prostate cancer is inconclusive. METHODS: A nutrient-wide association study was conducted to systematically and comprehensively evaluate the associations between 92 foods or nutrients and risk of prostate cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Cox proportional hazard regression models adjusted for total energy intake, smoking status, body mass index, physical activity, diabetes and education were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for standardized dietary intakes. As in genome-wide association studies, correction for multiple comparisons was applied using the false discovery rate (FDR \< 5%) method and suggested results were replicated in an independent cohort, the Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS). RESULTS: A total of 5916 and 3842 incident cases of prostate cancer were diagnosed during a mean follow-up of 14 and 20 years in EPIC and NLCS, respectively. None of the dietary factors was associated with the risk of total prostate cancer in EPIC (minimum FDR-corrected P, 0.37). Null associations were also observed by disease stage, grade and fatality, except for positive associations observed for intake of dry cakes/biscuits with low-grade and butter with aggressive prostate cancer, respectively, out of which the intake of dry cakes/biscuits was replicated in the NLCS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide little support for an association for the majority of the 92 examined dietary factors and risk of prostate cancer. The association of dry cakes/biscuits with low-grade prostate cancer warrants further replication given the scarcity in the literature.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN98,

title = {A Review of Published Literature Regarding Health Issues of Coastal Communities in Sabah, Malaysia},

author = {A. Azzeri and G. H. Ching and H. Jaafar and M. I. Mohd Noor and N. A. Razi and A. Y. Then and J. Suhaimi and F. Kari and M. Dahlui},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph17051533},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {17},

number = {5},

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

abstract = {Several of the coastal zones in Sabah, Malaysia, are isolated and inaccessible. This study aimed to review the published literature on the health status of the coastal communities in Sabah. The following four main health issues were found: (i) malaria, (ii) tuberculosis (TB), (iii) seafood poisoning, and (iv) antenatal problems. Factors associated with the risk of acquiring malarial infection in the studied coastal area were advanced age, male sex, farming as an occupation, history of travel outside the village, and rainy seasons. TB infection was primarily observed in adult men. Seafood poisoning was significantly common in Sabah. Studies have reported that tetrodotoxin and paralytic shellfish poisoning were commonly reported (30-60 cases annually). Several pregnant women in the coastal community had insufficient knowledge of the national antenatal care programme. Nonetheless, 99% of them received antenatal care at public healthcare facilities with 92% of them undergoing safe delivery. Nevertheless, a majority of the pregnant women had iodine deficiency due to low iodised salt intake. Findings from this review highlighted that the coastal communities in Sabah are experiencing significant health problems. Specific attention is required to significantly enhance the health and well-being of the individuals living in the coastal communities in Sabah.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN93,

title = {A Single-Center Prospective Observational Study Comparing Resting Energy Expenditure in Different Phases of Critical Illness: Indirect Calorimetry Versus Predictive Equations},

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.0000000000004282},

issn = {0090-3493},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Crit Care Med},

volume = {48},

number = {5},

pages = {e380-e390},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Several predictive equations have been developed for estimation of resting energy expenditure, but no study has been done to compare predictive equations against indirect calorimetry among critically ill patients at different phases of critical illness. This study aimed to determine the degree of agreement and accuracy of predictive equations among ICU patients during acute phase (≤ 5 d), late phase (6-10 d), and chronic phase (≥ 11 d). DESIGN: This was a single-center prospective observational study that compared resting energy expenditure estimated by 15 commonly used predictive equations against resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry at different phases. Degree of agreement between resting energy expenditure calculated by predictive equations and resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry was analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman analyses. Resting energy expenditure values calculated from predictive equations differing by ± 10% from resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry was used to assess accuracy. A score ranking method was developed to determine the best predictive equations. SETTING: General Intensive Care Unit, University of Malaya Medical Centre. PATIENTS: Mechanically ventilated critically ill patients. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Indirect calorimetry was measured thrice during acute, late, and chronic phases among 305, 180, and 91 ICU patients, respectively. There were significant differences (F= 3.447; p = 0.034) in mean resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry among the three phases. Pairwise comparison showed mean resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry in late phase (1,878 ± 517 kcal) was significantly higher than during acute phase (1,765 ± 456 kcal) (p = 0.037). The predictive equations with the best agreement and accuracy for acute phase was Swinamer (1990), for late phase was Brandi (1999) and Swinamer (1990), and for chronic phase was Swinamer (1990). None of the resting energy expenditure calculated from predictive equations showed very good agreement or accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Predictive equations tend to either over- or underestimate resting energy expenditure at different phases. Predictive equations with "dynamic" variables and respiratory data had better agreement with resting energy expenditure measured by indirect calorimetry compared with predictive equations developed for healthy adults or predictive equations based on "static" variables. Although none of the resting energy expenditure calculated from predictive equations had very good agreement, Swinamer (1990) appears to provide relatively good agreement across three phases and could be used to predict resting energy expenditure when indirect calorimetry is not available.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN67,

title = {A systematic review of randomized controlled trials of psychoeducation interventions for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia},

author = {M. M. Alhadidi and K. Lim Abdullah and T. L. Yoong and L. Al Hadid and M. Danaee},

doi = {10.1177/0020764020919475},

issn = {0020-7640},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Soc Psychiatry},

volume = {66},

number = {6},

pages = {542-552},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Schizophrenia is one of the most complicated psychiatric disorders, and, although medication therapy continues to be the core treatment for schizophrenia, there is a need for psychotherapy that helps in providing patients comprehensive mental health care. Psychoeducation is one of the most recognized psychosocial interventions specific to schizophrenia. Further knowledge about the impact of this type of intervention on patients diagnosed with schizophrenia needs to be acquired. AIM: This review aimed to explore the effects of psychoeducational interventions on improving outcome measures for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. METHODS: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guideline was used in this systematic review. Two reviewers were involved in screening articles for inclusion and in the data extraction process. The selected studies were assessed for quality using the 'Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trial (CONSORT)' checklist. Out of the 441 records identified, 11 papers were considered for full review (from 2000 to 2018). RESULTS: The psychoeducational interventions showed a consistent improvement in many outcome measures. Most of the reviewed studies focused on outpatients and the method of delivering the psychoeducational interventions was mostly in lecture format. CONCLUSION: This systematic review of randomized controlled trial studies emphasizes the positive impact of psychoeducational interventions for patients diagnosed with schizophrenia concerning various outcome measures. The findings of this review have important implications for both nursing practice and research, as the information presented can be used by the administrators and stakeholders of mental health facilities to increase their understanding and awareness of the importance of integrating psychoeducational interventions in the routine care of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN117,

title = {A Transcriptome-Wide Association Study Identifies Novel Candidate Susceptibility Genes for Pancreatic Cancer},

author = {J. Zhong and A. Jermusyk and L. Wu and J. W. Hoskins and I. Collins and E. Mocci and M. Zhang and L. Song and C. C. Chung and T. Zhang and W. Xiao and D. Albanes and G. Andreotti and A. A. Arslan and A. Babic and W. R. Bamlet and L. Beane-Freeman and S. Berndt and A. Borgida and P. M. Bracci and L. Brais and P. Brennan and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and J. Buring and F. Canzian and E. J. Childs and M. Cotterchio and M. Du and E. J. Duell and C. Fuchs and S. Gallinger and J. M. Gaziano and G. G. Giles and E. Giovannucci and M. Goggins and G. E. Goodman and P. J. Goodman and C. Haiman and P. Hartge and M. Hasan and K. J. Helzlsouer and E. A. Holly and E. A. Klein and M. Kogevinas and R. J. Kurtz and L. LeMarchand and N. Malats and S. M\"{a}nnist\"{o} and R. Milne and R. E. Neale and K. Ng and O. Obazee and A. L. Oberg and I. Orlow and A. V. Patel and U. Peters and M. Porta and N. Rothman and G. Scelo and H. D. Sesso and G. Severi and S. Sieri and D. Silverman and M. Sund and A. Tj\onneland and M. D. Thornquist and G. S. Tobias and A. Trichopoulou and S. K. Van Den Eeden and K. Visvanathan and J. Wactawski-Wende and N. Wentzensen and E. White and H. Yu and C. Yuan and A. Zeleniuch-Jacquotte and R. Hoover and K. Brown and C. Kooperberg and H. A. Risch and E. J. Jacobs and D. Li and K. Yu and X. O. Shu and S. J. Chanock and B. M. Wolpin and R. Z. Stolzenberg-Solomon and N. Chatterjee and A. P. Klein and J. P. Smith and P. Kraft and J. Shi and G. M. Petersen and W. Zheng and L. T. Amundadottir},

doi = {10.1093/jnci/djz246},

issn = {0027-8874 (Print) 

0027-8874},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Natl Cancer Inst},

volume = {112},

number = {10},

pages = {1003-1012},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Although 20 pancreatic cancer susceptibility loci have been identified through genome-wide association studies in individuals of European ancestry, much of its heritability remains unexplained and the genes responsible largely unknown. METHODS: To discover novel pancreatic cancer risk loci and possible causal genes, we performed a pancreatic cancer transcriptome-wide association study in Europeans using three approaches: FUSION, MetaXcan, and Summary-MulTiXcan. We integrated genome-wide association studies summary statistics from 9040 pancreatic cancer cases and 12 496 controls, with gene expression prediction models built using transcriptome data from histologically normal pancreatic tissue samples (NCI Laboratory of Translational Genomics [n = 95] and Genotype-Tissue Expression v7 [n = 174] datasets) and data from 48 different tissues (Genotype-Tissue Expression v7},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN138,

title = {Achieving cost-efficient management of drug supply via economic order quantity and minimum-maximum stock level},

author = {E. K. Dewi and M. Dahlui and D. Chalidyanto and T. N. Rochmah},

doi = {10.1080/14737167.2019.1633308},

issn = {1473-7167},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res},

volume = {20},

number = {3},

pages = {289-294},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: A good drug inventory planning system is important for an efficient budgeting, procurement, and cost control of drugs. When stagnant drugs in the inventory are too much, wastage due to expired and spoiled drugs could occur. These will not only cause loss of income but could also jeopardize healthcare service delivery. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This study aimed to determine the most efficient and effective management of stagnant and shortage drugs by comparing three pharmacy logistic methods; the economic order quantity (EOQ), minimum-maximum stock level (MMSL), and the traditional consumption of drug inventory, at RA Basoeni Hospital, Mojokerto. Drug inventory was analyzed to calculate the opportunity loss, opportunity cost, and proportions of both stagnant and shortage drugs. RESULTS: We found that EOQ and MMSL performed best for control of stagnant drugs and shortage drugs, respectively. Both methods had proved as effective pharmacy logistic planning. In addition, EOQ produced the lowest opportunity cost for stagnant drugs besides the lowest opportunity loss for shortage drugs. CONCLUSION: The study concluded that EOQ is the most effective and efficient method to manage stagnant and shortage drugs at hospital pharmacy.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN147,

title = {An inverse association between the Mediterranean diet and bladder cancer risk: a pooled analysis of 13 cohort studies},

author = {W. J. A. Witlox and F. H. M. Osch and M. Brinkman and S. Jochems and M. E. Goossens and E. Weiderpass and E. White and P. A. Brandt and G. G. Giles and R. L. Milne and I. Huybrechts and H. O. Adami and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and A. Wesselius and M. P. Zeegers},

doi = {10.1007/s00394-019-01907-8},

issn = {1436-6207 (Print) 

1436-6207},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Eur J Nutr},

volume = {59},

number = {1},

pages = {287-296},

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

abstract = {PURPOSE: The role of diet in bladder carcinogenesis has yet to be established. To date most studies have investigated dietary components individually, rather than as dietary patterns, which may provide stronger evidence for any influence of diet on bladder carcinogenesis. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with many health benefits, but few studies have investigated its association with bladder cancer risk. METHODS: We investigated the potential association between the Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and risk of developing bladder cancer by pooling 13 prospective cohort studies included in the BLadder cancer Epidemiology and Nutritional Determinants (BLEND) study and applying a Cox regression analysis. RESULTS: Dietary data from 646,222 study participants, including 3639 incident bladder cancer cases, were analysed. We observed an inverse association between Mediterranean diet and bladder cancer risk (HR(high) 0.85 [95% CI 0.77, 0.93]). When stratifying the results on non-muscle-invasive or muscle-invasive disease or sex the association remained similar and the HR estimate was consistently below 1.00 both for medium and high adherence to the Mediterranean diet. A consistent association was observed when disregarding fat or alcohol intake. CONCLUSION: We found evidence that adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with reduced risk of developing bladder cancer, suggesting a positive effect of the diet as a whole and not just one component.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN142,

title = {Anthropometric and reproductive factors and risk of esophageal and gastric cancer by subtype and subsite: Results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort},

author = {H. Sanikini and D. C. Muller and M. Sophiea and S. Rinaldi and A. Agudo and E. J. Duell and E. Weiderpass and K. Overvad and A. Tj\onneland and J. Halkjaer and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and F. Carbonnel and I. Cervenka and H. Boeing and R. Kaaks and T. K\"{u}hn and A. Trichopoulou and G. Martimianaki and A. Karakatsani and V. Pala and D. Palli and A. Mattiello and R. Tumino and C. Sacerdote and G. Skeie and C. Rylander and M. D. Chirlaque L\'{o}pez and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and E. Ardanaz and S. Regn\'{e}r and T. Stocks and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and R. C. H. Vermeulen and D. Aune and T. Y. N. Tong and N. Kliemann and N. Murphy and M. Chadeau-Hyam and M. J. Gunter and A. J. Cross},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.32386},

issn = {0020-7136 (Print) 

0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {146},

number = {4},

pages = {929-942},

abstract = {Obesity has been associated with upper gastrointestinal cancers; however, there are limited prospective data on associations by subtype/subsite. Obesity can impact hormonal factors, which have been hypothesized to play a role in these cancers. We investigated anthropometric and reproductive factors in relation to esophageal and gastric cancer by subtype and subsite for 476,160 participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using Cox models. During a mean follow-up of 14 years, 220 esophageal adenocarcinomas (EA), 195 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas, 243 gastric cardia (GC) and 373 gastric noncardia (GNC) cancers were diagnosed. Body mass index (BMI) was associated with EA in men (BMI ≥30 vs. 18.5-25 kg/m(2) : HR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.25-3.03) and women (HR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.15-6.19); however, adjustment for waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) attenuated these associations. After mutual adjustment for BMI and HC, respectively, WHR and waist circumference (WC) were associated with EA in men (HR = 3.47, 95% CI: 1.99-6.06 for WHR \>0.96 vs. \<0.91; HR = 2.67, 95% CI: 1.52-4.72 for WC \>98 vs. \<90 cm) and women (HR = 4.40, 95% CI: 1.35-14.33 for WHR \>0.82 vs. \<0.76; HR = 5.67, 95% CI: 1.76-18.26 for WC \>84 vs. \<74 cm). WHR was also positively associated with GC in women, and WC was positively associated with GC in men. Inverse associations were observed between parity and EA (HR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.14-0.99; \>2 vs. 0) and age at first pregnancy and GNC (HR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.32-0.91; \>26 vs. \<22 years); whereas bilateral ovariectomy was positively associated with GNC (HR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.04-3.36). These findings support a role for hormonal pathways in upper gastrointestinal cancers.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN78,

title = {Antibody Responses to Helicobacter pylori and Risk of Developing Colorectal Cancer in a European Cohort},

author = {J. Butt and M. Jenab and M. Pawlita and A. Tj\onneland and C. Kyr\o and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and F. Carbonnel and C. Dong and R. Kaaks and T. K\"{u}hn and H. Boeing and M. B. Schulze and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and C. La Vecchia and D. Palli and C. Agnoli and R. Tumino and C. Sacerdote and S. Panico and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and R. Vermeulen and I. T. Gram and E. Weiderpass and K. B. Borch and J. R. Quir\'{o}s and A. Agudo and M. Rodr\'{i}guez-Barranco and C. Santiuste and E. Ardanaz and B. Van Guelpen and S. Harlid and L. Imaz and A. Perez-Cornago and M. J. Gunter and S. Zouiouich and J. Y. Park and E. Riboli and A. J. Cross and A. K. Heath and T. Waterboer and D. J. Hughes},

doi = {10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-19-1545},

issn = {1055-9965},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev},

volume = {29},

number = {7},

pages = {1475-1481},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: While Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the major cause of gastric cancer, it has also been suggested to be involved in colorectal cancer development. However, prospective studies addressing H. pylori and colorectal cancer are sparse and inconclusive. We assessed the association of antibody responses to H. pylori proteins with colorectal cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. METHODS: We applied H. pylori multiplex serology to measure antibody responses to 13 H. pylori proteins in prediagnostic serum samples from 485 colorectal cancer cases and 485 matched controls nested within the EPIC study. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using multivariable conditional logistic regression to estimate the association of H. pylori overall and protein-specific seropositivity with odds of developing colorectal cancer. RESULTS: Fifty-one percent of colorectal cancer cases were H. pylori seropositive compared with 44% of controls, resulting in an OR of 1.36 (95% CI, 1.00-1.85). Among the 13 individual H. pylori proteins, the association was driven mostly by seropositivity to Helicobacter cysteine-rich protein C (HcpC; OR: 1.66; 95% CI, 1.19-2.30) and Vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) (OR: 1.34; 95% CI, 0.99-1.82), the latter being nonstatistically significant only in the fully adjusted model. CONCLUSIONS: In this prospective multicenter European study, antibody responses to H. pylori proteins, specifically HcpC and VacA, were associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer. IMPACT: Biological mechanisms for a potential causal role of H. pylori in colorectal carcinogenesis need to be elucidated, and subsequently whether H. pylori eradication may decrease colorectal cancer incidence.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN52,

title = {Anxiety symptoms and preventive measures during the COVID-19 outbreak in Taiwan},

author = {L. P. Wong and C. C. Hung and H. Alias and T. S. Lee},

doi = {10.1186/s12888-020-02786-8},

issn = {1471-244x},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {BMC Psychiatry},

volume = {20},

number = {1},

pages = {376},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: It is hypothesized that anxiety and behavioral responses are intense at the beginning of an epidemic. The objective of this study was to investigate anxiety symptoms and use of preventive measures against COVID-19. The study also compared the association between preventive measures and anxiety symptoms during the week immediately preceding the study and those symptoms and measures at the beginning of the outbreak. METHODS: A cross-sectional population survey using an online questionnaire commenced on 14 February 2020. The study participants were residents of Taiwan ages 20 to 70 years. The 6-item state version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) was used to assess anxiety symptoms. The questions about preventive measures asked participants about their personal protection, cough etiquette, contact precautions, voluntary quarantine, and prompt reporting. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the factors influencing an increase in the preventive measures scores. RESULTS: Of a total of 3555 completed responses, a total of 52.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 50.4-53.7) of the respondents reported moderate to severe levels of anxiety symptoms in the past week, whereas 48.8% (95%CI 47.2-50.5) reported moderate to severe anxiety symptoms at the beginning of the outbreak. With a higher score indicating greater anxiety, the median scores for anxiety symptoms in the past week and at the beginning of the outbreak were 46.7 (IQR [interquartile range] 36.7-53.3) and 43.3 (IQR 36.7-53.3), respectively. The median scores for the preventive measures taken in the past week and at the beginning of the outbreak were 26.0 (IQR 21.0-30.0) and 24.0 (IQR 19.0-28.0), respectively, out of a maximum score of 36. In the multivariable analysis, an increased anxiety symptom score from the beginning of the outbreak to the past week (adjusted OR = 7.38, 95%CI 6.28-8.66) was a strongly significant determinant of an increased preventive measures score in the past week compared with the score at the beginning of the outbreak. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety and preventive measures scores were high and increased with the epidemic rate. Higher anxiety was associated with an increased use of preventive measures against COVID-19.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN10,

title = {Assessing the willingness to pay for HIV counselling and testing service: a contingent valuation study in Lagos State, Nigeria},

author = {F. O. Adekunjo and R. Rasiah and M. Dahlui and C. W. Ng},

doi = {10.2989/16085906.2020.1834417},

issn = {1608-5906},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Afr J AIDS Res},

volume = {19},

number = {4},

pages = {287-295},

abstract = {HIV/AIDS is a major health issue faced by the world, generally, but particularly sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria ranked third in the world by number of people living with HIV/AIDS in 2019. Despite prominent HIV counselling and testing (HCT) intervention programmes, Nigeria faces serious challenges, such as inadequate funding and low utilisation rates. Paucity of research into such a critical topic has restricted the capacity of policy makers to address the problem adequately. Consequently, a cross-sectional study was carried out using the contingent valuation method to assess the economic quantum of payment and determining factors associated with people's willingness to pay for HCT services. Data were collected from 768 people selected by convenience sampling of three local government areas - Alimosho, Ikorodu and Surulere in Lagos State, Nigeria. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square, Mann-Whitney, and general linear regression model analysis. Findings show that 75% of respondents were willing to pay an average fee of N1 291 ($4.22) for HCT services. Significant determinants of willingness to pay were: income; knowledge of someone living with HIV or died of AIDS; worry about HIV infection; and fear of HIV-related stigma. The findings offer vital information germane to co-payment schemes aimed at financial sustainability of HCT and HIV/AIDS programmes in Nigeria.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN36,

title = {Association between night-shift work, sleep quality and health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional study among manufacturing workers in a middle-income setting},

author = {Y. C. Lim and V. C. W. Hoe and A. Darus and N. Bhoo-Pathy},

doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034455},

issn = {2044-6055},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {BMJ Open},

volume = {10},

number = {9},

pages = {e034455},

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

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: Night-shift work may adversely affect health. This study aimed to determine the impact of night-shift work on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and to assess whether sleep quality was a mediating factor. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: 11 manufacturing factories in Malaysia. PARTICIPANTS: 177 night-shift workers aged 40-65 years old were compared with 317 non-night-shift workers. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire on socio-demographics and lifestyle factors, 12-item Short Form Health Survey V.2 (SF-12v2) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The Baron and Kenny's method, Sobel test and multiple mediation model with bootstrapping were applied to determine whether PSQI score or its components mediated the association between night-shift work and HRQoL. RESULTS: Night-shift work was associated with sleep impairment and HRQoL. Night-shift workers had significantly lower mean scores in all the eight SF-12 domains (p\<0.001). Compared with non-night-shift workers, night-shift workers were significantly more likely to report poorer sleep quality, longer sleep latency, shorter sleep duration, sleep disturbances and daytime dysfunction (p\<0.001). Mediation analyses showed that PSQI global score mediated the association between night-shift work and HRQoL. 'Subjective sleep quality' (indirect effect=-0.24},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN77,

title = {Association of Circulating Vitamin D With Colorectal Cancer Depends on Vitamin D-Binding Protein Isoforms: A Pooled, Nested, Case-Control Study},

author = {D. C. Gibbs and M. Song and M. L. McCullough and C. Y. Um and R. M. Bostick and K. Wu and W. D. Flanders and E. Giovannucci and M. Jenab and M. Brustad and A. Tj\onneland and A. Perez-Cornago and A. Trichopoulou and K. K. Tsilidis and J. Hultdin and A. Barricarte Gurrea and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and Y. Mahamat-Saleh and T. K\"{u}hn and M. J. Gunter and E. Weiderpass and V. Fedirko},

doi = {10.1093/jncics/pkz083},

issn = {2515-5091},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {JNCI Cancer Spectr},

volume = {4},

number = {1},

pages = {pkz083},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Higher circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin-D [25(OH)D] concentrations are consistently inversely associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk in observational studies. However, it is unknown whether this association depends on the functional GC-rs4588*A (Thr436Lys) variant encoding the vitamin D-binding protein-2 (DBP2) isoform, which may affect vitamin D status and bioavailability. METHODS: We analyzed data from 1710 incident CRC cases and 1649 incidence-density-matched controls nested within three prospective cohorts of mostly Caucasians. Study-specific incidence rate ratios (RRs) for associations of prediagnostic, season-standardized 25(OH)D concentrations according to DBP2 isoform with CRC were estimated using multivariable unconditional logistic regression and were pooled using fixed-effects models. All statistical significance tests were two-sided. RESULTS: The odds of having 25(OH)D concentrations less than 50 nmol/L (considered insufficient by the Institute of Medicine) were 43% higher for each DBP2-encoding variant (rs4588*A) inherited (per DBP2 odds ratio [OR] = 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27 to 1.62, P (trend) = 1.2 × 10(-8)). The association of 25(OH)D concentrations with CRC risk differed by DBP2: 25(OH)D concentrations considered sufficient (≥ 50 nmol/L), relative to deficient (\< 30 nmol/L), were associated with a 53% lower CRC risk among individuals with the DBP2 isoform (RR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.33 to 0.67), but with a non-statistically significant 12% lower risk among individuals without it (RR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.61 to 1.27) (P (heterogeneity) = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the 25(OH)D-CRC association may differ by DBP isoform, and those with a DBP2-encoding genotype linked to vitamin D insufficiency may particularly benefit from adequate 25(OH)D for CRC prevention.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN82,

title = {Association of co-occurring psychosocial health conditions and HIV infection among MSM in Malaysia: Implication of a syndemic effect},

author = {R. X. Ng and T. E. Guadamuz and M. Akbar and A. Kamarulzaman and S. H. Lim},

doi = {10.1177/0956462420913444},

issn = {0956-4624},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J STD AIDS},

volume = {31},

number = {6},

pages = {568-578},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN104,

title = {Bacterial pneumonia and its associated factors in children from a developing country: A prospective cohort study},

author = {A. M. Nathan and C. S. J. Teh and K. A. Jabar and B. T. Teoh and A. Tangaperumal and C. Westerhout and R. Zaki and K. P. Eg and S. Thavagnanam and J. A. Bruyne},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0228056},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {15},

number = {2},

pages = {e0228056},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Pneumonia in children is a common disease yet determining its aetiology remains elusive. OBJECTIVES: To determine the a) aetiology, b) factors associated with bacterial pneumonia and c) association between co-infections (bacteria + virus) and severity of disease, in children admitted with severe pneumonia. METHODS: A prospective cohort study involving children aged 1-month to 5-years admitted with very severe pneumonia, as per the WHO definition, over 2 years. Induced sputum and blood obtained within 24 hrs of admission were examined via PCR, immunofluorescence and culture to detect 17 bacteria/viruses. A designated radiologist read the chest radiographs. RESULTS: Three hundred patients with a mean (SD) age of 14 (±15) months old were recruited. Significant pathogens were detected in 62% of patients (n = 186). Viruses alone were detected in 23.7% (n = 71) with rhinovirus (31%), human metapneumovirus (HMP) [22.5%] and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) [16.9%] being the commonest. Bacteria alone was detected in 25% (n = 75) with Haemophilus influenzae (29.3%), Staphylococcus aureus (24%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (22.7%) being the commonest. Co-infections were seen in 13.3% (n = 40) of patients. Male gender (AdjOR 1.84 [95% CI 1.10, 3.05]) and presence of crepitations (AdjOR 2.27 [95% CI 1.12, 4.60]) were associated with bacterial infection. C-reactive protein (CRP) [p = 0.007]) was significantly higher in patients with co-infections but duration of hospitalization (p = 0.77) and requirement for supplemental respiratory support (p = 0.26) were not associated with co-infection. CONCLUSIONS: Bacteria remain an important cause of very severe pneumonia in developing countries with one in four children admitted isolating bacteria alone. Male gender and presence of crepitations were significantly associated with bacterial aetiology. Co-infection was associated with a higher CRP but no other parameters of severe clinical illness.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN85,

title = {Barriers to implementing a national health screening program for men in Malaysia: An online survey of healthcare providers},

author = {C. J. Ng and C. H. Teo and K. M. Ang and Y. L. Kok and K. Ashraf and H. L. Leong and S. W. Taher and S. Z. Mohd and Z. F. Zakaria and P. F. Wong and C. P. Hor and T. A. Ong and H. Hussain and P. V and C. W. Ng and K. Agamutu and M. A. Abd Razak},

issn = {1985-207X (Print) 

