Frailty is identified in middle-aged and older adults, and frail individuals are vulnerable to dependency and poor health. In this study, we analyzed nationally representative data that includes 5592 participants aged 40 years and above to determine the prevalence and factors associated with frailty among community-dwelling middle-aged and older adults in Malaysia. Using a 40-item Frailty Index, the overall prevalence of frailty and prefrailty was 19.5% and 64.1%, respectively. A total of 38.6% of older adults (≥60 years) were frail and 56.2% were prefrail. Among middle-aged adults (<60 years), the prevalence of frailty was 10.4% and that of prefrailty was 67.9%. Factors associated with frailty include older age, ethnicity, low education and income level, moderate to poor self-rated health, abdominal obesity, absence of a spouse, and previous history of falls. These findings may serve as evidence for the implementation of a frailty policy and health care planning in Malaysia.
Leptospirosis and enteric fever are prevalent tropical acute bacterial febrile illnesses in Kelantan, Malaysia, that exhibit overlapping features and shared transmission dynamics, yet their spatial relationship remains understudied. This study aimed to analyze their spatial distribution, investigating potential interactions and intersecting patterns. A total of 212 laboratory-confirmed cases of enteric fever and 1106 of leptospirosis between 2016 and 2022, were retrieved from the national e-Notifikasi registry. Point pattern analysis revealed clustering of both diseases in the northern region, but leptospirosis was predominant in the south, exhibiting higher spatial risk. Seven co-infection cases were identified in overlapping hotspot areas. Spatial dependence between the diseases was identified within 4 km distance on average, with varying patterns over time and regions. Recognizing spatial dependence has implications for accurate diagnosis, timely intervention, and tailored public health strategies. The findings underscore the need for multi-disease interventions to address shared risk factors and co-infections in similar geographical contexts.
The relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health outcomes has garnered significant attention. However, there is a limited amount of research exploring the association between SES and the risk of metabolic syndrome in Malaysian adults. This study aimed to determine the association between SES and risk of hypertension, diabetes and obesity. By using data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), SES was derived through principal component analysis involving six variables. Two different SES components were identified and labeled as "social status" and "wealth status." Among the participants, 36% were diagnosed with hypertension, 18% with obesity, and 21% with diabetes. Adults with high wealth and social status showed a significantly increased risk of obesity. Meanwhile, high social status was significantly associated with a reduction in the risk of hypertension and diabetes. A comprehensive understanding of the associations between SES and noncommunicable diseases could facilitate initiatives that promote healthy lifestyle behaviors, thereby enhancing the holistic well-being of Malaysians.
This rapid review aimed to present a comprehensive overview of barriers, facilitators, and effective interventions that promote vaccination uptake by older adults in the Asia-Pacific region. Rapid review methodology was applied, using two databases (PubMed, Embase). Articles were included if studies were conducted in Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines; included human population ≥50 years of age, and was published from 2016 to August 2022. Related articles were not found from Indonesia and Philippines. A total of 23 articles met the inclusion criteria, with 19 reporting on barriers and facilitators, whereas, four articles reported effective interventions to promote vaccination uptake. Among the 19 studies that identified barriers and facilitators to vaccination uptake, the more common factors were social influences (n = 8/19), perceived benefits of vaccine (n = 7/19), and perceived vaccine safety (n = 6/19). Interventions that focused on supporting clinicians were found to be effective in leading them to recommend vaccinations among older adults, such as creating awareness on the low baseline vaccination rates among older adults, provision of structured health assessment, and nurse reminders. More studies are needed to ascertain the barriers and facilitators to uptake, as well as to identify effective interventions influencing vaccine uptake among older adults in the Asia-Pacific region.
Obesity is a rising concern globally. This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with obesity and abdominal obesity (AO) among 5613 Malaysians aged 40 years and older via computer-assisted personal interviewing and anthropometric measurements. Obesity and AO prevalence were 37.8% and 63.1%, respectively. Significant associations were observed between: obesity with higher risk in patients aged between 40 and 49 years, Indians, females, income ≥RM 2000, and health status, and AO with higher risk in patients aged between 50 and 59 years, Indians, females, never married, income ≥RM 2000, and vigorous physical activity. Hence, age, sex, income, and ethnicity are associated with both obesity and AO. Promoting healthy body mass index and waist circumference is essential for healthy ageing.
