MyMedR

Validity and reliability of the Malay version multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS-M) among teachers

Lee SC, Moy FM, Hairi NN

Qual Life Res, 2017 01;26(1):221-227.

PMID: 27349250 DOI: 10.1007/s11136-016-1348-9

PURPOSE: The multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) was developed to measure perceived social support. It has been translated and culturally adapted among natives literate in the Malay language. However, its psychometric properties for teachers who are majority females and married have not been assessed.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among the public secondary school teachers in the central region of Peninsular Malaysia from May to July 2013. A total of 150 and 203 teachers were recruited to perform exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), respectively. Reliability testing was evaluated on 141 teachers via internal consistency and two-week interval test-retest.

RESULTS: The 12-item three-factor structure of MSPSS-M was revised to 8-item two-factor structure. The revised MSPSS-M demonstrated excellent fit in CFA with adequate divergent and convergent validity and good factor loadings (0.80-0.90). The revised MSPSS-M also displayed good internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha of 0.91, 0.93 and 0.92 and good test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation of 0.89, 0.88 and 0.88 in the total scale, family and friends factors, respectively.

CONCLUSION: The revised 8-item MSPSS-M is a reliable and valid tool for assessment of perceived social support among teachers.

Fulltext Associations of clothing size, adiposity and weight change with risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in the UK Women's Cohort Study (UKWCS)

Moy FM, Greenwood DC, Cade JE

BMJ Open, 2018 Sep 28;8(9):e022599.

PMID: 30269068 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022599

OBJECTIVES: Breast cancer is associated with overweight and obesity after menopause. However, clothing size as a proxy of adiposity in predicting postmenopausal breast cancer is not widely studied. We aimed to explore the relationships between postmenopausal breast cancer risk with adipose indicators (including clothing sizes) and weight change over adulthood.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: England, Wales and Scotland.

PARTICIPANTS: 17 781 postmenopausal women from the UK Women's Cohort Study.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE: Incident cases of malignant breast cancers (International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9 code 174 and ICD 10 code C50).

RESULTS: From 282 277 person-years follow-up, there were 946 incident breast cancer cases with an incidence rate of 3.35 per 1000 women. Body mass index (HR: 1.04; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.07), blouse size (HR: 1.10; 1.03 to 1.18), waist circumference (HR: 1.07; 1.01 to 1.14) and skirt size (HR: 1.14;1.06 to 1.22) had positive associations with postmenopausal breast cancer after adjustment for potential confounders. Increased weight over adulthood (HR: 1.02; 1.01 to 1.03) was also associated with increased risk for postmenopausal breast cancer.

CONCLUSIONS: Blouse and skirt sizes can be used as adipose indicators in predicting postmenopausal breast cancer. Maintaining healthy body weight over adulthood is an effective measure in the prevention of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Fulltext Risk factors of malnutrition among preschool children in Terengganu, Malaysia: a case control study

Wong HJ, Moy FM, Nair S

BMC Public Health, 2014;14:785.

PMID: 25086853 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-785

Childhood malnutrition is a multi-dimensional problem. An increase in household income is not sufficient to reduce childhood malnutrition if children are deprived of food security, education, access to water, sanitation and health services. The aim of this study is to identify the characteristics of malnourished children below five years of age and to ascertain the risk factors of childhood malnutrition in a state in Malaysia.

Predictors of Handgrip Strength among the Free Living Elderly in Rural Pahang, Malaysia

Moy F, Chang E, Kee K

Iran J Public Health, 2011 Dec;40(4):44-53.

PMID: 23113102

BACKGROUND: Reduced handgrip strength is an aging process that significantly influences the living activities of elderly. It is linked to premature mortality, disability and other health complications among elderly. Therefore, we aim to determine the associated predictors with handgrip strength among the free living elderly in Malaysia.

METHODS: This was a cross sectional study conducted in a rural state in Malaysia. A total of 434 elderly individuals performed handgrip assessment. Socio-demographic characteristics, medical conditions, occupational history, functional ability (ADL) and depression (GDS) were enquired. Anthropometric measurements (weight and height) were also obtained.

RESULTS: Majority of the respondents were Malays with mean age of 67.9 ± 6.3 years. Maximum handgrip strength of males and females were 28.8±9.2 kg and 18.9±6.9 kg respectively (P<0.05). The aborigines had significantly lower handgrip strength (P<0.05) compared to Malays, Chinese and Indians. Handgrip strength was positively correlated (P<0.05) with weight, height and ADL, while negatively associated (P<0.05) with GDS for both gender. In the multivariate linear regression analysis; weight, height and race significantly predicted handgrip strength among both male and female elderly after adjustment for all potential confounders. However, GDS and ADL were only found to significantly predict handgrip strength among the male elderly; while age was only significant among the females.