1985-2274},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Malays Fam Physician},

volume = {15},

number = {1},

pages = {6-14},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine the views and practices of healthcare providers and barriers they encountered when implementing the national health screening program for men in a public primary care setting in Malaysia. METHODS: An online survey was conducted among healthcare providers across public health clinics in Malaysia. All family medicine specialists, medical officers, nurses and assistant medical officers involved in the screening program for adult men were invited to answer a 51-item questionnaire via email or WhatsApp. The questionnaire comprised five sections: participants' socio-demographic information, current screening practices, barriers and facilitators to using the screening tool, and views on the content and format of the screening tool. RESULTS: A total of 231 healthcare providers from 129 health clinics participated in this survey. Among them, 37.44% perceived the implementation of the screening program as a "top-down decision." Although 37.44% found the screening tool for adult men "useful," some felt that it was "time consuming" to fill out (38.2%) and "lengthy" (28.3%). In addition, 'adult men refuse to answer' (24.1%) was cited as the most common patient-related barrier. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided useful insights into the challenges encountered by the public healthcare providers when implementing a national screening program for men. The screening tool for adult men should be revised to make it more user-friendly. Further studies should explore the reasons why men were reluctant to participate in health screenings, thus enhancing the implementation of screening programs in primary care.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN18,

title = {Battling COVID-19 pandemic waves in six South-East Asian countries: A real-time consensus review},

author = {L. Rampal and B. S. Liew and M. Choolani and K. Ganasegeran and A. Pramanick and S. A. Vallibhakara and P. Tejativaddhana and V. C. Hoe},

issn = {0300-5283 (Print) 

0300-5283},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Med J Malaysia},

volume = {75},

number = {6},

pages = {613-625},

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

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has caused unprecedented public health concerns, triggering an escalated burden to health systems worldwide. The pandemic has altered people's living norms, yet coherently escalating countries' socioeconomic instability. This real-time consensus review aims to describe the epidemiological trends of COVID-19 pandemic across six South-East Asian nations, and countryspecific experiences on pandemic preparedness, responses and interventions. METHODS: Consensus-driven approach between authors from the six selected countries was applied. Country specific policy documents, official government media statements, mainstream news portals, global statistics databases and latest published literature available between January-October 2020 were utilised for information retrieval. Situational and epidemiological trend analyses were conducted. Country-specific interventions and challenges were described. Based on evidence appraised, a descriptive framework was considered through a consensus. The authors subsequently outlined the lessons learned, challenges ahead and interventions that needs to be in place to control the pandemic. RESULTS: The total number of people infected with COVID-19 between 1 January and 16 November 2020 had reached 48,520 in Malaysia, 58,124 in Singapore, 3,875 in Thailand, 470,648 in Indonesia, 409,574 in Philippines and 70,161 in Myanmar. The total number of people infected with COVID- 19 in the six countries from January to 31 October 2020 were 936,866 cases and the mortality rate was 2.42%. Indonesia had 410,088 cases with a mortality rate of 3.38%, Philippines had 380,729 cases with a mortality rate of 1.90%, Myanmar had 52,706 cases with a mortality rate of 2.34%, Thailand had 3,780 cases with a mortality rate of 1.56%, Malaysia had 31,548 cases with a mortality rate of 0.79%, and Singapore had 58,015 cases with a mortality rate of 0.05% over the 10- month period. Each country response varied depending on its real-time situations based on the number of active cases and economic situation of the country. CONCLUSION: The number of COVID-19 cases in these countries waxed and waned over the 10-month period, the number of cases may be coming down in one country, and vice versa in another. Each country, if acting alone, will not be able to control this pandemic. Sharing of information and resources across nations is the key to successful control of the pandemic. There is a need to reflect on how the pandemic affects individuals, families and the community as a whole. There are many people who cannot afford to be isolated from their families and daily wage workers who cannot afford to miss work. Are we as a medical community, only empathising with our patients or are we doing our utmost to uphold them during this time of crisis? Are there any other avenues which can curb the epidemic while reducing its impact on the health and socio-economic condition of the individual, community and the nation?},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN119,

title = {Biochar amendment improves alpine meadows growth and soil health in Tibetan plateau over a three year period},

author = {M. K. Rafiq and Y. Bai and R. Aziz and M. T. Rafiq and O. Ma\v{s}ek and R. T. Bachmann and S. Joseph and M. Shahbaz and A. Qayyum and Z. Shang and M. Danaee and R. Long},

doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135296},

issn = {0048-9697},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Sci Total Environ},

volume = {717},

pages = {135296},

abstract = {Previous biochar research has primarily focused on agricultural annual cropping systems with very little attention given to highly fragile, complex and diverse natural alpine grassland ecosystems. The present study investigated the effect of biochar on the growth of alpine meadows and soil health. This study was conducted in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau over a three year period to investigate the effect of three rice husk biochar application rates alone and combination with high and low NPK fertilizer dosages on alpine meadow productivity, soil microbial diversity as well as pH, carbon and nitrogen content at 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm depth. At the end of the 3rd year soil samples were analysed and assessed by combined analysis of variance. The results showed that biochar application in combination with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer had a significant increase in fresh and dry biomass during the second and third year of the study as compared to control and alone biochar application (p ≤ 0.05). Biochar alone and in combination with NPK fertilizer resulted in a significant increase in the soil pH and carbon contents of the soil. XPS results, the SEM imaging and EDS analysis of aged biochar demonstrated that the biochar has undergone complex changes over the 3 years as compared to fresh biochar. This research suggests that biochar has positive effect on alpine meadow growth and soil health and may be an effective tool for alpine meadow restoration.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN135,

title = {Blood pressure and risk of cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition},

author = {S. Christakoudi and A. Kakourou and G. Markozannes and I. Tzoulaki and E. Weiderpass and P. Brennan and M. Gunter and C. C. Dahm and K. Overvad and A. Olsen and A. Tj\onneland and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and A. L. Madika and G. Severi and V. Katzke and T. K\"{u}hn and M. M. Bergmann and H. Boeing and A. Karakatsani and G. Martimianaki and P. Thriskos and G. Masala and S. Sieri and S. Panico and R. Tumino and F. Ricceri and A. Agudo and D. Redondo-S\'{a}nchez and S. M. Colorado-Yohar and O. Mokoroa and O. Melander and T. Stocks and C. H\"{a}ggstr\"{o}m and S. Harlid and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and C. H. Gils and R. C. H. Vermeulen and K. T. Khaw and N. J. Wareham and T. Y. N. Tong and H. Freisling and M. Johansson and H. Lennon and D. Aune and E. Riboli and D. Trichopoulos and A. Trichopoulou and K. K. Tsilidis},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.32576},

issn = {0020-7136 (Print) 

0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {146},

number = {10},

pages = {2680-2693},

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

abstract = {Several studies have reported associations of hypertension with cancer, but not all results were conclusive. We examined the association of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure with the development of incident cancer at all anatomical sites in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Hazard ratios (HRs) (95% confidence intervals) were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, stratified by EPIC-participating center and age at recruitment, and adjusted for sex, education, smoking, body mass index, physical activity, diabetes and dietary (in women also reproductive) factors. The study included 307,318 men and women, with an average follow-up of 13.7 (standard deviation 4.4) years and 39,298 incident cancers. We confirmed the expected positive association with renal cell carcinoma: HR = 1.12 (1.08-1.17) per 10 mm Hg higher SBP and HR = 1.23 (1.14-1.32) for DBP. We additionally found positive associations for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC): HR = 1.16 (1.07-1.26) (SBP)},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN88,

title = {Cancer symptom and risk factor awareness in Malaysia: findings from a nationwide cross-sectional study},

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

doi = {10.1186/s12889-020-08581-0},

issn = {1471-2458},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {BMC Public Health},

volume = {20},

number = {1},

pages = {464},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Cancer incidence in Malaysia is expected to double by 2040. Understanding cancer awareness is important in order to tailor preventative efforts and reduce the cancer burden. The objective of this research was to assess nationwide awareness about the signs and symptoms as well as risk factors for various cancers in Malaysia and identify socio-demographic factors associated with awareness. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from March-November 2014 in the form of a telephone survey. Participants aged 40 years and above were randomly selected across Malaysia and interviewed using the validated Awareness Beliefs about Cancer (ABC) measurement tool. Linear regression was conducted to test the association between symptom and risk factor recognition and socio-demographic variables. RESULTS: A sample of 1895 participants completed the survey. On average, participants recognised 5.8 (SD 3.2) out of 11 symptoms and 7.5 (SD 2.7) out of 12 risk factors. The most commonly recognised symptom was 'lump or swelling' (74.5%) and the most commonly recognised risk factor was 'smoking' (88.7%). Factors associated with prompted awareness were age, ethnicity, education and smoking status. CONCLUSION: Recognition of symptom and risk factors for most cancers was relatively low across Malaysia compared to previous studies in high-income countries and to studies conducted in Malaysia. There is a need to conduct regular public health campaigns and interventions designed to improve cancer awareness and knowledge as a first step towards increasing the early detection of cancer.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN91,

title = {Change in public awareness of colorectal cancer symptoms following the Be Cancer Alert Campaign in the multi-ethnic population of Malaysia},

author = {D. Schliemann and D. Paramasivam and M. Dahlui and C. R. Cardwell and S. Somasundaram and N. S. B. Ibrahim Tamin and C. Donnelly and T. T. Su and M. Donnelly},

doi = {10.1186/s12885-020-06742-3},

issn = {1471-2407},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {BMC Cancer},

volume = {20},

number = {1},

pages = {252},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) cases are detected late in Malaysia similar to most Asian countries. The Be Cancer Alert Campaign (BCAC) was a culturally adapted mass media campaign designed to improve CRC awareness and reduce late detection in Malaysia. The evaluation of the BCAC-CRC aimed to assess campaign reach, campaign impact and health service use. METHODS: Participants aged ≥40 years (n = 730) from randomly selected households in Selangor State Malaysia, completed interview-based assessments. Campaign reach was assessed in terms of responses to an adapted questionnaire that was used in evaluations in other countries. The impact of the campaign was assessed in terms of awareness, confidence to detect symptoms and self-efficacy to discuss symptoms with a doctor as captured by the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM). CAM was administered before-and-after campaign implementation and responses by BCAC recognisers (i.e. participants who recognised one or more of the BCAC television, radio or print advertisements when prompted) and non-recognisers (i.e. participants who did not recognise any of the BCAC advertisements) were compared analytically. Logistic regression analysed comparative differences in cancer awareness by socio-demographic characteristics and recognition of the BCAC materials. RESULTS: Over 65% of participants (n = 484) recognised the BCAC-CRC. Campaign-recognisers were significantly more likely to be aware of each CRC symptom at follow-up and were more confident about noticing symptoms (46.9% vs 34.9%},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN38,

title = {Circulating bilirubin levels and risk of colorectal cancer: serological and Mendelian randomization analyses},

author = {N. Seyed Khoei and M. Jenab and N. Murphy and B. L. Banbury and R. Carreras-Torres and V. Viallon and T. K\"{u}hn and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and K. Aleksandrova and A. J. Cross and E. Weiderpass and M. Stepien and A. Bulmer and A. Tj\onneland and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and G. Severi and F. Carbonnel and V. Katzke and H. Boeing and M. M. Bergmann and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and G. Martimianaki and D. Palli and G. Tagliabue and S. Panico and R. Tumino and C. Sacerdote and G. Skeie and S. Merino and C. Bonet and M. Rodr\'{i}guez-Barranco and L. Gil and M. D. Chirlaque and E. Ardanaz and R. Myte and J. Hultdin and A. Perez-Cornago and D. Aune and K. K. Tsilidis and D. Albanes and J. A. Baron and S. I. Berndt and S. B\'{e}zieau and H. Brenner and P. T. Campbell and G. Casey and A. T. Chan and J. Chang-Claude and S. J. Chanock and M. Cotterchio and S. Gallinger and S. B. Gruber and R. W. Haile and J. Hampe and M. Hoffmeister and J. L. Hopper and L. Hsu and J. R. Huyghe and M. A. Jenkins and A. D. Joshi and E. Kampman and S. C. Larsson and L. Le Marchand and C. I. Li and L. Li and A. Lindblom and N. M. Lindor and V. Mart\'{i}n and V. Moreno and P. A. Newcomb and K. Offit and S. Ogino and P. S. Parfrey and P. D. P. Pharoah and G. Rennert and L. C. Sakoda and C. Schafmayer and S. L. Schmit and R. E. Schoen and M. L. Slattery and S. N. Thibodeau and C. M. Ulrich and F. J. B. Duijnhoven and K. Weigl and S. J. Weinstein and E. White and A. Wolk and M. O. Woods and A. H. Wu and X. Zhang and P. Ferrari and G. Anton and A. Peters and U. Peters and M. J. Gunter and K. H. Wagner and H. Freisling},

doi = {10.1186/s12916-020-01703-w},

issn = {1741-7015},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {BMC Med},

volume = {18},

number = {1},

pages = {229},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Bilirubin, a byproduct of hemoglobin breakdown and purported anti-oxidant, is thought to be cancer preventive. We conducted complementary serological and Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to investigate whether alterations in circulating levels of bilirubin are associated with risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). We decided a priori to perform analyses separately in men and women based on suggestive evidence that associations may differ by sex. METHODS: In a case-control study nested in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), pre-diagnostic unconjugated bilirubin (UCB, the main component of total bilirubin) concentrations were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in plasma samples of 1386 CRC cases and their individually matched controls. Additionally, 115 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) robustly associated (P \< 5 × 10(-8)) with circulating total bilirubin were instrumented in a 2-sample MR to test for a potential causal effect of bilirubin on CRC risk in 52,775 CRC cases and 45,940 matched controls in the Genetics and Epidemiology of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO), the Colon Cancer Family Registry (CCFR), and the Colorectal Transdisciplinary (CORECT) study. RESULTS: The associations between circulating UCB levels and CRC risk differed by sex (P(heterogeneity) = 0.008). Among men, higher levels of UCB were positively associated with CRC risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04-1.36; per 1-SD increment of log-UCB). In women, an inverse association was observed (OR = 0.86 (0.76-0.97)). In the MR analysis of the main UGT1A1 SNP (rs6431625), genetically predicted higher levels of total bilirubin were associated with a 7% increase in CRC risk in men (OR = 1.07 (1.02-1.12); P = 0.006; per 1-SD increment of total bilirubin), while there was no association in women (OR = 1.01 (0.96-1.06); P = 0.73). Raised bilirubin levels, predicted by instrumental variables excluding rs6431625, were suggestive of an inverse association with CRC in men, but not in women. These differences by sex did not reach formal statistical significance (P(heterogeneity) ≥ 0.2). CONCLUSIONS: Additional insight into the relationship between circulating bilirubin and CRC is needed in order to conclude on a potential causal role of bilirubin in CRC development.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN123,

title = {Circulating miR-3197 and miR-2116-5p as novel biomarkers for diabetic retinopathy},

author = {H. Ji and Q. Yi and L. Chen and L. Wong and Y. Liu and G. Xu and J. Zhao and T. Huang and B. Li and Y. Yang and W. Li and L. Han and S. Duan},

doi = {10.1016/j.cca.2019.10.036},

issn = {0009-8981},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Clin Chim Acta},

volume = {501},

pages = {147-153},

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

abstract = {Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the leading cause of vision loss among older adults. The goal of this case-control study was to identify circulating miRNAs for the diagnosis of DR. The miRNeasy Serum/Plasma Kit was used to extract serum miRNAs. The μParaflo™ MicroRNA microarray was used to detect the expression levels of the miRNAs. The miRWalk algorithm was applied to predict the target genes of the miRNAs, which were further confirmed by the dual luciferase reporter gene system in HEK293T cells. A microarray was performed between 5 DR cases and 5 age-, sex-, body mass index-, and duration of diabetes-matched type 2 diabetic (T2DM) controls. The quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction technique was used to validate the differentially expressed circulating miRNAs in 45 DR cases and 45 well-matched controls. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the performance of the circulating miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for DR. Our microarray analysis screened out miR-2116-5p and miR-3197 as significantly up-regulated in DR cases compared with the controls. Furthermore, two miRNAs were validated in the 45 DR cases and 45 controls. The ROC analysis suggested that both miR-3197 and miR-2116-5p distinguished DR cases from controls. An additional dual-luciferase reporter gene assay confirmed that notch homolog 2 (NOTCH2) was the target gene of miR-2116-5p. Both miR-3197 and miR-2116-5p were identified as promising diagnostic biomarkers for DR. Future research is still needed to explore the molecular mechanisms of miR-3197 and miR-2116-5p in the pathogenesis of DR.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN28,

title = {Clinical inertia in type 2 diabetes management in a middle-income country: A retrospective cohort study},

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

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0240531},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {15},

number = {10},

pages = {e0240531},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Clinical inertia can lead to poor glycemic control among type 2 diabetes patients. However, there is paucity of information on clinical inertia in low- and middle-income countries including Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the time to treatment intensification among T2D patients with HbA1c of ≥7% (≥53 mmol/mol) in Malaysian public health clinics. The proportion of patients with treatment intensification and its associated factors were also determined. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a five-year retrospective open cohort study using secondary data from the National Diabetes Registry. The study setting was all public health clinics (n = 47) in the state of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Time to treatment intensification was defined as the number of years from the index year until the addition of another oral antidiabetic drug or initiation of insulin. Life table survival analysis based on best-worst case scenarios was used to determine the time to treatment intensification. Discrete-time proportional hazards model was fitted for the factors associated with treatment intensification. RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 2.6 (SD 1.1) years. Of 7,646 patients, the median time to treatment intensification was 1.29 years (15.5 months), 1.58 years (19.0 months) and 2.32 years (27.8 months) under the best-, average- and worst-case scenarios respectively. The proportion of patients with treatment intensification was 45.4% (95% CI: 44.2-46.5), of which 34.6% occurred only after one year. Younger adults, overweight, obesity, use of antiplatelet medications and poorer HbA1c were positively associated with treatment intensification. Patients treated with more oral antidiabetics were less likely to have treatment intensification. CONCLUSION: Clinical inertia is present in the management of T2D patients in Malaysian public health clinics. We recommend further studies in lower- and middle-income countries to explore its causes so that targeted strategies can be developed to address this issue.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN101,

title = {Clinical recognition of elder maltreatment and intention to report among primary care doctors},

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. Ramli and R. Mohamad and L. R. Awaludin and Z. Adnan},

doi = {10.1080/08946566.2020.1731640},

issn = {0894-6566},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Elder Abuse Negl},

volume = {32},

number = {1},

pages = {72-83},

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

abstract = {This study aimed to determine the primary care doctors' ability to recognize elder maltreatment and their intentions to report on such conditions. About 358 primary care doctors participated in this study. Outcomes were assessed using a validated five context-relevant clinical vignettes. Primary care doctor's recognition of sexual abuse was highest (91.0%); while the lowest (70.2%) in case signifying physical abuse. Despite being able to ascertain elder maltreatment, the intention to report the event is generally low even for cases exemplifying physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect. However, intentions to report cases of sexual and financial abuse are 86.9% and 73.5% respectively. Findings highlighted the uncertainties of primary care doctors in distinguishing the clinical findings of non-accidental injuries and injuries due to acts of maltreatment. This provides support for educational intervention and guidelines or policies to improve the knowledge and skills of primary care doctors to intervene in elder maltreatment.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN17,

title = {Clinical Symptoms of Arboviruses in Mexico},

author = {S. Ananth and N. Shrestha and C. Ja Trevi\~{n}o and U. S. Nguyen and U. Haque and A. Angulo-Molina and U. A. Lopez-Lemus and J. Lubinda and R. M. Sharif and R. A. Zaki and R. M. S\'{a}nchez Casas and D. Cervantes and R. Nandy},

doi = {10.3390/pathogens9110964},

issn = {2076-0817 (Print) 

2076-0817},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Pathogens},

volume = {9},

number = {11},

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

abstract = {Arboviruses such as Chikungunya (CHIKV), Dengue (DENV), and Zika virus (ZIKV) have emerged as a significant public health concern in Mexico. The existing literature lacks evidence regarding the dispersion of arboviruses, thereby limiting public health policy's ability to integrate the diagnosis, management, and prevention. This study seeks to reveal the clinical symptoms of CHIK, DENV, and ZIKV by age group, region, sex, and time across Mexico. The confirmed cases of CHIKV, DENV, and ZIKV were compiled from January 2012 to March 2020. Demographic characteristics analyzed significant clinical symptoms of confirmed cases. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between clinical symptoms and geographical regions. Females and individuals aged 15 and older had higher rates of reported significant symptoms across all three arboviruses. DENV showed a temporal variation of symptoms by regions 3 and 5, whereas ZIKV presented temporal variables in regions 2 and 4. This study revealed unique and overlapping symptoms between CHIKV, DENV, and ZIKV. However, the differentiation of CHIKV, DENV, and ZIKV is difficult, and diagnostic facilities are not available in rural areas. There is a need for adequately trained healthcare staff alongside well-equipped lab facilities, including hematological tests and imaging facilities.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN87,

title = {Clustering and Tracking the Stability of Biological CVD Risk Factors in Adolescents: The Malaysian Health and Adolescents Longitudinal Research Team Study (MyHeARTs)},

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

doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2020.00069},

issn = {2296-2565 (Print) 

2296-2565},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Front Public Health},

volume = {8},

pages = {69},

abstract = {Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors tend to cluster and progress from adolescence to young adulthood. Reliable and meaningful clustering of CVD risk factors is essential to circumvent loss of information. Tracking adverse and high-risk profiles of adolescents is hoped to curb CVD progression later in life. The study aims to investigate the clustering of biological CVD risk factor among adolescents in Malaysia and the transitions between clusters over time. Method: The Malaysian Health and Adolescents Longitudinal Research Team study (MyHeARTs) examined school students aged 13 in 2012 and re-examined them in 2014 and 2016. In a two-stage stratified cluster sampling, 1,361 students were recruited, of which, 1,320 had complete data. In the follow-up, there were 881 and 637 students in 2014 and in 2016, respectively. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to identify and remove highly correlated CVD risk factors. All risk factors were standardized into z-scores. The hierarchical and non-hierarchical (k-means) cluster analyses were used to classify students into high, medium and low risk clusters in each screening year. The tracking and stability of cluster transitions through cross-classification were enumerated with Pearson's inter-age correlations and percentages. Results: Three significant clusters of high, medium and low risk groups were derived from the clustering of eight biological CVD risk factors. The transitions between risk clusters from one screening year to the other were categorized as either stagnant, improved or adverse. The number of students who had adverse transitions increased from 15.5% (13-15 year) to 19.5% (15-17 year), 13.8 to 18.2% among the girls and 19.9 to 22.8% among the boys. For girls, the number of them who remained at high risk over the two transition periods were about the same (13.6 vs. 13.8%) whereas for boys, the percentage reduced from 14.6 to 12.3%. Conclusion: Over time, more than 12% of adolescents remained in the high risk cluster. There were sizable adverse transitions over time as more adolescents appear to be shifting toward an increased risk of having CVD. Collaborative and constant measures should be taken by parents, school, health promotion boards and policy makers to curb the multiplicative effect of clustering CVD risk factors among adolescents.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN99,

title = {Cochrane Rehabilitation: 2019 annual report},

author = {C. Arienti and C. Kiekens and R. Bettinsoli and J. P. Engkasan and F. Gimigliano and F. Grubisic and T. Howe and E. Ilieva and S. G. Lazzarini and W. M. Levack and A. Malmivaara and T. Meyer and A. Oral and M. Patrini and J. Pollet and F. A. Rathore and S. Negrini},

doi = {10.23736/s1973-9087.20.06188-2},

issn = {1973-9087},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Eur J Phys Rehabil Med},

volume = {56},

number = {1},

pages = {120-125},

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

abstract = {During its third year of existence, Cochrane Rehabilitation goals included to point out the main methodological issues in rehabilitation research, and to increase the Knowledge Translation activities. This has been performed through its committees and specific projects. In 2019, Cochrane Rehabilitation worked on five different special projects at different stages of development: 1) a collaboration with the World Health Organization to extract the best evidence for Rehabilitation (Be4rehab); 2) the development of a reporting checklist for Randomised Controlled Trials in rehabilitation (RCTRACK); 3) the definition of what is the rehabilitation for research purposes; 4) the ebook project; and 5) a prioritization exercise for Cochrane Reviews production. The Review Committee finalized the screening and "tagging" of all rehabilitation reviews in the Cochrane library; the Publication Committee increased the number of international journals with which publish Cochrane Corners; the Education Committee continued performing educational activities such as workshops in different meetings; the Methodology Committee performed the second Cochrane Rehabilitation Methodological Meeting and published many papers; the Communication Committee spread the rehabilitation evidence through different channels and translated the contents in different languages. The collaboration with several National and International Rehabilitation Scientific Societies, Universities, Hospitals, Research Centers and other organizations keeps on growing.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN70,

title = {Comparing a Social and Communication App, Telephone Intervention, and Usual Care for Diabetes Self-Management: 3-Arm Quasiexperimental Evaluation Study},

author = {C. J. Chiu and Y. C. Yu and Y. F. Du and Y. C. Yang and J. Y. Chen and L. P. Wong and C. Tanasugarn},

doi = {10.2196/14024},

issn = {2291-5222},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {JMIR Mhealth Uhealth},

volume = {8},

number = {6},

pages = {e14024},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Many technology-assisted innovations have been used to manage disease. However, most of these innovations are not broadly used by older adults due to their cost. Additionally, disease management through technology-assisted innovations has not been compared with other interventions. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we tested the employment of a free and widely used social and communication app to help older adults with diabetes manage their distress and glycemic control. We also compared the effectiveness of the app with 2 other methods, namely telephone and conventional health education, and determined which subgroup experiences the most effects within each intervention. METHODS: Adults aged ≥50 years with type 2 diabetes were recruited from Southern Taiwan (N=231) and were allocated to different 3-month interventions. Informed consent was obtained at the Ministry of Science and Technology and approved by the National Cheng Kung University Hospital Institutional Review Board (No. A-ER-102-425). RESULTS: Participants in the mobile-based group had significant reductions in hemoglobin A1c compared with the telephone-based and usual care groups (mean changes of -0.4%, 0.1%, and 0.03%, respectively; P=.02). Diabetes-specific distress decreased to a greater extent in the mobile-based group compared to the other 2 groups (mean changes of -5.16, -3.49, and -2.44, respectively},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN137,

title = {Consumption of Fish and Long-chain n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Is Associated With Reduced Risk of Colorectal Cancer in a Large European Cohort},

author = {E. K. Aglago and I. Huybrechts and N. Murphy and C. Casagrande and G. Nicolas and T. Pischon and V. Fedirko and G. Severi and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and A. Fournier and V. Katzke and T. K\"{u}hn and A. Olsen and A. Tj\onneland and C. C. Dahm and K. Overvad and C. Lasheras and A. Agudo and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and P. Amiano and J. M. Huerta and E. Ardanaz and A. Perez-Cornago and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and G. Martimianaki and D. Palli and V. Pala and R. Tumino and A. Naccarati and S. Panico and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and A. May and J. W. G. Derksen and S. Hellstrand and B. Ohlsson and M. Wennberg and B. Van Guelpen and G. Skeie and M. Brustad and E. Weiderpass and A. J. Cross and H. Ward and E. Riboli and T. Norat and V. Chajes and M. J. Gunter},

doi = {10.1016/j.cgh.2019.06.031},

issn = {1542-3565},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol},

volume = {18},

number = {3},

pages = {654-666.e6},

abstract = {BACKGROUND \& AIMS: There is an unclear association between intake of fish and long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFAs) and colorectal cancer (CRC). We examined the association between fish consumption, dietary and circulating levels of n-3 LC-PUFAs, and ratio of n-6:n-3 LC-PUFA with CRC using data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. METHODS: Dietary intake of fish (total, fatty/oily, lean/white) and n-3 LC-PUFA were estimated by food frequency questionnaires given to 521,324 participants in the EPIC study; among these, 6291 individuals developed CRC (median follow up, 14.9 years). Levels of phospholipid LC-PUFA were measured by gas chromatography in plasma samples from a sub-group of 461 CRC cases and 461 matched individuals without CRC (controls). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards and conditional logistic regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and odds ratios (ORs), respectively, with 95% CIs. RESULTS: Total intake of fish (HR for quintile 5 vs 1, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80-0.96; P(trend) = .005), fatty fish (HR for quintile 5 vs 1, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.82-0.98; P(trend) = .009), and lean fish (HR for quintile 5 vs 1, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.83-1.00; P(trend) = .016) were inversely associated with CRC incidence. Intake of total n-3 LC-PUFA (HR for quintile 5 vs 1, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.78-0.95; P(trend) = .010) was also associated with reduced risk of CRC, whereas dietary ratio of n-6:n-3 LC-PUFA was associated with increased risk of CRC (HR for quintile 5 vs 1, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.18-1.45; P(trend) \< .001). Plasma levels of phospholipid n-3 LC-PUFA was not associated with overall CRC risk, but an inverse trend was observed for proximal compared with distal colon cancer (P(heterogeneity) = .026). CONCLUSIONS: In an analysis of dietary patterns of participants in the EPIC study, we found regular consumption of fish, at recommended levels, to be associated with a lower risk of CRC, possibly through exposure to n-3 LC-PUFA. Levels of n-3 LC-PUFA in plasma were not associated with CRC risk, but there may be differences in risk at different regions of the colon.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN140,

title = {Consumption of nuts and seeds and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition},

author = {M. Ob\'{o}n-Santacana and L. Luj\'{a}n-Barroso and H. Freisling and S. Naudin and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and F. R. Mancini and V. Rebours and T. K\"{u}hn and V. Katzke and H. Boeing and A. Tj\onneland and A. Olsen and K. Overvad and C. Lasheras and M. Rodr\'{i}guez-Barranco and P. Amiano and C. Santiuste and E. Ardanaz and K. T. Khaw and N. J. Wareham and J. A. Schmidt and D. Aune and A. Trichopoulou and P. Thriskos and E. Peppa and G. Masala and S. Grioni and R. Tumino and S. Panico and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and V. Sciannameo and R. Vermeulen and E. Sonestedt and M. Sund and E. Weiderpass and G. Skeie and C. A. Gonz\'{a}lez and E. Riboli and E. J. Duell},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.32415},

issn = {0020-7136 (Print) 

