METHODS: This qualitative study interviewed 12 Malaysian parents and 10 Malaysian teachers comprising of Malay (82%), Chinese (9%) and Indian (9%) races in an online focus group discussion. Sampling is purposive to parents of adolescents and teachers at secondary school only. Data were analyzed thematically to determine the culturally sensitive SEL constructs for Malaysian adolescents.
RESULTS: All themes and sub-themes of SEC regarded as crucial for Malaysian adolescents are aligned with CASEL's five domains of competencies. Our findings extended the conceptualization of subskills under CASEL's relationship skills and responsible decision-making domains, which reflect Asian cultural values. The main themes of social competency: (a) preserving interpersonal relationships, (b) utilizing intrapersonal skills, and (c) communicating effectively, are shared with the established CASEL constructs. However, the underlying subthemes denote the unique cultural manifestation of social competency in Malaysia. Two of the emotional competency themes represent the established CASEL constructs: (a) practicing self-regulation, (b) demonstrating help-seeking behavior, and the other two themes signify Asian values: (c) upholding altruism, and (d) maintaining cultural display rules.
DISCUSSIONS: This formative study revealed the habitual use of experiential and expressive suppressions as adaptive emotion regulation strategies in Malaysian collectivist culture and offered a potential alternative emotion regulation pathway suitable for Malaysian adolescents. It also informed the feasibility of implementing SEL modules developed based on the CASEL framework in Malaysia and suggested two key lessons to enhance the cultural sensitivity of SEL in Malaysia: effective, respectful communication and expressive writing.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among randomly selected group of 450 parents using a self-administered questionnaire. Optimum utilization of the book was defined as respondents reading all sections and recording comments in the book. Independent variables studied were sociodemographic characteristics; antenatal and breastfeeding history; child health and immunization status; perceptions and level of knowledge on the book and child health; and healthcare providers' performance. A multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the associated factors of optimum utilization.
RESULTS: Out of 450 study participants, 415 completed the questionnaire and 150 (36.1%) were found to optimally utilized the book. Participants who read all sections totalled 245 (59.0%), and 242 (58.3%) respondents reported to record some comments in the book. Optimum utilization of the book was associated with older parents' age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.11) and higher education attainment (AOR: 2.21, 95% CI 1.24-3.91), with a good level of knowledge on child health record books and general child health (AOR: 3.87, 95% CI 2.27-6.61; AOR: 2.05, 95% CI 1.25-3.36) and among parents who delivered their children in government hospitals (AOR: 2.93, 95% CI 1.11-7.73).
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of child health record book utilization was low at 36.1% but difficult to compare with other studies. Based on the findings, improving the parents' knowledge of the book and general child health, particularly among younger parents with lower educational levels, and delivering the book to institutions outside government hospitals might be useful to increase the utilization.
METHOD: This qualitative cross-sectional study utilised online open-ended, semi-structured focus group interviews to explore the perceptions and experiences of parents of children with Primary Immunodeficiency (PID). Participants were recruited through convenience sampling from the Malaysian Patient Organisation for Primary Immunodeficiencies (MyPOPI), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to providing support and raising awareness about PID. The study spanned from May 2023 to July 2023 and included participants from diverse regions of Malaysia who had undergone different diagnostic journeys in various hospitals.
RESULT: The focus group discussions yielded 11 sub-themes that highlighted the experiences, understanding and challenges of the participants regarding genetic testing based on the semi-structured questions. These sub-themes were then grouped into four main themes that are awareness and understanding of genetic testing, the journey towards diagnosis and treatment, emotional impact and psychological factors, and the importance of medical experts in diagnosing and managing PID, as well as public perception and awareness.
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this study highlights the diverse knowledge, awareness, and perception surrounding genetic testing for PID. Factors such as access to services, family history, and personal circumstances shape individuals' understanding of genetic testing. The importance of healthcare professionals, along with the need for improved accessibility and targeted communication strategies, is underscored to enhance understanding and reduce stigma surrounding genetic testing for rare diseases like PID.
METHOD: Six hundred children aged 9-11 and 424 of their parents completely answered the child or parent versions of the SCAS.
RESULTS: Results indicated that the internal reliability of subscales were moderate to adequate. Significant correlations between child and parent reports supported the measure's concurrent validity. Additionally, anxiety levels in this Malaysian sample were lower than among South-African children and higher than among their Western peers. There were both similarities and differences between symptom items reported as often or always experienced by Malaysian students and by children from other cultures. Confirmatory factor analysis provided evidence of the existence of five inter-correlated factors for anxiety disorders based on SCAS-C.
CONCLUSION: Although some of the instrument's psychometric properties deviated from those observed in some other countries, it nevertheless appears to be useful for assessing childhood anxiety symptoms in this country.
METHOD: This cross-sectional study was performed from August 2020 to November 2020. Patients with PID and their families were invited to answer the PedsQL Malay version (4.0) questionnaire, the tool used to assess the HRQOL. A total of 41 families and 33 patients with PID answered the questionnaire. A comparison was performed with the previously published value of healthy Malaysian children.
RESULT: Parents of respondents recorded a lower mean of total score than the parents of healthy children (67.26 ± 16.73 vs. 79.51 ± 11.90, p-value = 0.001, respectively). PID patients reported lower mean total score to healthy children (73.68 ± 16.38 vs. 79.51 ± 11.90, p-value = 0.04), including the psychosocial domain (71.67 ± 16.82 vs. 77.58 ± 12.63, p-value = 0.05) and school functioning (63.94 ± 20.87 vs. 80.00 ± 14.40, p-value = 0.007). No significant difference of reported HRQOL when comparing between subgroup of PID on immunoglobulin replacement therapy and those without immunoglobulin replacement (56.96 ± 23.58 vs. 65.83 ± 23.82, p-value 0.28). Socioeconomic status was found to be predictive of the lower total score of PedsQL in both parent and children reports.
CONCLUSION: Parents and children with PID, especially those from middle socioeconomic status, have lower HRQOL and school function impairment than healthy children.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study on adolescents aged 13-18 years old. Upon ethical clearance obtained from UMMC Medical Ethics Committee, patients with colorectal, breast or lung cancer and their adolescent children were recruited from the Clinical Oncology Unit of University of Malaya Medical Centre. Respondents who gave consent completed a demographic questionnaire and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, via the post, email, home visit or meetings at the clinics.
RESULTS: 95 adolescents from 50 families responded, giving a response rate of 88 percent. The adolescent's mean age was 16 years (ranging between 13-18 years). Adolescents with parental cancer had the lowest mean score in emotional functioning (p<0.05). Male adolescents had significantly higher quality of life overall and in physical functioning compared to female adolescents. Adolescents with a father with cancer had better school functioning compared to adolescents whose mothers had cancer. Families with household income of RM 5000 and above have significantly better quality of life compared to families with lower household income.
CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent sons and daughters of parents with a cancer diagnosis show lowered QOL, particularly with reference to emotional functioning and school performance. Addressing the needs of this young group has been slow and warrants special attention. Revisiting the risk and resilience factors of adolescents might also inform tailored programs to address the needs of this neglected adolescent population.