Low vision and blindness are major health issues affecting ageing population. This cross-sectional study aims to determine the prevalence of visual impairment (VI) in Petaling Jaya North, Petaling Jaya South, and Lembah Pantai using data from the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research. There were 1322 participants aged ≥55 years selected by random sampling from parliamentary electoral rolls. Visual acuity was assessed using the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution chart at 4 m distance. The overall population-adjusted prevalence of VI was 9.0%. The estimated prevalence of VI was highest in Malays followed by Indians and Chinese. Following adjustments for ethnic discrepancies in age, marital status, education level, gender and medical illness, the Malay ethnicity remained an independent association for VI. Education level was associated with Indian ethnicity. In conclusion, the Malay ethnicity and lower education level among Indian ethnicity were found to be associated with VI among the older population in Malaysia. The Malay ethnicity showed the highest prevalence of VI followed by Indians and Chinese.
The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020 due to rapid intercontinental spread and high morbidity and mortality. Globally, the disease has had a major impact on human lives, including health, economic, employment, psychological, and overall well-being. The COVID-19, besides causing respiratory, neurological, and cardiovascular diseases, has had significant impact on mental health. Major mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and stress, have risen in parallel with increasing prevalence of COVID-19. Many population groups, including children, the elderly, those with chronic illnesses, and health care workers, have been affected. This review gives an overall assessment of the prevalence of COVID-19-associated psychological morbidity. In countries in the Asia-Pacific region, prevalence of depression ranged between 4.9% and 43.1%, anxiety from 7.0% to 43.0%, and stress from 3.4% to 35.7%. As COVID-19 continues to severely affect the psychosocial well-being of the population at large, countries have developed and revised policies, guidelines, and introduced new initiatives to curb mental health issues among their citizens. In the long run, pre-disaster preparedness is important to alleviate long-term post-pandemic psychiatric morbidity and to develop psychological resilience toward disasters and pandemic, alongside investment for better mental health coverage.
This study aims to test the psychometric properties of the Malay, English, and Chinese 9-Item Shared Decision Making Questionnaire (SDM-Q-9) in breast cancer patients making treatment decisions. The original German SDM-Q-9 was translated to Malay using the back-translation method. A total of 222 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients making treatment decisions were sampled conveniently from three breast clinics between August 2015 and February 2016. A total of 66 patients answered the SDM-Q-9 in Malay, 87 in English, and 69 in Chinese. Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS software. SDM-Q-9 demonstrated good reliability in the three translations. All the items correlated well except for Item 1 in English. The factor loadings were within acceptable range except for Item 1 in Malay, Items 1 and 2 in English, and Items 7 and 9 in Chinese SDM-Q-9. However, no items were deleted in accordance with experts' opinions and the previous SDM-Q-9 validation studies. The Malay, English, and Chinese SDM-Q-9 demonstrated good reliability and validity.
This cross-sectional study examines the prevalence of sleep deprivation and its associated factors among 1017 undergraduate students in Malaysia. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol, dietary habits, Internet/smartphone use, physical activity, and sedentary behavior were assessed. Sleep deprivation was defined as sleeping less than 7 hours in a day. There were almost equal proportions of females (51.0%) and males (49.0%), and the average age was 20.71 ± 1.47 years. Prevalence of sleep deprivation was 58.1% and its associated factors were students in Year 3 and Year 4, Chinese ethnicity, Indian ethnicity, and consuming fast food more than once a week. Understanding the associated lifestyle factors with sleep deprivation among young generation will be beneficial to develop public health policies and programs to tackle the issue.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health is an emerging problem globally. This study aimed to examine the mediating effect of chronic illnesses in the relationship between psychological health and the acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine, prior to the national vaccine rollout in Malaysia. An online cross-sectional study was conducted in Malaysia between December 10, 2020, and February 9, 2021. In addition to the descriptive analyses, a mediation analysis was performed to examine the mediating effect of chronic illnesses in the relationship between psychological distress and the willingness to accept the vaccine. A total of 1738 participants completed the survey. The psychological distress levels were found to be significantly different across demographic factors such as age, gender, and social economic status. This study demonstrated a partial mediating effect of chronic illnesses in the relationship between psychological distress and vaccine acceptance.
In Malaysia, despite achieving leprosy-elimination status in 1994, leprosy remains a public health issue among the indigenous Penan community in Sarawak. This study aimed to determine the prevalence trend and clinical profile of leprosy among the Penans in rural Baram, Sarawak, Malaysia. A retrospective records review was conducted on 10-year (2008-2018) time trend of annual prevalence rate and 5-year (2013-2018) Penan leprosy patient clinical profile. Out of the 257 new cases of leprosy reported in Sarawak, 42.8% were Penans, and 72.7% were from Baram. The annual Penan ethnic-specific prevalence rate ranged from 2.08 to 35.5/10 000. Forty-six cases were analyzed for clinical profile: There were more males, active case detection, and multibacillary leprosy. The prevalence trend of leprosy among the Penans in rural Baram exceeded recommended elimination targets. Majority of the cases were detected through active case detection, but cases were detected late. Interventions are needed to improve early diagnosis and detection to achieve elimination of leprosy.