0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {146},

number = {1},

pages = {76-84},

abstract = {Four epidemiologic studies have assessed the association between nut intake and pancreatic cancer risk with contradictory results. The present study aims to investigate the relation between nut intake (including seeds) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazards ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for nut intake and PDAC risk. Information on intake of nuts was obtained from the EPIC country-specific dietary questionnaires. After a mean follow-up of 14 years, 476,160 participants were eligible for the present study and included 1,283 PDAC cases. No association was observed between consumption of nuts and PDAC risk (highest intake vs nonconsumers: HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.72-1.10; p-trend = 0.70). Furthermore, no evidence for effect-measure modification was observed when different subgroups were analyzed. Overall, in EPIC, the highest intake of nuts was not statistically significantly associated with PDAC risk.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN86,

title = {Contributing risk factors towards the prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in Malaysia: A systematic review},

author = {M. Rajendran and R. A. Zaki and N. Aghamohammadi},

doi = {10.1016/j.tube.2020.101925},

issn = {1472-9792},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Tuberculosis (Edinb)},

volume = {122},

pages = {101925},

abstract = {Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is one of the causes of morbidity and mortality, among tuberculosis (TB) patients in Malaysia. The purpose of this study was to determine the contributing risk factors to the prevalence of (MDR-TB). Based on systematic review of the literatures, the prevalence of (MDR-TB) and associated risk factors in Malaysia were studied. A comprehensive search of Scopus, Science direct, PubMed, DOAJ, CINAHL Plus, MyJournal, BIREME, BMC Public Health, Medline, CAB, and WoS databases were done among the articles published from 31st January 2009 to 31st December 2018, by using medical subject heading (MeSH) key terms. In conducting this study, a total of 121 papers were reviewed and 23 research papers were chosen, because, they met the specific inclusion criteria. In this study, gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, homeless status, living in urban area and history of imprisonment were evaluated as demographic factors, while educational level and employment were evaluated as socioeconomic factors. Smoking, diabetes mellitus, drug abuse and alcohol consumption were evaluated as behavioral and co-morbidities factors. All the studies chosen as eligible to be included in this study were found to be significantly associated with the risk factors for the prevalence of (MDR-TB). It was also discovered that, lack of adequate knowledge among the community and (TB) patients might increase the progression of (MDR-TB) infection in Malaysia. Thus, carried out a systematic review provided a comprehensive assessment of the (MDR-TB) which might be useful for policy makers, health experts and researchers to implement appropriate strategies for (TB) infected population in Malaysia.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN41,

title = {Correction to: Impact of migraine on workplace productivity and monetary loss: a study of employees in banking sector in Malaysia},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and N. Bhoo-Pathy and I. Chung and Y. C. Chong and S. Kalra and Z. U. Bahkt Sultan Shah},

doi = {10.1186/s10194-020-01172-9},

issn = {1129-2369 (Print) 

1129-2369},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Headache Pain},

volume = {21},

number = {1},

pages = {104},

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

abstract = {An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN4,

title = {COVID-19 handling report for pre-case, case (pre-hospital and hospital), and post-case phases in the elderly as vulnerable populations in 6 Asia Pacific countries},

author = {I. H. Susilowati and H. Nakatani and S. Nugraha and S. Pengpid and W. Keawpan and B. P. Hasiholan and N. P. Toai and A. Abdeali and M. Isahak and S. Kamso},

doi = {10.35772/ghm.2020.01061},

issn = {2434-9186 (Print) 

2434-9186},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Glob Health Med},

volume = {2},

number = {6},

pages = {350-359},

abstract = {In this current COVID-19 pandemic, the elderly (60 years and over) are more vulnerable populations to be infected and become victims. In a disaster cycle, the various parts are usually divided into three stages, consisting of the pre-impact stage, the trans-impact stage, and the post-impact stage. It is necessary to explain how to handle the COVID-19 disaster for the elderly at each step (explain the meaning of pre-case, case (pre-hospital and hospital), and post-case phases, respectively). This paper presents the handling of COVID-19 for elderly in pre-case, case, and post-case phases in six Asia-Pacific countries (Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Japan). The data and information come from COVID-19 official websites of each country, including information from World Health Organization (WHO), United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mass media, and professional associations. The handling of COVID-19 in the pre-case phase has been done correctly for the elderly, especially in Indonesia, Japan, Thailand, and Singapore. In the case phase (pre-hospital and hospital), only Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand have followed special handling protocols for the elderly, particularly for those who have comorbidities and respiratory diseases. For the post-case phase, all countries have the same treatment protocol for all age groups, with none specific for the elderly.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN79,

title = {Defending against the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak: How can the Internet of Things (IoT) help to save the world?},

author = {M. S. Rahman and N. C. Peeri and N. Shrestha and R. Zaki and U. Haque and S. H. A. Hamid},

doi = {10.1016/j.hlpt.2020.04.005},

issn = {2211-8837 (Print) 

2211-8837},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Health Policy Technol},

volume = {9},

number = {2},

pages = {136-138},

abstract = {•IoT within infectious disease epidemiology is an emerging field of research, however the ubiquitous availability of smart technologies, as well as increased risks of infectious disease spread through the globalization and interconnectedness of the world necessitates its use for predicting, preventing and controlling emerging infectious diseases.•Considering the present situation in China, IoT based smart disease surveillance systems have the potential to be a major breakthrough in efforts to control the current pandemic. With much of the infrastructure itself in place already (i.e. smartphones, wearable technologies, internet access) the role this technology can have in limiting the spread of the pandemic involves only the collection and analysis of data already gathered.•More research must be carried out for the development of automated and effective alert systems to provide early and timely detection of outbreaks of such diseases in order to reduce morbidity mortality and prevent global spread.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN146,

title = {Dentition status among an ethnically diverse older urban Malaysian population},

author = {M. A. Amanat and J. John and T. M. Pin and M. Danaee and V. Malhotra and S. A. Abbas and S. B. Kamaruzzaman},

doi = {10.1093/pubmed/fdz014},

issn = {1741-3842},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Public Health (Oxf)},

volume = {42},

number = {2},

pages = {304-311},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Poor oral health affects not only dietary choices but overall well-being. This study explores the influence of lifestyle, socio-demographics and utilization of dental services on the dentition status of an older urban Malaysian population. METHODS: A total of 1210 participants 60 years and above, representing the three main ethnic groups were recruited from a larger cohort study. Weighted factors valued for comparison included socio demographics and health status. Knowledge of and attitude and behaviour towards personal oral health were also assessed. Dentition status, adapted from WHO oral health guidelines, was the dependent variable investigated. Data were analysed using descriptive chi square test and multivariate binary logistic regression. RESULTS: Overall, 1187 respondents completed the study. The dentition status and oral health related knowledge, attitude and behaviour varied between the three ethnic groups. The Chinese were significantly less likely to have ≥13 missing teeth (OR = 0.698, 95% CI: 0.521-0.937) and ≥1 decayed teeth (0.653; 0.519-0.932) compared to the Malays, while the Indians were significantly less likely than the Malays to have ≥1 decayed teeth (0.695; 0.519-0.932) and ≥2 filled teeth (0.781; 0.540-1.128). CONCLUSION: Ethnic differences in dentition outcome are related to oral health utilization highlighting the influence of cultural differences and the need for culturally sensitivity interventions.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN80,

title = {Determinants of unsuccessful treatment outcomes and mortality among tuberculosis patients in Malaysia: A registry-based cohort study},

author = {P. S. K. Tok and S. M. Liew and L. P. Wong and A. Razali and T. Loganathan and K. Chinna and N. Ismail and N. A. Kadir},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0231986},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {15},

number = {4},

pages = {e0231986},

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: The monitoring of tuberculosis (TB) treatment outcomes and examination of the factors affecting these outcomes are important for evaluation and feedback of the national TB control program. This study aims to assess the TB treatment outcomes among patients registered in the national TB surveillance database in Malaysia from 2014 until 2017 and identify factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes and all-cause mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using registry-based secondary data, a retrospective cohort study was conducted. TB patients' sociodemographic characteristics, clinical disease data and treatment outcomes at one-year surveillance were extracted from the database and analyzed. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with unsuccessful treatment outcomes and all-cause mortality. RESULTS: A total of 97,505 TB cases (64.3% males) were included in this study. TB treatment success (cases categorized as cured and completed treatment) was observed in 80.7% of the patients. Among the 19.3% patients with unsuccessful treatment outcomes, 10.2% died, 5.3% were lost to follow-up, 3.6% had outcomes not evaluated while the remaining failed treatment. Unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes were found to be associated with older age, males, foreign nationality, urban dwellers, lower education levels, passive detection of TB cases, absence of bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) scar, underlying diabetes mellitus, smoking, extrapulmonary TB, history of previous TB treatment, advanced chest radiography findings and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Factors found associated with all-cause mortality were similar except for nationality (higher among Malaysians) and place of residence (higher among rural dwellers), while smoking and history of previous TB treatment were not found to be associated with all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified various sociodemographic characteristics and TB disease-related variables which were associated with unsuccessful TB treatment outcomes and mortality; these can be used to guide measures for risk assessment and stratification of TB patients in future.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN132,

title = {Diagnosis of severe dengue: Challenges, needs and opportunities},

author = {P. F. Wong and L. P. Wong and S. AbuBakar},

doi = {10.1016/j.jiph.2019.07.012},

issn = {1876-0341},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Infect Public Health},

volume = {13},

number = {2},

pages = {193-198},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Delayed diagnosis of dengue cases with increased risk for severe disease could lead to poor disease outcome. To date there is no specific laboratory diagnostic test for severe dengue. This qualitative study explored expert views regarding current issues in diagnosing severe dengue, rationale for severe dengue-specific diagnostics, future prospects and features of potential diagnostics for severe dengue. METHODS: In-depth individual interviews with thematic saturation were conducted between May and July 2018. The data was analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Based on expert opinion, diagnosis of severe dengue is challenging as it depends on astute clinical interpretation of non-dengue-specific clinical and laboratory findings. A specific test that detects impending manifestation of severe dengue could 1) overcome failure in identifying severe disease for referral or admission, 2) facilitate timely and appropriate management of plasma leakage and bleeding, 3) overcome the lack of clinical expertise and laboratory diagnosis in rural health settings. The most important feature of any diagnostics for severe dengue is the point-of-care (POC) format where it can be performed at or near the bedside. CONCLUSION: The development of diagnostics to detect impending severe dengue is warranted to reduce the morbidity and mortality rates of dengue infection and it should be prioritized.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN94,

title = {Diagnostic accuracy and utility of three dengue diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of acute dengue infection in Malaysia},

author = {Z. L. Chong and S. D. Sekaran and H. J. Soe and D. Peramalah and S. Rampal and C. W. Ng},

doi = {10.1186/s12879-020-4911-5},

issn = {1471-2334},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {BMC Infect Dis},

volume = {20},

number = {1},

pages = {210},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Dengue is an emerging infectious disease that infects up to 390 million people yearly. The growing demand of dengue diagnostics especially in low-resource settings gave rise to many rapid diagnostic tests (RDT). This study evaluated the accuracy and utility of ViroTrack Dengue Acute - a new biosensors-based dengue NS1 RDT, SD Bioline Dengue Duo NS1/IgM/IgG combo - a commercially available RDT, and SD Dengue NS1 Ag enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), for the diagnosis of acute dengue infection. METHODS: This prospective cross-sectional study consecutively recruited 494 patients with suspected dengue from a health clinic in Malaysia. Both RDTs were performed onsite. The evaluated ELISA and reference tests were performed in a virology laboratory. The reference tests comprised of a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and three ELISAs for the detection of dengue NS1 antigen, IgM and IgG antibodies, respectively. The diagnostic performance of evaluated tests was computed using STATA version 12. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of ViroTrack were 62.3% (95%CI 55.6-68.7) and 95.0% (95%CI 91.7-97.3), versus 66.5% (95%CI 60.0-72.6) and 95.4% (95%CI 92.1-97.6) for SD NS1 ELISA, and 52.4% (95%CI 45.7-59.1) and 97.7% (95%CI 95.1-99.2) for NS1 component of SD Bioline, respectively. The combination of the latter with its IgM and IgG components were able to increase test sensitivity to 82.4% (95%CI 76.8-87.1) with corresponding decrease in specificity to 87.4% (95%CI 82.8-91.2). Although a positive test on any of the NS1 assays would increase the probability of dengue to above 90% in a patient, a negative result would only reduce this probability to 23.0-29.3%. In contrast, this probability of false negative diagnosis would be further reduced to 14.7% (95%CI 11.4-18.6) if SD Bioline NS1/IgM/IgG combo was negative. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of ViroTrack Dengue Acute was comparable to SD Dengue NS1 Ag ELISA. Addition of serology components to SD Bioline Dengue Duo significantly improved its sensitivity and reduced its false negative rate such that it missed the fewest dengue patients, making it a better point-of-care diagnostic tool. New RDT like ViroTrack Dengue Acute may be a potential alternative to existing RDT if its combination with serology components is proven better in future studies.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN120,

title = {Dietary Practices and Meal Patterns among Overweight and Obese School Children in Malaysia: Baseline Data from a School-Based Intervention Study},

author = {R. Selamat and J. Raib and N. A. Abdul Aziz and N. Zulkafly and A. N. Ismail and W. Mohamad WNA and N. I. N. Nasruddin and M. Y. Jalaludin and F. Md Zain and Z. Ishak and A. Yahya and A. H. Mokhtar},

doi = {10.1080/03670244.2019.1694922},

issn = {0367-0244},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Ecol Food Nutr},

volume = {59},

number = {3},

pages = {263-278},

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

abstract = {This study aimed to determine dietary practices and meal patterns among Malaysian overweight and obese school children at baseline. This study was part of a school-based obesity intervention study, My Body is Fit and Fabulous at School (MyBFF@school). It involved 1045 primary and 1041 secondary overweight and obese school children from a randomly selected 23 out of 1196 primary and 15 out of 416 secondary government schools in central Peninsular Malaysia. The results showed a significantly higher of adequate intake (4-8 servings/day) of cereals and grains among primary (54.7%) than secondary school children (48.2%). About 28.2% of primary and 32.6% of secondary school children had consumed adequate fruit (2 servings/day), while a very low percentage of both primary (5.0%) and secondary (3.6%) school children consumed adequate vegetables (3 servings/day). As for the meal patterns, school children in both primary and secondary were not taking breakfast regularly (mean±SD for primary: 3.16 ± 2.61 days/week vs secondary: 2.97 ± 2.52 days/week). There was also a significantly higher mean frequency of primary school children brought plain water to school than the secondary school children. In conclusion, urgent actions to address improper dietary practices and meal patterns of overweight and obese school children in Malaysia are warranted.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN27,

title = {Dose-Response Relationship between Western Diet and Being Overweight among Teachers in Malaysia},

author = {J. Y. Eng and F. M. Moy and A. Bulgiba and S. Rampal},

doi = {10.3390/nu12103092},

issn = {2072-6643},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Nutrients},

volume = {12},

number = {10},

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

abstract = {The rising prevalence of overweight and obesity is partly due to nutrition transition. The reported association between dietary patterns and overweight/obesity has been controversial because of inconsistent results and weak observed associations. Although it has been hypothesized that an unhealthy diet can increase obesity risk, none of the previous studies have examined the dose-response association using nonlinear dose-response analyses. This study aimed to examine the dose-response association between major dietary patterns and overweight/obesity. This was a cross-sectional study involving teachers selected through stratified multistage sampling from public schools in three Malaysian states. Dietary intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, and two major dietary patterns (Western and Prudent diet) were extracted using factor analysis. Logistic regression followed by trend analysis was used to test the difference in odds of overweight and obesity in each quintile of diet score. A further analysis using restricted cubic spline models was performed to examine the dose-response associations of dietary patterns with odds of overweight/obesity. The logistic regression analysis showed that participants with the highest quintile of Western diet score were 1.4 times more likely to be overweight/obese compared to those in the lowest quintile (95% CI: 1.11, 1.83, p-trend \< 0.001). The odds of overweight/obesity showed a significant increasing trend across quintiles of Western diet among both men and women (p-trend \< 0.001). In the dose-response analysis, a positive linear association (P(nonlinearity) = 0.6139) was observed where overweight/obesity was more likely to occur among participants with a Western diet score greater than a mean score of zero. There was an inverse trend of odds of overweight/obesity across quintiles of Prudent diet score, significant only for men (p for trend \< 0.001). Linear association was found between Prudent diet score and odds of overweight/obesity among both men (P(nonlinearity) = 0.6685) and women (P(nonlinearity) = 0.3684) in the dose-response analysis. No threshold at the level of adherence to Prudent diet was linked to odds of overweight/obesity. Dose-response analysis indicated that women with a Western diet score greater than zero were more likely to be overweight or obese among women. In men, higher adherence to Western diet was associated with increased odds of overweight/obesity, while greater adherence to Prudent diet decreased the odds of overweight/obesity. Promoting and enhancing the consumption of Prudent diet and limit in Western diet may be used to guide the development of evidence-based diet interventions to curb overweight and obesity.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN8,

title = {Elder abuse: Nationwide findings among community-dwelling Malaysian older persons},

author = {R. Sooryanarayana and S. S. Ganapathy and N. I. Wong and A. Rosman and W. Y. Choo and N. N. Hairi},

doi = {10.1111/ggi.13989},

issn = {1447-0594},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Geriatr Gerontol Int},

volume = {20 Suppl 2},

pages = {85-91},

abstract = {AIM: Elder abuse is a significant public health problem. This study aims to estimate its prevalence and associated factors, using representative national Malaysian data. METHODS: A nationwide population-based survey involving 3977 community-dwelling older persons aged ≥60 years was conducted via face-to-face interview, of whom 3466 older persons were eligible for screening using a locally validated tool. Elder abuse was defined as any one occurrence of neglect, financial, psychological, physical or sexual abuse perpetrated by someone in a position of trust that was experienced in the past 12 months. RESULTS: About 9.0% of older persons in Malaysia have experienced elder abuse in the past 12 months, with neglect being the commonest type experienced (7.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.54, 10.07). There is no significant difference by age group and geographical location. Males (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.7; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.60), poorer social support (aOR 5.0; 95% CI: 2.25, 11.22), dependency in activities of daily living (aOR 2.1; 95% CI: 1.23, 3.44) and a previous history of abuse (aOR 10.1; 95% CI: 4.50, 22.86) show higher odds of experiencing elder abuse. Almost 5% of abused older persons reported experiencing multiple types of abuse. Reporting is low at 19.3% with none reporting to healthcare personnel. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of elder abuse in this study is lower than global estimates, but similar to local studies. Preventive measures and programs are crucial to overcoming elder abuse and need to be carried out at multiple levels - the individual, community, healthcare and other stakeholders. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 85-91.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN3,

title = {Establishment of a hospital-based health care workers surveillance programme to keep them safe during the COVID-19 pandemic},

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

doi = {10.7189/jogh.10.0203100},

issn = {2047-2978 (Print) 

2047-2978},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Glob Health},

volume = {10},

number = {2},

pages = {0203100},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN141,

title = {Ethnic differences in lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope: the Malaysian elders longitudinal research (MELoR) study},

author = {M. P. Tan and Y. Y. Ho and A. V. Chin and N. Saedon and I. Z. Abidin and K. H. Chee and H. M. Khor and C. H. Goh and N. N. Hairi and S. Othman and S. B. Kamaruzzaman},

doi = {10.1007/s10286-019-00610-2},

issn = {0959-9851},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Clin Auton Res},

volume = {30},

number = {2},

pages = {121-128},

abstract = {PURPOSE: To determine the lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope, potential ethnic differences and factors associated with syncope using the Malaysian elders longitudinal research (MELoR) study first wave dataset. METHODS: The MELoR study recruited community-dwelling adults aged 55 years and over, selected through stratified random sampling from three parliamentary constituencies. The baseline data collected during the first wave was obtained through face-to-face interviews in participants' homes using computer-assisted questionnaires. During their baseline assessments, participants were asked whether they had ever experienced a blackout in their lifetime and if they had experienced a blackout in the preceding 12 months. RESULTS: Information on blackouts and ethnicity were available for 1530 participants. The weight-adjusted lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope for the overall population aged 55 years and above was 27.7%. The estimated lifetime cumulative incidence according to ethnic groups was 34.6% for Malays, 27.8% for Indians and 23.7% for Chinese. The estimated 12-month incidence of syncope was 6.1% overall, equating to 11.7% for Malays, 8.7 % for Indians and 2.3% for Chinese. Both Malay [odds ratio (OR) 1.46; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-1.95 and OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.96-6.68] and Indian (OR 1.34; 95% CI 1.01-1.80 and OR 3.31, 1.78-6.15) ethnicities were independently associated with lifetime and 12-month cumulative incidence of syncope, respectively, together with falls, dizziness and myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: Ethnic differences exist for lifetime cumulative incidence of syncope in community-dwelling individuals aged 55 years and over in an urban area in Southeast Asia. Future studies should now seek to determine potential genetic, cultural and lifestyle differences which may predispose to syncope.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN130,

title = {Exogenous hormone use and cutaneous melanoma risk in women: The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition},

author = {I. Cervenka and M. Al Rahmoun and Y. Mahamat-Saleh and A. Fournier and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and G. Severi and S. Caini and D. Palli and R. Ghiasvand and M. B. Veierod and E. Botteri and A. Tj\onneland and A. Olsen and R. T. Fortner and R. Kaaks and M. B. Schulze and S. Panico and A. Trichopoulou and C. Dessinioti and K. Niforou and S. Sieri and R. Tumino and C. Sacerdote and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and T. M. Sandanger and S. Colorado-Yohar and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and L. Gil Majuelo and L. Lujan-Barroso and E. Ardanaz and S. Merino and K. Isaksson and S. Butt and I. Ljuslinder and M. Jansson and R. C. Travis and K. T. Khaw and E. Weiderpass and L. Dossus and S. Rinaldi and M. Kvaskoff},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.32674},

issn = {0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {146},

number = {12},

pages = {3267-3280},

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

abstract = {Evidence suggests an influence of sex hormones on cutaneous melanoma risk, but epidemiologic findings are conflicting. We examined the associations between use of oral contraceptives (OCs) and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) and melanoma risk in women participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). EPIC is a prospective cohort study initiated in 1992 in 10 European countries. Information on exogenous hormone use at baseline was derived from country-specific self-administered questionnaires. We used Cox proportional hazards regression models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Over 1992-2015, 1,696 melanoma cases were identified among 334,483 women, whereof 770 cases among 134,758 postmenopausal women. There was a positive, borderline-significant association between OC use and melanoma risk (HR = 1.12, 95% CI = 1.00-1.26), with no detected heterogeneity across countries (p(homogeneity) = 0.42). This risk increased linearly with duration of use (p(trend) = 0.01). Among postmenopausal women, ever use of MHT was associated with a nonsignificant increase in melanoma risk overall (HR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.97-1.43), which was heterogeneous across countries (p(homogeneity) = 0.05). Our findings do not support a strong and direct association between exogenous hormone use and melanoma risk. In order to better understand these relations, further research should be performed using prospectively collected data including detailed information on types of hormone, and on sun exposure, which may act as an important confounder or effect modifier on these relations.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN12,

title = {Factors Associated With Falls Among Urban-Dwellers Aged 55 Years and Over in the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) Study},

author = {D. Alex and H. M. Khor and A. V. Chin and N. N. Hairi and R. G. Cumming and S. Othman and S. Khoo and S. B. Kamaruzzaman and M. P. Tan},

doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2020.506238},

issn = {2296-2565},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Front Public Health},

volume = {8},

pages = {506238},

abstract = {Falls are major issues affecting the older population with potentially serious complications, including fractures, head injury, institutionalization, fear of falling and depression. While risk factors for falls have been established across Western Europe and North America, geographical differences in falls risk have not been well researched. We aim to examine the clinical and physical risk factors for falls in a middle-income South East Asian country. Cross-sectional data from the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) study involving 1,362 community dwelling individuals aged 55 years and above was utilized. Information on sociodemographic and medical history was obtained by computer-assisted questionnaires completed during home visits and hospital-based detailed health checks. Univariate and multivariate analyses compared non-fallers and fallers in the previous 12 months. Urinary incontinence, hearing impairment, depression, arthritis and cognitive impairment were risk factors for falls in the past 12 months after adjustment for age in our study population. Awareness about the risk factors in a population helps the design of fall prevention strategies that target specific or multiple risk factors.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN136,

title = {Financial toxicity and its associations with health-related quality of life among urologic cancer patients in an upper middle-income country},

author = {C. Y. Ting and G. C. Teh and K. L. Yu and H. Alias and H. M. Tan and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.1007/s00520-019-04975-y},

issn = {0941-4355},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Support Care Cancer},

volume = {28},

number = {4},

pages = {1703-1715},

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

abstract = {PURPOSE: This study examined the prevalence of financial toxicity (FT) and associated factors among urologic cancer patients. The association between FT and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was also investigated. METHODS: A total of 429 respondents diagnosed with urologic cancers (prostate cancer, bladder and renal cancer) from Sarawak General Hospital and Subang Jaya Medical Centre in Malaysia were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Objective and subjective FT were measured by catastrophic health expenditure (healthcare-cost-to-income ratio greater than 40%) and the Personal Financial Well-being Scale, respectively. HRQoL was measured with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General 7 Items scale. RESULTS: Objective and subjective FT were experienced by 16.1 and 47.3% of the respondents, respectively. Respondents who sought treatment at a private hospital and had out-of-pocket health expenditures were more likely to experience objective FT, after adjustment for covariates. Respondents who were female and had a monthly household income less than MYR 5000 were more likely to experience average to high subjective FT. Greater objective FT (OR = 2.75, 95% CI 1.09-6.95) and subjective FT (OR = 4.68, 95% CI 2.63-8.30) were associated with poor HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: The significant association between both objective and subjective FT and HRQoL highlights the importance of reducing FT among urologic cancer patients. Subjective FT was found to have a greater negative impact on HRQoL.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN118,

title = {Fine-mapping of 150 breast cancer risk regions identifies 191 likely target genes},

author = {L. Fachal and H. Aschard and J. Beesley and D. R. Barnes and J. Allen and S. Kar and K. A. Pooley and J. Dennis and K. Michailidou and C. Turman and P. Soucy and A. Lema\c{c}on and M. Lush and J. P. Tyrer and M. Ghoussaini and M. Moradi Marjaneh and X. Jiang and S. Agata and K. Aittom\"{a}ki and M. R. Alonso and I. L. Andrulis and H. Anton-Culver and N. N. Antonenkova and A. Arason and V. Arndt and K. J. Aronson and B. K. Arun and B. Auber and P. L. Auer and J. Azzollini and J. Balma\~{n}a and R. B. Barkardottir and D. Barrowdale and A. Beeghly-Fadiel and J. Benitez and M. Bermisheva and K. Bia\lkowska and A. M. Blanco and C. Blomqvist and W. Blot and N. V. Bogdanova and S. E. Bojesen and M. K. Bolla and B. Bonanni and A. Borg and K. Bosse and H. Brauch and H. Brenner and I. Briceno and I. W. Brock and A. Brooks-Wilson and T. Br\"{u}ning and B. Burwinkel and S. S. Buys and Q. Cai and T. Cald\'{e}s and M. A. Caligo and N. J. Camp and I. Campbell and F. Canzian and J. S. Carroll and B. D. Carter and J. E. Castelao and J. Chiquette and H. Christiansen and W. K. Chung and K. B. M. Claes and C. L. Clarke and J. M. Coll\'{e}e and S. Cornelissen and F. J. Couch and A. Cox and S. S. Cross and C. Cybulski and K. Czene and M. B. Daly and M. Hoya and P. Devilee and O. Diez and Y. C. Ding and G. S. Dite and S. M. Domchek and T. D\"{o}rk and I. Dos-Santos-Silva and A. Droit and S. Dubois and M. Dumont and M. Duran and L. Durcan and M. Dwek and D. M. Eccles and C. Engel and M. Eriksson and D. G. Evans and P. A. Fasching and O. Fletcher and G. Floris and H. Flyger and L. Foretova and W. D. Foulkes and others},

doi = {10.1038/s41588-019-0537-1},

issn = {1061-4036 (Print) 

