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  1. A Azizi, HM Rafidah
    MyJurnal
    Individuals with metabolic syndrome are at increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome and clinical characteristics in hypertensive patients according to the criteria of the new International Diabetes Federation (IDF) definition. Hypertensive patients were recruited from the Medical Out-Patient Department, Kuantan Hospital. The five components of metabolic syndrome were examined which included blood pressure (≥130/85 mmHg), fasting glucose (≥5.6mmol/L), fasting triglycerides (≥1.7 mmol/L), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level (80cm). Out of 139 hypertensive patients, there were 113 met all the selection criteria consisted of 61 male and 52 female subjects. The participants’ age ranged from 21 to 91 years (51.9±16.8 years; mean±SD), and body mass index 13.5-42.3 kg/m2 (27.5±4.9 kg/m2). According to the IDF criteria, the prevalence of central obesity was 67.2% in men and 84.6% in women. Among the 113 hypertensive subjects over 21 years of age, 51 subjects or 45.1% had metabolic syndrome. The present data revealed that there was high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Malaysian hypertensive subjects. This finding was supported by the fact of high prevalence of central obesity among the study subjects.
    Study site: Medical clinic, Hospital Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  2. A Hamid MS, Mohamed Ali MR, Yusof A, George J, Lee LP
    Am J Sports Med, 2014 Oct;42(10):2410-8.
    PMID: 25073598 DOI: 10.1177/0363546514541540
    BACKGROUND: A hamstring injury is one of the most common types of injury affecting athletes. Despite this, the optimal management of hamstring muscle injuries is not yet defined. The effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy on the recovery of hamstring injuries is unclear.
    PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of a single PRP injection in the treatment of grade 2 hamstring muscle injuries.
    STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2.
    METHODS: Twenty-eight patients diagnosed with an acute hamstring injury were randomly allocated to autologous PRP therapy combined with a rehabilitation program or a rehabilitation program only. The primary outcome of this study was time to return to play. In addition, changes in pain severity and pain interference scores over time were examined.
    RESULTS: Patients in the PRP group achieved full recovery significantly earlier than controls (P = .02). The mean time to return to play was 26.7 ± 7.0 days and 42.5 ± 20.6 days for the PRP and control groups, respectively (t(22) = 2.50, P = .02). [corrected]. Significantly lower pain severity scores were observed in the PRP group throughout the study. However, no significant difference in the pain interference score was found between the 2 groups.
    CONCLUSION: A single autologous PRP injection combined with a rehabilitation program was significantly more effective in treating hamstring injuries than a rehabilitation program alone.
    KEYWORDS: management; muscle injury; platelet-rich plasma (PRP); return to play
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  3. A P, Bd A, Wm Z, S MN, S S, Tj TZ, et al.
    PMID: 30388737 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15112425
    BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease with a worldwide distribution, especially in developing countries such as Malaysia. This study was designed to explore the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and practices (KABP) toward leptospirosis among the communities in northeastern Malaysia and to determine the sociodemographic factors associated with the KABP toward leptospirosis. A cross-sectional study using a stratified sampling method was conducted among 214 individuals in four locales in northeastern Malaysia.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 214 respondents in northeastern Malaysia using a multi-stage stratified random sampling method. The study population was divided into two groups based on geographical locations: urban and rural. All data were entered and analyzed using the IBM Statistics for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0 software for Windows (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA). The continuous variables were presented using mean and standard deviation (SD), whereas the categorical variables were described using frequency and percentage. Multiple logistic regression was performed to determine the associated factors for good KABP toward leptospirosis among the respondents.

