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Validity and Reliability of the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction in Couples with Incontinent Partners

Lim R, Liong ML, Khan NA, Yuen KH

J Sex Marital Ther, 2017 Feb 17;43(2):142-146.
PMID: 26836418 DOI: 10.1080/0092623X.2016.1141817

There is currently no published information on the validity and reliability of the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction in the Asian population, specifically in patients with stress urinary incontinence, which limits its use in this region. Our study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of this questionnaire in the Malaysian population. Ten couples were recruited for the pilot testing. The agreement between the English and Chinese or Malay versions were tested using the intraclass correlation coefficients, with results of more than 0.80 for all subscales and overall scores indicating good agreement. Sixty-six couples were included in the subsequent phase. The following data are presented in the order of English, Chinese, and Malay. Cronbach's alphas for the male total score were 0.82, 0.88, and 0.95. For the female total score, Cronbach's alphas were 0.76, 0.78, and 0.88. Intraclass correlation coefficients for the male total score were 0.93, 0.94, and 0.99, while intraclass correlation coefficients for the female total score were 0.89, 0.86, and 0.88. In conclusion, the English, Chinese, and Malay versions each proved to be valid and reliable in our Malaysian population.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Validation study of the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire in a multi-ethnic Asian population

Mahadeva S, Chan WK, Mohazmi M, Sujarita R, Goh KL

J Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2011 Nov;26(11):1669-76.
PMID: 21649731 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.2011.06806.x

BACKGROUND AND AIM:
Outcome measures for clinical trials in dyspepsia require an assessment of symptom response. There is a lack of validated instruments assessing dyspepsia symptoms in the Asian region. We aimed to translate and validate the Leeds Dyspepsia Questionnaire (LDQ) in a multi-ethnic Asian population.

METHODS:
A Malay and culturally adapted English version of the LDQ were developed according to established protocols. Psychometric evaluation was performed by assessing the validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and responsiveness of the instruments in both primary and secondary care patients.

RESULTS:
Between April and September 2010, both Malay (n=166) and Malaysian English (n=154) versions were assessed in primary and secondary care patients. Both language versions were found to be reliable (internal consistency was 0.80 and 0.74 (Cronbach's α) for Malay and English, respectively; spearman's correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.98 for both versions), valid (area under receiver operating curve for accuracy of diagnosing dyspepsia was 0.71 and 0.77 for Malay and English versions, respectively), discriminative (median LDQ score discriminated between primary and secondary care patients in Malay (11.0 vs 20.0, P<0.0001) and English (10.0 vs 14.0, P=0.001), and responsive (median LDQ score reduced after treatment in Malay (17.0 to 14.0, P=0.08) and English (18.0 to 11.0, P=0.008) to dyspepsia.

CONCLUSIONS:
The Malaysian versions of the LDQ are valid, reliable and responsive instruments for assessing symptoms in a multi-ethnic Asian population with dyspepsia.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group/statistics & numerical data*
Fulltext Validation of the pooled cohort risk score in an Asian population - a retrospective cohort study

Chia YC, Lim HM, Ching SM

BMC Cardiovasc Disord, 2014 Nov 20;14:163.
PMID: 25410585 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2261-14-163