1061-4036},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Nat Genet},

volume = {52},

number = {1},

pages = {56-73},

abstract = {Genome-wide association studies have identified breast cancer risk variants in over 150 genomic regions, but the mechanisms underlying risk remain largely unknown. These regions were explored by combining association analysis with in silico genomic feature annotations. We defined 205 independent risk-associated signals with the set of credible causal variants in each one. In parallel, we used a Bayesian approach (PAINTOR) that combines genetic association, linkage disequilibrium and enriched genomic features to determine variants with high posterior probabilities of being causal. Potentially causal variants were significantly over-represented in active gene regulatory regions and transcription factor binding sites. We applied our INQUSIT pipeline for prioritizing genes as targets of those potentially causal variants, using gene expression (expression quantitative trait loci), chromatin interaction and functional annotations. Known cancer drivers, transcription factors and genes in the developmental, apoptosis, immune system and DNA integrity checkpoint gene ontology pathways were over-represented among the highest-confidence target genes.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN122,

title = {From Evidence to Policy: Economic Evaluations of Healthcare in Malaysia: A Systematic Review},

author = {K. N. Ku Abd Rahim and H. F. Kamaruzaman and M. Dahlui and S. E. Wan Puteh},

doi = {10.1016/j.vhri.2019.09.002},

issn = {2212-1099},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Value Health Reg Issues},

volume = {21},

pages = {91-99},

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To identify and describe the various economic evaluation studies in Malaysia and to determine the range of incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) as reported in these studies. METHODS: A comprehensive search of the scientific electronic databases was conducted (Medline, EBM Reviews, Embase, and hand search) to identify all published economic evaluation studies related to Malaysian healthcare. Two researchers assessed the quality of selected studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist and Quality of Health Economic Studies instrument. The assessment was also reviewed by expert members of the Technical Advisory Committee of Health Technology Economic Evaluations (TACHTEE). RESULTS: A total of 64 full-text articles were assessed for eligibility and included in this systematic review. Thirty studies were partial economic evaluations; the full economic evaluations included 17 cost-effectiveness analyses and 17 cost-utility analyses. From all the reported ICERs, the majority (68%) were categorized as highly cost-effective (ICER of less than 1 gross domestic product (GDP) per capita per quality-adjusted life-years or disability-adjusted life-years gained). CONCLUSION: This review identifies information gaps and loopholes in health economics research in Malaysia. Additionally, this study provides the information that the majority of published interventions in Malaysia fell within the cost-effectiveness threshold of 1 GDP per capita per quality-adjusted life-years or disability-adjusted life-years gained.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN48,

title = {From the MJM Editors' Desk: Common errors authors make in submission to the Medical Journal of Malaysia},

author = {L. Rampal and B. S. Liew and P. Oothuman and R. Philip and S. Mohd Sidik and V. C. Hoe and A. Baharudin},

issn = {0300-5283 (Print) 

0300-5283},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Med J Malaysia},

volume = {75},

number = {4},

pages = {323-324},

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

abstract = {Proper understanding the 'Instructions to authors' for a particular journal is the key towards successful submission of a manuscript which will lead to it being published. Common errors that are frequently made by authors in their submission to the Malaysia Journal of Malaysia (MJM) that lead to rejection of their submission or requiring major revisions or minor revisions are listed and discussed in this article. Outright rejection prior to even a peer review process may be made for an article due to: it is poorly written or when there is suspicion on the authenticity of the submission, which contains elements that are suspected to be plagiarised, it is a duplicate submission or not in the format required by the MJM. The editor in charge of the issue makes a recommendation to the Editor in Chief for the final decision.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN84,

title = {Fruit consumption and the risk of bladder cancer: A pooled analysis by the Bladder Cancer Epidemiology and Nutritional Determinants Study},

author = {S. H. J. Jochems and R. C. Reulen and F. H. M. Osch and W. J. A. Witlox and M. E. Goossens and M. Brinkman and G. G. Giles and R. L. Milne and P. A. Brandt and E. White and E. Weiderpass and I. Huybrechts and B. H\'{e}mon and A. Agudo and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and K. K. Cheng and F. J. Schooten and R. T. Bryan and A. Wesselius and M. P. Zeegers},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.33008},

issn = {0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {147},

number = {8},

pages = {2091-2100},

abstract = {While the association between fruit consumption and bladder cancer risk has been extensively reported, studies have had inadequate statistical power to investigate associations between types of fruit and bladder cancer risk satisfactorily. Fruit consumption in relation to bladder cancer risk was investigated by pooling individual data from 13 cohort studies. Cox regression models with attained age as time scale were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for intakes of total fruit and citrus fruits, soft fruits, stone fruits, tropical fruits, pome fruits and fruit products. Analyses were stratified by sex, smoking status and bladder cancer subtype. During on average 11.2 years of follow-up, 2836 individuals developed incident bladder cancer. Increasing fruit consumption (by 100 g/day) was inversely associated with the risk of bladder cancer in women (HR = 0.92; 95% CI 0.85-0.99). Although in women the association with fruit consumption was most evident for higher-risk nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC; HR = 0.72; 95% CI 0.56-0.92), the test for heterogeneity by bladder cancer subtype was nonsignificant (P-heterogeneity = .14). Increasing fruit consumption (by 100 g/day) was not associated with bladder cancer risk in men (HR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.94-1.03), never smokers (HR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.88-1.05), former smokers (HR = 0.98; 95% CI 0.92-1.05) or current smokers (HR = 0.95; 95% CI 0.89-1.01). The consumption of any type of fruit was not found to be associated with bladder cancer risk (P values \> .05). Our study supports no evidence that the consumption of specific types of fruit reduces the risk of bladder cancer. However, increasing total fruit consumption may reduce bladder cancer risk in women.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN53,

title = {Genome-Wide Association Study Data Reveal Genetic Susceptibility to Chronic Inflammatory Intestinal Diseases and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Risk},

author = {F. Yuan and R. J. Hung and N. Walsh and H. Zhang and E. A. Platz and W. Wheeler and L. Song and A. A. Arslan and L. E. Beane Freeman and P. Bracci 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 J. Rosendahl and G. Scelo and X. O. Shu and K. Visvanathan and E. White and W. Zheng and D. Albanes and P. Amiano and G. Andreotti and A. Babic and W. R. Bamlet and S. I. Berndt and P. Brennan and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and J. E. Buring and P. T. Campbell and S. J. Chanock and C. S. Fuchs and J. M. Gaziano and M. G. Goggins and T. Hackert and P. Hartge and M. M. Hassan and E. A. Holly and R. N. Hoover and V. Katzke and H. Kirsten and R. C. Kurtz and I. M. Lee and N. Malats and R. L. Milne and N. Murphy and K. Ng and A. L. Oberg and M. Porta and K. G. Rabe and F. X. Real and N. Rothman and H. D. Sesso and D. T. Silverman and I. M. Thompson and J. Wactawski-Wende and X. Wang and N. Wentzensen and L. R. Wilkens and H. Yu and A. Zeleniuch-Jacquotte and J. Shi and E. J. Duell and L. T. Amundadottir and D. Li and G. M. Petersen and B. M. Wolpin and H. A. Risch and K. Yu and A. P. Klein and R. Stolzenberg-Solomon},

doi = {10.1158/0008-5472.Can-20-0447},

issn = {0008-5472 (Print) 

0008-5472},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Cancer Res},

volume = {80},

number = {18},

pages = {4004-4013},

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

abstract = {Registry-based epidemiologic studies suggest associations between chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). As genetic susceptibility contributes to a large proportion of chronic inflammatory intestinal diseases, we hypothesize that the genomic regions surrounding established genome-wide associated variants for these chronic inflammatory diseases are associated with PDAC. We examined the association between PDAC and genomic regions (±500 kb) surrounding established common susceptibility variants for ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. We analyzed summary statistics from genome-wide association studies data for 8,384 cases and 11,955 controls of European descent from two large consortium studies using the summary data-based adaptive rank truncated product method to examine the overall association of combined genomic regions for each inflammatory disease group. Combined genomic susceptibility regions for ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic pancreatitis were associated with PDAC at P values \< 0.05 (0.0040, 0.0057, 0.011, and 3.4 × 10(-6), respectively). After excluding the 20 PDAC susceptibility regions (±500 kb) previously identified by GWAS, the genomic regions for ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, and inflammatory bowel disease remained associated with PDAC (P = 0.0029, 0.0057, and 0.0098, respectively). Genomic regions for celiac disease (P = 0.22) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (P = 0.078) were not associated with PDAC. Our results support the hypothesis that genomic regions surrounding variants associated with inflammatory intestinal diseases, particularly, ulcerative colitis, Crohn disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and chronic pancreatitis are associated with PDAC. SIGNIFICANCE: The joint effects of common variants in genomic regions containing susceptibility loci for inflammatory bowel disease and chronic pancreatitis are associated with PDAC and may provide insights to understanding pancreatic cancer etiology.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN61,

title = {Genome-Wide Gene-Diabetes and Gene-Obesity Interaction Scan in 8,255 Cases and 11,900 Controls from PanScan and PanC4 Consortia},

author = {H. Tang and L. Jiang and R. Z. Stolzenberg-Solomon 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. Blackford and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and J. E. Buring and D. Campa and S. J. Chanock and E. Childs and E. J. Duell and C. Fuchs and J. M. Gaziano and M. Goggins and P. Hartge and M. H. Hassam 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 I. Orlow and U. Peters and M. Porta and K. G. Rabe and N. Rothman and G. Scelo and H. D. Sesso and D. T. Silverman and Jr. I. M. Thompson and A. Tj\onneland and A. Trichopoulou and J. Wactawski-Wende and N. Wentzensen and L. R. Wilkens and H. Yu and A. Zeleniuch-Jacquotte and L. T. Amundadottir and E. J. Jacobs and G. M. Petersen and B. M. Wolpin and H. A. Risch and N. Chatterjee and A. P. Klein and D. Li and P. Kraft and P. Wei},

doi = {10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-20-0275},

issn = {1055-9965 (Print) 

1055-9965},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev},

volume = {29},

number = {9},

pages = {1784-1791},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Obesity and diabetes are major modifiable risk factors for pancreatic cancer. Interactions between genetic variants and diabetes/obesity have not previously been comprehensively investigated in pancreatic cancer at the genome-wide level. METHODS: We conducted a gene-environment interaction (GxE) analysis including 8,255 cases and 11,900 controls from four pancreatic cancer genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets (Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium I-III and Pancreatic Cancer Case Control Consortium). Obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2)) and diabetes (duration ≥3 years) were the environmental variables of interest. Approximately 870,000 SNPs (minor allele frequency ≥0.005, genotyped in at least one dataset) were analyzed. Case-control (CC), case-only (CO), and joint-effect test methods were used for SNP-level GxE analysis. As a complementary approach, gene-based GxE analysis was also performed. Age, sex, study site, and principal components accounting for population substructure were included as covariates. Meta-analysis was applied to combine individual GWAS summary statistics. RESULTS: No genome-wide significant interactions (departures from a log-additive odds model) with diabetes or obesity were detected at the SNP level by the CC or CO approaches. The joint-effect test detected numerous genome-wide significant GxE signals in the GWAS main effects top hit regions, but the significance diminished after adjusting for the GWAS top hits. In the gene-based analysis, a significant interaction of diabetes with variants in the FAM63A (family with sequence similarity 63 member A) gene (significance threshold P \< 1.25 × 10(-6)) was observed in the meta-analysis (P (GxE) = 1.2 ×10(-6), P (Joint) = 4.2 ×10(-7)). CONCLUSIONS: This analysis did not find significant GxE interactions at the SNP level but found one significant interaction with diabetes at the gene level. A larger sample size might unveil additional genetic factors via GxE scans. IMPACT: This study may contribute to discovering the mechanism of diabetes-associated pancreatic cancer.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN60,

title = {Germline HOXB13 mutations p.G84E and p.R217C do not confer an increased breast cancer risk},

author = {J. Liu and W. J. C. Prager-van Smissen and J. M. Coll\'{e}e and M. K. Bolla and Q. Wang and K. Michailidou and J. Dennis and T. U. Ahearn and K. Aittom\"{a}ki and C. B. Ambrosone and I. L. Andrulis and H. Anton-Culver and N. N. Antonenkova and V. Arndt and N. Arnold and K. J. Aronson and A. Augustinsson and P. Auvinen and H. Becher and M. W. Beckmann and S. Behrens and M. Bermisheva and L. Bernstein and N. V. Bogdanova and N. Bogdanova-Markov and S. E. Bojesen and H. Brauch and H. Brenner and I. Briceno and S. Y. Brucker and T. Br\"{u}ning and B. Burwinkel and Q. Cai and H. Cai and D. Campa and F. Canzian and J. E. Castelao and J. Chang-Claude and S. J. Chanock and J. Y. Choi and M. Christiaens and C. L. Clarke and F. J. Couch and K. Czene and M. B. Daly and P. Devilee and I. Dos-Santos-Silva and M. Dwek and D. M. Eccles and A. H. Eliassen and P. A. Fasching and J. Figueroa and H. Flyger and L. Fritschi and M. Gago-Dominguez and S. M. Gapstur and M. Garc\'{i}a-Closas and J. A. Garc\'{i}a-S\'{a}enz and M. M. Gaudet and G. G. Giles and M. S. Goldberg and D. E. Goldgar and P. Gu\'{e}nel and C. A. Haiman and N. Hr{a}kansson and P. Hall and P. A. Harrington and S. N. Hart and M. Hartman and P. Hillemanns and J. L. Hopper and M. F. Hou and D. J. Hunter and D. Huo and H. Ito and M. Iwasaki and M. Jakimovska and A. Jakubowska and E. M. John and R. Kaaks and D. Kang and R. Keeman and E. Khusnutdinova and S. W. Kim and P. Kraft and V. N. Kristensen and A. W. Kurian and L. Le Marchand and J. Li and A. Lindblom and A. Lophatananon and R. N. Luben and J. Lubi\'{n}ski and A. Mannermaa and M. Manoochehri and S. Manoukian and S. Margolin and S. Mariapun and K. Matsuo and T. Maurer and others},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-65665-y},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Sci Rep},

volume = {10},

number = {1},

pages = {9688},

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

abstract = {In breast cancer, high levels of homeobox protein Hox-B13 (HOXB13) have been associated with disease progression of ER-positive breast cancer patients and resistance to tamoxifen treatment. Since HOXB13 p.G84E is a prostate cancer risk allele, we evaluated the association between HOXB13 germline mutations and breast cancer risk in a previous study consisting of 3,270 familial non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer cases and 2,327 controls from the Netherlands. Although both recurrent HOXB13 mutations p.G84E and p.R217C were not associated with breast cancer risk, the risk estimation for p.R217C was not very precise. To provide more conclusive evidence regarding the role of HOXB13 in breast cancer susceptibility, we here evaluated the association between HOXB13 mutations and increased breast cancer risk within 81 studies of the international Breast Cancer Association Consortium containing 68,521 invasive breast cancer patients and 54,865 controls. Both HOXB13 p.G84E and p.R217C did not associate with the development of breast cancer in European women, neither in the overall analysis (OR = 1.035, 95% CI = 0.859-1.246},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN95,

title = {Group sex, suicidality and online partners: implications for HIV and suicide prevention: a short report},

author = {Y. Kongjareon and N. Samoh and S. H. Lim and P. Peerawaranun and K. J. Jonas and T. E. Guadamuz},

doi = {10.1080/09540121.2020.1734174},

issn = {0954-0121 (Print) 

0954-0121},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {AIDS Care},

volume = {32},

number = {8},

pages = {954-958},

abstract = {HIV-related factors and suicide-risk status were assessed among YMSM aged 18-24 years recruited through various MSM-related online social apps in Bangkok (N = 1394). The online survey assessed demographic characteristics, sexual behaviours and suicide-risk status. Measure of suicide risk was taken from the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (cut-off score of seven or higher). Among participants, 249 (17.9%) reported suicide-risk. In multivariable logistic regression, correlates of suicide-risk status included having sometimes or often ever participated in group sex (AOR=1.58, 95% CI: 1.17-2.14), having received money or opportunities for sex (AOR=1.54, 95% CI: 1.09-2.17), often seeking partners online (AOR=1.59, 95% CI: 1.05-2.39), inconsistent condom use (AOR=1.67, 95% CI: 1.26-2.21), and self-assessed as having "medium" or "high" HIV risk (AOR=2.53, 95% CI: 1.61-3.98 and AOR=3.35, 95% CI: 1.92-5.82, respectively). Findings suggest that HIV risk behaviours shown by YMSM are significantly associated with higher risk of suicide.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN56,

title = {Health Literacy Research in Malaysia: Health Literacy and Other Aging Challenges Among Malaysian Public Employees},

author = {T. T. Su and N. H. A. Bahuri and M. A. Said},

doi = {10.3233/shti200034},

issn = {0926-9630},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Stud Health Technol Inform},

volume = {269},

pages = {212-219},

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

abstract = {This report focuses on a study that addresses the role of health literacy in the challenges surrounding aging. The study was conducted among n=533 public employees ages 40 to 60 years old in Johor state, Malaysia. The validated Malay version of World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Short-Form Health Literacy Instrument (HLS-SF12) were used to assess perceived quality of life and general health literacy respectively. The WHOQOL-BREF comprises 26 items with six outcomes and the HLS-SF12 consists 12 items. This study provides an overview of participant quality of life, which was operationalized as a precondition of active aging. The participants' preconditions related to active aging were worrisome as 28% perceived their quality of life as poor and 34% were dissatisfied with their health. More positively, health literacy was found to be a significant determinant that may enable active aging.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN50,

title = {Health Literacy, Knowledge on Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear and Its Influence on Pre-Marital Malay Muslim Women Attitude towards Pap Smear},

author = {N. N. Baharum and F. Ariffin and M. R. Isa and S. T. Tin},

doi = {10.31557/apjcp.2020.21.7.2021},

issn = {1513-7368 (Print) 

1513-7368},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Asian Pac J Cancer Prev},

volume = {21},

number = {7},

pages = {2021-2028},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is preventable. In Malaysia, women are found to have good awareness of the disease and yet, the Pap smear uptake is still poor. Measuring health literacy level could explain this discrepancy. This study aims to determine the relationship between health literacy, level of knowledge of cervical cancer and Pap smear with attitude towards Pap smear among women attending pre-marital course. METHODS: A cross sectional study was performed in three randomly selected centres that organised pre-marital courses. All Malay Muslim women participants aged 18 to 40 years old were recruited while non-Malaysian, illiterate, and had hysterectomy were excluded. Validated self-administered questionnaires used were European Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q16 Malay) and Knowledge and attitude towards Cervical Cancer and Pap Smear Questionnaire. The mean percentage score (mean± SD) was calculated, with higher scores showed better outcomes. Multiple linear regression was used to measure the relationship of independent variables with attitude towards Pap smear. RESULTS: A total of 417 participants were recruited with a mean age of 24.9 ± 3.56 years old. Prevalence of awareness of cervical cancer was 91.6% (n=382, 95% CI: 89.0%, 94.2%) and mean percentage score was 74.7%±7.6. Prevalence of awareness of Pap smear was 59.0% (n=246, 95% CI: 54.2%, 63.8%) and mean percentage score was 80.2% ± 6.5. The health literacy mean score was 13.3±3.6, with minimum score 0 and maximum score 16. The mean percentage score of attitudes towards Pap smear was 64.8%±9.3. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated significant relationship between health literacy (p=0.047) and knowledge of Pap smear (p\<0.001) with attitude towards Pap smear. CONCLUSION: A higher health literacy with high knowledge of Pap smear improves the attitude towards Pap smear. Pre-marital course is an opportunistic platform to disseminate information to improve health literacy and knowledge of cervical cancer and Pap smear screening.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN34,

title = {Health status, healthcare utilisation, and quality of life among the coastal communities in Sabah: Protocol of a population-based survey},

author = {M. Dahlui and A. Azzeri and M. A. Zain and M. I. Mohd Noor and H. Jaafar and A. Y. H. Then and J. Suhaimi and F. Kari and L. A. Creencia and J. R. Madarcos and E. Jose and L. E. Fleming and M. P. White and K. Morrissey and K. S. Fadzil and H. C. Goh},

doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000022067},

issn = {0025-7974 (Print) 

0025-7974},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Medicine (Baltimore)},

volume = {99},

number = {37},

pages = {e22067},

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

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Coastal areas in Malaysia can have important impacts on the livelihoods and health of local communities. Efforts by Malaysian government to develop and improve the landscape and ecosystem have been planned; however, the progress has been relatively slow because some of the coastal areas are remote and relatively inaccessible. Thus, these coastal communities face various challenges in health, healthcare and quality of life. This paper presents a study protocol to examine the health status, healthcare utilisation, and quality of life among the coastal communities. In addition, the relationship between the community and their coastal environment is examined. METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSIS: The population of interest is the coastal communities residing within the Tun Mustapha Park in Sabah, Malaysia. The data collection is planned for a duration of 6 months and the findings are expected by December 2020. A random cluster sampling will be conducted at three districts of Sabah. This study will collect 600 adult respondents (300 households are estimated to be collected) at age of 18 and above. The project is a cross sectional study via face-to-face interview with administered questionnaires, anthropometrics measurements and observation of the living condition performed by trained interviewers.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN13,

title = {Healthcare financing and social protection policies for migrant workers in Malaysia},

author = {T. Loganathan and Z. X. Chan and N. S. Pocock},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0243629},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {15},

number = {12},

pages = {e0243629},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: For Malaysia, a nation highly dependent on migrant labour, the large non-citizen workforce presents a unique health system challenge. Although documented migrant workers are covered by mandatory healthcare insurance (SPIKPA), financial constraints remain a major barrier for non-citizen healthcare access. Malaysia recently extended protection for migrant workers under the national social security scheme (SOCSO), previously exclusive to citizens. This study aims to evaluate healthcare financing and social security policies for migrant workers to identify policy gaps and opportunities for intervention. METHODS: A total of 37 in-depth interviews were conducted of 44 stakeholders from July 2018 to July 2019. A mixed-methods analysis combining major themes from qualitative interviews with policy document reviews was conducted. Descriptive analysis of publicly available secondary data, namely revenues collected at government healthcare facilities, was conducted to contextualise the policy review and qualitative findings. RESULTS: We found that migrant workers and employers were unaware of SPIKPA enrolment and entitlements. Higher fees for non-citizens result in delayed care-seeking. While the Malaysian government nearly doubled non-citizen healthcare fees revenues from RM 104 to 182 million (USD 26 to 45 million) between 2014 to 2018, outstanding revenues tripled from RM 16 to 50 million (USD 4 to 12 million) in the same period. SPIKPA coverage is likely inadequate in providing financial risk protection to migrant workers, especially with increased non-citizens fees at public hospitals. Undocumented workers and other migrant populations excluded from SPIKPA contribution to unpaid fees revenues are unknown. Problems described with the previous Foreign Workers Compensation Scheme (FWCS), could be partially addressed by SOCSO, in theory. Nevertheless, questions remain on the feasibility of implementing elements of SOCSO, such as recurring payments to workers and next-of-kin overseas. CONCLUSION: Malaysia is moving towards migrant inclusion with the provision of SOCSO for documented migrant workers, but more needs to be done. Here we suggest the expansion of the SPIKPA insurance scheme to include all migrant populations, while broadening its scope towards more comprehensive coverage, including essential primary care.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN14,

title = {Healthcare for migrant workers in destination countries: a comparative qualitative study of China and Malaysia},

author = {T. Loganathan and D. Rui and N. S. Pocock},

doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039800},

issn = {2044-6055},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {BMJ Open},

volume = {10},

number = {12},

pages = {e039800},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: This paper explores policies addressing migrant worker's health and barriers to healthcare access in two middle-income, destination countries in Asia with cross-border migration to Yunnan province, China and international migration to Malaysia. DESIGN: Qualitative interviews were conducted in Rui Li City and Tenchong County in Yunnan Province, China (n=23) and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (n=44), along with review of policy documents. Data were thematically analysed. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were migrant workers and key stakeholders with expertise in migrant issues including representatives from international organisations, local civil society organisations, government agencies, medical professionals, academia and trade unions. RESULTS: Migrant health policies at destination countries were predominantly protectionist, concerned with preventing transmission of communicable disease and the excessive burden on health systems. In China, foreign wives were entitled to state-provided maternal health services while female migrant workers had to pay out-of-pocket and often returned to Myanmar for deliveries. In Malaysia, immigration policies prohibit migrant workers from pregnancy, however, women do deliver at healthcare facilities. Mandatory HIV testing was imposed on migrants in both countries, where it was unclear whether and how informed consent was obtained from migrants. Migrants who did not pass mandatory health screenings in Malaysia would runaway rather than be deported and become undocumented in the process. Excessive attention on migrant workers with communicable disease control campaigns in China resulted in inadvertent stigmatisation. Language and financial barriers frustrated access to care in both countries. Reported conditions of overcrowding and inadequate healthcare access at immigration detention centres raise public health concern. CONCLUSIONS: This study's findings inform suggestions to mainstream the protection of migrant workers' health within national health policies in two middle-income destination countries, to ensure that health systems are responsive to migrants' needs as well as to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation towards ensuring better migration management.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN129,

title = {Heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cd, Ni) in aerosols emitted from electronic cigarettes sold in Malaysia},

author = {C. Y. Ting and N. A. Ahmad Sabri and L. L. Tiong and H. Zailani and L. P. Wong and N. Agha Mohammadi and L. Anchah},

doi = {10.1080/10934529.2019.1665950},

issn = {1093-4529},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

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

volume = {55},

number = {1},

pages = {55-62},

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

abstract = {While past studies have detected heavy metals in aerosols emitted from electronic cigarettes (ECIG), they have provided little information detailing the practical implications of the findings to the Malaysian population due to variations between products. The aims of this study were to analyse heavy metals of interest (HMOI) in the aerosols emitted from selected ECIG and to evaluate potential health risks by referring to the permissible daily exposure (PDE) from inhalational medications defined by the United States Pharmacopeia Chapter 232. All four HMOI were detected in aerosols emitted from the selected ECIG in Sarawak. Among the four, Cr was present at the highest median levels (6.86 ng/m(3)), followed by Ni (0.30 ng/m(3)), Pb (0.19 ng/m(3)) and Cd (0.01 ng/m(3)). Five out of 100 combinations (5%) of ECIG and ECIG liquids were found to emit Cr that exceed the recommended PDE. Future studies examining more heavy metal variants, using a larger sample size and different analytical techniques to compare various ECIGs are recommended.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN97,

title = {HPV vaccination intent and willingness to pay for 2-,4-, and 9-valent HPV vaccines: A study of adult women aged 27-45 years in China},

