METHODS: A total of 401 whole blood samples with a fresh HbA1c measurement were randomly selected from The Malaysian Cohort's (TMC) biobank. The HbA1c measurements of fresh and frozen (stored for 7-8 years) samples were assayed using different high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems. The HbA1c values of the fresh samples were then calculated and corrected according to the later system. The reproducibility of HbA1c measurements between calculated-fresh and frozen samples was assessed using a Passing-Bablok linear regression model. The Bland-Altman plot was then used to evaluate the concordance of HbA1c values.
RESULTS: The different HPLC systems highly correlated (r = 0.99) and agreed (ICC = 0.96) with each other. Furthermore, the HbA1c measurements for frozen samples strongly correlate with the corrected HbA1c values of the fresh samples (r = 0.875) with a mean difference of -0.02 (SD: -0.38 to 0.38). Although the mean difference is small, discrepancies were observed within the diabetic and non-diabetic samples.
CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that the HbA1c measurements between fresh and frozen samples are highly correlated and reproducible.
METHODS: A three-month cross-sectional study was conducted using self-administered questionnaires, encompassing socio-demographic details, clinical characteristics, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.
RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 57 years old (SD ±10.098). Repeat mammograms consisted of 48.8% of the participants. One-third (35.7%) of them had a history of breast disease. Most participants (84.5%) did not have a positive family history of breast cancer. The proportion of participants with moderate and high anxiety levels was 41.8%. The cause of anxiety was mainly due to the fear of the results (69%), while familiarity with the procedure reduced anxiety among respondents. Socio-demographic and clinical factors were not significantly associated with anxiety levels. However, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between state and trait anxiety scores (r = 0.568, p = 0.001, n = 213).
LIMITATIONS: The urban setting and absence of questions on the location of origin in the study may have excluded data from the rural population. This may have prevented a true representation of the Malaysian population.
CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a better understanding of the procedures involved as well as the subsequent disease management would be beneficial in alleviating anxiety prior to, during, and post-mammogram.
METHODS: An emergency response programme on mental health was conducted from June to September 2020. A standardized data collection form was distributed among the HCWs in the government hospital in Klang Valley. The form contained basic demographic information and the self-reported Malay version of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (BM DASS-21).
RESULTS: Of the1,300 staff who attended the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Covid-19 (MHPSS COVID-19) programme, 996 staff (21.6% male, 78.4% female) completed the online survey (response rate: 76.6%). Result showed that staff aged above 40 years old were almost two times more likely to have anxiety (AOR = 1.632; 95% CI = 1.141-2.334, p:0.007) and depression (AOR = 1.637; 95% CI = 1.1.06-2.423, p:0.014) as compared to staff who were less than 40 years old. Those who had direct involvement with COVID-19 patients were likely to suffer stress (AOR = 0.596; 95% CI = 0.418-0.849, p:0.004), anxiety (AOR = 0.706; 95% Ci = 0.503-0.990, p:0.044) and depression (AOR = 0.630; 95% Ci = 0.427-0.928, p:0.019). HCWs with stress (AOR = 0.638; 95% CI of 0.476-0.856, p = 0.003), anxiety (AOR = 0.720; 95% CI 0.542-0.958, p = 0.024) and depression (AOR = 0.657; 95% CI 0.480-0.901, p = 0.009) showed less confidence to treat critically ill patients and need psychological help during outbreak.
CONCLUSION: This study showed the importance of psychosocial support to reduce psychological distress among HCWs when working or coping during the COVID-19 pandemic or outbreak.
METHODOLOGY: A cross-sectional two-phase study was carried out to develop the scale. In phase 1, a preliminary parent-report measure questionnaire was developed in Bahasa Malaysia. Later, it was sent to four experts for content validity followed by face validity. In Phase 2, a total of 386 parents of pre-school children aged 4 to 6 years old, split into two samples, were involved in the field study for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).
RESULT: Sample 1 was used to perform EFA to determine the factorial structure of the SDS. All items with a factor loading of >0.4 were included. Sample 2 was used to perform the CFA. RMSEA and CFI analysis showed that the SDS has a good fit and confirms the dimensional structure found via EFA. The final questionnaire consists of 15 items with a 4 factors' structure and has excellent internal consistency reliability.
CONCLUSIONS: The Screen Dependency Scale (SDS) is a reliable and valid questionnaire to detect screen dependency among pre-school children aged 4 to 6 years old in Malaysia.
METHODS: The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) was employed to explore the factors that influence the management of adults with AB, namely health beliefs and intentions. An interview guide was developed by adapting the TPB and the findings of prior studies concerning the factors associated with AB management. All eligible participants took part in in-depth interviews.
RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 32.5 years old (standard deviation [SD] = 14.19 years old) and the majority of participants were female (58.3%). The themes and sub-themes that emerged following the application of the TPB framework represented the qualitative results of this study, which indicated that the health beliefs, intentions and health-promoting behaviours observed among people with AB were closely related.
CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that the adoption of a healthy lifestyle could be an effective means of improving AB. Thus, it is vital to implement a health education programme that promotes health-related beliefs and intentions in order to trigger health-promoting behaviour among people with AB.