    RESULTS: It was found that 52.8% of respondents had good knowledge, 84.6% had positive attitudes, 59.8% had positive beliefs, and 53.7% had satisfactory practices. There were no significant sociodemographic factors associated with knowledge and practice, except for educational status, which was significant in the attitude and belief domains. Those with higher education exhibited better attitudes (Odds Ratio (OR) 3.329; 95% Coefficient Interval (CI): 1.140, 9.723; p = 0.028) and beliefs (OR 3.748; 95% CI: 1.485, 9.459; p = 0.005). The communities in northeastern Malaysia generally have good knowledge and a high level of positive attitude; however, this attitude cannot be transformed into practice as the number of people with satisfactory practice habits is much lower compared to those with positive attitudes. As for the belief domain, the communities must have positive beliefs to perceive the threat of the disease.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our current health program on preventing leptospirosis is good in creating awareness and a positive attitude among the communities, but is not sufficient in promoting satisfactory practice habits. In conclusion, more attention needs to be paid to promoting satisfactory practice habits among the communities, as they already possess good knowledge and positive attitudes and beliefs.

    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  4. A Rahim NN, Chin YS, Sulaiman N
    Nutrients, 2019 Jan 11;11(1).
    PMID: 30641864 DOI: 10.3390/nu11010142
    Considering the double burden of malnutrition in Malaysia, data on malnourished children living in welfare homes are limited. This study aimed to determine the body weight status of children living in welfare homes and its associated factors. A total of 307 children aged 7⁻17 years old living in 15 selected welfare homes completed a standardized questionnaire, and their body weight and height were measured by trained researchers. There were 54.4% orphans, 23.8% abandoned children, and 21.8% children from problematic families. There were 51.5% boys and 48.5% girls; 52.4% were Malays, followed by 31.3% Indians, 12.7% Chinese, and 3.6% from other ethnic groups. The prevalence of overweight and obesity (23.1%) was higher than the prevalence of thinness (8.5%). In bivariate analyses, socio-demographic factors of age (p = 0.003), sex (p = 0.0001), ethnicity (p = 0.001), and welfare home enrollment status (p = 0.003), and psychological factors of self-esteem (p = 0.003), body shape dissatisfaction (p = 0.0001), and underestimation of body weight status (p = 0.002), were significantly associated with body mass index (BMI)-for-age. In the multiple linear regression analysis, children who were either Malays (β = 0.492) or Chinese (β = 0.678), with a status of being abandoned (β = 0.409), with body shape dissatisfaction (β = 0.457), and underestimated body weight status (β = 0.628) significantly explained 39.7% of the variances in higher BMI-for-age (F = 39.550; p < 0.05). Besides socio-demographic background, the current findings emphasized the importance of incorporating body image perception in an obesity prevention intervention program in welfare homes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  5. A Rashid, K., Narayan, K.A., Azizah, A.M.
    MyJurnal
    The population of the world is ageing and Malaysia is no exception. The proportion of those above 60 will be 9.5% by the year 2020. Cognitive impairment and depression are two common problems in this age group. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression and their associated factors in the elderly population in a rural community in Kedah. The study design was descriptive cross sectional study. A standardized questionnaire was used in two villages in Mukim Kota Kuala Muda. Barthels index, geriatric depression scale and elderly cognitive assessment questionnaire were also used. The prevalence rate of cognitive impairment was 18.5%. Cognitive impairment was higher among females (22.6%) than males (12.8%). 34.8% of the widowed were cognitively impaired and it increases with age 15.1% within age groups 60 to 69 years, 42.9% in age groups 80 to 89 years and the one and only participant above 90 years was cognitively impaired. Among those with disability, the only one with very severe disability had cognitive impairment, 40% among the severely disabled and 33. 3% among the moderately disabled (p<0.05). Those with cognitive impairment were living with some functional disabilities involving feeding (p<0.05), bathing (p<0.05), grooming (p<0.05), dressing (p<0.05), bladder control (p<0.05), toilet use (p<0.05), transfer from bed to chair (p<0.05), mobility on level surfaces (p<0.05) and climbing stairs (p<0.05). The prevalence of depression was found to be 46.4%. Higher among males (48.4%) as compared to females (44.7%). Depression was 50.0% among the age groups 80 to 89 and 52.4% among the age groups 70 to 79. 63.6% of those living alone were depressed as were 54.8% of the unemployed. 43.8% of those depressed had functional disability. The only one with severe disability was depressed and 66. 7% of those with severe disability were depressed. 47.5% of those with hypertension were depressed. It is a matter of concern that even in a small population the rate of cognitive impairment and mental depression is very high. Health screening is an important aspect of health promotion and disease prevention in people over 60 years. Although screening for many conditions cannot conclusively prove benefit, special attention to these factors can decrease morbidity and improve quality of life in aging population.