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

doi = {10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.02.042},

issn = {0264-410x},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Vaccine},

volume = {38},

number = {14},

pages = {3021-3030},

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

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate acceptance and willingness to pay for HPV vaccination among adult women in China. METHODS: An online survey was sent to mothers aged 27-45 years of primary school pupils in the Fujian province, China. Participants completed questions about HPV related knowledge and health beliefs, intention to take the HPV vaccine and the willingness to pay for bivalent vaccine (2vHPV), quadrivalent vaccine (4vHPV), and 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV). RESULTS: Of a total of 2339 complete responses, 58.3% reported intent to obtain HPV vaccine. Mothers who were younger in age, residing in urban, working in managerial or professional occupations, who knew someone with cervical cancer and who were able to make independent decisions about the HPV vaccine (vs. joint decision with spouse) were more likely to express intent to have HPV vaccination. Perceived barriers, cues to action and self-efficacy were three of the constructs in the health belief model that significantly influenced HPV vaccination intent. A higher proportion of participants expressed willingness to pay for 2vHPV (81.2%) and 4vHPV (75.9%), as compared to 9vHPV (67.7%). CONCLUSION: Adults women expressed moderate intention to receive the HPV vaccine. Intervention to address barriers to uptake of the HPV vaccine among adult women in China is warranted.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN112,

title = {Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccine Uptake and the Willingness to Receive the HPV Vaccination among Female College Students in China: A Multicenter Study},

author = {D. You and L. Han and L. Li and J. Hu and G. D. Zimet and H. Alias and M. Danaee and L. Cai and F. Zeng and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.3390/vaccines8010031},

issn = {2076-393X (Print) 

2076-393x},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Vaccines (Basel)},

volume = {8},

number = {1},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake and willingness to receive HPV vaccination among female college students, in China, and its associated factors. METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey of female college students across the eastern, central, and western regions of China was undertaken between April and September 2019. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine factors associated with the HPV vaccine uptake and willingness to receive the HPV vaccine. RESULTS: Among the total 4220 students who participated in this study, 11.0% reported having been vaccinated against HPV. There are direct effects of indicators of higher socioeconomic status, older age (β = 0.084 and p = 0.006), and geographical region (residing in Eastern China, β = 0.033, and p = 0.024) on HPV vaccine uptake. Higher knowledge (β = 0.062 and p \< 0.000) and perceived susceptibility (β = 0.043 and p = 0.002) were also predictors of HPV vaccine uptake. Of those who had not received the HPV vaccine, 53.5% expressed a willingness to do so. Likewise, social economic status indicators were associated with the willingness to receive the HPV vaccine. Total knowledge score (β = 0.138 and p \< 0.001), both perceived susceptibility (β = 0.092 and p \< 0.001) and perceived benefit (β = 0.088 and p \< 0.001), and sexual experience (β = 0.041 and p = 0.007) had a positive and significant direct effect on the willingness to receive the HPV vaccine, while perceived barriers (β = -0.071 and p \< 0.001) had a negative effect on the willingness to receive the HPV vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: Geographical region and socioeconomic disparities in the HPV vaccination uptake rate and willingness to receive the HPV vaccine provide valuable information for public health planning that aims to improve vaccination rates in underserved areas in China. The influence of knowledge and perceptions of HPV vaccination suggests the importance of communication for HPV immunization.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN40,

title = {Impact of a mass media campaign on breast cancer symptoms awareness and screening uptake in Malaysia: findings from a quasi-experimental study},

author = {D. Schliemann and M. N. N. Htay and M. Dahlui and D. Paramasivam and C. R. Cardwell and N. S. B. Ibrahim Tamin and S. Somasundaram and C. Donnelly and T. T. Su and M. Donnelly},

doi = {10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036503},

issn = {2044-6055},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {BMJ Open},

volume = {10},

number = {8},

pages = {e036503},

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

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a mass media campaign in terms of improving breast cancer (BC) symptoms awareness and screening uptake. DESIGN: Before-and after-study with comparator groups. SETTING: Selangor State, Malaysia. PARTICIPANTS: Malaysian women aged \>40 years (n=676) from randomly selected households. INTERVENTION: A culturally adapted mass media campaign (TV, radio, print media and social media). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary endpoint was BC symptoms awareness, which was assessed with the Breast Cancer Awareness Measure precampaign and postcampaign. Secondary outcomes included campaign reach, self-efficacy to notice BC symptoms and clinical outcomes. Clinical breast examination and mammogram screening data were collected from hospitals and clinics. RESULTS: Most participants recognised at least one of the campaign materials (65.2%). The odds of seeing the campaign were lowest for Chinese women (adjusted OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.40) compared with Malays and for women aged \>70 years (adjusted OR 0.47, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.94) compared with younger women. Participants who recognised the campaign were significantly more likely to have improved awareness postcampaign compared with non-recognisers particularly for key symptoms such as 'a lump or thickening in your breast' (88.9% vs 62.1%) and 'discharge or bleeding from nipple' (79.7% vs 55.3%). Improvement in symptoms awareness scores was not associated with sociodemographic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation in Malaysia of an evidence-based mass media campaign from the UK that was culturally adapted appeared to lead to improved awareness about some BC symptoms, though various modes of media communication and perhaps other health education approaches may be required to extend the reach to diverse, multiethnic populations and all age groups.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN64,

title = {Impact of migraine on workplace productivity and monetary loss: a study of employees in banking sector in Malaysia},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and N. Bhoo-Pathy and I. Chung and Y. C. Chong and S. Kalra and Zubs Shah},

doi = {10.1186/s10194-020-01144-z},

issn = {1129-2369 (Print) 

1129-2369},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Headache Pain},

volume = {21},

number = {1},

pages = {68},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Productivity and monetary loss due to migraine in the workplace may be substantial. This study aimed to determine the impact of migraine on productivity and monetary lost among employees in the banking sectors, in a multiethnic middle income country. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among employees in two multinational banks in Malaysia between April and July 2019. Screening for migraine was conducted using the self-administered ID-Migraine™ questionnaire. Migraine-related disability (MIDAS) and headache frequency were recorded. Impact of migraine on work productivity and activities were evaluated using the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment (WPAI) questionnaire. RESULTS: Of the 1268 employees who submitted complete responses, 47.2% (n = 598) were screened positive for migraine. Strikingly, the mean percent productivity loss at work (presenteeism) was almost 20-fold higher than the mean percent work time missed due to migraine (absenteeism) (39.1% versus 1.9%). The mean percent productivity loss in regular activity (activity impairment) and overall work productivity loss (work impairment) was 38.4% and 39.9%, respectively. It was also found that the costs related to presenteeism (MYR 5392.6) (US$1296) was 3.5-fold higher than absenteeism (MYR1,548.3) (US$370). Highest monetary loss related to presenteeism was reported in migraineurs with frequency of headache of above 3 days (MYR 25,691.2) (US$6176), whereas highest monetary loss related to absenteeism was reported in migraineurs with MIDAS grade IV (MYR 12,369.1) (US$2973). Only 30% of migraineurs of MIDAS grade IV reported taking prescribed medication. Notably, a vast majority (96%) of migraineurs who had three or lower episodes of migraine per month did not seek treatment. CONCLUSION: The significant impact of migraine on work productivity and regular activity, appears to lead to substantial monetary loss attributed to not only absenteeism, but more importantly to presenteeism. This study also highlights the unmet needs in migraine management among employees in the banking sector.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN29,

title = {Improvement of nutritional intake for the low-income urban dwellers with hypertension in Malaysia},

author = {N. A. Azizan and H. A. Majid and A. Nahar Mohamed and T. T. Su},

doi = {10.1177/2050312120960563},

issn = {2050-3121 (Print) 

2050-3121},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {SAGE Open Med},

volume = {8},

pages = {2050312120960563},

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

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To ascertain the effect of dietary practice modification and a peer-support home blood pressure monitoring program on the nutritional intake (macronutrients and micronutrients), blood pressure and biochemical profiles of hypertension patients in a low-income community setting. METHODS: This is a pre- and post-measurement intervention study conducted in low-income community housing projects in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 90 participants aged 18 years and above with hypertension received intervention. The participants were divided into small groups and received instructions on the use of home blood pressure measurement. They also attended a series of talks on dietary intake modification and exercise demonstration for the first six months (active phase). In another 6 months (maintenance phase), they received only pamphlet and SMS reminders. Their anthropometry, blood pressure, dietary, and biochemical parameter changes were measured at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months of intervention. RESULTS: Macronutrients and micronutrients showed a significant improvement at the end of 12-month dietary intervention. The energy, carbohydrate, protein, total fat, sodium, and potassium are showing significant reduction from baseline to end of the 12-month intervention. There is no significant reduction in blood pressure. Fasting blood glucose, renal sodium, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed a significant improvement, after controlling for age and reported physical activity. CONCLUSION: The intervention improved the nutritional intake and biochemical profiles of the low-income urban population with hypertension. This promising result should be replicated in a larger scale study.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN15,

title = {Income Inequality in Quality of Life among Rural Communities in Malaysia: A Case for Immediate Policy Consideration},

author = {G. Thangiah and M. A. Said and H. A. Majid and D. Reidpath and T. T. Su},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph17238731},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {17},

number = {23},

abstract = {Quality of life (QOL) is a proxy of health and social well-being. Hence, it is vital to assess QOL as it informs the strategies of policymakers to enhance the living conditions in communities. Rural areas in emerging economies are underserved in terms of modern facilities and technologies, which impact QOL. To address this, this study investigated whether income played a role in the QOL of rural residents within emerging economies using a large survey of Malaysian adults above 18 years old. The study extracted data from a sample of 18,607 respondents of a health and demographic surveillance system survey. A generalized linear model was used to estimate the impact of three income groups, the bottom 40%, middle 40% and top 20%, on perceived QOL, controlling for sociodemographic, chronic disease co-morbidities and mental health status. Results of the study showed a statistically significant association between income and the physical, psychological, social and environmental QOL domains. Using the bottom 40% as a reference category, the middle 40% and top 20% income groups showed a significant and positive association across the four domains of QOL. Hence, intervention programs are necessary to escalate the income levels of rural communities, especially the bottom 40%, to uplift perceived QOL among rural residents.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN71,

title = {Individual antecedents of workplace victimisation: The role of negative affect, personality and self-esteem in junior doctors' exposure to bullying at work},

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

doi = {10.1002/hpm.2985},

issn = {0749-6753},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Health Plann Manage},

volume = {35},

number = {5},

pages = {1065-1082},

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

abstract = {Previous studies have indicated that junior doctors commonly experience workplace bullying and that it may adversely impact medical training and delivery of quality healthcare. Yet, evidence on the precursors of bullying among them remains elusive. Drawing on the individual-disposition hypothesis, the present paper examined the relationships of negative affect, personality and self-esteem with workplace bullying among junior doctors. Multilevel analysis of a universal sample (n = 1074) of junior doctors working in the central zone of Malaysia using mixed effects logistic regression was performed. The results indicate that participants with moderate (AOR 4.40, 95% CI 2.20-8.77) and high degree (AOR 13.69, 95% CI 6.46-29.02) of negative affect as well as high degree of neuroticism (AOR 2.99, 95% CI 1.71-5.21) have higher odds of being bullied compared to their counterparts. The findings present evidence that individual traits are associated with junior doctors' exposure to bullying. While victim blaming should be avoided, this suggest that antibullying measures with an interpersonal focus should be considered when developing antibullying initiatives targeted at junior doctors. This includes primary intervention such as cognitive training, secondary interventions such as resource enhancement building and conflict management skills training, and tertiary interventions such as counselling.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN58,

title = {Influence of Mass and Social Media on Psychobehavioral Responses Among Medical Students During the Downward Trend of COVID-19 in Fujian, China: Cross-Sectional Study},

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

doi = {10.2196/19982},

issn = {1439-4456 (Print) 

1438-8871},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Med Internet Res},

volume = {22},

number = {7},

pages = {e19982},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: An extensive amount of information related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was disseminated by mass and social media in China. To date, there is limited evidence on how this infodemic may influence psychobehavioral responses to the crisis. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess the psychobehavioral responses to the COVID-19 outbreak and examine their associations with mass and social media exposure. METHODS: A cross-sectional study among medical and health sciences students from the Fujian Medical University in Fuzhou, China, was conducted between April 6-22, 2020. RESULTS: A total of 2086 completed responses were received. Multivariable analyses demonstrated that four constructs of the Health Belief Model (HBM)-higher perception of susceptibility (odds ratio [OR] 1.44; 95% CI 1.07-1.94), severity (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.10-1.59), self-efficacy (OR 1.61; 95% CI 1.21-2.15), and perceived control or intention to carry out prevention measures (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.09-1.59)-were significantly associated with a higher mass media exposure score, whereas only three constructs-higher perception of severity (OR 1.43; 95% CI 1.19-1.72), self-efficacy (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.38-2.48), and perceived control or intention to carry out prevention measures (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.08-1.58)-were significantly associated with a higher social media exposure score. Lower emotional consequences and barriers to carry out prevention measures were also significantly associated with greater mass and social media exposure. Our findings on anxiety levels revealed that 38.1% (n=795; 95% CI 36.0-40.2) of respondents reported moderate-to-severe anxiety. A lower anxiety level was significantly associated with higher mass and social media exposure in the univariable analyses; however, the associations were not significant in the multivariable analyses. CONCLUSIONS: In essence, both mass and social media are useful means of disseminating health messages and contribute to the betterment of psychobehavioral responses to COVID-19. Our findings stress the importance of the credibility of information shared through mass and social media outlets and viable strategies to counter misinformation during a pandemic.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN57,

title = {Intake of Common Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Beverages and Breast Cancer Risk among Japanese Women: Findings from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study},

author = {S. Sinnadurai and S. Okabayashi and T. Kawamura and M. Mori and N. Bhoo-Pathy and N. Aishah Taib and S. Ukawa and A. Tamakoshi and Group The Jacc Study},

doi = {10.31557/apjcp.2020.21.6.1701},

issn = {1513-7368 (Print) 

1513-7368},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Asian Pac J Cancer Prev},

volume = {21},

number = {6},

pages = {1701-1707},

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

abstract = {This study investigated the association between intake of common alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and breast cancer risk among Japanese women. This study included 33,396 Japanese women aged 40-79 years from 24 areas in Japan from the Collaborative Cohort study. During the follow-up period (≥20 years), 245 incidents or mortal breast cancers were documented. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the independent association between breast cancer risk and the intake of Japanese green tea, coffee, and alcohol. Japanese green tea was the most commonly consumed non-alcoholic beverage (81.6% of participants), followed by coffee (34.7%) and alcohol (23.6%). No significant associations were identified between the intake of green tea and coffee with breast cancer risk (odds ratio OR 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.82-1.60, and OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.64-1.10, respectively). Alcohol intake was associated with significant breast cancer risk (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.11-1.92), and even infrequent alcohol consumption (.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN145,

title = {Intake of individual fatty acids and risk of prostate cancer in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition},

author = {A. Perez-Cornago and I. Huybrechts and P. N. Appleby and J. A. Schmidt and F. L. Crowe and K. Overvad and A. Tj\onneland and T. K\"{u}hn and V. Katzke and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and E. Peppa and S. Grioni and D. Palli and C. Sacerdote and R. Tumino and H. B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and N. Larra\~{n}aga and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and J. R. Quir\'{o}s and E. Ardanaz and M. D. Chirlaque and A. Agudo and A. Bjartell and P. Wallstr\"{o}m and V. Chajes and K. K. Tsilidis and D. Aune and E. Riboli and R. C. Travis and T. J. Key},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.32233},

issn = {0020-7136 (Print) 

0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {146},

number = {1},

pages = {44-57},

abstract = {The associations of individual dietary fatty acids with prostate cancer risk have not been examined comprehensively. We examined the prospective association of individual dietary fatty acids with prostate cancer risk overall, by tumor subtypes, and prostate cancer death. 142,239 men from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition who were free from cancer at recruitment were included. Dietary intakes of individual fatty acids were estimated using center-specific validated dietary questionnaires at baseline and calibrated with 24-h recalls. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). After an average follow-up of 13.9 years, 7,036 prostate cancer cases and 936 prostate cancer deaths were ascertained. Intakes of individual fatty acids were not related to overall prostate cancer risk. There was evidence of heterogeneity in the association of some short chain saturated fatty acids with prostate cancer risk by tumor stage (p(heterogeneity) \< 0.015), with a positive association with risk of advanced stage disease for butyric acid (4:0; HR(1SD) = 1.08; 95%CI = 1.01-1.15; p-trend = 0.026). There were no associations with fatal prostate cancer, with the exception of a slightly higher risk for those who consumed more eicosenoic acid (22:1n-9c; HR(1SD) = 1.05; 1.00-1.11; p-trend = 0.048) and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3c; HR(1SD) = 1.07; 1.00-1.14; p-trend = 0.045). There was no evidence that dietary intakes of individual fatty acids were associated with overall prostate cancer risk. However, a higher intake of butyric acid might be associated with a higher risk of advanced, whereas intakes of eicosenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids might be positively associated with fatal prostate cancer risk.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN51,

title = {Investigation of the key factors that influence the girls to enter into child marriage: A meta-synthesis of qualitative evidence},

author = {A. Kohno and T. Techasrivichien and S. P. Suguimoto and M. Dahlui and N. D. Nik Farid and T. Nakayama},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0235959},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {15},

number = {7},

pages = {e0235959},

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

abstract = {In this study, we synthesized findings from qualitative studies to identify the key factors that influence child marriage. We used a meta-ethnographic approach coupled with thematic synthesis. We searched literature from nine databases, which were in English language, covering areas in public health, psychology, and social science between 2008 and 2018. Twelve studies were included in the synthesis. We identified six main themes: human insecurity and conflict; legal issues; family values and circumstances; religious beliefs; individual circumstances, beliefs, and knowledge; and social norms. Our findings highlight the impact of human insecurity and conflict, as well as legal issues. In spite of global progress scaling up legislation against child marriage, the legal framework is insufficiently enforced in many settings. Most of the included studies were from the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia. Studies from other parts of the world such as Latin America and Southeast Asia, which have the highest rates of child marriage, are needed.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN63,

title = {Knowledge, attitude and practice on dengue prevention and dengue seroprevalence in a dengue hotspot in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study},

author = {S. Selvarajoo and J. W. K. Liew and W. Tan and X. Y. Lim and W. F. Refai and R. A. Zaki and N. Sethi and W. Y. Wan Sulaiman and Y. A. L. Lim and J. Vadivelu and I. Vythilingam},

doi = {10.1038/s41598-020-66212-5},

issn = {2045-2322},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Sci Rep},

volume = {10},

number = {1},

pages = {9534},

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

abstract = {Dengue has become a global public health problem. Despite reactive efforts by the government in Malaysia, the dengue cases are on the increase. Adequate knowledge, positive attitude and correct practice for dengue control are essential to stamp out the disease. Hence, this study aims to assess the factors associated with dengue knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP), as well as the association with dengue IgM and IgG seropositivity. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a closed, dengue endemic area with multi-storey dwellings . Five hundred individuals (aged 18 years and above) were approached for pre-tested KAP and seroprevalences assessment. The study showed only half of the total participants have good knowledge (50.7%) but they had insufficient knowledge about dengue during pregnancy. 53.2% of people had poor attitude and 50.2% reported poor practice for dengue control. Out of 85 respondents who agreed to participate in the dengue seroprevalence study, 74.1% (n = 63) were positive for dengue IgG and 7.1% (n = 6) were positive for dengue IgM. Among all sociodemographic variable, race is the only independent predicator for all KAP levels (P \< 0.05). In conclusion, proactive and sustainable efforts are needed to bring a behavioural change among communities in order to fight dengue outbreaks in endemic areas.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN59,

title = {Knowledge, Attitudes, Impact, and Anxiety Regarding COVID-19 Infection Among the Public in China},

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

doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2020.00236},

issn = {2296-2565 (Print) 

2296-2565},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Front Public Health},

volume = {8},

pages = {236},

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

abstract = {Objectives: Sufficient knowledge and positive attitudes are crucial to the prevention of COVID-19. However, little is known about public awareness and attitudes regarding COVID-19 in China. The impact of COVID-19 on the societal well-being and anxiety levels of the public has never been documented. The aim of this study was to survey the knowledge, attitudes, impact, and anxiety levels of the people of China in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak. Method: A cross-sectional population survey using an online questionnaire was undertaken between Jan 24 and Feb 24, 2020. The study participants were residents of mainland China over the age of 18 years. The attitude items in this study measured the perceived threat of COVID-19 based on the Health Belief Model. Anxiety was measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), a self-reported questionnaire that measure both state (STAI-S), and trait anxiety (STAI-T) Results: A total of 2,446 completed responses were received. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the total knowledge score was 20.3 (SD ± 2.9) out of a possible score of 23. The social disruption and household economic impact were notable, particularly in provinces with higher cumulative confirmed cases. The majority of responses indicated a low perceived susceptibility of being infected (86.7% [95%CI 85.4-88.1]), with a fair proportion of respondents perceiving a higher severity (62.9% [95% CI 61.0-64.8]). The mean total impact score was 9.9 (SD ± 3.8) out of a possible score of 15. The mean score for STAI-S was 48.7 (SD ± 10.8), whereas the mean STAI-T score was 45.7 (SD ± 8.5). By demographics, women reported significantly higher odds for higher levels of both STAI-S (OR = 1.67) and STAI-T (OR = 1.30) compared to men. People of a younger age were also more likely to experience higher STAI-S and STAI-T. Higher perceived susceptibility and severity and impact were strong predictors of higher levels of STAI-S and STAI-T. Conclusion: Our findings can assist in tailoring public communication to change people's knowledge and attitudes. The present study also underlined the importance of the promotion of mental health during infectious disease outbreaks to help in moderating the perceived threat, social and household economic impact, targeting the vulnerable segment of the population.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN149,

title = {Latest Updates in Dengue Fever Therapeutics: Natural, Marine and Synthetic Drugs},

author = {S. Hosseini and R. B. Mu\~{n}oz-Soto and J. Oliva-Ram\'{i}rez and P. V\'{a}zquez-Villegas and N. Aghamohammadi and A. Rodriguez-Garcia and S. O. Martinez-Chapa},

doi = {10.2174/0929867325666180629124709},

issn = {0929-8673},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Curr Med Chem},

volume = {27},

number = {5},

pages = {719-744},

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

abstract = {In this paper, we review the history of Dengue, the mechanism of infection, the molecular characteristics and components of Dengue, the mechanism of entry to the target cells, cyclization of the genome and replication process, as well as translation of the proteins for virus assembly. The major emphasis of this work is on natural products and plant extracts, which were used for as palliative or adjuvant treatment of Dengue. This review article also summarizes the latest findings in regards to the marine products as effective drugs to target different symptoms of Dengue. Furthermore, an update on synthetic drugs for treating Dengue is provided in this review. As a novel alternative, we describe monoclonal antibody therapy for Dengue management and treatment.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN42,

title = {Low serum albumin concentration predicts the need for surgical intervention in neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis},

author = {S. P. Sharif and F. Friedmacher and A. Amin and R. A. Zaki and M. F. Hird and M. Khashu and S. R. Phelps},

doi = {10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2020.07.003},

issn = {0022-3468},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Pediatr Surg},

volume = {55},

number = {12},

pages = {2625-2629},

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

abstract = {PURPOSE: To investigate whether serum albumin (SA) concentration can predict the need for surgical intervention in neonates with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). METHODS: Retrospective review of all cases with NEC Bell's stage 2 and 3 that were treated in a single center between 2009 and 2015. Data on patient demographics, clinical parameters, laboratory findings and surgical status were recorded. Receiver operating characteristics analysis was used to evaluate optimal cutoffs and predictive values. RESULTS: Overall, 151 neonates with NEC were identified. Of these, 132 (87.4%) had confirmed NEC Bell's stage 2. The median gestational age was 28.4 (range, 23.1-39.0) weeks and 69 (52.3%) had a birth weight of ≤1000 g. Sixty-eight (51.5%) underwent surgery, showing a sustained reduction in SA over time with significantly lower median SA levels compared to 64 (48.5%) cases that responded well to medical treatment (18.3 ± 3.7 g/L vs. 26.0 ± 2.0 g/L; P \< 0.001). SA concentration of ≤20 g/L on day 2 of NEC diagnosis was a significant predictor for surgery (OR 3.41; P = 0.019) with a positive predictive value of 71.4%. CONCLUSIONS: An SA concentration of ≤20 g/L on day 2 of the NEC disease process is associated with a higher likelihood for surgical intervention in neonates with NEC Bell's stage 2. SA, in combination with other clinical parameters and serological markers, may be a useful predictive tool for surgery in NEC. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN103,

title = {Material security and adherence to antiretroviral therapy among HIV-positive people who use illicit drugs},

author = {N. A. Mohd Salleh and J. Van Draanen and E. Nosova and R. Barrios and M. J. Milloy and L. Richardson},

doi = {10.1097/qad.0000000000002501},

issn = {0269-9370 (Print) 

0269-9370},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Aids},

volume = {34},

number = {7},

pages = {1037-1045},

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

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between poverty, operationalized using a novel material security measure, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among people who use illicit drugs (PWUD) in a context of universal access to HIV care. DESIGN: We analyzed data from a community-recruited prospective cohort in Vancouver, Canada (n = 623), from 2014 to 2017. METHODS: We used multivariable generalized mixed-effects analyses to estimate longitudinal factors associated with mean material security score. We then estimated the association between achieving at least 95% adherence to ART and overall mean material score, as well as mean score for three factors derived from a factor analysis. The three-factor structure, employed in the current analyses, were factor 1 (basic needs); factor 2 (housing-related variables) and factor 3 (economic resources). RESULTS: Recent incarceration [β-coefficient (β) = -0.176, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): -0.288 to -0.063], unmet health needs [β = -0.110, 95% CI: -0.178 to -0.042), unmet social service needs (β = -0.264, 95% CI: -0.336 to -0.193) and having access to social services (β= -0.102, 95% CI: -0.1586 to -0.0465) were among the factors associated with lower material security scores. Contrary to expectations that low levels of material security in this population would lead to poor ART adherence, we did not observe a significant relationship between adherence and overall material security score, or for each factor individually. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the potentially important role of no-cost, universal access to HIV prevention and treatment, in mitigating the impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on ART adherence.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN143,

title = {Mediation analysis of the alcohol-postmenopausal breast cancer relationship by sex hormones in the EPIC cohort},

author = {N. Assi and S. Rinaldi and V. Viallon and S. G. Dashti and L. Dossus and A. Fournier and I. Cervenka and M. Kvaskoff and R. Turzanski-Fortner and M. Bergmann and H. Boeing and S. Panico and F. Ricceri and D. Palli and R. Tumino and S. Grioni and M. J. S\'{a}nchez P\'{e}rez and M. D. Chirlaque and C. Bonet and A. B. Gurrea and P. Amiano Etxezarreta and S. Merino and H. B. Bueno Mesquita and C. H. Gils and C. Onland-Moret and A. Tj\onneland and K. Overvad and A. Trichopoulou and G. Martimianaki and A. Karakatsani and T. Key and S. Christakoudi and M. Ellingjord-Dale and K. Tsilidis and E. Riboli and R. Kaaks and M. J. Gunter and P. Ferrari},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.32324},

issn = {0020-7136 (Print) 

