METHODS AND FINDINGS: Stratified random sampling design was used to select adolescents from 15 urban and rural secondary schools in Selangor, Perak and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data collection was carried out from 1st April 2014 to 30th June 2014. Information regarding socio-demographic characteristics, sun exposure and sun protective behaviours, clinical data and environmental factors were collected. Blood for total vitamin D was sampled. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. Total 1061 participants were analyzed (62% were female; mean age 15.1 ± 0.4 years). The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 33%. Mean vitamin D was lower in female (53 ± 15 nmol), obese (body fat percentage (≥25%m; ≥33.8%f) (56 ± 16 nmol/L), Malays (58 ± 18 nmol/L) and Indians (58 ± 15 nmol/L). In multivariate analysis, female (OR = 5.5; 95% CI: 3.4-7.5), Malay (OR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.3-8.0), Indian (OR = 4.3; 95% CI: 1.6-12.0) and those always wearing long sleeve (OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.1-5.4) were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency. For female participants, ethnicity {Malays (OR = 6.7; 95% CI: 2.0-18.5), Indian (OR = 4.5; 95% CI: 1.8-19.3)} was an important risk factors. Cloud cover, school residence, skin pigmentation, sun-exposure and sun-protective behaviours were not significant risk factors. The limitation of this study was recall bias as it relied on self-reported on the sun exposure and protective behaviours. The diet factors were not included in this analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency among Malaysian adolescents was considerable. Gender, ethnicity and clothing style were important risk factors.
METHODS: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted to assess the effect of health-related and psychosocial correlates on HRQOL of IDDM patients in Penang, Malaysia. The participants were recruited from five governmental diabetic clinics. Patients with insulin use only, IDDM diagnosed at least 1 year earlier, were identified from clinical registers. The sample was then age stratified for 20-64 years, and severe complications (e.g., end-stage renal failure, hemodialysis, and liver cirrhosis) were excluded; a total of 1003 participants were enrolled in the study. Multivariate regression analysis was used to predict the response.
RESULTS: A total of 853 (100%) participants were enrolled and completed the study. Women exhibited significantly higher/better mental health (p < 0.013) and health perception scores (p < 0.001) despite high prevalence of impaired role (49.2%), social (24.2%), and physical (40.5%) functionings as compared to men. Women with longer diabetes exposure and uncontrolled glycemic levels (HbA1c) have poorer HRQOL. Availability of social support showed no significant association with either HRQOL or diabetes distress levels. Diabetes distress levels remained not associated with social support. Women also showed significantly higher association with health perception (15% versus 13% men, p < 0.001) and mental health (13% versus 11% men, p < 0.001) in diabetes-specific psychosocial factors. Thus, among women alone, diabetes-related specific and psychosocial factors explained 15% and 13% of variations in HRQOL extents, respectively.
CONCLUSION: Women exhibit extensive and significant patterns with health-related factors and diabetes-specific psychosocial factors (self-efficacy, social support, and DLC) to improve HRQOL. Also, women have significantly high reported distress levels and low social functioning compared to men.
METHOD: Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the DSM-5 model of PTSD, followed by a multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model to examine possible DIF using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5. Data were analyzed from a Malaysian adolescent sample (n = 481) of which 61.7% were female, with a mean age of 17.03 years.
RESULTS: The results indicated the presence of DIF for 2 of 20 PTSD criteria. Females scored significantly higher on emotional cue reactivity (B4), and males reported significantly higher rates of reckless or self-destructive behavior (E2) while statistically controlling for the latent variables in the model. However, the magnitude of these item-level differences was small.
CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that despite the presence of DIF for 2 DSM-5 symptoms, this does not provide firm support for nonequivalence across sex. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
AIMS: To examine the stand of Hinduism as a religion in the context of suicide.
METHOD: A selected review of literature covering the major Hindu religious texts, cultural practices and suicide.
RESULTS: People who follow Hinduism have a suicide rate of about 21 per 100,000 population compared to the global average of 11.4. Hindu countries have higher rates of suicide compared to Islamic and Christian countries, but these rates are lower when compared to Atheist and Buddhist countries. This is reflected in the Indian diaspora as well with reports from Fiji, the Caribbean, Malaysia and the United Kingdom, indicating that suicide was disproportionately high among those of Indian origin. However, a strong faith in Hinduism acts as protective factor. The Hindu belief in karma fosters a sense of acceptance of the vicissitudes of life with equanimity, and the belief in the cycle of births and deaths renders suicide meaningless, as one's soul continues after death. Their religious beliefs makes the Hindus tolerate and accept hardships and calamities stoically.