CONCLUSION: Our sample population has significantly lower handgrip strength than the Western counterpart. Weight, height and race significantly predict handgrip strength among both male and female elderly. GDS, ADL are only found to be significant in males while age was only significant among the females.

Fulltext Association of Serum Beta-Carotene with Metabolic Risk Factors among a Work Cohort in Malaysia

Moy FM, Ng YH, Tan SS

J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2023;69(6):463-470.

PMID: 38171819 DOI: 10.3177/jnsv.69.463

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) poses increased risks for non-communicable diseases, increasing all-cause mortality, disability, and healthcare costs. Beta-carotene as the major carotenoid is identified to play an important role in the pathophysiology of MetS. The present study aimed to investigate the association between serum beta-carotene levels with metabolic syndrome and metabolic risk factors among a cohort of teachers in Peninsular Malaysia. This cross-sectional study investigated a sub-sample of 645 serum samples which were randomly selected for beta-carotene determination. Socio-demographic, lifestyle and metabolic risk factors were measured following standard protocols. There were equal proportions of males and females, with majority Malays (69%) followed by the Chinese (24%) and Indians (6.5%). The prevalence of MetS was 24.8% with abnormal waist circumference and high blood pressure as the most commonly reported metabolic risk factors. The median serum beta-carotene was 5.15 (5.07) μmol/L. Serum beta-carotene in the lowest quartile (Q1) was found to be significantly associated with MetS (OR: 5.81; 95% CI: 2.96, 11.38) and metabolic risk factors, namely triglycerides (OR: 6.38; 95% CI: 3.04, 13.35), fasting blood sugar (OR: 3.32; 95% CI: 1.48, 7.43), HDL-cholesterol (OR: 2.88; 95% CI: 1.58, 5.26) and waist circumference (OR: 2.94; 95% CI: 1.73, 5.01), after adjusted for potential confounders. In summary, participants with lower serum beta-carotene had higher odds for MetS and the above-mentioned metabolic risk factors.

Fulltext Prevalence and factors associated with poor sleep quality among secondary school teachers in a developing country

Musa NA, Moy FM, Wong LP

Ind Health, 2018 Oct 03;56(5):407-418.

PMID: 29848899 DOI: 10.2486/indhealth.2018-0052

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with poor sleep quality among secondary school teachers in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. This was a cross sectional study, conducted in two phases. Phase I tested the reliability of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index in the Malay language (M-PSQI), whereas Phase II determined the prevalence and factors associated with poor sleep quality where a total of 1,871 secondary school teachers were studied. Participants were recruited using multistage sampling. Self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic and teaching characteristics, comorbidities and characteristics of sleep. The M-PSQI was used to measure sleep quality. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 was used to measure mental health status. Results showed that the M-PSQI had a good internal consistency and moderate reliability. The prevalence of poor sleep quality was 61 (95% CI: 54-67)%. Total teaching hours/day, depression and stress were significantly associated with poor sleep quality in the univariate analysis, while only stress (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.02-1.05%) remained significant in the multivariate analyses. In conclusion, stress level of the secondary school teachers should be reduced to improve sleep quality.

Predictors of handgrip strength among adults of a rural community in Malaysia

Moy FM, Darus A, Hairi NN

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Mar;27(2):176-84.

PMID: 24285778 DOI: 10.1177/1010539513510555

Handgrip strength is useful for screening the nutritional status of adult population as it is strongly associated with physical disabilities and mortality. Therefore, we aimed to determine the predictors of handgrip strength among adults of a rural community in Malaysia using a cross-sectional study design with multistage sampling. All adults aged 30 years and older from 1250 households were invited to our study. Structured questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, occupation history, lifestyle practices, and measurements, including anthropometry and handgrip strength were taken. There were 2199 respondents with 55.2% females and majority were of Malay ethnicity. Their mean (standard deviation) age was 53.4 (13.2) years. The response rate for handgrip strength was 94.2%. Females had significantly lower handgrip strength than males (P < .05). In the multiple linear regression models, significant predictors of handgrip strength for males were age, height, job groups, and diabetes, while for females, the significant predictors were age, weight, height, and diabetes.

Fulltext Dietary modification in a workplace health promotion program in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Moy FM, Ab Sallam A, Wong ML

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2008 Oct;20 Suppl:166-72.

PMID: 19533877

Lifestyle modification is effective in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. This study aimed to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours to prevent cardiovascular disease. This study was a quasi-experimental trial with a follow up of two years. The intervention group (n = 102) received intensive individual and group counselling on diet and physical activity. The comparison group (n = 84) was given minimal education through mail and group counselling. Following the intervention, both groups reduced their total fat intake through a replacement in carbohydrate intake. The saturated fat and cholesterol intake was also reduced with a larger magnitude in the intervention group. Fruits and vegetables consumption was increased within the intervention group. The intervention group showed a statistically significant reduction in their mean total cholesterol levels with an intervention effect of -0.38 (95% C.I. = -0.63, -0.14) mmol/l. This study has achieved moderate improvement in dietary intakes as well as the total cholesterol of the participants.