0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {146},

number = {3},

pages = {759-768},

abstract = {Alcohol consumption is associated with higher risk of breast cancer (BC); however, the biological mechanisms underlying this association are not fully elucidated, particularly the extent to which this relationship is mediated by sex hormone levels. Circulating concentrations of estradiol, testosterone, their free fractions and sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), were examined in 430 incident BC cases and 645 matched controls among alcohol-consuming postmenopausal women nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Mediation analysis was applied to assess whether individual hormone levels mediated the relationship between alcohol intake and BC risk. An alcohol-related hormonal signature, obtained by partial least square (PLS) regression, was evaluated as a potential mediator. Total (TE), natural direct and natural indirect effects (NIE) were estimated. Alcohol intake was positively associated with overall BC risk and specifically with estrogen receptor-positive tumors with respectively TE = 1.17(95%CI: 1.01,1.35) and 1.36(1.08,1.70) for a 1-standard deviation (1-SD) increase of intake. There was no evidence of mediation by sex steroids or SHBG separately except for a weak indirect effect through free estradiol where NIE = 1.03(1.00,1.06). However, an alcohol-related hormonal signature negatively associated with SHBG and positively with estradiol and testosterone was associated with BC risk (odds ratio [OR] = 1.25 [1.07,1.47]) for a 1-SD higher PLS score, and had a statistically significant NIE accounting for a mediated proportion of 24%. There was limited evidence of mediation of the alcohol-BC association by individual sex hormones. However, a hormonal signature, reflecting lower levels of SHBG and higher levels of sex steroids, mediated a substantial proportion of the association.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN32,

title = {Mendelian Randomization Analysis of n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Levels and Pancreatic Cancer Risk},

author = {D. H. Ghoneim and J. Zhu and W. Zheng and J. Long and H. J. Murff and F. Ye and V. W. Setiawan and L. R. Wilkens and N. K. Khankari and P. Haycock and S. O. Antwi and Y. Yang and A. A. Arslan and L. E. Beane Freeman and P. M. Bracci 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 G. Scelo and K. Visvanathan and E. White and D. Albanes and P. Amiano and G. Andreotti and A. Babic and W. R. Bamlet and S. I. Berndt and L. K. Brais and P. Brennan and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and J. E. Buring and P. T. Campbell and K. G. Rabe and S. J. Chanock and P. Duggal and C. S. Fuchs and J. M. Gaziano and M. G. Goggins and T. Hackert and M. M. Hassan and K. J. Helzlsouer and E. A. Holly and R. N. Hoover and V. Katske and R. C. Kurtz and I. M. Lee and N. Malats and R. L. Milne and N. Murphy and A. L. Oberg and M. Porta and N. Rothman and H. D. Sesso and D. T. Silverman and Jr. I. M. Thompson and J. Wactawski-Wende and X. Wang and N. Wentzensen and H. Yu and A. Zeleniuch-Jacquotte and K. Yu and B. M. Wolpin and E. J. Jacobs and E. J. Duell and H. A. Risch and G. M. Petersen and L. T. Amundadottir and P. Kraft and A. P. Klein and R. Z. Stolzenberg-Solomon and X. O. Shu and L. Wu},

doi = {10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-20-0651},

issn = {1055-9965 (Print) 

1055-9965},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev},

volume = {29},

number = {12},

pages = {2735-2739},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Whether circulating polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels are associated with pancreatic cancer risk is uncertain. Mendelian randomization (MR) represents a study design using genetic instruments to better characterize the relationship between exposure and outcome. METHODS: We utilized data from genome-wide association studies within the Pancreatic Cancer Cohort Consortium and Pancreatic Cancer Case-Control Consortium, involving approximately 9,269 cases and 12,530 controls of European descent, to evaluate associations between pancreatic cancer risk and genetically predicted plasma n-6 PUFA levels. Conventional MR analyses were performed using individual-level and summary-level data. RESULTS: Using genetic instruments, we did not find evidence of associations between genetically predicted plasma n-6 PUFA levels and pancreatic cancer risk [estimates per one SD increase in each PUFA-specific weighted genetic score using summary statistics: linoleic acid odds ratio (OR) = 1.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.98-1.02; arachidonic acid OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.99-1.01; and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.87-1.02]. The OR estimates remained virtually unchanged after adjustment for covariates, using individual-level data or summary statistics, or stratification by age and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that variations of genetically determined plasma n-6 PUFA levels are not associated with pancreatic cancer risk. IMPACT: These results suggest that modifying n-6 PUFA levels through food sources or supplementation may not influence risk of pancreatic cancer.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN72,

title = {Menstrual Factors, Reproductive History, Hormone Use, and Urothelial Carcinoma Risk: A Prospective Study in the EPIC Cohort},

author = {L. Lujan-Barroso and E. Botteri and S. Caini and B. Ljungberg and N. Roswall and A. Tj\onneland and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and I. T. Gram and R. Tumino and L. A. Kiemeney and F. Liedberg and T. Stocks and M. J. Gunter and N. Murphy and I. Cervenka and A. Fournier and M. Kvaskoff and C. H\"{a}ggstr\"{o}m and K. Overvad and E. Lund and M. Waaseth and R. T. Fortner and T. K\"{u}hn and V. Men\'{e}ndez and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and C. Santiuste and A. Perez-Cornago and R. Zamora-Ros and A. J. Cross and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and E. Peppa and D. Palli and V. Krogh and V. Sciannameo and A. Mattiello and S. Panico and C. H. Gils and N. C. Onland-Moret and A. Barricarte and P. Amiano and K. T. Khaw and H. Boeing and E. Weiderpass and E. J. Duell},

doi = {10.1158/1055-9965.Epi-20-0184},

issn = {1055-9965},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev},

volume = {29},

number = {8},

pages = {1654-1664},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Urothelial carcinoma is the predominant (95%) bladder cancer subtype in industrialized nations. Animal and epidemiologic human studies suggest that hormonal factors may influence urothelial carcinoma risk. METHODS: We used an analytic cohort of 333,919 women from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition Cohort. Associations between hormonal factors and incident urothelial carcinoma (overall and by tumor grade, tumor aggressiveness, and non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma) risk were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: During a mean of 15 years of follow-up, 529 women developed urothelial carcinoma. In a model including number of full-term pregnancies (FTP), menopausal status, and menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), number of FTP was inversely associated with urothelial carcinoma risk (HR(≥5vs1) = 0.48; 0.25-0.90; P (trend) in parous women = 0.010) and MHT use (compared with nonuse) was positively associated with urothelial carcinoma risk (HR = 1.27; 1.03-1.57), but no dose response by years of MHT use was observed. No modification of HRs by smoking status was observed. Finally, sensitivity analyses in never smokers showed similar HR patterns for the number of FTP, while no association between MHT use and urothelial carcinoma risk was observed. Association between MHT use and urothelial carcinoma risk remained significant only in current smokers. No heterogeneity of the risk estimations in the final model was observed by tumor aggressiveness or by tumor grade. A positive association between MTH use and non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma risk was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support that increasing the number of FTP may reduce urothelial carcinoma risk. IMPACT: More detailed studies on parity are needed to understand the possible effects of perinatal hormone changes in urothelial cells.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN21,

title = {Meta-synthesis of Qualitative Research of Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Adherence Among Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM)},

author = {S. Z. Ching and L. P. Wong and M. A. B. Said and S. H. Lim},

doi = {10.1521/aeap.2020.32.5.416},

issn = {0899-9546},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {AIDS Educ Prev},

volume = {32},

number = {5},

pages = {416-431},

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

abstract = {The aim of the study was to consolidate evidence on barriers and facilitators to PrEP adherence among men who have sex with men. PubMed, Science Direct, and EBSCO host were utilized to search for relevant articles. Six articles from PubMed, published between 2010 and 2018, were reviewed. Thematic analysis was employed to synthesize findings. At the individual level, HIV susceptibility, knowledge of PrEP, and individual lifestyle affected PrEP adherence. At the organizational level, cost of PrEP and quality of PrEP services influenced adherence to PrEP. At the societal level, social stigma, financial assistance or medical insurance, and family and peer support were determinants of PrEP adherence. Facilitators included perceived high risk of HIV infection and payment assistance, while barriers included social stigma and high cost of PrEP. Social stigma and structural level factors such as payment assistance and cost of PrEP need to be examined to ensure optimal adherence to PrEP.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN49,

title = {Migrant Women's Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study},

author = {T. Loganathan and Z. X. Chan and A. W. Smalen and N. S. Pocock},

doi = {10.3390/ijerph17155376},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {17},

number = {15},

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

abstract = {Providing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to migrant workers is key to fulfilling sustainable developmental goals. This study aims to explore key informants' views on the provision of SRH services for migrant women in Malaysia, exploring the provision of SRH education, contraception, abortion, antenatal and delivery, as well as the management of gender-based violence. In-depth interviews of 44 stakeholders were conducted from July 2018 to July 2019. Data were thematically analysed. Migrant workers that fall pregnant are unable to work legally and are subject to deportation. Despite this, we found that insufficient SRH information and contraceptive access are provided, as these are seen to encourage promiscuity. Pregnancy, rather than sexually transmitted infection prevention, is a core concern among migrant women, the latter of which is not adequately addressed by private providers. Abortions are often seen as the only option for pregnant migrants. Unsafe abortions occur which are linked to financial constraints and cultural disapproval, despite surgical abortions being legal in Malaysia. Pregnant migrants often delay care-seeking, and this may explain poor obstetric outcomes. Although health facilities for gender-based violence are available, non-citizen women face additional barriers in terms of discrimination and scrutiny by authorities. Migrant women face extremely limited options for SRH services in Malaysia and these should be expanded.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN6,

title = {Motivations and built environment factors associated with campus walkability in the tropical settings},

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

doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141457},

issn = {0048-9697},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Sci Total Environ},

volume = {749},

pages = {141457},

abstract = {Recognizing and mainstreaming pertinent walkability elements into the university campus planning is crucial to materialise green mandates of the campus, while enhancing social and economic sustainability. In one of such attempts, this transverse study investigated the walking motivations, built environment factors associated with campus walkability and the relative importance of the studied built environment factors in reference to the sociodemographic attributes from the viewpoint of the campus community in a tropical university campus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. An online survey using a structured questionnaire was conducted between May and September 2019. The built environment factors associated with campus walkability were expressed and ranked as adjusted scores (AS). Meanwhile, multivariable logistic regression was deployed to examine the relative importance of the studied built environment factors in reference to the sociodemographic attributes of the campus community. Among 504 total responses acquired, proximity between complementary land uses (90.7%) was reported as the main motivation for walking. On the other hand, street connectivity and accessibility (AS: 97.62%) was described as the most opted built environment factor, followed by land use (AS: 96.76%), pedestrian infrastructure (AS: 94.25%), walking experience (AS: 87.07%), traffic safety (AS: 85.28%) and campus neighbourhood (AS: 59.62%), respectively. Among the sociodemographic attributes, no regular monthly income (OR = 3.162; 95% CI = 1.165-8.379; p \< 0.05) and willingness to walk more than 60 min inside the campus per day (OR = 0.418; 95% CI = 0.243-0.720; p \< 0.05) were significantly associated with the expression of higher importance towards the reported built environment factors in the multivariate analysis. In brief, the findings of this study were envisaged to elicit valuable empirical evidence for informed interventions and strengthening campus sustainable mobility policies.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN89,

title = {Moving towards culturally competent health systems for migrants? Applying systems thinking in a qualitative study in Malaysia and Thailand},

author = {N. S. Pocock and Z. Chan and T. Loganathan and R. Suphanchaimat and H. Kosiyaporn and P. Allotey and W. K. Chan and D. Tan},

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0231154},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {15},

number = {4},

pages = {e0231154},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Cultural competency describes interventions that aim to improve accessibility and effectiveness of health services for people from ethnic minority backgrounds. Interventions include interpreter services, migrant peer educators and health worker training to provide culturally competent care. Very few studies have focussed on cultural competency for migrant service use in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). Migrants and refugees in Thailand and Malaysia report difficulties in accessing health systems and discrimination by service providers. In this paper we describe stakeholder perceptions of migrants' and health workers' language and cultural competency, and how this affects migrant workers' health, especially in Malaysia where an interpreter system has not yet been formalised. METHOD: We conducted in-depth interviews with stakeholders in Malaysia (N = 44) and Thailand (N = 50), alongside policy document review in both countries. Data were analysed thematically. Results informed development of Systems Thinking diagrams hypothesizing potential intervention points to improve cultural competency, namely via addressing language barriers. RESULTS: Language ability was a core tenet of cultural competency as described by participants in both countries. Malay was perceived to be an easy language that migrants could learn quickly, with perceived proficiency differing by source country and length of stay in Malaysia. Language barriers were a source of frustration for both migrants and health workers, which compounded communication of complex conditions including mental health as well as obtaining informed consent from migrant patients. Health workers in Malaysia used strategies including google translate and hand gestures to communicate, while migrant patients were encouraged to bring friends to act as informal interpreters during consultations. Current health services are not migrant friendly, which deters use. Concerns around overuse of services by non-citizens among the domestic population may partly explain the lack of policy support for cultural competency in Malaysia. Service provision for migrants in Thailand was more culturally sensitive as formal interpreters, known as Migrant Health Workers (MHW), could be hired in public facilities, as well as Migrant Health Volunteers (MHV) who provide basic health education in communities. CONCLUSION: Perceptions of overuse by migrants in a health system acts as a barrier against system or institutional level improvements for cultural competency, in an already stretched health system. At the micro-level, language interventions with migrant workers appear to be the most feasible leverage point but raises the question of who should bear responsibility for cost and provision-employers, the government, or migrants themselves.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN74,

title = {Multidimensional social and cultural norms influencing HPV vaccine hesitancy in Asia},

author = {L. P. Wong and P. F. Wong and Mmaa Megat Hashim and L. Han and Y. Lin and Z. Hu and Q. Zhao and G. D. Zimet},

doi = {10.1080/21645515.2020.1756670},

issn = {2164-5515 (Print) 

2164-5515},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Hum Vaccin Immunother},

volume = {16},

number = {7},

pages = {1611-1622},

abstract = {HPV vaccine hesitancy in Asia is unique compared to Western countries due to multidimensional social-cultural norms that influence beliefs regarding vaccination. Reviews on HPV vaccine hesitancy in Asia lack of in-depth discussion regarding the traditional and social-cultural norms dimensions. This paper puts forward opinions in which culture, normative beliefs, and religion influence HPV vaccine hesitancy in Asian countries. Issues surrounding HPV hesitancy among parents, young adult women, adult women, men and the sexual and gender minority people in Asian countries were highlighted. The shortage of HPV vaccine supply would soon be reduced as some Asian countries are on the way to producing the HPV vaccine which production is currently dominated by Western European countries. The culture of favoring imported Western products among many in Asia and in addition to long-existing fake vaccine crisis pose a challenge for the newly emerging HPV vaccine produced in Asia. Some recommendations, research gaps, and future research needs were discussed.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN33,

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  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Nurs Crit Care},

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

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.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN114,

title = {Nutrient-wide association study of 92 foods and nutrients and breast cancer risk},

author = {A. K. Heath and D. C. Muller and P. A. Brandt and N. Papadimitriou and E. Critselis and M. Gunter and P. Vineis and E. Weiderpass and G. Fagherazzi and H. Boeing and P. Ferrari and A. Olsen and A. Tj\onneland and P. Arveux and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and F. R. Mancini and T. K\"{u}hn and R. Turzanski-Fortner and M. B. Schulze and A. Karakatsani and P. Thriskos and A. Trichopoulou and G. Masala and P. Contiero and F. Ricceri and S. Panico and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and M. F. Bakker and C. H. Gils and K. S. Olsen and G. Skeie and C. Lasheras and A. Agudo and M. Rodr\'{i}guez-Barranco and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and P. Amiano and M. D. Chirlaque and A. Barricarte and I. Drake and U. Ericson and I. Johansson and A. Winkvist and T. Key and H. Freisling and M. His and I. Huybrechts and S. Christakoudi and M. Ellingjord-Dale and E. Riboli and K. K. Tsilidis and I. Tzoulaki},

doi = {10.1186/s13058-019-1244-7},

issn = {1465-5411 (Print) 

1465-5411},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Breast Cancer Res},

volume = {22},

number = {1},

pages = {5},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Several dietary factors have been reported to be associated with risk of breast cancer, but to date, unequivocal evidence only exists for alcohol consumption. We sought to systematically assess the association between intake of 92 foods and nutrients and breast cancer risk using a nutrient-wide association study. METHODS: Using data from 272,098 women participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study, we assessed dietary intake of 92 foods and nutrients estimated by dietary questionnaires. Cox regression was used to quantify the association between each food/nutrient and risk of breast cancer. A false discovery rate (FDR) of 0.05 was used to select the set of foods and nutrients to be replicated in the independent Netherlands Cohort Study (NLCS). RESULTS: Six foods and nutrients were identified as associated with risk of breast cancer in the EPIC study (10,979 cases). Higher intake of alcohol overall was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer (hazard ratio (HR) for a 1 SD increment in intake = 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.07), as was beer/cider intake and wine intake (HRs per 1 SD increment = 1.05, 95% CI 1.03-1.06 and 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, respectively), whereas higher intakes of fibre, apple/pear, and carbohydrates were associated with a lower risk of breast cancer (HRs per 1 SD increment = 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.98; 0.96, 95% CI 0.94-0.99; and 0.96, 95% CI 0.95-0.98, respectively). When evaluated in the NLCS (2368 cases), estimates for each of these foods and nutrients were similar in magnitude and direction, with the exception of beer/cider intake, which was not associated with risk in the NLCS. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm a positive association of alcohol consumption and suggest an inverse association of dietary fibre and possibly fruit intake with breast cancer risk.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN30,

title = {Oncological safety and postoperative complications in oncoplastic breast surgery among Asian women: A single institutional review},

author = {L. Y. Teoh and L. L. Lai and A. Hanim Aa and M. S. Teh and S. Jamaris and A. Yahya and K. H. Ng and M. H. See},

doi = {10.1111/tbj.14060},

issn = {1075-122x},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Breast J},

volume = {26},

number = {11},

pages = {2208-2212},

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

abstract = {Oncoplastic breast surgery (OBS) improves margin clearance and produces good esthetic outcome in breast cancer treatment. This study evaluates the complications and outcome of OBS in a multiracial patient cohort. Data of 421 patients between 2011 and 2018 were analyzed. The majority were Malays (41.8%), followed by Chinese (39.7%) and Indians (16.8%). Low local complications were noted, with no significant differences in disease-free survival (P = .927) and overall survival (P = .719) between low and high OBS levels. Shared decision-making in offering OBS for Asian women has potential to become a practical option in breast cancer treatment.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN125,

title = {Online STI information seeking behaviour and condom use intentions among young Facebook users in Malaysia},

author = {S. M. Mohamad Shakir and L. P. Wong and K. Lim Abdullah and P. Adam},

doi = {10.1093/heapro/daz108},

issn = {0957-4824},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Health Promot Int},

volume = {35},

number = {5},

pages = {1116-1124},

abstract = {The Internet has opened pathways for youth to find sexual health information which was not easily available to them in the past. Studies have shown that seeking sexual health information online may potentially influence an individuals' decision-making to change their sexual health behaviours. However, there is a gap in research on the associations of seeking online sexually transmitted infection (STI) information with STI prevention among young people, particularly in Malaysia. This study investigated the associations of seeking STI information online with the intentions of condom use among young adult online users in Malaysia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among Malaysian youth aged 18-25 years old who were recruited through Facebook. In total, 1530 respondents completed the survey, identifying 874 respondents who had sought STI information online. The majority of respondents had intentions to use condoms as protection against STI. Respondents who sought online STI information were significantly more likely to have the intention to use condoms compared to respondents who did not seek online STI information (OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.01-1.76},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN126,

title = {Organisational antecedents of workplace victimisation: The role of organisational climate, culture, leadership, support, and justice in predicting junior doctors' exposure to bullying at work},

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

doi = {10.1002/hpm.2926},

issn = {0749-6753},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Health Plann Manage},

volume = {35},

number = {1},

pages = {346-367},

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

abstract = {Workplace bullying is a pervasive phenomenon among junior doctors that may negatively impact their training and abilities to deliver quality healthcare, yet evidence on the factors of bullying among them remains lacking. This study examined the role of organisational climate, culture, leadership, support, and justice in junior doctors' exposure to workplace bullying on the basis of the work environment hypothesis, which suggests that workplace psychosocial factors are the main antecedents of bullying at work. Multilevel analysis of a universal sample (n = 1074) of junior doctors working in the central zone of Malaysia, using mixed effects logistic regression, was conducted. Analysis indicates that junior doctors working in departments with neutral and positive organisational climate, moderate and high degree of clan culture, moderate and high degree of adhocracy culture, moderate degree of hierarchy culture, moderate degree of production and achievement-oriented leadership style, moderate and high degree of organisational support, moderate degree of procedural justice, moderate and high degree of interactional justice, and high degree of distributive justice have lower odds of bullying compared with their counterparts. The results present evidence that all aspects of the organisation influence junior doctors' exposure to bullying and should be considered when developing antibullying initiatives targeted at them.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN134,

title = {Outcome and presentation of heart failure in breast cancer patients: findings from a Swedish register-based study},

author = {E. Hedayati and A. Papakonstantinou and S. A. M. Gernaat and R. Altena and J. S. Brand and J. Alfredsson and N. Bhoo-Pathy and J. Herrmann and C. Linde and U. Dahlstrom and J. Bergh and L. Hubbert},

doi = {10.1093/ehjqcco/qcz039},

issn = {2058-5225 (Print) 

2058-1742},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Eur Heart J Qual Care Clin Outcomes},

volume = {6},

number = {2},

pages = {147-155},

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

abstract = {AIMS: Heart failure (HF) patients diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) may have a higher risk of death, and different HF presentation and treatment than patients without BC. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 14 998 women with incident HF (iHF) or prevalent HF (pHF) enrolled in the Swedish HF Registry within and after 1 month since HF diagnosis, respectively, between 2008 and 2013. Patients were linked with the National Patient-, Cancer-, and Cause-of-Death Registry. Two hundred and ninety-four iHF and 338 pHF patients with BC were age-matched to 1470 iHF and 1690 pHF patients without BC. Comorbidity and treatment characteristics were compared using the χ2 tests for categories. Cox proportional hazard models assessed the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among HF patients with and without BC. In the pHF group, BC patients had less often myocardial infarction (21.6% vs. 28.6%, P \< 0.01) and received less often aspirin (47.6% vs. 55.1%},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN144,

title = {Patterns in metabolite profile are associated with risk of more aggressive prostate cancer: A prospective study of 3,057 matched case-control sets from EPIC},

author = {J. A. Schmidt and G. K. Fensom and S. Rinaldi and A. Scalbert and P. N. Appleby and D. Achaintre and A. Gicquiau and M. J. Gunter and P. Ferrari and R. Kaaks and T. K\"{u}hn and H. Boeing and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and E. Peppa and D. Palli and S. Sieri and R. Tumino and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and A. Agudo and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and M. D. Chirlaque and E. Ardanaz and N. Larra\~{n}aga and A. Perez-Cornago and N. Assi and E. Riboli and K. K. Tsilidis and T. J. Key and R. C. Travis},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.32314},

issn = {0020-7136 (Print) 

