METHOD: Articles, reports and guidelines used in providing mother and child health services in Malaysia published since 2000 were reviewed.
RESULTS: There was no specific monitoring strategy used for SGA infants without critical health issues in early childhood, as they were commonly treated as healthy infants. Several challenges in aligning theory with the current practice of healthcare service delivery and recommendations for dealing with such challenges were identified.
CONCLUSION: The alignment of theory with the current practice of service delivery should be tailored to the needs and demands parallel to the dynamic change in populations in the urbanisation era.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 445 healthcare workers using a validated questionnaire based on local PPC guideline published by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH).
RESULTS: The results showed that many respondents were in the implementation action stage (57%), followed by the maintenance stage (20%), preparation stage (19%), contemplation stage (4%) and pre-contemplation stage (<1%). Further categorisation showed that only 43% of the respondents are successfully implementing PPC according to the standard of MOH. Clinics lead by the Family Medicine Specialist (Adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR 2.845; 95% Confidence Interval, 95%CI: 1.839, 4.40), daily usage of teleprimary care system (TPC) in the clinic (AOR 1.563; 95%CI: 1.019, 2.397), and attended TPC training (AOR 3.358; 95%CI: 2.221, 5.075) were significantly determining the success of PPC implementation.
CONCLUSION: The emphasis on motivation and rewards among the healthcare workers, provision of good internet connection at health clinics and developing a comprehensive model of PPC training targeting the specific healthcare workers are mandatory to enhance the PPC services implementation.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The package known as "Preemie Mom: A Guide for You" was designed based on Stufflebeam's model and has four phases: (1) content evaluation from available sources of information, (2) input evaluation based on mothers' need related to premature baby care, (3) process evaluation for package designing and content drafting, and (4) product evaluation to determine its feasibility. The contents were extracted and collated for validation by consulting various specialists in related fields. A final draft was drawn based on comments given by experts. Comments from the mothers were taken for formatting, visual appearance, and content flow for easy understanding and usage.
RESULTS: All ten existing articles and eight relevant documents were gathered and critically appraised. The package was designed based on 11 main components related to the care of premature baby after discharge. The content validation was accepted at a minimum score of 0.85 for the item-level content validity index analysis. Both experts and mothers were agreed that the package is easy to use and well accepted as a guide after discharge. The agreement rate by the mothers was at 93.33% and greater for the front page, writing style, structure, presentation, and motives of the package.
CONCLUSIONS: "Preemie Mom: A Guide for You" is a validated health educational package and ready to be used to meet the needs of the mother for premature baby care at home.
MATERIALS AND METHOD: The initial phase involved a review of previous interventions, validation from field experts, and the process of developing video. Then the module pilot was tested among 30 diploma students from a public university. They were given access to the newly developed videos posted on a private YouTube channel and asked to evaluate the videos quantitatively and qualitatively by using the acceptability of the intervention module (AIM), intervention appropriateness measure (IAM) and feasibility of the intervention measure (FIM). The minimum and maximum scores of each measure were 12 and 24 respectively whereby a higher score indicated greater acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility.
RESULTS: The intervention consisted of five sections addressing the constructs of PWM, namely attitude, perceived norm, prototype perception, as well as intention and willingness of sexting. The contents were then converted into five videos with a total duration of 23 minutes. Based on the pilot test, the scores of AIM, IAM and FIM were not normally distributed and their median and the interquartile range values were 20 (4), 21 (4) and 22 (4) respectively. Most of the respondents gave favourable opinions on the intervention besides providing some input for improvement.
CONCLUSION: This animated sexting intervention module based on PWM to reduce the intention and willingness was novel. The module was acceptable, appropriate and feasible to be implemented among undergraduate students. Further evaluation of this intervention module can be performed to provide more comprehensive evidence of its effectiveness.
Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in year 2017 in Selangor, Malaysia among 719 parents/guardians of primary school children. The parent/guardians were randomly assigned as the intervention groups and were given a health educational Be-SAFE booklet on drowning prevention and water safety. The pretest was conducted before the intervention and posttest was done one month of intervention. The data collection tool was using a validated questionnaire on knowledge, attitude and practice for drowning prevention and water safety.