    Key words: elderly, cognitive impairment, depression, rural community, Malaysia
    Study site: Two villages in Mukim Kota Kuala Muda, Kuala Muda District, Kedah, Malaysia
    Device, Questionnaire & Scale: Barthels index; Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30); Elderly Cognitive Assessment Questionnaire
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  6. A. B. M. Tofazzal Hossain, Shaila Kabir, Charissa Winston, Loo Yizhan, Sadia Choudhury Shimmi, M. Tanveer Hossain Parash, et al.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction:A unilateral enlarged tonsil always is a suspicion of carcinoma. Especially if it is with fungating ulcer-ative surface. Neoplasms in unilaterally enlarged tonsil include squamous cell carcinomas and lymphomas. Lym-phomas in oropharynx are not common specially with fungating surface. Usually lymphomas in these areas are Non-Hodgkin’s type. Case description: A 62-year-old woman was admitted in the tertiary level hospital of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, with the complaint of sore throat, odynophagia and right neck swelling. She was treated as a case of acute tonsillitis by general practitioner without any noticeable improvement. Oral cavity examination revealed a hugely enlarged right tonsil with fungating ulcerative surface and almost obstructing the oropharynx. Trismus was seen which make the examination difficult. A non-tender right upper neck swelling was palpable. All baseline lab-oratory investigations were normal. A contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) showed a heterogeneously enhancing mass at oropharynx compromising the airway, right supraclavicular lymphadenopathy. Histology of biop-sy from right tonsillar mass showed High grade B-cell lymphoma. Chemotherapy was planned. First cycle of chemo-therapy was administered, Patient was discharged home with the complete plan of chemotherapy. Conclusion: This patient was clinically suspicious of carcinoma of palatine tonsil. But later proven as high grade B-cell lymphoma. All unilateral enlarged tonsils are not always carcinoma.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  7. ACES Investigators
    Int J Stroke, 2009 Oct;4(5):398-405.
    PMID: 19765130 DOI: 10.1111/j.1747-4949.2009.00339.x
    Better methods of identifying which patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis will develop stroke, are required to improve the risk-benefit ratio of carotid endarterectomy. A promising method is the detection of asymptomatic embolic signals using transcranial Doppler. Embolic signals predict stroke risk in symptomatic carotid stenosis, but their predictive role in asymptomatic carotid stenosis is uncertain.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  8. ACHEON Working Group, Kim YC, Ahn JS, Calimag MM, Chao TC, Ho KY, et al.
    Cancer Med, 2015 Aug;4(8):1196-204.
    PMID: 25914253 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.471
    In order to implement more effective policies for cancer pain management, a better understanding of current practices is needed. Physicians managing cancer pain and patients experiencing cancer pain were randomly surveyed across 10 Asian countries to assess attitudes and perceptions toward cancer pain management. A total of 463 physicians (77.3% oncologists) with a median experience of 13 years were included. Medical school training on opioid use was considered inadequate by 30.5% of physicians and 55.9% indicated ≤ 10 h of continuing medical education (CME). Of the 1190 patients included, 1026 reported moderate-to-severe pain (median duration, 12 months). Discordance was observed between physician and patient outcomes on pain assessment with 88.3% of physicians reporting pain quantification, while 49.5% of patients claimed that no scale was used. Inadequate assessment of pain was recognized as a barrier to therapy optimization by 49.7% of physicians. Additional barriers identified were patients' reluctance owing to fear of addiction (67.2%) and adverse events (65.0%), patients' reluctance to report pain (52.5%), excessive regulations (48.0%) and reluctance to prescribe opioids (42.8%). Opioid use was confirmed only in 53.2% (286/538) of patients remembering their medication. Pain affected the activities of daily living for 81.3% of patients. These findings highlight the need for better training and CME opportunities for cancer pain management in Asia. Collaborative efforts between physicians, patients, policy makers, and related parties may assist in overcoming the barriers identified. Addressing the opioid stigma and enhancing awareness is vital to improving current standards of patient care.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  9. ACTION Study Group
    Eur J Cancer, 2017 03;74:26-37.
    PMID: 28335885 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejca.2016.12.014
    BACKGROUND: Evidence to guide policymakers in developing affordable and equitable cancer control plans are scarce in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).