BACKGROUND: The Pooled Cohort Risk Equation was introduced by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) 2013 in their Blood Cholesterol Guideline to estimate the 10-year atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. However, absence of Asian ethnicity in the contemporary cohorts and limited studies to examine the use of the risk score limit the applicability of the equation in an Asian population. This study examines the validity of the pooled cohort risk score in a primary care setting and compares the cardiovascular risk using both the pooled cohort risk score and the Framingham General Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) risk score.
METHODS: This is a 10-year retrospective cohort study of randomly selected patients aged 40-79 years. Baseline demographic data, co-morbidities and cardiovascular (CV) risk parameters were captured from patient records in 1998. Pooled cohort risk score and Framingham General CVD risk score for each patient were computed. All ASCVD events (nonfatal myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease (CHD) death, fatal and nonfatal stroke) occurring from 1998-2007 were recorded.
RESULTS: A total of 922 patients were studied. In 1998, mean age was 57.5 ± 8.8 years with 66.7% female. There were 47% diabetic patients and 59.9% patients receiving anti-hypertensive treatment. More than 98% of patients with pooled cohort risk score ≥7.5% had FRS >10%. A total of 45 CVD events occurred, 22 (7.2%) in males and 23 (3.7%) in females. The median pooled cohort risk score for the population was 10.1 (IQR 4.7-20.6) while the actual ASCVD events that occurred was 4.9% (45/922). Our study showed moderate discrimination with AUC of 0.63. There was good calibration with Hosmer-Lemeshow test χ2 = 12.6, P = 0.12.
CONCLUSIONS: The pooled cohort risk score appears to overestimate CV risk but this apparent over-prediction could be a result of treatment. In the absence of a validated score in an untreated population, the pooled cohort risk score appears to be appropriate for use in a primary care setting.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
Validation of the drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire in Arab and Asian samples

AlMarri TS, Oei TP, AbRahman RM

Addict Behav, 2009 Sep;34(9):776-8.
PMID: 19481874 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.05.009

The influence of an individuals' belief in their ability to resist drinking alcohol has recognised importance in understanding the pattern of drinking behaviours among Caucasian samples. Measures used to investigate this construct, such as the drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire-revised (DRSEQ-R; [Oei, T. P. S., Hasking, P. A., & Young, R. M. (2005). Drinking refusal self-efficacy questionnaire-revised (DRSEQ-R): A new factor structure with confirmatory factor analysis. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 78, 297-307.]) have been widely used and have established psychometric properties. However, the exploration of the utility of this questionnaire with samples of different ethnicity, religion and living in different countries remains scarce. In the current study, Arab Muslim samples living in the United Arab Emirates and Oman (n=356) and Asian predominately Muslim samples living in Malaysia and Indonesia (n=256) were used. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the DRSEQ-R has a three factor structure. Internal consistency ranged from alpha .96 to alpha .86 and validity was good. This study offers evidence of the utility of this measure with Arab and Asian samples.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group/psychology*
Validation of the Malay version of the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 among Malaysian undergraduates

Tan YK, Siau CS, Chan LF, Kõlves K, Zhang J, Ho MC, et al.

Asian J Psychiatr, 2023 Nov;89:103772.
PMID: 37748229 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2023.103772

This cross-sectional study aimed to validate the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5 (LEC-5) among Malaysian undergraduates (N = 500; mean age = 21.66 ± 1.57), of which 90.4% had ever experienced a lifetime traumatic event. Cronbach's alpha of .87 (95% CI [.86, .89]) and McDonald's omega of .89 (95% CI [.89, .93]) indicated good reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis based on a six-factor structure showed the best fit. The measurement invariance showed that the six-factor structure was similar across sexes. Therefore, the Malay LEC-5 is a valid and reliable instrument to screen for traumatic events among Malaysian undergraduates.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
Fulltext Validation of the Framingham general cardiovascular risk score in a multiethnic Asian population: a retrospective cohort study

Chia YC, Gray SY, Ching SM, Lim HM, Chinna K

BMJ Open, 2015;5(5):e007324.
PMID: 25991451 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-007324