Results: There were 719 respondents (response rate of 89.9%) participated at baseline and 53.7% at end line (after the intervention). Significant differences found in knowledge, attitudes and practice on drowning prevention and water safety for the intervention and control groups after the intervention (P<0.001). There was a significant difference in mean scores for knowledge and attitude before and after the intervention, whereas no significant findings noted for practices (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Be SAFE booklet contributed to the increase in parents/guardian's knowledge and attitudes towards drowning prevention and water safety to prevent the risk of child drowning.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop and implement a sexting intervention module guided by the prototype willingness model (PWM), delivered using web-based animated video, and evaluate its effectiveness among diploma students from a public higher educational institution. The primary outcomes were intention and willingness to sext, while the secondary outcomes were knowledge, attitude, perceived norms, and prototype perceptions of sexting.
METHODS: This 2-armed, parallel, single-blinded cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in a public higher educational institution in the state of Melaka, Malaysia. Diploma students from 12 programs were randomly allocated into intervention and control groups. Both groups answered a self-administered web-based questionnaire assessing the outcomes at the baseline. The intervention group received a newly developed intervention module based on the PWM in the form of 5 animated videos posted on a private YouTube platform, while the control group was put on the waitlist. The intervention group was encouraged to discuss any issues raised with the researchers via WhatsApp private chat after viewing the videos. All participants were observed immediately and 3 months postintervention. Data analysis was performed with SPSS (version 26; IBM Corp). A generalized linear mixed model was used to determine the effectiveness of the intervention.
RESULTS: There were a total of 300 participants with an attrition rate of 8.3% (n=25). After adjusting for age, sex, relationship status, and the amount of time spent on the web, there were significant differences in the intention to sext (β=-.12; P=.002; Cohen d=0.23), willingness to sext (β=-.16; P
Methods: This prospective cohort study was conducted at primary-care child health clinics in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The sample consisted of infants who fulfilled the criteria and were born in 2019. The anthropometric data of infants were assessed at birth and at 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.
Results: A total of 328 infants were analysed. In total, 27.7%(n=91) of the subjects were SGA infants, and 237 of them were not. Significant differences in the median weight-for-age and length-for-age z-scores were observed between SGA and non-SGA infants at birth, 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months. There was a significant difference between the growth patterns of SGA and non-SGA infants. Birth weight and sex significantly predicted the nutritional status(stunting and underweight) of SGA infants during their first year of life.
Conclusion: SGA infants can catch up to achieve normal growth during their first year of life. Even though the nutritional status of SGA infants trends worse than non-SGA infants, adequate infant birth weight monitoring and an emphasis on nutritional advice are crucial for maintaining well-being.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the association between wheezing symptoms among toddlers attending DCCs and indoor particulate matter, PM10, PM2.5, and microbial count level in urban DCCs in the District of Seremban, Malaysia.
METHODS: Data collection was carried out at 10 DCCs located in the urban area of Seremban. Modified validated questionnaires were distributed to parents to obtain their children's health symptoms. The parameters measured were indoor PM2.5, PM10, carbon monoxide, total bacteria count, total fungus count, temperature, air velocity, and relative humidity using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health analytical method.
RESULTS: All 10 DCCs investigated had at least one indoor air quality parameter exceeding the acceptable level of standard guidelines. The prevalence of toddlers having wheezing symptoms was 18.9%. There was a significant different in mean concentration of PM2.5 and total bacteria count between those with and those without wheezing symptoms (P = 0.02, P = 0.006).
CONCLUSIONS: Urban DCCs are exposed to many air pollutants that may enter their buildings from various adjacent sources. The particle concentrations and presence of microbes in DCCs might increase the risk of exposed children for respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, in their later life.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2010 and December 2020 using secondary data from a single tertiary healthcare center in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A total of 40,212 deliveries were included for analysis to investigate the association between conditions (maternal characteristics and adverse birth outcomes) and preeclampsia. Multivariable logistic regression was conducted to assess the association between multiple independent variables and the outcome variable (preeclampsia).
