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The evaluation of new psychoactive drugs

Müller CP, Hassan Z

Brain Res Bull, 2016 09;126(Pt 1):1-2.
PMID: 27235862 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2016.05.013
Matched MeSH terms: Drug Evaluation/methods*
Transperitoneal laparoscopic nephrectomy for renal tumour disease versus non-tumour disease: What are the differences in outcomes?

Khai YT, Teck MT

Med J Malaysia, 2020 05;75(3):240-245.
PMID: 32467539

INTRODUCTION: Laparoscopic nephrectomy is the standard of care for the removal of both non-functioning and tumourbearing kidneys. This study was conducted to compare the characteristics and outcomes follow-ing laparoscopic transperitoneal nephrectomy (TP) for tumour and nontumour disease.
METHODS: We retro-spectively reviewed all TP nephrectomies performed in the Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah Alor Setar, Kedah between January 2016 and July 2017.
RESULTS: A total of 36 eligible cases were identified, 10 of which were for renal tumours and the others for nonfunctioning kidneys. There were no statistically significant differ-ences between the two groups in terms of demographics and comorbidities. We also did not identify any sta-tistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of operating time, blood loss, need for transfusion, septic complications and postoperative recovery. The only significant difference between the groups was the postoperative rise in serum creatinine, which was higher in the tumour disease group (mean rise 23.4 vs 5.35µmol/l; p = 0.012).
CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that laparoscopic nephrectomy is both feasible and safe for the treatment of tumour and non-tumour renal disease with low complication rates in both groups.

Matched MeSH terms: Nephrectomy/methods*
The Effect of 20-Minute Mindful Breathing on the Perception of Suffering and Changes in Bispectral Index Score (BIS) in Palliative Care Informal Caregivers: A Randomized Controlled Study

Tan SB, Ching HC, Chia YL, Yee A, Ng CG, Hasan MSB, et al.

Am J Hosp Palliat Care, 2020 Aug;37(8):606-612.
PMID: 31854193 DOI: 10.1177/1049909119894507

Informal caregivers are at risk of being overwhelmed by various sources of suffering while caring for their significant others. It is, therefore, important for caregivers to take care of themselves. In the self-care context, mindfulness has the potential to reduce caregiver suffering. We studied the effect of a single session of 20-minute mindful breathing on the perceived level of suffering, together with the changes in bispectral index score (BIS) among palliative care informal caregivers. This was a randomized controlled study conducted at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia. Forty adult palliative care informal caregivers were recruited and randomly assigned to either 20-minute mindful breathing or 20-minute supportive listening. The changes in perceived suffering and BIS were measured preintervention and postintervention. The reduction in suffering score in the intervention group was significantly more than the control group at minute 20 (U = 124.0, n1 = n2 = 20, mean rank1 = 24.30, mean rank2 = 16.70, z = -2.095, P = .036). The reduction in BIS in the intervention group was also significantly greater than the control group at minute 20 (U = 19.5, n1 = n2 = 20, mean rank1 = 29.52, mean rank2 = 11.48, z = -4.900, P < .0001). Twenty minutes of mindful breathing was more efficacious than 20 minutes of supportive listening in the reduction in suffering among palliative care informal caregivers.

Matched MeSH terms: Mindfulness/methods*
Fulltext Use of Smartphone to Seek Sexual Health Information Online Among Malaysian Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM): Implications for mHealth Intervention to Increase HIV Testing and Reduce HIV Risks

Shrestha R, Lim SH, Altice FL, Copenhaver M, Wickersham JA, Saifi R, et al.

J Community Health, 2020 02;45(1):10-19.
PMID: 31375976 DOI: 10.1007/s10900-019-00713-x