CONCLUSION: In certain situations, the Hindu religion acts as a protective factor, whereas at other times, it may increase the risk of suicide. It is important to understand these different nuances in the Hindu religion in formulating a culturally appropriate suicide prevention strategy.
Materials and Methods: This study was aimed to identify the relationship between NS and HRQOL among young motorcycle riders (undergraduate university students) aged between 19 and 25 years (n = 301) through a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, that is, Weinstein noise sensitivity scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life. The effects of NS on HRQOL were assessed based on gender, the years of motorcycle driving experience, and noise sensitive among groups using one-way analysis of variances with an alpha value of 0.05.
Results: The results showed no significant difference in NS between males and females. On the other hand, motorcycle driving experience for <4 years displayed a higher tendency toward NS. Moreover, a significantly (P = 0.004) decreasing trend among low, moderate, and high NS with their respective HRQOL was observed, while a high NS showed significantly (P = 0.015) lower scores on the social domain of the quality of life.
Conclusion: The overall premise of the study has statistical significance and shows that individuals with high NS tend to have degraded HRQOL compared to individuals with low NS. Furthermore, in-depth studies are required from the other demographical background of participants to investigate the motorcyclist's NS and HRQOL as an integral requirement for the rider's safety and health.
STUDY DESIGN: This study employed a repeated measures design.
SETTINGS: Otorhinolaryngology Clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia.
PARTICIPANTS: Eligible Malaysian adults (N = 187, aged 21-75 years) were recruited and categorised into young (N = 60), middle-aged (N = 66) and older (N = 61) groups. Most of them were Malay, and 51.3% were men.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjective visual vertical angles (in degrees) were determined from each participant in a static upright condition using a computerised SVV device. They were asked to indicate their verticality perception for three types of visual images (solid line, dotted line and arrow pattern).
RESULTS: Three-way mixed ANOVA revealed insignificant influences of age and gender on SVV results (P > 0.05). In contrast, mean SVV angles were significantly higher for the arrow pattern than for other visual images (P = 0.004).
CONCLUSION: While the insignificant influences of age and gender on static SVV are further ascertained with larger samples, the perception of verticality is less accurate when aligning a more geometrically complex visual image (ie, arrow pattern). Further SVV research on vestibular-disordered patients is beneficial, particularly to verify the normative data obtained with this complex visual image.
METHODS: Eight male subjects shaved their heads prior to expose to dry (30%RH; H30%) and humid (85%RH; H85%) conditions at an air temperature of 32 °C. Total sweat rate, local sweat rates (frontal, vertex, temporal, and occipital regions), active sweat glands on the scalp (2 frontal, 2 parietal, 2 temporal, 1 occipital, and 1 vertex), and rectal and skin temperatures were measured during leg immersion in 42 °C water for 60 min.
RESULTS: (1) Total sweat rates were greater for H30% (179.4 ± 35.6 g h-1) than for H85% (148.1 ± 27.2 g h-1) (P
SETTINGS AND DATA SOURCES: The poisoning enquiries database (2006-2015) from the Malaysia NPC was used for the analysis.
PARTICIPANTS: The NPC records all telephone calls that it manages using a validated and standardised form. Demographics and types of the poisoning exposure calls were extracted and descriptive analysis was applied.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: The primary outcome of this study is to evaluate NPC data for trends in the poisoning exposure calls based on the types and modes of poisoning over a 10-year period. The secondary outcome is to evaluate the characteristics of human exposure cases based on the calls received by the NPC.
RESULTS: There was a notable increase in the number of poisoning exposure calls noticed during the 10-year period but dropped significantly in 2012. The highest number of poisoning exposure calls came from Selangor (21.0%), Perak (18.0%) and Negeri Sembilan (9.8%). More than half of the exposure was intentional (53.8%) involving more women (50.3%) as compared with men (41.9%), and in the 20-29 years age group category (33.5%). Exposure mostly occurred at home (96%) through the ingestion route (94.1%). Pharmaceutical products (40.5%), pesticides (31.7%) and household products (20.1%) were the common agents implicated for intentional exposure.
CONCLUSIONS: There is an increasing trend in enquiries on poisoning exposure calls made to the NPC. Most of the intentional poisoning exposures occurred among younger women and involved pharmaceuticals, pesticides or household products. Poisoning safety education and other interventions are needed to curb poisoning incidents.