    METHODS: The 2012-2014 ASEAN Costs in Oncology Study prospectively followed-up 9513 newly diagnosed cancer patients from eight LMIC in Southeast Asia for 12 months. Overall and country-specific incidence of financial catastrophe (out-of-pocket health costs ≥ 30% of annual household income), economic hardship (inability to make necessary household payments), poverty (living below national poverty line), and all-cause mortality were determined. Stepwise multinomial regression was used to estimate the extent to which health insurance, cancer stage and treatment explained these outcomes.

    RESULTS: The one-year incidence of mortality (12% in Malaysia to 45% in Myanmar) and financial catastrophe (24% in Thailand to 68% in Vietnam) were high. Economic hardship was reported by a third of families, including inability to pay for medicines (45%), mortgages (18%) and utilities (12%), with 28% taking personal loans, and 20% selling assets (not mutually exclusive). Out of households that initially reported incomes above the national poverty levels, 4·9% were pushed into poverty at one year. The adverse economic outcomes in this study were mainly attributed to medical costs for inpatient/outpatient care, and purchase of drugs and medical supplies. In all the countries, cancer stage largely explained the risk of adverse outcomes. Stage-stratified analysis however showed that low-income patients remained vulnerable to adverse outcomes even when diagnosed with earlier cancer stages.

    CONCLUSION: The LMIC need to realign their focus on early detection of cancer and provision of affordable cancer care, while ensuring adequate financial risk protection, particularly for the poor.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  10. AL-Kubaisy W, AL-Talib H, Al-khateeb A, Shanshal MM
    Trop Biomed, 2014 Sep;31(3):499-506.
    PMID: 25382477
    Parasitic diarrhea among children is a significant health problem worldwide. This cross sectional study described the burden of parasitic diarrhea among children. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of risk factors on the parasitic diarrhea, and to determine the parasitic profile among children in Baghdad-Iraq, during the period extending from September 2003 to June 2004. A total number of 2033 cases were included in the study. The estimated prevalence rate of parasitic diarrhea was 22%. We identified the following major diarrhea determinants were large households size, residential location, water source, low socioeconomic status, and low parent education. Giardia lamblia was found to be the most prevalent parasite with an infection rate of 45.54% followed by Entamoeba histolytica 23.44%, Enterobius vermicularis 12.7%, Hymenolepis nana 9.82%, Trichuris trichiura 5.4%, and Ascaris lumbricoides 2.2%. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that poor sanitation, inadequate environmental conditions, and low socioeconomic status are the main determining factors that predispose children to parasitic diarrhea. Mass deworming programs are recommended for school children, as this population is easily accessible.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  11. AUDY JR
    Med J Malaya, 1959 Sep;14:1-11.
    PMID: 13795072
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  12. Aaina Mardhiah Binti Abdul Mutalib, Soo-Foon Moey, Nur Nadira Aiza Binti Kamarudin
    MyJurnal
    In Malaysia, breast cancer is the commonest cancer among women indicating that early diagnosis and screening practice is important to increase the survival rate. Breast self-examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography are the main screening practices for breast cancer. Knowledge and awareness of breast cancer can play an important role in aiding early detection of breast cancer. Little is known about the knowledge of breast cancer and screening practices among the non-academic staff in IIUM, Kuantan. As such this study aims to determine the knowledge and screening practices of breast cancer amongst the non-academic staff at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuantan Campus. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 nonacademic staff from ten different departments in IIUM, Kuantan from March to April 2017. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire on knowledge of breast cancer and screening practices. The relationship between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge of breast cancer and breast cancer screening practices were carried out using chi-square. No significance difference was found between knowledge of breast cancer and socio-demographic factors. However significant relationships were found between the age of respondents and BSE as well as the level of education of respondents and CBE. Most non-academic staff possessed an average level of knowledge on breast cancer and screening practices due to possibly ease of access to information. Low performance of breast screening practices was indicated possibly due to lack of awareness, misconception of the need and benefits derived from such screening practices.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  13. Aamir K, Khan HU, Hossain CF, Afrin MR, Shaik I, Salleh N, et al.
    PeerJ, 2019;7:e8045.
    PMID: 31772835 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8045
    Background: Arjunolic acid (AA) is a potent phytochemical with wider pharmacological activities. Despite potential medicinal properties on various in vitro and in vivo studies, there is still a dearth of scientific data related to its safety profile and toxicological parameters. The current study aimed to investigate acute toxicity of AA in normal female Sprague Dawley rats.