In settings where stigma and discrimination toward men who have sex with men (MSM) are high or illegal, like in Malaysia, innovative methods to anonymously reach them are urgently needed. The near ubiquitous availability of mobile technology, including smartphones, has the potential to open new frontiers (such as mHealth) to prevent HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The extent to which MSM use mHealth tools for HIV and STI prevention in the Malaysia context, however, is unknown. A cross-sectional online survey in 622 Malaysian MSM was conducted between July and November 2017. Participants were recruited via advertisements on mobile apps frequently used by MSM. In addition to demographic, smartphone access and utilization, and other information were assessed using logistic regression to determine factors associated with the use of a smartphone to search for online sexual health information. Nearly all (99.2%) participants owned a smartphone, with 63% reported having used one to seek sexual health information, including HIV/STIs. Overall, 96% used smartphones to find sexual partners, with high levels of HIV risk behavior reported. Independent correlates of smartphone use to seek online sexual health information included older age (aOR 0.943, p = 0.005), higher education (aOR 2.14, p = 027), recent (past year) HIV testing (aOR 3.91, p = 0.026), and seeking sexual partners using geosocial networking apps (aOR 5.58, p = 0.006). These findings suggest high smartphone use by high-risk MSM to seek sexual health information and suggests that mHealth strategies may be an effective strategy to engage MSM in HIV prevention activities.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Promotion/methods*
Scaffolds for Cartilage Regeneration: To Use or Not to Use?

Sha'ban M, Ahmad Radzi MA

Adv Exp Med Biol, 2020;1249:97-114.
PMID: 32602093 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-15-3258-0_7

Joint cartilage has been a significant focus on the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) since its inception in the 1980s. Represented by only one cell type, cartilage has been a simple tissue that is thought to be straightforward to deal with. After three decades, engineering cartilage has proven to be anything but easy. With the demographic shift in the distribution of world population towards ageing, it is expected that there is a growing need for more effective options for joint restoration and repair. Despite the increasing understanding of the factors governing cartilage development, there is still a lot to do to bridge the gap from bench to bedside. Dedicated methods to regenerate reliable articular cartilage that would be equivalent to the original tissue are still lacking. The use of cells, scaffolds and signalling factors has always been central to the TERM. However, without denying the importance of cells and signalling factors, the question posed in this chapter is whether the answer would come from the methods to use or not to use scaffold for cartilage TERM. This paper presents some efforts in TERM area and proposes a solution that will transpire from the ongoing attempts to understand certain aspects of cartilage development, degeneration and regeneration. While an ideal formulation for cartilage regeneration has yet to be resolved, it is felt that scaffold is still needed for cartilage TERM for years to come.

Matched MeSH terms: Tissue Engineering/methods*
Porous hexagonal nanoplate cobalt oxide derived from a coordination polymer as an effective catalyst for activating Oxone in water

Tuan DD, Hung C, Da Oh W, Ghanbari F, Lin JY, Lin KA

Chemosphere, 2020 Dec;261:127552.
PMID: 32731015 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127552

As cobalt (Co) represents an effective transition metal for activating Oxone to degrade contaminants, tricobalt tetraoxide (Co3O4) is extensively employed as a heterogeneous phase of Co for Oxone activation. Since Co3O4 can be manipulated to exhibit various shapes, 2-dimensional plate-like morphology of Co3O4 can offer large contact surfaces. If the large plate-like surfaces can be even porous, forming porous nanoplate Co3O4 (PNC), such a PNC should be a promising catalyst for Oxone activation. Therefore, a facile but straightforward method is proposed to prepare such a PNC for activating Oxone to degrade pollutants. In particular, a cobaltic coordination polymer with a morphology of hexagonal nanoplate, which is synthesized through coordination between Co2+ and thiocyanuric acid (TCA), is adopted as a precursor. Through calcination, CoTCA could be transformed into hexagonal nanoplate-like Co3O4 with pores to become PNC. This PNC also shows different characteristics from the commercial Co3O4 nanoparticle (NP) in terms of surficial reactivity and textural properties. Thus, PNC exhibits a much higher catalytic activity than the commercial Co3O4 NP towards activation of Oxone to degrade a model contaminant, salicylic acid (SA). Specifically, SA was 100% degraded by PNC activating Oxone within 120 min, and the Ea of SA degradation by PNC-activated Oxone is 70.2 kJ/mol. PNC can also remain stable and effective for SA degradation even in the presence of other anions, and PNC could be reused over multiple cycles without significant loss of catalytic activity. These features validate that PNC is a promising and useful Co-based catalyst for Oxone activation.