0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {146},

number = {3},

pages = {720-730},

abstract = {Metabolomics may reveal novel insights into the etiology of prostate cancer, for which few risk factors are established. We investigated the association between patterns in baseline plasma metabolite profile and subsequent prostate cancer risk, using data from 3,057 matched case-control sets from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). We measured 119 metabolite concentrations in plasma samples, collected on average 9.4 years before diagnosis, by mass spectrometry (AbsoluteIDQ p180 Kit, Biocrates Life Sciences AG). Metabolite patterns were identified using treelet transform, a statistical method for identification of groups of correlated metabolites. Associations of metabolite patterns with prostate cancer risk (OR(1SD) ) were estimated by conditional logistic regression. Supplementary analyses were conducted for metabolite patterns derived using principal component analysis and for individual metabolites. Men with metabolite profiles characterized by higher concentrations of either phosphatidylcholines or hydroxysphingomyelins (OR(1SD) = 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.66-0.89), acylcarnitines C18:1 and C18:2, glutamate, ornithine and taurine (OR(1SD) = 0.72, 0.57-0.90), or lysophosphatidylcholines (OR(1SD) = 0.81, 0.69-0.95) had lower risk of advanced stage prostate cancer at diagnosis, with no evidence of heterogeneity by follow-up time. Similar associations were observed for the two former patterns with aggressive disease risk (the more aggressive subset of advanced stage), while the latter pattern was inversely related to risk of prostate cancer death (OR(1SD) = 0.77, 0.61-0.96). No associations were observed for prostate cancer overall or less aggressive tumor subtypes. In conclusion, metabolite patterns may be related to lower risk of more aggressive prostate tumors and prostate cancer death, and might be relevant to etiology of advanced stage prostate cancer.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN109,

title = {Physical activity and risks of breast and colorectal cancer: a Mendelian randomisation analysis},

author = {N. Papadimitriou and N. Dimou and K. K. Tsilidis and B. Banbury and R. M. Martin and S. J. Lewis and N. Kazmi and T. M. Robinson and D. Albanes and K. Aleksandrova and S. I. Berndt and D. Timothy Bishop and H. Brenner and D. D. Buchanan and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and P. T. Campbell and S. Castellv\'{i}-Bel and A. T. Chan and J. Chang-Claude and M. Ellingjord-Dale and J. C. Figueiredo and S. J. Gallinger and G. G. Giles and E. Giovannucci and S. B. Gruber and A. Gsur and J. Hampe and H. Hampel and S. Harlid and T. A. Harrison and M. Hoffmeister and J. L. Hopper and L. Hsu and J. Mar\'{i}a Huerta and J. R. Huyghe and M. A. Jenkins and T. O. Keku and T. K\"{u}hn and C. La Vecchia and L. Le Marchand and C. I. Li and L. Li and A. Lindblom and N. M. Lindor and B. Lynch and S. D. Markowitz and G. Masala and A. M. May and R. Milne and E. Monninkhof and L. Moreno and V. Moreno and P. A. Newcomb and K. Offit and V. Perduca and P. D. P. Pharoah and E. A. Platz and J. D. Potter and G. Rennert and E. Riboli and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and S. L. Schmit and R. E. Schoen and G. Severi and S. Sieri and M. L. Slattery and M. Song and C. M. Tangen and S. N. Thibodeau and R. C. Travis and A. Trichopoulou and C. M. Ulrich and F. J. B. Duijnhoven and B. Van Guelpen and P. Vodicka and E. White and A. Wolk and M. O. Woods and A. H. Wu and U. Peters and M. J. Gunter and N. Murphy},

doi = {10.1038/s41467-020-14389-8},

issn = {2041-1723},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Nat Commun},

volume = {11},

number = {1},

pages = {597},

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

abstract = {Physical activity has been associated with lower risks of breast and colorectal cancer in epidemiological studies; however, it is unknown if these associations are causal or confounded. In two-sample Mendelian randomisation analyses, using summary genetic data from the UK Biobank and GWA consortia, we found that a one standard deviation increment in average acceleration was associated with lower risks of breast cancer (odds ratio [OR]: 0.51, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.27 to 0.98},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN133,

title = {Polyphenol intake and differentiated thyroid cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort},

author = {R. Zamora-Ros and V. Cayssials and S. Franceschi and C. Kyr\o and E. Weiderpass and J. Hennings and M. Sandstr\"{o}m and A. Tj\onneland and A. Olsen and K. Overvad and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and T. Truong and F. R. Mancini and V. Katzke and T. K\"{u}hn and H. Boeing and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and G. Martimianaki and D. Palli and V. Krogh and S. Panico and R. Tumino and C. Sacerdote and C. Lasheras and M. Rodr\'{i}guez-Barranco and P. Amiano and S. M. Colorado-Yohar and E. Ardanaz and M. Almquist and U. Ericson and H. B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and R. Vermeulen and J. A. Schmidt and G. Byrnes and A. Scalbert and A. Agudo and S. Rinaldi},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.32589},

issn = {0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {146},

number = {7},

pages = {1841-1850},

abstract = {Polyphenols are bioactive compounds with several anticarcinogenic activities; however, human data regarding associations with thyroid cancer (TC) is still negligible. Our aim was to evaluate the association between intakes of total, classes and subclasses of polyphenols and risk of differentiated TC and its main subtypes, papillary and follicular, in a European population. The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort included 476,108 men and women from 10 European countries. During a mean follow-up of 14 years, there were 748 incident differentiated TC cases, including 601 papillary and 109 follicular tumors. Polyphenol intake was estimated at baseline using validated center/country-specific dietary questionnaires and the Phenol-Explorer database. In multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models, no association between total polyphenol and the risks of overall differentiated TC (HR(Q4 vs. Q1) = 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-1.29), papillary (HR(Q4 vs. Q1) = 1.06, 95% CI 0.80-1.41) or follicular TC (HR(Q4 vs. Q1) = 1.10, 95% CI 0.55-2.22) were found. No associations were observed either for flavonoids, phenolic acids or the rest of classes and subclasses of polyphenols. After stratification by body mass index (BMI), an inverse association between the intake of polyphenols (p-trend = 0.019) and phenolic acids (p-trend = 0.007) and differentiated TC risk in subjects with BMI ≥ 25 was observed. In conclusion, our study showed no associations between dietary polyphenol intake and differentiated TC risk; although further studies are warranted to investigate the potential protective associations in overweight and obese individuals.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN108,

title = {Post-traumatic brain injury olfactory dysfunction: factors influencing quality of life},

author = {F. Ahmedy and M. Mazlan and M. Danaee and M. Z. Abu Bakar},

doi = {10.1007/s00405-020-05823-0},

issn = {0937-4477},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol},

volume = {277},

number = {5},

pages = {1343-1351},

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

abstract = {PURPOSE: To evaluate if and how post-traumatic brain injury (TBI) olfactory dysfunction affects the quality of life (QoL). METHODS: In this case-control observational study, 32 adults with post-TBI olfactory dysfunction (cases) were matched with 32 TBI patients with intact olfactory function (controls). All subjects self-rated their olfactory function using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Cases also underwent objective olfactory function assessment with the Sniffin' Sticks test, which generated a Threshold, Discrimination, and Identification (TDI) score. QoL was assessed with the Questionnaire for Olfactory Disorders (QOD). Factors evaluated included age, gender, smoking, TBI severity and duration, lesion localisation, and Disability Rating Scale (DRS) score. RESULTS: Cases had a higher mean QOD score than controls at 26.31 ± 14.37 and 9.44 ± 8.30, respectively (F = 16.426, p \< 0.001, η(2) = 0.224). The effect size was large (d = 1.07) with an odds ratio of 7.02. The features of QoL most affected were perception of smell changes, adapting to smell changes, and fear of hazardous substance exposure. DRS score and severity of olfactory dysfunction significantly affected QoL (p \< 0.05). CONCLUSION: Post-TBI olfactory dysfunction significantly lowered QoL and increased the likelihood of having a low QoL relative to TBI alone.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN131,

title = {Prediagnostic Plasma Bile Acid Levels and Colon Cancer Risk: A Prospective Study},

author = {T. K\"{u}hn and M. Stepien and M. L\'{o}pez-Nogueroles and A. Damms-Machado and D. Sookthai and T. Johnson and M. Roca and A. H\"{u}sing and S. G. Maldonado and A. J. Cross and N. Murphy and H. Freisling and S. Rinaldi and A. Scalbert and V. Fedirko and G. Severi and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and F. R. Mancini and S. A. Sowah and H. Boeing and P. Jakszyn and M. J. S\'{a}nchez and S. Merino and S. Colorado-Yohar and A. Barricarte and K. T. Khaw and J. A. Schmidt and A. Perez-Cornago and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and P. Thriskos and D. Palli and C. Agnoli and R. Tumino and C. Sacerdote and S. Panico and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and C. H. Gils and A. K. Heath and M. J. Gunter and E. Riboli and A. Lahoz and M. Jenab and R. Kaaks},

doi = {10.1093/jnci/djz166},

issn = {0027-8874 (Print) 

0027-8874},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Natl Cancer Inst},

volume = {112},

number = {5},

pages = {516-524},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Bile acids have been proposed to promote colon carcinogenesis. However, there are limited prospective data on circulating bile acid levels and colon cancer risk in humans. METHODS: Associations between prediagnostic plasma levels of 17 primary, secondary, and tertiary bile acid metabolites (conjugated and unconjugated) and colon cancer risk were evaluated in a nested case-control study within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort. Bile acid levels were quantified by tandem mass spectrometry in samples from 569 incident colon cancer cases and 569 matched controls. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for colon cancer risk across quartiles of bile acid concentrations. RESULTS: Positive associations were observed between colon cancer risk and plasma levels of seven conjugated bile acid metabolites: the primary bile acids glycocholic acid (ORquartile 4 vs quartile 1= 2.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.52 to 3.26), taurocholic acid (OR = 1.78, 95% CI = 1.23 to 2.58), glycochenodeoxycholic acid (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.13 to 2.48), taurochenodeoxycholic acid (OR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.11 to 2.36), and glycohyocholic acid (OR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.13 to 2.40), and the secondary bile acids glycodeoxycholic acid (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.12 to 2.54) and taurodeoxycholic acid (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.02 to 2.31). By contrast, unconjugated bile acids and tertiary bile acids were not associated with risk. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study showed that prediagnostic levels of certain conjugated primary and secondary bile acids were positively associated with risk of colon cancer. Our findings support experimental data to suggest that a high bile acid load is colon cancer promotive.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN127,

title = {Predicted basal metabolic rate and cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition},

author = {N. Kliemann and N. Murphy and V. Viallon and H. Freisling and K. K. Tsilidis and S. Rinaldi and F. R. Mancini and G. Fagherazzi and M. C. Boutron-Ruault and H. Boeing and M. B. Schulze and G. Masala and V. Krogh and C. Sacerdote and M. S. Magistris and B. Bueno-de-Mesquita and E. Weiderpass and T. K\"{u}hn and R. Kaaks and P. Jakszyn and D. Redondo-S\'{a}nchez and P. Amiano and M. D. Chirlaque and A. B. Gurrea and U. Ericson and I. Drake and T. H. N\ost and D. Aune and A. M. May and A. Tj\onneland and C. C. Dahm and K. Overvad and R. Tumino and J. R. Quir\'{o}s and A. Trichopoulou and A. Karakatsani and C. La Vecchia and L. M. Nilsson and E. Riboli and I. Huybrechts and M. J. Gunter},

doi = {10.1002/ijc.32753},

issn = {0020-7136},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Cancer},

volume = {147},

number = {3},

pages = {648-661},

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

abstract = {Emerging evidence suggests that a metabolic profile associated with obesity may be a more relevant risk factor for some cancers than adiposity per se. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is an indicator of overall body metabolism and may be a proxy for the impact of a specific metabolic profile on cancer risk. Therefore, we investigated the association of predicted BMR with incidence of 13 obesity-related cancers in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). BMR at baseline was calculated using the WHO/FAO/UNU equations and the relationships between BMR and cancer risk were investigated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models. A total of 141,295 men and 317,613 women, with a mean follow-up of 14 years were included in the analysis. Overall, higher BMR was associated with a greater risk for most cancers that have been linked with obesity. However, among normal weight participants, higher BMR was associated with elevated risks of esophageal adenocarcinoma (hazard ratio per 1-standard deviation change in BMR [HR(1-SD) ]: 2.46; 95% CI 1.20; 5.03) and distal colon cancer (HR(1-SD) : 1.33; 95% CI 1.001; 1.77) among men and with proximal colon (HR(1-SD) : 1.16; 95% CI 1.01; 1.35), pancreatic (HR(1-SD) : 1.37; 95% CI 1.13; 1.66), thyroid (HR(1-SD) : 1.65; 95% CI 1.33; 2.05), postmenopausal breast (HR(1-SD) : 1.17; 95% CI 1.11; 1.22) and endometrial (HR(1-SD) : 1.20; 95% CI 1.03; 1.40) cancers in women. These results indicate that higher BMR may be an indicator of a metabolic phenotype associated with risk of certain cancer types, and may be a useful predictor of cancer risk independent of body fatness.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN66,

title = {Prediction of the Influential Factors on Eating Behaviors: A Hybrid Model of Structural Equation Modelling-Artificial Neural Networks},

author = {M. M. Kheirollahpour and M. M. Danaee and Afaf Merican and Aaaa Shariff},

doi = {10.1155/2020/4194293},

issn = {2356-6140 (Print) 

1537-744x},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {ScientificWorldJournal},

volume = {2020},

pages = {4194293},

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

abstract = {The importance of eating behavior risk factors in the primary prevention of obesity has been established. Researchers mostly use the linear model to determine associations among these risk factors. However, in reality, the presence of nonlinearity among these factors causes a bias in the prediction models. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of a hybrid model to predict the eating behaviors. The hybrid model of structural equation modelling (SEM) and artificial neural networks (ANN) was applied to evaluate the prediction model. The SEM analysis was used to check the relationship of the emotional eating scale (EES), body shape concern (BSC), and body appreciation scale (BAS) and their effect on different categories of eating behavior patterns (EBP). In the second step, the input and output required for ANN analysis were obtained from SEM analysis and were applied in the neural network model. 340 university students participated in this study. The hybrid model (SEM-ANN) was conducted using multilayer perceptron (MLP) with feed-forward network topology. Moreover, Levenberg-Marquardt, which is a supervised learning model, was applied as a learning method for MLP training. The tangent/sigmoid function was used for the input layer, while the linear function was applied for the output layer. The coefficient of determination (R (2)) and mean square error (MSE) were calculated. Using the hybrid model, the optimal network happened at MLP 3-17-8. It was proved that the hybrid model was superior to SEM methods because the R (2) of the model was increased by 27%, while the MSE was decreased by 9.6%. Moreover, it was found that BSC, BAS, and EES significantly affected healthy and unhealthy eating behavior patterns. Thus, a hybrid approach could be suggested as a significant methodological contribution from a machine learning standpoint, and it can be implemented as software to predict models with the highest accuracy.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN124,

title = {Predictors of low back pain among secondary school teachers in Malaysia: a longitudinal study},

author = {E. N. Zamri and V. C. W. Hoe and F. M. Moy},

doi = {10.2486/indhealth.2019-0106},

issn = {0019-8366 (Print) 

0019-8366},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Ind Health},

volume = {58},

number = {3},

pages = {254-264},

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

abstract = {Low back pain (LBP) is prevalent among workers both in developed and developing countries. School teachers represent a high proportion of the working population in Malaysia. However, there is a lack of longitudinal study on predictors and course of LBP among teachers. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the predictors and course of LBP among secondary school teachers. Longitudinal data of 701 teachers in Selangor, Malaysia were collected from May 2015 to October 2016. Associations between predictors and LBP were analysed using logistic regression and reported as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). At 12-month of follow-up, 44% (95%CI: 40.6%, 48.0%) of the participants reported having LBP. In the regression model that included all risk factors, only LBP at baseline (OR 10.43, 95%CI: 6.19, 17.58) was associated with LBP at 12-month follow-up. When LBP at baseline was removed from the model, anxiety symptom (OR 2.51, 95%CI: 1.19, 5.30) and lifting heavy weights (OR 4.16, 95%CI: 1.40, 12.30) were found to be significantly associated with LBP at 12-month follow-up. In conclusion, issues on anxiety and lifting heavy weights should be addressed to reduce the occurrence of LBP despite the presence of health condition itself (LBP at baseline).},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN7,

title = {Prevalence and factors associated with physical inactivity among older adults in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study},

author = {Y. Y. Chan and K. K. Lim and M. A. Omar and M. F. Mohd Yusoff and R. Sooryanarayana and N. A. Ahmad and M. A. Abd Razak and A. Baharudin Shaharuddin and N. A. Mahmud and M. A. F. Mahmud and M. H. Abdul Mutalip and N. N. Mohd Hairi},

doi = {10.1111/ggi.13977},

issn = {1447-0594},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Geriatr Gerontol Int},

volume = {20 Suppl 2},

pages = {49-56},

abstract = {AIM: Physical inactivity in older adults is linked to increased risk of chronic diseases, disability and various poor health outcomes. As the aging population rises, the prevalence of diseases associated with aging also increases. Regular physical activity in older adults is important to improve overall health and promote healthy aging. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with physical inactivity among older adults in Malaysia. METHODS: This study was based on 3969 Malaysian older adults aged ≥60 years who completed the physical activity module in the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2018, a population-based cross-sectional survey. Physical activity was measured using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire through a face-to-face interview. Participants were classified as physically active or inactive. Associations between physical inactivity, sociodemographic characteristics and a range of selected independent variables were examined using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Overall, three out of 10 (29.8%) Malaysian older adults were physically inactive. Results of multivariable analysis showed that older age group (≥80 years), of Bumiputera Sarawak ethnicity, unemployed/retirees/homemakers, functional limitation, diabetes mellitus and dementia were significantly associated with a higher risk of physical inactivity. Women, with secondary education level and good social support were less likely to be physically inactive. CONCLUSIONS: The present study reported the status of physical inactivity among older adults in Malaysia. There is the need to design effective public health programs and interventions to promote active living and healthy aging among Malaysian older adults, particularly in those at-risk older population subgroups. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 49-56.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN55,

title = {Progressive and accelerated weight and body fat loss in Parkinson's disease: A three-year prospective longitudinal study},

author = {V. W. Yong and Y. J. Tan and Y. D. Ng and X. Y. Choo and K. Sugumaran and K. Chinna and M. N. Md Shah and R. R. A. Raja Aman and F. M. Moy and N. Mohd Ramli and M. Grossmann and S. Y. Lim and A. H. Tan},

doi = {10.1016/j.parkreldis.2020.06.015},

issn = {1353-8020},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Parkinsonism Relat Disord},

volume = {77},

pages = {28-35},

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

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Although weight loss is common in Parkinson's disease (PD), longitudinal studies assessing weight and body composition changes are limited. METHODS: In this three-year longitudinal study, 125 subjects (77 PD patients and 48 spousal/sibling controls) underwent clinical, biochemical and body composition assessments using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Patients were older than controls (65.6 ± 8.9 vs. 62.6 ± 7.1},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN106,

title = {Psychometric properties of the Malay version of the diabetes empowerment scale among hospital Serdang type 2 diabetes mellitus patients using exploratory factor analysis},

author = {S. M. Ching and A. Yee and P. Y. Lee and V. Ramachandran and K. M. Shum and N. F. Ismael and W. A. Wan Sulaiman and F. K. Hoo and Y. L. Foo and K. W. Lee and M. Danaee and K. A. Tan},

doi = {10.1186/s12955-020-1280-0},

issn = {1477-7525},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Health Qual Life Outcomes},

volume = {18},

number = {1},

pages = {23},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: This study was initiated to examine the psychometric components of the Diabetes Empowerment Scale (DES) by translating and validating the scale into the Malay language (DES-M) which is the main language spoken in Malaysia. This study can determine the level of empowerment among diabetic patients towards diabetes management. In addition, the reliability and validity of the DES-M was also demonstrated. METHODS: A total of 151 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited (between June 2016 and October 2016) to complete sets of questionnaires, which were DES-M, the Malay versions of the Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) for Adults and Summary of Diabetes Self Care Activities Questionnaire (SDSCA). Confirmatory and Exploratory factor analysis (CFA and EFA) were carried out to determine the factor structures of the DES-M. RESULTS: There were 100 males and 51 females with ages ranging from 19 to 81 years old (55 ± 13) included in this study. The instrument displayed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α =0.920) and the respective coefficients ranged from 0.65-0.84. Discriminant validity showed adequate correlations ranged from 0.257-0.744. Concurrent validity with SDSCA (Pearson's correlation = 0.313},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN81,

title = {Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment of Drinking Water Quality to Predict the Risk of Waterborne Diseases in Primary-School Children},

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

doi = {10.3390/ijerph17082774},

issn = {1661-7827 (Print) 

1660-4601},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Environ Res Public Health},

volume = {17},

number = {8},

abstract = {Primary-school children in low- and middle-income countries are often deprived of microbiologically safe water and sanitation, often resulting in a high prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases and poor school performance. We used Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) to predict the probability of infection in schoolchildren due to consumption of unsafe school water. A multistage random-sampling technique was used to randomly select 425 primary schools from ten districts of Sindh, Pakistan, to produce a representative sample of the province. We characterized water supplies in selected schools. Microbiological testing of water resulted in inputs for the QMRA model, to estimate the risks of infections to schoolchildren. Groundwater (62%) and surface water (38%) were identified as two major sources of drinking water in the selected schools, presenting varying degrees of health risks. Around half of the drinking-water samples were contaminated with Escherichia coli (49%), Shigella spp. (63%), Salmonella spp. (53%), and Vibrio cholerae (49%). Southern Sindh was found to have the highest risk of infection and illness from Campylobacter and Rotavirus. Central and Northern Sindh had a comparatively lower risk of waterborne diseases. Schoolchildren of Karachi were estimated to have the highest probability of illness per year, due to Campylobacter (70%) and Rotavirus (22.6%). Pearson correlation was run to assess the relationship between selected pathogens. V. cholerae was correlated with Salmonella spp., Campylobacter, Rotavirus, and Salmonella spp. Overall, the risk of illness due to the bacterial infection (E. coli, Salmonella spp., V. cholerae, Shigella, and Campylobacter) was high. There is a dire need for management plans in the schools of Sindh, to halt the progression of waterborne diseases in school-going children.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN102,

title = {Response to Validity and Reliability of a Nutrition Screening Tool in Identifying Malnutrition Among Hospitalized Adult Patients},

author = {P. C. Tah and C. C. Kee and H. A. Majid},

doi = {10.1002/ncp.10457},

issn = {0884-5336},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Nutr Clin Pract},

volume = {35},

number = {2},

pages = {365},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN62,

title = {Risk of eczema, wheezing and respiratory tract infections in the first year of life: A systematic review of vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy and at birth},

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

doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0233890},

issn = {1932-6203},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {PLoS One},

volume = {15},

number = {6},

pages = {e0233890},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Allergic conditions and respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are common causes of morbidity and mortality in childhood. The relationship between vitamin D status in pregnancy (mothers), early life (infants) and health outcomes such as allergies and RTIs in infancy is unclear. To date, studies have shown conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to gather and appraise existing evidence on the associations between serum vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy and at birth and the development of eczema, wheezing, and RTIs in infants. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, MEDLINE, ProQuest, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and Academic Search Premier databases were searched systematically using specified search terms and keywords. STUDY SELECTION: Articles on the associations between serum vitamin D concentrations during pregnancy and at birth and eczema, wheezing, and RTIs among infants (1-year-old and younger) published up to 31 March 2019 were identified, screened and retrieved. RESULTS: From the initial 2678 articles screened, ten met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. There were mixed and conflicting results with regards to the relationship between maternal and cord blood vitamin D concentrations and the three health outcomes-eczema, wheezing and RTIs-in infants. CONCLUSION: Current findings revealed no robust and consistent associations between vitamin D status in early life and the risk of developing eczema, wheezing and RTIs in infants. PROSPERO registration no. CRD42018093039.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN45,

title = {Salivary and serum cathelicidin LL-37 levels in subjects with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic periodontitis},

author = {C. W. Cheah and A. R. Al-Maleki and J. Vadivelu and M. Danaee and S. Sockalingam and N. A. Baharuddin and R. D. Vaithilingam},

doi = {10.1111/1756-185x.13919},

issn = {1756-1841},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Rheum Dis},

volume = {23},

number = {10},

pages = {1344-1352},

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

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is associated with chronic periodontitis (CP) due to shared risk factors, immuno-genetics and tissue destruction pathways. Human cathelicidin LL-37 has been suggested as a possible mechanistic link for these diseases. This study investigated the levels of salivary and serum LL-37 in subjects with RA and CP and their correlation with disease parameters. METHOD: Subjects were allocated into RA (n = 49) or non-RA (NRA) (n = 55) groups, where 3 subgroups were further established; chronic periodontitis (CP), gingivitis (G) and periodontal health (H). Demographic and periodontal parameters were collected. Rheumatology data were obtained from hospital records. Serum and salivary LL-37 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and compared for all groups. RESULTS: For salivary LL-37, RA-CP was significantly higher than NRA-G and NRA-H (P = .047). For serum LL-37, all RA and NRA-CP were significantly higher than NRA-G and NRA-H (P = .024). Salivary LL-37 correlated negatively with clinical attachment loss (CAL) (P = .048), but positively with erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in RA-H (P = .045). Serum LL-37 showed positive correlation with ESR (P = .037) in RA-G, with C-reactive protein (P = .017) in RA-H, but negative correlation with number of teeth (P = .002) in NRA-CP. Rheumatology data correlated positively with periodontal parameters in RA-CP group. CONCLUSION: NRA-CP subjects with high serum LL-37 should receive comprehensive periodontal therapy. Positive correlation between rheumatology data and periodontal parameters showed that RA disease stability may be obtained by assessing the periodontal condition. Periodontal therapy is necessary to compliment RA treatment to achieve optimum outcome for RA patients with concurrent CP.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN26,

title = {School-Based Intervention to Improve Healthy Eating Practices Among Malaysian Adolescents: A Feasibility Study Protocol},

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

doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2020.549637},

issn = {2296-2565 (Print) 

2296-2565},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Front Public Health},

volume = {8},

pages = {549637},

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

abstract = {Introduction: School environments can influence students' dietary habits. Hence, implementing a healthy canteen intervention programme in schools is a recommended strategy to improve students' dietary intake. This study will evaluate the feasibility of providing healthier food and beverage options in selected secondary schools in Malaysia by working with canteen vendors. It also will assess the changes in food choices before and after the intervention. Methods: A feasibility cluster randomised controlled study will be conducted in six secondary schools (intervention},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN105,

title = {Seeking medical help for cancer among urban dwellers in Malaysia-Emotional barriers and awareness of cancer symptoms},

author = {T. T. Su and M. Azzani and M. Donnelly and H. A. Majid},

doi = {10.1111/ecc.13232},

issn = {0961-5423},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

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

volume = {29},

number = {4},

pages = {e13232},

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: The main aims of the study were to identify barriers to seeking help for cancer, appraise demographic and socio-economic differences in relation to barriers and evaluate the association between barriers and cancer symptoms awareness and delayed help-seeking. METHODS: A total of 2,360 adults (18 years and above) from randomly selected households in metropolitan Kuala Lumpur completed face-to-face interviews with trained research assistants that incorporated the validated Malay version of the Cancer Awareness Measure (CAM). Logistic regression was the main statistical technique that was used to investigate the study objectives and relationships (noted above). RESULTS: The most commonly reported barriers to help-seeking were emotional barriers. The probability of delaying seeking help was 49% higher in participants who reported emotional barriers (OR = 1.49; CI: 1.32-1.68; p \< .001); and each unit rise in the cancer symptom awareness score was associated with a reduced likelihood of 29% in help-seeking delay (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.68-0.74; p \< .001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study presents clear evidence of the relationship between cancer awareness and help-seeking; and the need for, and potential positive impact of, providing cancer awareness-raising programmes. Cancer health education campaigns or programme should address emotional barriers and encourage early seeking help.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN68,

title = {Self-perceived burden and its associations with health-related quality of life among urologic cancer patients},

author = {C. Y. Ting and G. C. Teh and K. L. Yu and H. Alias and H. M. Tan and L. P. Wong},

doi = {10.1111/ecc.13248},

issn = {0961-5423},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

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

volume = {29},

number = {4},

pages = {e13248},

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

abstract = {OBJECTIVE: This study examined the prevalence of self-perceived burden (SPB) and its association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among urologic cancer patients. METHODS: This was a prospective, cross-sectional study. A total of 429 respondents diagnosed with urologic cancers (prostate, bladder and renal cancer) from Sarawak General Hospital and Subang Jaya Medical Centre in Malaysia were interviewed by using a structured questionnaire. SPB and HRQoL were measured by the Self-perceived Burden Scale and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General 7 Item Scale respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Self-perceived burden was experienced by 73.2% of the respondents. Respondents who had a lower education level, a monthly household income \<MYR 5,000, monthly household expenditures \<MYR 3,000 or whose Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS) rating was higher and who faced medium to high subjective financial toxicity (FT) were more likely to experience low HRQoL, but not SPB, after adjustment for covariates. As medium to high subjective FT is significantly associated with high SPB and low HRQoL, future interventions should be prioritised to address subjective FT, which, in turn, would reduce SPB and improve HRQoL.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN9,

title = {Social support among older adults in Malaysia},

author = {M. A. Mahmud and M. Hazrin and E. N. Muhammad and M. F. Mohd Hisyam and S. M. Awaludin and M. A. Abdul Razak and N. A. Mahmud and N. A. Mohamad and N. N. Mohd Hairi and C. Wan Yuen},

doi = {10.1111/ggi.14033},

issn = {1447-0594},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Geriatr Gerontol Int},

volume = {20 Suppl 2},

pages = {63-67},

abstract = {AIM: This study aimed to determine the factors that influence perceived social support among older adults in Malaysia. METHODS: We used the 11-item Duke Social Support Index to assess perceived social support through a face-to-face interview. Higher scores indicate better social support. Linear regression analysis was carried out to determine the factors that influence perceived social support by adapting the conceptual model of social support determinants and its impact on health. RESULTS: A total of 3959 respondents aged ≥60 years completed the Duke Social Support Index. The estimated mean Duke Social Support Index score was 27.65 (95% CI 27.36-27.95). Adjusted for confounders, the factors found to be significantly associated with social support among older adults were monthly income below RM1000 (-0.8502, 95% CI -1.3523, -0.3481), being single (-0.5360, 95% CI -0.8430, -0.2290), no depression/normal (2.2801, 95% CI 1.6666-2.8937), absence of activities of daily living (0.9854, 95% CI 0.5599-1.4109) and dependency in instrumental activities of daily living (-0.3655, 95% CI -0.9811, -0.3259). CONCLUSION: This study found that low income, being single, no depression, absence of activities of daily living and dependency in instrumental activities of daily living were important factors related to perceived social support among Malaysian older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 63-67.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN5,

title = {Strengthening the migrant-friendliness of Thai health services through interpretation and cultural mediation: a system analysis},

author = {H. Kosiyaporn and S. Julchoo and M. Phaiyarom and P. Sinam and W. Kunpeuk and N. Pudpong and P. Allotey and Z. X. Chan and T. Loganathan and N. Pocock and R. Suphanchaimat},

doi = {10.1186/s41256-020-00181-0},

issn = {2397-0642},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Glob Health Res Policy},

volume = {5},

number = {1},

pages = {53},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: In addition to healthcare entitlements, 'migrant-friendly health services' in Thailand include interpretation and cultural mediation services which aim to reduce language and cultural barriers between health personnel and migrants. Although the Thai Government started implementing these services in 2003, challenges in providing them still remain. This study aims to analyse the health system functions which support the interpretation and cultural mediation services of migrant health worker (MHW) and migrant health volunteer (MHV) programmes in Thailand. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted in two migrant-populated provinces using purposive and snowball sampling. A total of fifty key informants were recruited, including MHWs, MHWs, health professionals, non-governmental organisation (NGO) staff and policy stakeholders. Data were triangulated using information from policy documents. The deductive thematic analysis was classified into three main themes of evolving structure of MHW and MHV programmes, roles and responsibilities of MHWs and MHVs, and supporting systems. RESULTS: The introduction of the MHW and MHV programmes was one of the most prominent steps taken to improve the migrant-friendliness of Thai health services. MHWs mainly served as interpreters in public facilities, while MHVs served as cultural mediators in migrant communities. Operational challenges in providing services included insufficient budgets for employment and training, diverse training curricula, and lack of legal provisions to sustain the MHW and MHV programmes. CONCLUSION: Interpretation and cultural mediation services are hugely beneficial in addressing the health needs of migrants. To ensure the sustainability of current service provision, clear policy regulation and standardised training courses should be in place, alongside adequate and sustainable financial support from central government, NGOs, employers and migrant workers themselves. Moreover, regular monitoring and evaluation of the quality of services are recommended. Finally, a lead agency should be mandated to collaborate with stakeholders in planning the overall structure and resource allocation for the programmes.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN69,

title = {The Association Between E-Cigarette Use Behaviors and Saliva Cotinine Concentration Among Healthy E-Cigarette Users in Malaysia},

author = {L. P. Wong and S. N. Mohd Salim and H. Alias and N. Aghamohammadi and V. C. W. Hoe and M. Isahak and M. Ali Mohd},

doi = {10.1097/jan.0000000000000335},

issn = {1088-4602},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Addict Nurs},

volume = {31},

number = {2},

pages = {102-109},

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

abstract = {Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) have rapidly increased in popularity within the last 2 years in Malaysia. The study aims to understand the association between e-cigarette use behaviors and salivary cotinine (a CYP2AA metabolite of nicotine) concentration to inform the development of future e-cigarette control policies. A convenience sample of saliva from 144 e-cigarette users was obtained between November and December 2015. The study participants used refill liquid containing between 0 and 12 mg/ml of nicotine. The overall median cotinine concentration of the study participants was 81.1 ng/ml (interquartile range = 8.5-195.8). Among the zero-nicotine and single e-cigarette users, the median cotinine level was 51.1 (interquartile range = 8.20-125.35) ng/ml. Factors significantly associated with a higher salivary cotinine concentration were dual use of e-cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes, regular and daily e-cigarette use, a longer duration of e-cigarette use, using a higher amount of e-liquid, and a shorter duration to finish a refill. Multivariate analysis revealed that e-cigarette use of 1-6 and 6-12 months (but not 1 month and below) was significantly associated with a higher cotinine concentration. Cotinine found in zero-nicotine e-liquids implies the importance of stringent regulatory governance for the consistency of labeled nicotine content of e-cigarette liquid in the market. Zero-nicotine e-cigarette users should also be informed of the likelihood of environmental exposure to tobacco smoke. Future studies conducted on larger samples are warranted to validate the association between duration of e-cigarette use and salivary cotinine concentration as well as to investigate underlying mechanisms.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN107,

title = {The association between methods of biopsy and survival following breast cancer: A hospital registry based cohort study},

author = {Y. C. Kong and N. Bhoo-Pathy and M. O'Rorke and S. Subramaniam and N. T. Bhoo-Pathy and M. H. See and S. Jamaris and K. H. Teoh and A. Z. Bustam and L. M. Looi and N. A. Taib and C. H. Yip},

doi = {10.1097/md.0000000000019093},

issn = {0025-7974 (Print) 