    Methods: In this study, AA was administered orally at an individual dose of 300 and 2000 mg/kg body weight to group 1 and 2 respectively, while group 3 served as normal control. All the animals were observed for 2 weeks to determine any behavioral and physical changes. On day 15, blood was collected for hematological and biochemical investigation, later animals from all the three groups were euthanized to harvest and store essential organs for histopathological analysis. Four different staining techniques; hematoxylin and eosin, Masson trichrome, Periodic acid Schiff and Oil O Red were used to investigate any alterations in different tissues through microscopical observation.

    Results: The results of the study showed no morbidity and mortality at two different dosage of AA treatment. Daily food & water intake, body weight, relative organ weight, hematological and biochemical parameters were detected to be normal with no severe alteration seen through microscopical investigation in the structure of harvested tissues. Our findings support the safety profile of AA, which was well tolerated at higher dose. Thus, an in-detail study on the subacute disease model is warranted.

    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  14. Aaqillah-Amr MA, Hidir A, Noordiyana MN, Ikhwanuddin M
    Anim. Reprod. Sci., 2018 Aug;195:274-283.
    PMID: 29910008 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2018.06.005
    This study describes the fatty acids, total carotenoids, and cell diameter characteristics of the female ovary and hepatopancreas of the mud crab, Scylla olivacea, with comparisons at different ovarian maturation stages. Seventy-one S. olivacea individuals at all stages of ovarian maturation were sampled from the Setiu wetlands, Terengganu, Malaysia. The ovary and hepatopancreas of each crab were used for morphological studies, histological and biochemical analyses (fatty acid composition and total carotenoids). Morphological observations indicated there was an increase in ovarian gonado-somatic index (GSI), with color changes from translucent to dark red; however, a relatively consistent hepato-somatic index (HSI) in the hepatopancreas, with the color ranging from yellow to yellowish-brown. Histological analysis indicated that oocyte diameter was positively correlated with GSI. Hepatopancreatic tubules had a relatively constant diameter from Stage 2 to 4, with increased proportions of R- and B-cells. Biochemical analysis indicated there was a significant increase in total carotenoids in the ovary during maturation. The hepatopancreas, however, had relatively consistent total carotenoid concentrations that were greater than those of the ovary. Overall, the lipid analysis results indicated there were lesser concentrations of fatty acids in the hepatopancreas, while in the ovary there were increasing concentrations during maturation. The lesser concentrations of fatty acids in the hepatopancreas than ovary suggested that energy was transferred to the ovary for future embryonic and larval development. The relationship between the hepatopancreas and the ovary in nutrient content is an important finding in providing a baseline to formulate an optimal diet for improved mud crab hatchery practices.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  15. Aazami S, Shamsuddin K, Akmal S
    ScientificWorldJournal, 2015;2015:343075.
    PMID: 25695097 DOI: 10.1155/2015/343075
    We examined the mediating role of behavioral coping strategies in the association between work-family conflict and psychological distress. In particular, we examined the two directions of work-family conflict, namely, work interference into family and family interference into work. Furthermore, two coping styles in this study were adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 429 Malaysian working women using self-reported data. The results of mediational analysis in the present study showed that adaptive coping strategy does not significantly mediate the effect of work-family conflict on psychological distress. However, maladaptive coping strategies significantly mediate the effect of work-family conflict on psychological distress. These results show that adaptive coping strategies, which aimed to improve the stressful situation, are not effective in managing stressor such as work-family conflict. We found that experiencing interrole conflict steers employees toward frequent use of maladaptive coping strategies which in turn lead to psychological distress. Interventions targeted at improvement of coping skills which are according to individual's needs and expectation may help working women to balance work and family demands. The important issue is to keep in mind that effective coping strategies are to control the situations not to eliminate work-family conflict.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  16. Aazami S, Mozafari M, Shamsuddin K, Akmal S