RESULTS: The reported prevalence of preeclampsia was 1.6%. Pregnant women with preeclampsia had a higher risk of preterm delivery (67.7%), instrumental and cesarean delivery (74.7%), neonatal low birth weight (48.5%), neonatal 5-min Apgar score <7 (18.1%), and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission (19.8%). There were significantly higher odds of developing preeclampsia among nullipara [adjusted odd ratio (adjOR) 1.792, 95% CI: 1.518-2.115], women with a previous history of preeclampsia (adjOR 5.345, 95% CI: 2.670-10.698) and women with multiple pregnancies (adjOR 1.658, 95% CI: 1.071-2.566). However, there is a significant association between maternal characteristic variables. There was a significant association when a combination of variables for risk assessment: the presence of anemia and gestational hypertension effect on preeclampsia (OR 26.344, 95% CI: 9.775-70.993, p < 0.002) and gestational hypertension without anemia on preeclampsia (OR 3.084, 95% CI: 2.240-4.245, p < 0.001). Similarly, an association was seen between chronic hypertension and younger age (<35 years old) on preeclampsia (OR 14.490, 95% CI: 9.988-21.021, p < 0.001), and having chronic hypertension with advanced maternal age (≥35 years old) on preeclampsia (OR 5.174, 95% CI: 3.267-8.195, p < 0.001). Both conditions had increased odds of preeclampsia, in varying magnitudes. Overall, the significant interaction effects suggest that a history of chronic or gestational hypertension has a different relationship to the incidence of preeclampsia depending on the maternal age and anemia status. Pregnant women with preeclampsia had significantly higher odds for preterm delivery (adjOR 6.214, 95% CI: 5.244-7.364), instrumental and cesarean delivery (adjOR 4.320, 95% CI: 3.587-5.202), neonatal low birth weight (adjOR 7.873, 95% CI: 6.687-9.271), 5-min Apgar score <7 (adjOR 3.158, 95% CI: 2.130-4.683), and NICU admission (adjOR 8.778, 95% CI: 7.115-10.830).
CONCLUSIONS: Nulliparity, previous history of preeclampsia, and multiple pregnancies were associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia. The presence of different underlying conditions, such as chronic hypertension, anemia, and extremes of maternal age played an important role in increasing preeclampsia risk in the considered study. Larger samples are needed to validate such findings.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The U5M surveillance data from 2015 to 2017 was retrieved for Malaysian cases of stillbirths and neonatal deaths with multiple pregnancies as exclusion. Stillbirth and neonatal death cases were analysed descriptively for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Logistic regressions were performed to identify the associated factors.
RESULTS: There were 15,444 cases selected for analysis, of which 55% of stillbirths and 45% of neonatal deaths. There were 21% of preventable deaths (U5M) and the major contributing causes of preventable stillbirths and neonatal deaths were classified as perinatal death (82.5%), infectious and parasitic diseases (4.1%) and congenital malformations (3.5%). The birth weight (aOR 6.03, 95% CI: 4.14-8.79), hypertensive mother (aOR 1.88, 95% CI: 1.66-2.12) and instrumental delivery (aOR 1.64, 95% CI: 1.16-2.31) were significantly associated with preventable stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Higher household income (>RM3000 per month) was noted as a protective factor (aOR 0.79, 95% CI:0.69,0.89). Mothers with ethnicities other thanBumiputera, single mothers and housewives were identified as the group of mothers with higher odds of poor perinatal services. Among the 3242 cases of preventable stillbirths and neonatal deaths with a complete documented level of adequacy and quality of healthcare, the most frequently identified factors were due to insufficient antenatal care (ANC) (20.4%), non-compliance with medical advice (12.3%) and unsuitable place of delivery (8.6%).
CONCLUSION: Increasing trend of preventable stillbirths and neonatal deaths was noted over 3 years (2015-2017), and one-fifth was related to insufficient ANC service-related factors. Remedial measures in improving the quality of ANC services with an emphasis on the targeted high-risk maternal socio-demographic group (other Bumiputera, older antenatal mothers, nonmarried, poor family income neglected family) and enhancing ANC competency skills among the healthcare provider through adequate training are required to decrease preventable stillbirths and neonatal deaths in Malaysia.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to validate the Individual Community Related Empowerment (ICRE) scale in alignment with the national language of Malaysia.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May to December 2019. Back-to-back translation from the English to Malay version of the ICRE scale was done. A total of 328 older persons aged 60 years old and above who attended clinics and understood Malay had been randomly selected. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA), particularly Principal Component Analysis (PCA) with Varimax rotation and Kaiser Normalization, was performed in this study using IBM SPSS version 27 Amos graphic.
RESULTS: The findings revealed that the Malay version of the Individual Community Related Empowerment (ICRE-m) scale consists of five components: self-efficacy, intention, participation, motivation, and critical awareness, which collectively accounted for 92.3% of total variance. All five components demonstrated Cronbach's alpha values greater than 0.7, indicating the reliability of the selected items for field studies.
CONCLUSION: The ICRE-m scale is acceptable for field studies and valid for measuring individual-related community empowerment. Nurses and other healthcare professionals can employ this scale specifically within the Malay-speaking population, particularly in the Asian region. Future studies on community empowerment among older individuals can utilize this tool to assess community readiness for participating in community health interventions.