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the validity of the Framingham general cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk chart in a primary care setting.
DESIGN: This is a 10-year retrospective cohort study.
SETTING: A primary care clinic in a teaching hospital in Malaysia.
PARTICIPANTS: 967 patients' records were randomly selected from patients who were attending follow-up in the clinic.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Baseline demographic data, history of diabetes and smoking, blood pressure (BP), and serum lipids were captured from patient records in 1998. Each patient's Framingham CVD score was computed from these parameters. All atherosclerotic CVD events occurring between 1998 and 2007 were counted.
RESULTS: In 1998, mean age was 57 years with 33.8% men, 6.1% smokers, 43.3% diabetics and 59.7% hypertensive. Median BP was 140/80 mm Hg and total cholesterol 6.0 mmol/L (1.3). The predicted median Framingham general CVD risk score for the study population was 21.5% (IQR 1.2-30.0) while the actual CVD events that occurred in the 10 years was 13.1% (127/967). The median CVD points for men was 30.0, giving them a CVD risk of more than 30%; for women it is 18.5, a CVD risk of 21.5%. Our study found that the Framingham general CVD risk score to have moderate discrimination with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.63 [c-statistic or c-index]. It also discriminates well for Malay (AUC 0.65, p=0.01), Chinese (AUC 0.60, p=0.03), and Indians (AUC 0.65, p=0.001). There was good calibration with Hosmer-Lemeshow test χ(2)=3.25, p=0.78.
CONCLUSIONS: Taking into account that this cohort of patients were already on treatment, the Framingham General CVD Risk Prediction Score predicts fairly accurately for men and overestimates somewhat for women. In the absence of local risk prediction charts, the Framingham general CVD risk prediction chart is a reasonable alternative for use in a multiethnic group in a primary care setting.
Study site: Primary care clinic,University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
Validation of the Chinese version of public attitudes toward epilepsy scale in Mainland China

Yue Z, Ma C, Lim KS, Xiao B, Wu Q, Shu Y, et al.

Epilepsy Behav, 2017 07;72:150-155.
PMID: 28582727 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2017.04.028

PURPOSE: Epilepsy is a significant yet seriously underappreciated public health issue in Mainland China. The stigma and discrimination toward people with epilepsy (PWE) and their families are especially severe in China based on cultural misconceptions which cause tremendous psychological, economic and social burdens. It is imperative to formulate a targeted public intervention to eliminate knowledge gaps and correct these misconceptions of epilepsy. However, to date, the essential tools that may drive such an intervention by measuring the public perspective on PWEs is lacking in China. The goal of this study is to test the reliability and validity of a Simplified Chinese version of the "Public Attitude Toward Epilepsy" scale (PATE) in Mainland China which can be used to understand the content and identify the possible sources of stigma to better inform the design and focus of future stigma reduction interventions.

METHODS: The standard procedure of cross-cultural adaptation was used in the translation process. Subjects from different economic and social backgrounds were enrolled by convenience sampling in central China. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to check the underlying factor structure of the items. Furthermore, Cronbach's alpha was utilized to assess internal consistency.

RESULTS: 199 respondents were included in the final analysis. Content validity of this Chinese PATE was assessed to be adequate for assessing public attitudes toward epilepsy among the mainland Chinese. Two factors were extracted from the data by exploratory factor analysis; confirmatory factor analysis further confirmed good consistency of theoretical constructs between the original Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy scale and our Chinese PATE. Our Chinese PATE presented excellent internal consistency (α=0.853-0.909).

CONCLUSION: This version of the Chinese PATE showed acceptable psychometric properties, indicating that it can be implemented in surveying public attitudes toward epilepsy in Mainland China.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group/psychology*
Fulltext Validation of skinfold thickness and hand-held impedance measurements for estimation of body fat percentage among Singaporean Chinese, Malay and Indian subjects

Deurenberg P, Deurenberg-Yap M

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2002;11(1):1-7.
PMID: 11890632