Matched MeSH terms: Water Purification/methods*
Hydroxyproline determination for initial detection of halal-critical food ingredients (gelatin and collagen)

Yuswan MH, A Jalil NH, Mohamad H, Keso S, Mohamad NA, Tengku Md Yusoff TS, et al.

Food Chem, 2021 Feb 01;337:127762.
PMID: 32777563 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127762

Gelatin and collagen are considered halal-critical ingredients as they are typically derived from either bovine or porcine animals. Current analytical methods for determining the sources of gelatin and collagen suffer from limitations in terms of robustness and false positives in peptide matching. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the utility of monitoring hydroxyproline, a signature amino acid for gelatin and collagen, for identifying potentially haram foodstuffs. To determine the hydroxyproline profiles among animal- and plant-based samples, one-way univariate analysis of variance followed by pair-wise comparison was used to establish statistical significance. Multivariate chemometric analysis through principal component analysis revealed a discrete distribution pattern among 59 samples due to hydroxyproline variability. Finally, inter- and intra-laboratory comparisons demonstrated the validity and robustness of hydroxyproline determination according to ISO 17025. Thus, this preliminary identification technique will aid the identification of potentially haram foodstuffs.

Matched MeSH terms: Food Analysis/methods*
Landfill leachate wastewater treatment to facilitate resource recovery by a coagulation-flocculation process via hydrogen bond

Cheng SY, Show PL, Juan JC, Chang JS, Lau BF, Lai SH, et al.

Chemosphere, 2021 Jan;262:127829.
PMID: 32768754 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.127829

Recent trend to recover value-added products from wastewater calls for more effective pre-treatment technology. Conventional landfill leachate treatment is often complex and thus causes negative environmental impacts and financial burden. In order to facilitate downstream processing of leachate wastewater for production of energy or value-added products, it is pertinent to maximize leachate treatment performance by using simple yet effective technology that removes pollutants with minimum chemical added into the wastewater that could potentially affect downstream processing. Hence, the optimization of coagulation-flocculation leachate treatment using multivariate approach is crucial. Central composite design was applied to optimize operating parameters viz. Alum dosage, pH and mixing speed. Quadratic model indicated that the optimum COD removal of 54% is achieved with low alum dosage, pH and mixing speed of 750 mgL-1, 8.5 and 100 rpm, respectively. Optimization result showed that natural pH of the mature landfill leachate sample is optimum for alum coagulation process. Hence, the cost of pH adjustment could be reduced for industrial application by adopting optimized parameters. The inherent mechanism of pollutant removal was elucidated by FTIR peaks at 3853 cm-1 which indicated that hydrogen bonds play a major role in leachate removal by forming well aggregated flocs. This is concordance with SEM image that the floc was well aggregated with the porous linkages and amorphous surface structure. The optimization of leachate treatment has been achieved by minimizing the usage of alum under optimized condition.

Matched MeSH terms: Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods*
Improvement of tissue culture, genetic transformation, and applications of biotechnology to Brassica

Ravanfar SA, Orbovic V, Moradpour M, Abdul Aziz M, Karan R, Wallace S, et al.

Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev, 2017 Apr;33(1):1-25.
PMID: 28460558 DOI: 10.1080/02648725.2017.1309821

Development of in vitro plant regeneration method from Brassica explants via organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis is influenced by many factors such as culture environment, culture medium composition, explant sources, and genotypes which are reviewed in this study. An efficient in vitro regeneration system to allow genetic transformation of Brassica is a crucial tool for improving its economical value. Methods to optimize transformation protocols for the efficient introduction of desirable traits, and a comparative analysis of these methods are also reviewed. Hence, binary vectors, selectable marker genes, minimum inhibitory concentration of selection agents, reporter marker genes, preculture media, Agrobacterium concentration and regeneration ability of putative transformants for improvement of Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Brassica are discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Cell Culture Techniques/methods*
Fulltext Burkholderia pseudomallei Detection among Hospitalized Patients, Sarawak

Choi JY, Hii KC, Bailey ES, Chuang JY, Tang WY, Yuen Wong EK, et al.