Fulltext Descriptive epidemiology of colorectal cancer in University Malaya Medical Centre, 2001 to 2010

Magaji BA, Moy FM, Roslani AC, Law CW

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2014;15(15):6059-64.

PMID: 25124558

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is the second most frequent cancer in Malaysia. Nevertheless, there is little information on treatment and outcomes nationally. We aimed to determine the demographic, clinical and treatment characteristics of colorectal cancer patients treated at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) as part of a larger project on survival and quality of life outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medical records of 1,212 patients undergoing treatment in UMMC between January 2001 and December 2010 were reviewed. A retrospective-prospective cohort study design was used. Research tools included the National Cancer Patient Registration form. Statistical analysis included means, standard deviations (SD), proportions, chi square, t-test/ ANOVA. P-value significance was set at 0.05.

RESULTS: The male: female ratio was 1.2:1. The mean age was 62.1 (SD12.4) years. Patients were predominantly Chinese (67%), then Malays (18%), Indians (13%) and others (2%). Malays were younger than Chinese and Indians (mean age 57 versus 62 versus 62 years, p<0.001). More females (56%) had colon cancers compared to males (44%) (p=0.022). Malays (57%) had more rectal cancer compared to Chinese (45%) and Indians (49%) (p=0.004). Dukes' stage data weres available in 67%, with Dukes' C and D accounting for 64%. Stage was not affected by age, gender, ethnicity or tumor site. Treatment modalities included surgery alone (40%), surgery and chemo/radiotherapy 32%, chemo and radiotherapy (8%) and others (20%).

CONCLUSIONS: Significant ethnic differences in age and site distribution, if verified in population-based settings, would support implementation of preventive measures targeting those with the greatest need, at the right age.

Fulltext Genetic associations of the INSIG2 rs7566605 polymorphism with obesity-related metabolic traits in Malaysian Malays

Apalasamy YD, Moy FM, Rampal S, Bulgiba A, Mohamed Z

Genet. Mol. Res., 2014;13(3):4904-10.

PMID: 25062423 DOI: 10.4238/2014.July.4.4

A genome-wide association study showed that the tagging single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7566605 in the insulin-induced gene 2 (INSIG2) was associated with obesity. Attempts to replicate this result in different populations have produced inconsistent findings. We aimed to study the association between the rs7566605 SNP with obesity and other metabolic parameters in Malaysian Malays. Anthropometric and obesity-related metabolic parameters and DNA samples were collected. We genotyped the rs7566605 polymorphism in 672 subjects using real-time polymerase chain reaction. No significant associations were found between the rs7566605 tagging SNP of INSIG2 with obesity or other metabolic parameters in the Malaysian Malay population. The INSIG2 rs7566605 SNP may not play a role in the development of obesity-related metabolic traits in Malaysian Malays.

Fulltext Do workplace physical activity interventions improve mental health outcomes?

Chu AH, Koh D, Moy FM, Müller-Riemenschneider F

Occup Med (Lond), 2014 Jun;64(4):235-45.

PMID: 24850815 DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqu045

Mental health is an important issue in the working population. Interventions to improve mental health have included physical activity.

Fulltext Eating behaviour among multi-ethnic adolescents in a middle-income country as measured by the self-reported Children's Eating Behaviour Questionnaire

Loh DA, Moy FM, Zaharan NL, Mohamed Z

PLoS One, 2013;8(12):e82885.

PMID: 24349385 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082885

Escalating weight gain among the Malaysian paediatric population necessitates identifying modifiable behaviours in the obesity pathway.

Fulltext Racial variations in booking haemoglobin of primigravidae in Malaysia: a prospective study

Tan ACC, Leong EWK, Chua AC, Moy FM

BMC Res Notes, 2013;6:173.

PMID: 23634656 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-6-173

BACKGROUND: Variations in racial haemoglobin had been previously described in multiple studies locally and abroad. This study was conducted to quantify the differences in haemoglobin of booking primigravidae amongst the three major races in Malaysia at the antenatal clinic of University Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
FINDINGS: One year prospective study of booking full blood count sample of primigravidae taken in one centre was conducted. Multiple comparative analyses of the booking haemoglobin were performed using the One-way ANOVA comparative mean test in each trimester. 622 primigravidae without any known history of haematological disorders were recruited into the study. The mean haemoglobin for the Indian race was the lowest compared to the two other races in the second and the third trimesters, and it was found to be statistically significant lower (p- value 0.001) than the Malay race in the second trimester. It was also found that the Indian race had a significantly higher incidence of moderate to severe anaemia (p- value: 0.029). The prevalence of anaemia in our study population is also significantly higher in the Indian population (p- value: 0.01 ).
CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study have established that there is racial preponderance to anaemia in pregnancy. The Indian race is at a higher risk of having anaemia in pregnancy particularly in the second trimester.
Study site: Antenatal clinic, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Fulltext Job stressors and smoking cessation among Malaysian male employees

Yasin SM, Retneswari M, Moy FM, Darus A, Koh D

Occup Med (Lond), 2012 Apr;62(3):174-81.