0025-7974},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Medicine (Baltimore)},

volume = {99},

number = {6},

pages = {e19093},

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

abstract = {Percutaneous biopsy in breast cancer has been associated with an increased risk of malignant cell seeding. However, the importance of these observations remains obscure due to lack of corroborating evidence from clinical studies. We determined whether method of biopsy is associated with breast cancer survival. This hospital registry-based cohort study included 3416 non-metastatic breast cancer patients diagnosed from 1993 to 2011 in a tertiary setting. Factors associated with biopsy methods were assessed. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was used to determine the independent prognostic impact of method of biopsy. Overall, 990 patients were diagnosed by core needle biopsy (CNB), 1364 by fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and 1062 by excision biopsy. Excision biopsy was significantly associated with more favorable tumor characteristics. Radiotherapy modified the prognostic impact of biopsy method (Pinteraction \< .001). Following multivariable analysis, excision biopsy was consistently associated with lower risk of mortality compared to FNAC in women receiving adjuvant radiotherapy (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.66-0.99), but not in those who did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.87, 95%CI: 0.65-1.17). While the risk of mortality was not different between patients undergoing FNAC and CNB when radiotherapy is administered, in the absence of radiotherapy, CNB was associated with higher risk of mortality than FNAC (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.57, 95%CI: 1.16-2.12). Given that our results contradict with findings of previous clinical studies assessing the prognostic impact of method of biopsy in women with breast cancer, further studies are warranted.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN73,

title = {The effect of mindfulness-based training on stress, anxiety, depression and job satisfaction among ward nurses: A randomized control trial},

author = {S. F. Ghawadra and K. Lim Abdullah and W. Y. Choo and M. Danaee and C. K. Phang},

doi = {10.1111/jonm.13049},

issn = {0966-0429},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Nurs Manag},

volume = {28},

number = {5},

pages = {1088-1097},

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

abstract = {AIM: To assess the effect of a 4-week mindfulness-based training intervention on improving stress, anxiety, depression and job satisfaction among ward nurses. BACKGROUND: Previous literature showed that mindfulness-based training is useful for helping nurses cope with stress. METHOD: Nurses who have mild to moderate levels of stress, anxiety and depression identified from a teaching hospital were invited to a randomized control trial. The intervention group had a 2-hr Mindfulness-Based Training workshop, followed by 4 weeks of guided self-practice Mindfulness-Based Training website. Both the intervention group (n = 118) and the control group (n = 106) were evaluated pre- and post-intervention, and 8 weeks later (follow-up) using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21, Job Satisfaction Scale and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. RESULTS: There was a significant effect over time on stress, anxiety, depression and mindfulness level (p \< .05). Regarding the difference between the groups and interaction between time and group, there was a significant effect for anxiety (p = .037 p = .008) and job satisfaction (p \< .001},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN83,

title = {The effects of enhanced primary healthcare interventions on primary care providers' job satisfaction},

author = {W. J. Wong and A. Mohd Norzi and S. H. Ang and C. L. Chan and F. S. A. Jaafar and S. Sivasampu},

doi = {10.1186/s12913-020-05183-9},

issn = {1472-6963},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {BMC Health Serv Res},

volume = {20},

number = {1},

pages = {311},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: In response to the rising burden of cardiovascular risk factors, the Malaysian government has implemented Enhanced Primary Healthcare (EnPHC) interventions in July 2017 at public clinic level to improve management and clinical outcomes of type 2 diabetes and hypertensive patients. Healthcare providers (HCPs) play crucial roles in healthcare service delivery and health system reform can influence HCPs' job satisfaction. However, studies evaluating HCPs' job satisfaction following primary care transformation remain scarce in low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to evaluate the effects of EnPHC interventions on HCPs' job satisfaction. METHODS: This is a quasi-experimental study conducted in 20 intervention and 20 matched control clinics. We surveyed all HCPs who were directly involved in patient management. A self-administered questionnaire which included six questions on job satisfaction were assessed on a scale of 1-4 at baseline (April and May 2017) and post-intervention phase (March and April 2019). Unadjusted intervention effect was calculated based on absolute differences in mean scores between intervention and control groups after implementation. Difference-in-differences analysis was used in the multivariable linear regression model and adjusted for providers and clinics characteristics to detect changes in job satisfaction following EnPHC interventions. A negative estimate indicates relative decrease in job satisfaction in the intervention group compared with control group. RESULTS: A total of 1042 and 1215 HCPs responded at baseline and post-intervention respectively. At post-intervention, the intervention group reported higher level of stress with adjusted differences of - 0.139 (95% CI -0.266,-0.012; p = 0.032). Nurses, being the largest workforce in public clinics were the only group experiencing dissatisfaction at post-intervention. In subgroup analysis, nurses from intervention group experienced increase in work stress following EnPHC interventions with adjusted differences of - 0.223 (95% CI -0.419,-0.026; p = 0.026). Additionally, the same group were less likely to perceive their profession as well-respected at post-intervention (β = - 0.175; 95% CI -0.331,-0.019; p = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that EnPHC interventions had resulted in some untoward effect on HCPs' job satisfaction. Job dissatisfaction can have detrimental effects on the organisation and healthcare system. Therefore, provider experience and well-being should be considered before introducing healthcare delivery reforms to avoid overburdening of HCPs.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN54,

title = {The impact of adult trauma triage training on decision-making skills and accuracy of triage decision at emergency departments in Malaysia: A randomized control trial},

author = {S. A. Ghazali and K. L. Abdullah and F. M. Moy and R. Ahmad and E. O. D. Hussin},

doi = {10.1016/j.ienj.2020.100889},

issn = {1878-013x},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int Emerg Nurs},

volume = {51},

pages = {100889},

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

abstract = {INTRODUCTION: Patients who visit emergency departments need to undergo a precise assessment to determine their priority and accurate triage category to ensure they receive the right treatment. AIM: To identify the effect of triage training on the skills and accuracy of triage decisions for adult trauma patients. METHOD: A randomized controlled trial design was conducted in ten emergency department of public hospitals. A total of 143 registered nurses and medical officer assistants who performed triage roles were recruited for the control group (n = 74) and the intervention group (n = 69). The skill and accuracy of triage decisions were measured two weeks and four weeks after the intervention group were exposed to the intervention. RESULTS: There was a significant effect on the skill of triage decision-making between the control and the intervention group p \< 0.001, η(2)(partial) = 0.31. Concerning the accuracy of triage decisions, the effect was significantly different between the control group and the intervention group p \< 0.001, η(2)(partial) = 0.66 across time. CONCLUSION: The triage training improved the skills of the participants and the accuracy of triage decision-making across time.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN25,

title = {The impact of COVID-19 on globalization},

author = {N. Shrestha and M. Y. Shad and O. Ulvi and M. H. Khan and A. Karamehic-Muratovic and U. D. T. Nguyen and M. Baghbanzadeh and R. Wardrup and N. Aghamohammadi and D. Cervantes and K. M. Nahiduzzaman and R. A. Zaki and U. Haque},

doi = {10.1016/j.onehlt.2020.100180},

issn = {2352-7714 (Print) 

2352-7714},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {One Health},

volume = {11},

pages = {100180},

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

abstract = {Globalization has altered the way we live and earn a livelihood. Consequently, trade and travel have been recognized as significant determinants of the spread of disease. Additionally, the rise in urbanization and the closer integration of the world economy have facilitated global interconnectedness. Therefore, globalization has emerged as an essential mechanism of disease transmission. This paper aims to examine the potential impact of COVID-19 on globalization and global health in terms of mobility, trade, travel, and countries most impacted. The effect of globalization were operationalized in terms of mobility, economy, and healthcare systems. The mobility of individuals and its magnitude was assessed using airline and seaport trade data and travel information. The economic impact was measured based on the workforce, event cancellations, food and agriculture, academic institutions, and supply chain. The healthcare capacity was assessed by considering healthcare system indicators and preparedness of countries. Utilizing a technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), we calculated a pandemic vulnerability index (PVI) by creating a quantitative measure of the potential global health. The pandemic has placed an unprecedented burden on the world economy, healthcare, and globalization through travel, events cancellation, employment workforce, food chain, academia, and healthcare capacity. Based on PVI results, certain countries were more vulnerable than others. In Africa, more vulnerable countries included South Africa and Egypt; in Europe, they were Russia, Germany, and Italy; in Asia and Oceania, they were India, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey; and for the Americas, they were Brazil, USA, Chile, Mexico, and Peru. The impact on mobility, economy, and healthcare systems has only started to manifest. The findings of this study may help in the planning and implementation of strategies at the country level to help ease this emerging burden.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN75,

title = {The Predictive Factors for Severe Leptospirosis Cases in Kedah},

author = {R. S. Sandhu and H. B. Ismail and M. H. B. Ja'afar and S. Rampal},

doi = {10.3390/tropicalmed5020079},

issn = {2414-6366},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Trop Med Infect Dis},

volume = {5},

number = {2},

abstract = {Over the past decade, increased awareness about leptospirosis disease in developing and industrialized countries has resulted in increased numbers of leptospirosis cases being reported worldwide. About 5% to 15% of leptospirosis patients end up with severe forms of the disease. Complication due to leptospirosis requires monitoring, specific treatments, and intensive care admission, thus increasing the cost of treating severe leptospirosis cases. Currently, we have data on incident and mortality rates, but we do not have data on the number of patients with severe form of leptospirosis or how many patients have complications, and whether or not these complications were resolved. Therefore, we carried out this study to determine the predictive factors for severe leptospirosis cases in Kedah. We conducted a cross-sectional study. The data of patients diagnosed with leptospirosis were obtained from the surveillance unit, Kedah Health Department, through the e-notification system. These data were then sorted according to the hospitals where the patients were admitted. The patients' medical records were collected, and their information was obtained using a checklist. A total of 456 confirmed leptospirosis cases were included in the study, with 199 patients classified as severe cases and 257 patients as mild cases, based on the Malaysian leptospirosis guidelines. Most patients were male (71.5%) with a mean SD age of 36.62 ± 20.75 years. The predictive factors for severe leptospirosis include abnormal lung sounds (OR: 3.07 [CI 1.58-6.00]), hepatomegaly (OR: 7.14 [1.10-45.98]), hypotension (OR: 2.16 [1.08-4.34]), leukocytosis (OR: 2.12 [1.37-3.29]), low hematocrit (OR: 2.33 [1.43-3.81]), and increased alanine aminotransferase (SGPT ALT) (OR: 2.12 [1.36-3.30]). In conclusion, knowing these predictive factors will help clinicians identify severe leptospirosis cases earlier and develop their treatment plans accordingly, to reduce the complications and death from severe leptospirosis.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN100,

title = {The SARS, MERS and novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemics, the newest and biggest global health threats: what lessons have we learned?},

author = {N. C. Peeri and N. Shrestha and M. S. Rahman and R. Zaki and Z. Tan and S. Bibi and M. Baghbanzadeh and N. Aghamohammadi and W. Zhang and U. Haque},

doi = {10.1093/ije/dyaa033},

issn = {0300-5771 (Print) 

0300-5771},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Int J Epidemiol},

volume = {49},

number = {3},

pages = {717-726},

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

abstract = {OBJECTIVES: To provide an overview of the three major deadly coronaviruses and identify areas for improvement of future preparedness plans, as well as provide a critical assessment of the risk factors and actionable items for stopping their spread, utilizing lessons learned from the first two deadly coronavirus outbreaks, as well as initial reports from the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic in Wuhan, China. METHODS: Utilizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, USA) website, and a comprehensive review of PubMed literature, we obtained information regarding clinical signs and symptoms, treatment and diagnosis, transmission methods, protection methods and risk factors for Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and COVID-19. Comparisons between the viruses were made. RESULTS: Inadequate risk assessment regarding the urgency of the situation, and limited reporting on the virus within China has, in part, led to the rapid spread of COVID-19 throughout mainland China and into proximal and distant countries. Compared with SARS and MERS, COVID-19 has spread more rapidly, due in part to increased globalization and the focus of the epidemic. Wuhan, China is a large hub connecting the North, South, East and West of China via railways and a major international airport. The availability of connecting flights, the timing of the outbreak during the Chinese (Lunar) New Year, and the massive rail transit hub located in Wuhan has enabled the virus to perforate throughout China, and eventually, globally. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that we did not learn from the two prior epidemics of coronavirus and were ill-prepared to deal with the challenges the COVID-19 epidemic has posed. Future research should attempt to address the uses and implications of internet of things (IoT) technologies for mapping the spread of infection.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN115,

title = {The study of seroprevalence of hepatitis E virus and an investigation into the lifestyle behaviours of the aborigines in Malaysia},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and S. H. Choy and X. T. Goh and S. C. Lee and Y. A. L. Lim and B. P. Kee and K. H. Chua and A. Kamaruzaman and Z. Zheng and Q. Zhao and T. Wu},

doi = {10.1111/zph.12681},

issn = {1863-1959},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Zoonoses Public Health},

volume = {67},

number = {3},

pages = {263-270},

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

abstract = {Malaysia is a non-endemic country for hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection. However, seroprevalence as high as 50% among samples of aboriginal people were reported over two decades ago. A total of 207 samples collected from seven aboriginal villages in rural settlements across two states in Malaysia were analysed for anti-HEV IgG and IgM by an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Following the detection of anti-HEV seroprevalence, we organized health outreach to inform and educate the community. Qualitative interviews were conducted with individuals tested positive for anti-HEV antibodies. Data derived from interviews and observations were used to investigate possible lifestyle behaviours associated with HEV infection. Anti-HEV IgG was detected in six samples (5.9%) from the village of Dusun Kubur. Qualitative inquiry and observation study revealed poor dietary and household hygiene, contaminated food and water, contact with animal faeces, unsanitary and domestic waste disposal, and wildlife reservoirs could be the contributing factors for transmission and acquisition of HEV infection. Investigation during health outreach is important to provide insights for future empirical research and implementation for improvement of lifestyle behaviours among the aborigines. Managing the risk of HEV infection in the aborigines may reduce the risk of HEV transmission to the local communities.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN47,

title = {The use of the health belief model to assess predictors of intent to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and willingness to pay},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and P. F. Wong and H. Y. Lee and S. AbuBakar},

doi = {10.1080/21645515.2020.1790279},

issn = {2164-5515 (Print) 

2164-5515},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Hum Vaccin Immunother},

volume = {16},

number = {9},

pages = {2204-2214},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: The development of a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 infection is on the way. To prepare for public availability, the acceptability of a hypothetical COVID-19 vaccine and willingness to pay (WTP) were assessed to provide insights into future demand forecasts and pricing considerations. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from 3 to 12 April 2020. The health belief model (HBM) was used to assess predictors of the intent to receive the vaccine and the WTP. RESULTS: A total of 1,159 complete responses was received. The majority reported a definite intent to receive the vaccine (48.2%), followed by a probable intent (29.8%) and a possible intent (16.3%). Both items under the perceived benefits construct in the HBM, namely believe the vaccination decreases the chance of infection (OR = 2.51, 95% CI 1.19-5.26) and the vaccination makes them feel less worry (OR = 2.19, 95% CI 1.03-4.65), were found to have the highest significant odds of a definite intention to take the vaccine. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) for the amount that participants were willing to pay for a dose of COVID-19 vaccine was MYR$134.0 (SD±79.2) [US$30.66 ± 18.12]. Most of the participants were willing to pay an amount of MYR$100 [US$23] (28.9%) and MYR$50 [US$11.5] (27.2%) for the vaccine. The higher marginal WTP for the vaccine was influenced by no affordability barriers as well as by socio-economic factors, such as higher education levels, professional and managerial occupations and higher incomes. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate the utility of HBM constructs in understanding COVID-19 vaccination intention and WTP.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN110,

title = {Translation and Validation of the Breast Cancer Awareness Measurement Tool in Malaysia (B-CAM-M)},

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

doi = {10.31557/apjcp.2020.21.1.217},

issn = {1513-7368 (Print) 

1513-7368},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Asian Pac J Cancer Prev},

volume = {21},

number = {1},

pages = {217-223},

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

abstract = {BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Malaysia, and the incidence of 31.1 per 100,000 population is comparatively higher than other Southeast Asian countries. Diagnosis tends to occur at later stages which may be due, partly, to inadequate knowledge about warning signs and symptoms. Therefore, this study investigated the validity and reliability of a UK-developed measure in the context of assessing women's awareness of breast cancer in Malaysia. AIMS: This study aimed to translate, adapt and validate the internationally recognised Breast Cancer Awareness Measure (B-CAM) into the Malay language. METHODS: The original B-CAM (Cancer Research UK) was forward and backward translated and content validation was ascertained. Face validity (n=30), test-retest reliability (n=50) and the internal consistency of the B-CAM-M (M for Malay language) were assessed in a community sample of adults (n=251) in 2018. RESULTS: The translated B-CAM-M was validated by an expert panel. The Item-Content Validity Index ranged from .83 to 1.00. The results from the survey (n=251) indicated that the B-CAM-M was well received by Malay-speaking women across the main ethnic groups (85 Malay, 84 Chinese and 82 Indian adults). Cronbach alpha scores for the knowledge about breast cancer symptoms (0.83) and the barriers to healthcare seeking items (0.75) were high. Test-retest reliability (separated by 2-week-interval) with 50 randomly selected participants from the community survey produced intra-class correlations ranging from 0.39 to 0.69. CONCLUSION: The Malay-version, the B-CAM-M, is a culturally acceptable, valid and reliable assessment tool with which to measure breast cancer awareness among Malay-speaking women.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN1,

title = {Type 2 Diabetes Patients' Perspectives, Experiences, and Barriers Toward Diabetes-Related Self-Care: A Qualitative Study From Pakistan},

author = {A. Bukhsh and B. H. Goh and E. Zimbudzi and C. Lo and S. Zoungas and K. G. Chan and T. M. Khan},

doi = {10.3389/fendo.2020.534873},

issn = {1664-2392 (Print) 

1664-2392},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Front Endocrinol (Lausanne)},

volume = {11},

pages = {534873},

abstract = {Objective: This study aimed to qualitatively explore perspectives, practices, and barriers to self-care practices (eating habits, physical activity, self-monitoring of blood glucose, and medicine intake behavior) in urban Pakistani adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Pakistani adults with T2DM were recruited from the outpatient departments of two hospitals in Lahore. Semistructured interviews were conducted and audiorecorded until thematic saturation was reached. Two researchers thematically analyzed the data independently using NVivo® software with differences resolved by a third researcher. Results: Thirty-two Pakistani adults (aged 35-75 years, 62% female) participated in the study. Six themes were identified from qualitative analysis: role of family and friends, role of doctors and healthcare, patients' understanding about diabetes, complication of diabetes and other comorbidities, burden of self care, and life circumstances. A variable experience was observed with education and healthcare. Counseling by healthcare providers, family support, and fear of diabetes-associated complications are the key enablers that encourage study participants to adhere to diabetes-related self-care practices. Major barriers to self care are financial constraints, physical limitations, extreme weather conditions, social gatherings, loving food, forgetfulness, needle phobia, and a hectic job. Conclusion: Respondents identified many barriers to diabetes self care, particularly related to life situations and diabetes knowledge. Family support and education by healthcare providers were key influencers to self-care practices among Pakistani people with diabetes.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN139,

title = {Ultrasound-guided central venous vascular access-novel needle navigation technology compared with conventional method: A randomized study},

author = {S. C. Chew and Z. Y. Beh and V. R. Hakumat Rai and M. F. Jamaluddin and C. C. Ng and K. Chinna and M. S. Hasan},

doi = {10.1177/1129729819852057},

issn = {1129-7298},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {J Vasc Access},

volume = {21},

number = {1},

pages = {26-32},

abstract = {PURPOSE: Central venous catheter insertion is a common procedure in the intensive care setting. However, complications persist despite real-time ultrasound guidance. Recent innovation in needle navigation technology using guided positioning system enables the clinician to visualize the needle's real-time position and trajectory as it approaches the target. We hypothesized that the guided positioning system would improve performance time in central venous catheter insertion. METHODS: A prospective randomized study was conducted in a single-center adult intensive care unit. In total, 100 patients were randomized into two groups. These patients underwent internal jugular vein central venous catheter cannulation with ultrasound guidance (short-axis scan, out-of-plane needling approach) in which one group adopted conventional method, while the other group was aided with the guided positioning system. Outcomes were measured by procedural efficacy (success rate, number of attempts, time to successful cannulation), complications, level of operators' experience, and their satisfaction. RESULTS: All patients had successful cannulation on the first attempt except for one case in the conventional group. The median performance time for the guided positioning system method was longer (25.5 vs 15.5 s; p = 0.01). And 86% of the operators had more than 3-year experience in anesthesia. One post-insertion hematoma occurred in the conventional group. Only 88% of the operators using the guided positioning system method were satisfied compared to 100% in the conventional group. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided central venous catheter insertion via internal jugular vein was a safe procedure in both conventional and guided positioning system methods. The guided positioning system did not confer additional benefit but was associated with slower performance time and lower satisfaction level among the experienced operators.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN65,

title = {Uncovering psychobehavioural implications of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Iran},

author = {L. P. Wong and H. Alias and M. Danaee and M. Ziaee and F. Abedi and A. Ziaee and S. Mohajer and R. HajiAliBeigloo and M. N. Nia and F. Jamei and S. R. Mazlom},

doi = {10.1111/tbed.13662},

issn = {1865-1674},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {Transbound Emerg Dis},

volume = {67},

number = {6},

pages = {2892-2900},

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

abstract = {Iran is the country in Western Asia most impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. A survey was conducted among the general public in Iran aimed at investigating psychobehavioural issues related to the COVID-19 outbreak, namely (a) barriers to preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2 infection; (b) negative emotions towards SARS-CoV-2 infection; and (c) anxiety levels among the general public in Iran. A cross-sectional, web-based survey using an online questionnaire was carried out between 16 March and 1 April 2020. The six-item version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-6) was used to assess anxiety levels. A total of 1,789 complete responses were received. Nearly 60% reported having difficulty in wearing a face mask to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the total prevention barrier score was 35.8 (SD ± 7.1; range 18-68) out of a possible score of 72. Male respondents [odds ratio (OR) = 1.25; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.51] and respondents who perceived their health status as poor/fair (OR = 1.49; 95% CI 1.31-1.82) were predictors of high prevention barriers. Negative emotions such as fear (74.6%) followed by depression (43.4%) and stigma (23.0%) associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection were reported. Respondents who perceived their health as poor/fair (OR = 2.19; 95% CI 1.57-3.04) reported a higher likelihood of having higher negative emotions. Findings on anxiety level revealed 68.0% (95% CI 65.8-70.1) reported moderate to severe anxiety. Respondents who perceived their health as poor/fair (OR = 3.46; 95% CI 12.22-5.40) and who were females (OR = 1.91; 95% CI 1.55-2.36) were predictors of moderate to severe anxiety. In conclusion, psychobehavioural interventions are needed to facilitate management and control of the COVID-19 outbreak.},

note = {Master of Public Health},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

@article{RN11,

title = {Understanding COVID-19 vaccine demand and hesitancy: A nationwide online survey in China},

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

doi = {10.1371/journal.pntd.0008961},

issn = {1935-2727 (Print) 

1935-2727},

year  = {2020},

date = {2020-01-01},

journal = {PLoS Negl Trop Dis},

volume = {14},

number = {12},

pages = {e0008961},

abstract = {BACKGROUND: This study attempts to understand coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine demand and hesitancy by assessing the public's vaccination intention and willingness-to-pay (WTP). Confidence in COVID-19 vaccines produced in China and preference for domestically-made or foreign-made vaccines was also investigated. METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional, self-administered online survey was conducted on 1-19 May 2020. The health belief model (HBM) was used as a theoretical framework for understanding COVID-19 vaccination intent and WTP. RESULTS: A total of 3,541 complete responses were received. The majority reported a probably yes intent (54.6%), followed by a definite yes intent (28.7%). The perception that vaccination decreases the chances of getting COVID-19 under the perceived benefit construct (OR = 3.14, 95% CI 2.05-4.83) and not being concerned about the efficacy of new COVID-19 vaccines under the perceived barriers construct (OR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.31-2.09) were found to have the highest significant odds of a definite intention to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) of WTP for COVID-19 vaccine was CNY¥200/US$28 (IQR CNY¥100-500/USD$14-72). The highest marginal WTP for the vaccine was influenced by socio-economic factors. The majority were confident (48.7%) and completely confident (46.1%) in domestically-made COVID-19 vaccine. 64.2% reported a preference for a domestically-made over foreign-made COVID-19 vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate the utility of HBM constructs in understanding COVID-19 vaccination intent and WTP. It is important to improve health promotion and reduce the barriers to COVID-19 vaccination.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}