Am J Trop Med Hyg, 2020 02;102(2):388-391.
PMID: 31769397 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0625

Burkholderia pseudomallei infections are prevalent in Southeast Asia and northern Australia and often misdiagnosed. Diagnostics are often neither sensitive nor rapid, contributing up to 50% mortality rate. In this 2018 pilot study, we enrolled 100 patients aged 6 months-79 years from Kapit Hospital in Sarawak, Malaysia, with symptoms of B. pseudomallei infection. We used three different methods for the detection of B. pseudomallei: a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, a rapid lateral flow immunoassay, and the standard-of-care bacterial culture-the gold standard. Among the 100 participants, 24 (24%) were positive for B. pseudomallei by one or more of the detection methods. Comparing the two individual diagnostic methods against the gold standard-bacterial culture-of any positive test, there was low sensitivity for each test (25-44%) but high specificity (93-98%). It seems clear that more sensitive diagnostics or a sensitive screening diagnostic followed by specific confirmatory diagnostic is needed for this disease.

Matched MeSH terms: Bacteriological Techniques/methods*
An improved hybrid of particle swarm optimization and the gravitational search algorithm to produce a kinetic parameter estimation of aspartate biochemical pathways

Ismail AM, Mohamad MS, Abdul Majid H, Abas KH, Deris S, Zaki N, et al.

Biosystems, 2017 Dec;162:81-89.
PMID: 28951204 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2017.09.013

Mathematical modelling is fundamental to understand the dynamic behavior and regulation of the biochemical metabolisms and pathways that are found in biological systems. Pathways are used to describe complex processes that involve many parameters. It is important to have an accurate and complete set of parameters that describe the characteristics of a given model. However, measuring these parameters is typically difficult and even impossible in some cases. Furthermore, the experimental data are often incomplete and also suffer from experimental noise. These shortcomings make it challenging to identify the best-fit parameters that can represent the actual biological processes involved in biological systems. Computational approaches are required to estimate these parameters. The estimation is converted into multimodal optimization problems that require a global optimization algorithm that can avoid local solutions. These local solutions can lead to a bad fit when calibrating with a model. Although the model itself can potentially match a set of experimental data, a high-performance estimation algorithm is required to improve the quality of the solutions. This paper describes an improved hybrid of particle swarm optimization and the gravitational search algorithm (IPSOGSA) to improve the efficiency of a global optimum (the best set of kinetic parameter values) search. The findings suggest that the proposed algorithm is capable of narrowing down the search space by exploiting the feasible solution areas. Hence, the proposed algorithm is able to achieve a near-optimal set of parameters at a fast convergence speed. The proposed algorithm was tested and evaluated based on two aspartate pathways that were obtained from the BioModels Database. The results show that the proposed algorithm outperformed other standard optimization algorithms in terms of accuracy and near-optimal kinetic parameter estimation. Nevertheless, the proposed algorithm is only expected to work well in small scale systems. In addition, the results of this study can be used to estimate kinetic parameter values in the stage of model selection for different experimental conditions.

Matched MeSH terms: Computational Biology/methods*
Health Risk Implication and Spatial Distribution of Radon in Groundwater Along the Lithological Contact in South India

Adithya VSP, Chidambaram S, Prasanna MV, Venkatramanan S, Tirumalesh K, Thivya C, et al.

Arch Environ Contam Toxicol, 2021 Jan;80(1):308-318.
PMID: 33398396 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-020-00798-9

The presence of radioactive elements in groundwater results in high health risks on surrounding populations. Hence, a study was conducted in central Tamil Nadu, South India, to measure the radon levels in groundwater and determine the associated health risk. The study was conducted along the lithological contact of hard rock and sedimentary formation. The concentrations of uranium (U) varied from 0.28 to 84.65 µg/L, and the radioactivity of radon (Rn) varied from 258 to 7072 Bq/m3 in the collected groundwater samples. The spatial distribution of Rn in the study area showed that higher values were identified along the central and northern regions of the study area. The data also indicate that granitic and gneissic rocks are the major contributors to Rn in groundwater through U-enriched lithological zones. The radon levels in all samples were below the maximum concentration level, prescribed by Environmental Protection Agency. The effective dose levels for ingestion and inhalation were calculated according to parameters introduced by UNSCEAR and were found to be lesser (0.235-6.453 μSvy-1) than the recommended limit. Hence, the regional groundwater in the study area does not pose any health risks to consumers. The spatial distribution of Rn's effective dose level indicates the higher values were mainly in the central and northern portion of the study area consist of gneissic, quarzitic, and granitic rocks. The present study showed that Rn concentrations in groundwater depend on the lithology, structural attributes, the existence of uranium minerals in rocks, and the redox conditions. The results of this study provide information on the spatial distribution of Rn in the groundwater and its potential health risk in central Tamil Nadu, India. It is anticipated that these data will help policymakers to develop plans for management of drinking water resources in the region.