PMID: 22362839 DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqs005

Job stressors may reduce the likelihood of quitting smoking.

Timing and risk factors associated with relapse among smokers attempting to quit in Malaysia

Yasin SM, Moy FM, Retneswari M, Isahak M, Koh D

Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2012 Jul;16(7):980-5.

PMID: 22507850 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.11.0748

Many smokers attempt to quit smoking, but very few succeed.

Fulltext Smokers can quit regardless of motivation stage in a worksite smoking cessation programme in Malaysia

Yasin SM, Retneswari M, Moy FM, Koh D, Isahak M

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(9):2193-8.

PMID: 22296355

BACKGROUND: There is an unclear relationship between smoker's early motivation and success rates. Here we aimed to explore the correlates of motivation and smoking abstinence and relapse in worksite smoking cessation programmes.
METHODS: This prospective cohort study involved employees from two major public universities in Malaysia. Participants were actively recruited into a smoking cessation programme. At the start of treatment, participants were administered a questionnaire on sociodemographic variables, smoking habits and 'stage of change'. Behaviour therapy with free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) was given as treatment for two months. A similar stage of change questionnaire was given at six months, and their smoking status was determined.
RESULTS: There were 185 smokers from both Universities, who joined the programme. At six months, 24 smokers reported sustained abstinence while the others had relapsed. Prior to the programme, the majority of smokers were seriously planning on quitting (59.5%--preparation stage), but over a third had no plans to quit (35.5%--contemplation stage). There was no significant difference noted in changes of motivation stage among the relapsers and the non quitters. In addition, logistic regression showed that sustained abstinence was not predicted by pre-session motivation stage, but this did predict higher relapse for the participants, compared to those in the preparation stage.
CONCLUSION: It is possible to help smokers in the lower motivation groups to quit, provided extra caution is taken to prevent relapse. Healthcare providers' recruitment strategies for cessation programmes should thus encompass smokers in all motivation stages.

Attainment of goal and normalized lipid levels with lipid-modifying therapy in Malaysia

Hsu TY, Chirovsky D, Moy FM, Ambegaonkar BM

Clin Ther, 2013 Apr;35(4):450-60.

PMID: 23481458 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2013.02.004

Although LDL-C is the primary lipid target for coronary heart disease (CHD) risk reduction, HDL-C and triglycerides (TG) have also emerged as CHD risk factors.

Concordance between hysteroscopic impression and endometrial histopathological diagnosis

Gan DE, Jawan RA, Moy FM

Prev Med, 2013;57 Suppl:S21-3.

PMID: 23313791 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.12.026

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of hysteroscopic impression for diagnosing benign and malignant endometrial pathology.

Sugar-sweetened beverage intake and its associations with cardiometabolic risks among adolescents

Loh DA, Moy FM, Zaharan NL, Jalaludin MY, Mohamed Z

Pediatr Obes, 2017 02;12(1):e1-e5.

PMID: 26843446 DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12108

BACKGROUND: Investigations on sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake and cardiometabolic risks among Asians are scant.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine associations between SSB intake and cardiometabolic risks among Malaysian adolescents.

METHODS: Anthropometric data, blood pressure (BP), fasting blood glucose (FBG), lipid profiles and insulin levels measured involved 873 adolescents (aged 13 years). SSB intake, dietary patterns and physical activity level (PAL) were self-reported.

RESULTS: Mean SSB consumption was 177.5 mL day-1 with significant differences among ethnicities (Malay, Chinese, Indians and Others) (p

Disparities in health-related quality of life among healthy adolescents in a developing country - the impact of gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status and weight status

Loh DA, Moy FM, Zaharan NL, Mohamed Z

Child Care Health Dev, 2015 Nov;41(6):1216-26.

PMID: 25873448 DOI: 10.1111/cch.12252

Physical functioning and psychological resilience in adulthood is shaped during adolescence. Self-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) assessments during this life phase are important first-hand accounts of their well-being. This study aimed, firstly, to identify differences in HRQoL according to gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status and weight status; and secondly, to examine associations between weight status and HRQoL among an urban sample of multi-ethnic adolescents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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