METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a randomly selected community sample of 992 women (>40 years old) in Selangor State, Malaysia.
RESULTS: Approximately 35% of women received a clinical breast examination (CBE) and 27% had a mammogram within the last 1 to 2 years. The regression analyses indicated that Chinese ethnicity has higher perceived susceptibility to BC compared to Malay ethnicity (mean 7.74, SD: 2.75; 95% CI 0.09, 1.03) whilst a lower perceived susceptibility was observed in women aged ≥70 years (mean 6.67, SD: 3.01; 95% CI -1.66, -0.24) compared to women aged 40-49 years. Indian Malaysian women (mean 16.87, SD: 2.59; 95% CI 0.12, 1.01) and women who had received a CBE (mean 16.10, SD:2.35; 95% CI 0.18, 0.89) were more likely to have higher perceived benefits scoring. Indian ethnicity, secondary education and tertiary education, top 20% income group, past history of CBE and mammogram uptake were significantly associated with lower barriers scoring.
CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to target BC screening uptake improvement programmes towards communities in which women experience disadvantages related to income, education, employment, and, in particular, to tailor programmes to take into consideration differences between ethnic groups regarding their beliefs about cancer screening.
Methods: Analyses were performed on 243 women (mean body mass index 31.27 ± 4.14 kg/m2) who completed a 12-month lifestyle intervention in low socioeconomic communities in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare changes of cardiometabolic risk factors across weight change categories (2% gain, ±2% maintain, >2 to <5% loss, and 5 to 20% loss) within intervention and control group.
Results: A graded association for changes in waist circumference, fasting insulin, and total cholesterol (p=0.002, for all variables) across the weight change categories were observed within the intervention group at six months postintervention. Participants who lost 5 to 20% of weight had the greatest improvements in those risk markers (-5.67 cm CI: -7.98 to -3.36, -4.27 μU/mL CI: -7.35, -1.19, and -0.59 mmol/L CI: -.99, -0.19, respectively) compared to those who did not. Those who lost >2% to <5% weight reduced more waist circumference (-4.24 cm CI: -5.44 to -3.04) and fasting insulin (-0.36 μU/mL CI: -1.95 to 1.24) than those who maintained or gained weight. No significant association was detected in changes of risk markers across the weight change categories within the control group except for waist circumference and adiponectin.
Conclusion: Weight loss of >2 to <5% obtained through lifestyle intervention may represent a reasonable initial weight loss target for women in the low socioeconomic community as it led to improvements in selected risk markers, particularly of diabetes risk.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional.
SETTING: Jakarta, Indonesia and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 504 non-pregnant women 18-40 years.
MAIN MEASURES: Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D and PTH.
RESULTS: The mean 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was 48 nmol/l. Less than 1% of women had a 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration indicative of vitamin D deficiency (<17.5 nmol/l); whereas, over 60% of women had a 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration indicative of insufficiency (<50 nmol/l). We estimate that 52 nmol/l was the threshold concentration for plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D above which no further suppression of PTH occurred. Below and above this concentration the slopes of the regression lines were -0.18 (different from 0; P=0.003) and -0.01 (P=0.775), respectively. The relation between vitamin D status and parathyroid hormone concentration did not differ between women with low, medium or high calcium intakes (P=0.611); however, even in the highest tertile of calcium intake, mean calcium intake was only 657 mg/d.
CONCLUSION: On the basis of maximal suppression of PTH we estimate an optimal 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration of approximately 50 nmol/l. Many women had a 25-hydroxyvitamin D below this concentration and may benefit from improved vitamin D status.
Methods: This research utilized data from the Demographic and Health Surveys 2014, 2016, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016 from Ghana, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, respectively. Respondents were women aged between 15 and 49 years. Hemoglobin levels were measured by HemoCue hemoglobin meter. 45,299 women data were extracted from the five countries with 4,644, 14,923, 6,680, 13,064, and 5,988 from Ghana, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, respectively. Association between anemia and selected predictive variables was assessed using Pearson's chi-square test statistic. Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to estimate the prevalence rate ratios of developing anemia. The deviance goodness of fit test was employed to test the fit of the Poisson model to the data set.
Results: There was a statistically significant difference in prevalence of 1,962 (42.3%), 3,527 (23.6%), 1,284 (19.3%), 5,857 (44.8%), and 1,898 (31.7%) for Ghana, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda, respectively, χ 2 = 2,181.86 and p value < 0.001. Parity, pregnancy status, and contraceptives significantly increased the prevalence rate ratio of a woman developing anemia. Women in Ethiopia with a parity of six or more were 58% more likely to develop anemia than those with parity of zero. Tanzanian women who were pregnant had a 14% increased rate ratio of developing anemia. Factors that significantly decreased anemia in this study were wealth index, women's age, and women's highest level of education. Women who were in the higher education category in Ethiopia were 57% less likely to develop anemia. Ugandan women in the richest category of the wealth index were 28% less likely to develop anemia. Rwandan women in the middle category of the wealth index were 20% less likely to develop anemia. Women who were within the 45-49 age category in Ethiopia were 48% less likely to develop anemia.
Conclusion: The individual country governments should encourage the implementation of increasing female enrollment in higher education. Women in their reproductive age should be encouraged to use modern contraceptives to reduce their anemia prevalence.
OBJECTIVES: To examine the differentials and determinants of the utilization of private providers for family planning services.
METHOD: This study used the 2014 Malaysian Population and Family Survey data. Cross-tabulations and logistic regression were performed on 1,817 current users of modern methods.
RESULTS: Overall, 26% of modern method users obtained their supplies from private clinics/pharmacies and 15.2% from other sources, such as drug stores and sundry shops. The odds of utilizing the private sector for family planning services differ significantly across regions and socio-economic groups. The odds of obtaining supply from the private clinics/pharmacies were higher among the Chinese and urban women (AOR > 1), and it was lower among those from the eastern region (AOR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.30-0.73). Non-Bumiputera, urban, higher educated, and working women, and those whose husbands decided on family planning had higher odds of obtaining the supply from the other sources (AOR > 1).
CONCLUSION: The private sector complements and supplements the public sector in providing family planning services to the public.
FINDINGS: We studied 127 women; and based on their hair nicotine levels measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, 25 of them were categorized as having higher hair nicotine levels, 25 were grouped as having lower hair nicotine and 77 women were grouped into the non-detected group. The non-detected group did not have detectable levels of hair nicotine. Anthropometry, blood pressure (BP), lipid profile and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured accordingly. Microvascular endothelial function was assessed non-invasively using laser Doppler fluximetry and the process of iontophoresis involving acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside as endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent vasodilators respectively. The mean hair nicotine levels for higher and lower hair nicotine groups were 0.74 (1.04) and 0.05 (0.01) ng/mg respectively. There were no significant differences in anthropometry, BP, lipid profile and hsCRP between these groups. There were also no significant differences in the microvascular perfusion and endothelial function between these groups.
CONCLUSION: In this study, generally healthy non-smoking women who have higher, lower and non-detected hair nicotine levels did not show significant differences in their microvascular endothelial function. Low levels of SHS exposure among generally healthy non-smoking women may not significantly impair their microvascular endothelial function.