Matched MeSH terms: Radiation Monitoring/methods*
Fulltext Psychometric properties of quality of life questionnaires for patients with breast cancer-related lymphedema: A protocol for a systematic review

Meilani E, Zanudin A, Nordin NAM

Medicine (Baltimore), 2020 Dec 24;99(52):e23897.
PMID: 33350786 DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000023897

BACKGROUND: Breast-cancer related lymphedema (BCRL) is a common condition among breast cancer survivors that could impact the quality of life (QoL) of patients. Exploring the QoL of the patients with BCRL using valid and reliable QoL is crucial to capture the status of this important aspect hence appropriate intervention could be implement to patient. However, so far no scientific review is available, which reports the psychometric properties of the QoL questionnaires used in BCRL. The purpose of this systematic review is to comprehensively assess the psychometric properties of QoL questionnaires in patients with BCRL.
METHODS: We will perform comprehensive searches of published studies in electronic databases such as Medline (via Ovid), EBSCOhost, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science by using the following search terms: "quality of life"; "breast cancer"; "upper limb"; "lymphedema"; "questionnaire"; and "measurement properties." Only full-text articles in English language are included. Two reviewers will independently conduct the article selection, data extraction, and quality assessment. Any possible conflict between the 2 reviewers is going to be solved with the help of a third reviewer. The Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instrument (COSMIN) checklist and manual will be used to assess the selected study quality.
RESULTS: This review will provide an updated overview of available lymphedema-specific questionnaires used in BCRL population and then recommend the most valid and reliable QoL questionnaire for clinical and research use in patients with BCRL.
CONCLUSION: This review may help the clinician and researcher to find an updated overview of various questionnaires used to assess BCRL patients' QoL.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This review will use data from published studies. Therefore, ethical approval is not required prior to this review. The results of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal or presented at conferences.
STUDY REGISTRATION: OSF osf.io/8xwym.

Matched MeSH terms: Psychometrics/methods*
Fulltext Setting up a men's clinic has never been an easy task. I have done it, and here is my story

Ismail Bin Mohd Tambi M

Asian J Androl, 2011 Jul;13(4):607-8.
PMID: 21399648 DOI: 10.1038/aja.2010.128
Matched MeSH terms: Health Promotion/methods
Haemangioma on the palate next to a maxillary tori in an edentulous patient: a challenge to the prosthodontist

Mayya A, Eachempati P, Nagraj SK, Kumar K

BMJ Case Rep, 2020 Jun 09;13(6).
PMID: 32522723 DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-234297
Matched MeSH terms: Dentistry/methods
Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan (DXA) findings in diabetic and non-diabetic female: A retrospective cohort study

Jawhar DS, Hassan NA, Shamssain MH

Med J Malaysia, 2020 01;75(1):47-51.
PMID: 32008020

INTRODUCTION: Osteoporosis is a silent disease which has an effect on bone structure. Studies on the association between bone mineral density (BMD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) revealed conflicting results. We conducted a
study to assess the prevalence of osteoporosis in females with T2DM and compare dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan results between diabetic and non-diabetic females in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed hospital records and DXA scan measurements of 635 patients at tertiary hospital in Ajman, UAE. Patients with T2DM were compared to non-diabetic control group. Data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Student’s t test was used for continuous variables, while chi-square test for categorical variables. Relative risk (RR) and it’s 95% Confidence Interval (95%CI) were calculated for prevalence
of osteoporosis among the two group.
RESULTS: In all 141 patients in the diabetic group and 428 patients in the control group, while 66 patients were
excluded based on exclusion criteria. Prevalence of osteoporosis was significantly higher in diabetic group (RR:
1.2, 95%CI: 1.1, 1.2). BMD and T-score values were similar in diabetic and control groups. Z-score values of lumbar spine, L1 and L3 were significantly higher in diabetic group. Obese patients have significantly higher BMD than non-obese in both studied groups. Younger diabetic patient had significantly higher value of BMD, T-score and Z-score in left femur total hip.
CONCLUSION: Although BMD and T-score values were similar between the two groups, women with T2DM had significant higher prevalence of osteoporosis.