    Ind Health, 2016;54(1):50-7.
    PMID: 26423332 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2015-0086
    This study aimed at assessing effect of the four dimensions of work-family conflicts (strain and time-based work interference into family and family interference into work) on sleep disturbance in Malaysian working women. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 325 Malaysian married working women. Multiple-stage simple random sampling method was used to recruit women from public service departments of Malaysia. Self-administrated questionnaires were used to measure the study variables and data were analyzed using SPSS version 21. We found that high level of the four dimensions of work-family conflicts significantly increase sleep disturbance. Our analyses also revealed an age-dependent effect of the work-family conflict on sleep disturbance. Women in their 20 to 30 yr old suffer from sleep disturbance due to high level of time-based and strain-based work-interference into family. However, the quality of sleep among women aged 30-39 were affected by strain-based family-interference into work. Finally, women older than 40 yr had significantly disturbed sleep due to strain-based work-interference into family as well as time-based family interference into work. Our findings showed that sleep quality of working women might be disturbed by experiencing high level of work-family conflict. However, the effects of inter-role conflicts on sleep varied among different age groups.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  17. Ab Ghaffar SF, Mohd Sidik S, Ibrahim N, Awang H, Gyanchand Rampal LR
    PMID: 31817328 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16244913
    Anxiety is one of the most common mental health disorders in childhood, and children with anxiety have an increased risk of psychiatric disorders during adulthood. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based anxiety prevention program for reducing anxiety among primary school students relative to a school-as-usual control group. Secondary to this, the current study aimed to examine the effect of a school-based prevention program on worry coping skills and self-esteem. A two-group parallel cluster randomized controlled trial of a single-blinded study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, with schools as the unit of allocation and individual participants as the unit of analysis. The intervention program was conducted between May 2016 and December 2017. The primary outcome was anxiety, whereas the secondary outcomes were worry coping skills and self-esteem measured at three months post-intervention. Data were analyzed by using a generalized linear mixed model, accounting for the clustering effect. Subgroup analyses were performed for children with anxiety. A total of 461 students participated in this study. At baseline, there was no significant difference between groups for anxiety score, worry coping skills score, and self-esteem score (p > 0.05). The intervention was effective in reducing anxiety for the whole sample (p = 0.001) and the anxiety subgroup (p = 0.001). However, it was not effective in improving worry coping skills and self-esteem. These findings suggest that the program could be effective for reducing symptoms of anxiety when delivered in schools and provide some support for delivering this type of program in primary school settings.
    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  18. Ab Ghani SM, Mohd Khairuddin PNA, Lim TW, Md Sabri BA, Abdul Hamid NF, Baharuddin IH, et al.
    Eur J Dent Educ, 2024 Feb;28(1):106-113.
    PMID: 37253116 DOI: 10.1111/eje.12925
    INTRODUCTION: The communication skills of clinicians are very crucial in providing better health outcomes for patients. Therefore, this study aimed to assess undergraduate dental students' communication skills in relation to their demographics and clinical setting using a three-perspective approach; the student, the patient and the clinical instructor perspective.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using validated modified-communication tools; Patient Communication Assessment Instruments (PCAI), Student Communication Assessment Instruments (SCAI) and Clinical Communication Assessment Instruments (CCAI) which included four communication domains. One hundred and seventy-six undergraduate clinical year students were recruited in this study whereby each of them was assessed by a clinical instructor and a randomly selected patient in two settings: Dental Health Education (DHE) and Comprehensive Care (CC) clinic.