Matched MeSH terms: Absorptiometry, Photon/methods*
Fulltext Adapting to post-COVID19 research in Parkinson's disease: Lessons from a multinational experience

Tan EK, Albanese A, Chaudhuri K, Lim SY, Oey NE, Shan Chan CH, et al.

Parkinsonism Relat Disord, 2021 01;82:146-149.
PMID: 33071183 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2020.10.009
Matched MeSH terms: Biomedical Research/methods
Can fluoride-oxalate and sodium citrate stabilise homocysteine levels after blood collection?

Lopez JB, Peng CL

Clin Chem Lab Med, 2003 Oct;41(10):1369-72.
PMID: 14580168

The concentration of homocysteine (Hcy) rises rapidly after the collection of blood. This feature requires blood to be collected into the anticoagulants EDTA or heparin and the plasma to then be immediately separated; alternatively, the blood may be kept on ice and centrifuged within 1 hour. The use of chemical preservatives has been proposed as a means of stabilising Hcy levels in whole blood after collection. The objective of this study was to determine whether the commonly available fluoride-oxalate (Fl-Ox) and sodium citrate (Na-Cit) containers could stabilise Hcy levels in blood. Our results showed that when blood was collected into potassium EDTA (K-EDTA) tubes, Hcy levels rose from initial levels, on standing at room temperature (approximately 25 degrees C), by an average of 21% after 3 hours and 32% after 5 hours. The initial Hcy levels of blood collected into Fl-Ox and Na-Cit containers, however, were lower, at averages of 89% and 91%, respectively, compared to that of the same samples when collected into K-EDTA tubes. Hcy in these samples subsequently rose on standing, and after 5 hours was, on the average, 10 and 13% higher, respectively, compared with the initial levels in K-EDTA tubes. We conclude that Fl-Ox and Na-Cit do not stabilise Hcy in blood after collection and should not be used as preservatives.

Matched MeSH terms: Immunoassay/methods*
Suture Cruroplasty Versus Prosthetic Hiatal Herniorrhaphy for Large Hiatal Hernia: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials

Memon MA, Memon B, Yunus RM, Khan S

Ann Surg, 2016 Feb;263(2):258-66.
PMID: 26445468 DOI: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000001267

The aim was to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing 2 methods of hiatal closure for large hiatal hernia and to evaluate their strengths and flaws.

Matched MeSH terms: Herniorrhaphy/methods*
Web elements for health promotion in Malaysia

Noman M, Koo AC, Tee SH, Krishnan M

Health Promot Int, 2020 Jun 01;35(3):458-469.
PMID: 31071202 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daz040

The needs for health promotion is increasingly important for Malaysian. Government invests in the development to improve health education. Malaysia lacks the development of online solutions to help to maintain the health of the nation through prevention and mass education. This paper addresses important questions about the development of those health promotion websites by considering the motivation of web elements. It seeks to provide information on the barriers to the use and success as a method of health promotion. The empirical work is a perceptions study that aims to identify the barriers of web-based health promotion in the different user characteristics for health promotion purposes. This work is a qualitative research project directed at ascertaining the perceptions of Malaysians concerning the use of health promotion websites. It pertains to those factors which stop the uptake of website use and seeks to discern the views of users on how the health promotion websites may be more engaging. The principal finding is that the ethnicity of the user is mainly relevant in terms of the socio-economic status of the user. Users across all ethnicities respond to the same qualities of websites. The same web elements are motivating to users regardless of the characteristics of the users because the uptake of the Internet and the use of websites for health promotion has been more a phenomenon of the young. The study concludes with some recommendations for the Ministry of Health and the developers of health promotion websites in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Health Promotion/methods*

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