    RESULTS: Comparing the three perspectives, PCAI yielded the highest scores across all domains, followed by SCAI and CCAI (p 

    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  19. Ab Halim N, Esa R, Chew HP
    BMC Oral Health, 2018 01 12;18(1):11.
    PMID: 29329566 DOI: 10.1186/s12903-017-0451-9
    BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of general tooth wear (GTW), i.e. tooth wear irrespective of etiology and erosive tooth wear (ETW), i.e. tooth wear predominantly due to erosion; and also to investigate the relationship between ETW and dental caries experience in 16-year-old adolescents in Kuantan, Malaysia.

    METHODS: A multi-staged cluster sampling method was employed. A total of 598 16-year-old adolescents participated in this study. Participants' demographic profile was assessed through a self-administered questionnaire. Clinical examinations were carried out under standardized conditions by a single examiner. The level of GTW was recorded using the modified Smith and Knight's Tooth Wear Index (TWI) whilst ETW were recorded using the Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) index. This index was developed to record clinical findings and assist in the decision-making process for the management of erosive tooth wear. Dental caries was recorded using the D3MFT index whereby D3 denotes obvious dental decay into dentine detected visually.

    RESULTS: The prevalence of GTW, ETW and dental caries, i.e. percentage of individuals found to have at least one lesion, was 99.8%, 45.0% and 27.8% respectively. Two thirds of affected teeth with GTW were observed to have a TWI score of 1 whereas almost all of the affected teeth with ETW had a BEWE score of 2. The mean D3MFT was 0.62 (95% CI 0.50, 0.73) with Decayed (D) teeth being the largest component, mean D3T was 0.36 (95% CI 0.30, 0.43). There was no significant association between socio-demographic factors and prevalence of ETW. Logistic regression analysis also showed no significant relationship between the prevalence of ETW and D3MFT (p > 0.05).

    CONCLUSIONS: Almost all adolescents examined had GTW but they were mainly early lesions. However, nearly half were found to have ETW of moderate severity (BEWE score 2). No significant relationship between the occurrence of erosive tooth wear and caries was observed in this population.

    Matched MeSH terms: Female
  20. Ab Halim SA, Lee SK, Mustangin M, Mohd Saleh MF, Shah SA, Md Isa N
    Malays J Pathol, 2020 Dec;42(3):415-422.
    PMID: 33361723
    INTRODUCTION: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the ninth most common malignancy among women. Although the disease prognosis is good, less favourable outcomes are predicted in those with higher disease stages and nodal metastasis. Oestrogen- α (ER-α) expression has been associated with aggressive presentation and greater disease progression and has been proposed as a predictor for lymph node metastases. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between ER expression and clinicopathological features i.e. lymph node metastasis, tumour size, extrathyroidal extension, histological variants of PTC , age groups , ethnic and gender.

    METHODS: We studied ER-α expression in 84 cases of PTC obtained within an eight-year period (2011-2018) by immunohistochemical technique (IHC). Associations between ER-α expression and clinicopathological features were evaluated using Fisher's exact test. The statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

    RESULTS: ER-α was expressed in 13.1% of all the PTC cases examined (n=11/84). There were no associations observed between ER-α expression and lymph node metastasis (p=1.000), tumour size (p=0.970), extrathyroidal extension (p=0.677), variants of PTC (p=1.000), age groups (p=0.188), gender (p=0.725) or race (p=0.920).

    CONCLUSION: There was no evidence in this study to support the application of ER-α as prediction marker for lymph node metastasis or disease aggressiveness in PTC. Given that the scope of this study was limited to the protein expression of ER- α, we also propose the inclusion of molecular analysis of ESR1 gene expression, as well as inclusion of detailed clinical and radiological findings in future research investigating the role of ER-α in prognostication of PTC.

    Matched MeSH terms: Female
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