Body fat percentage (BF%) was measured in 298 Singaporean Chinese, Malay and Indian men and women using a chemical four-compartment model consisting of fat, water, protein and mineral (BF%4C). In addition, weight, height, skinfold thickness and segmental impedance (from hand to hand) was measured. Body fat percentage was predicted using prediction equations from the literature (for skinfolds BF%SKFD) and using the manufacturer's software for the hand-held impedance analyser (BF%IMP). The subjects ranged in age from 18-70 years and in body mass index from 16.0 to 40.2 kg/m2. Body fat ranged from 6.5 to 53.3%. The biases for skinfold prediction (BF%4C-BF%SKFD, mean +/- SD) were -0.4+/-3.9, 2.3+/-4.1 and 3.1+/-4.2 in Chinese, Malay and Indian women, respectively, the Chinese being different from the Malays and Indians. The differences were significant from zero (P < 0.05) in the Malays and Indians. For the men, the biases were 0.5+/-3.8, 0.0+/-4.8 and 0.9+/-4.0 in Chinese, Malays and Indians, respectively. These biases were not significantly different from zero and not different among the ethnic groups. The biases for hand-held impedance BF% were -0.7+/-4.5, 1.5+/-4.4 and 0.4+/-3.8 in Chinese, Malay and Indian women. These biases were not significantly different from zero but the bias in the Chinese was significantly different from the biases in the Malays and Indians. In the Chinese, Malay and Indian men, the biases of BF%IMP were 0.7+/-4.6, 1.9+/-4.8 and 2.0+/-4.4, respectively. These biases in Malay and Indian men were significantly different from zero and significantly different from the bias in Chinese men. The biases were correlated with level of body fat and age, and also with relative arm span (arm span/height) for impedance. After correction, the differences in bias among the ethnic groups disappeared. The study shows that the biases in predicted BF% differ between ethnic groups, differences that can be explained by differences in body composition and differences in body build. This information is important and should be taken into account when comparing body composition across ethnic groups using predictive methods.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Validation of bioelectrical impedance analysis for total body water assessment against the deuterium dilution technique in Asian children

Liu A, Byrne NM, Ma G, Nasreddine L, Trinidad TP, Kijboonchoo K, et al.

Eur J Clin Nutr, 2011 Dec;65(12):1321-7.
PMID: 21731041 DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.122

To develop and cross-validate bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) prediction equations of total body water (TBW) and fat-free mass (FFM) for Asian pre-pubertal children from China, Lebanon, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group*
Fulltext Validation of a Malay Version of the Smartphone Addiction Scale among Medical Students in Malaysia

Ching SM, Yee A, Ramachandran V, Sazlly Lim SM, Wan Sulaiman WA, Foo YL, et al.

PLoS One, 2015;10(10):e0139337.
PMID: 26431511 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139337

This study was initiated to determine the psychometric properties of the Smart Phone Addiction Scale (SAS) by translating and validating this scale into the Malay language (SAS-M), which is the main language spoken in Malaysia. This study can distinguish smart phone and internet addiction among multi-ethnic Malaysian medical students. In addition, the reliability and validity of the SAS was also demonstrated.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group/psychology*
Validation of Malay brief screening instrument for ascertainment of epilepsy

Fong SL, Lim KS, Tan L, Aris T, Khalid RA, Ali RA, et al.

Epilepsy Behav, 2019 08;97:206-211.
PMID: 31252280 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.05.033

INTRODUCTION: Prevalence studies of epilepsy in Asia revealed a prevalence ranging from 1.5 to 14.0 per 1000 among Asian populations. However, the prevalence of epilepsy in Malaysia is not available for comparison with other countries. This study aimed to translate and validate a Malay brief screening instruments for ascertainment of epilepsy.
METHOD: We translated into Malay a brief screening instrument for ascertainment of epilepsy designed and validated by Ottman et al., using the three-stage cross-cultural adaptation process developed by the International Quality of Life Assessment (IQOLA) project. We then administered the translated questionnaire via online survey to 162 cases (patients with epilepsy under follow-up care at the neurology clinic in University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur) and 146 controls with no known history of epilepsy for validation.
RESULTS: Applying the most liberal definition for a positive screen, we obtained a sensitivity of 96.3% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 91.8-98.5%), with a specificity of 66.4% (95% CI: 58.1-73.0%) and positive predictive value (PPV) of 2.0%. The most stringent definition for a positive screen (only epilepsy) resulted in a sensitivity of 97.4% (95% CI: 62.0-72.6%), specificity of 98.6% (95% CI: 94.6-99.7%), and PPV of 26.6%. Narrowing the definition of a positive screen decreased sensitivity but improved PPVs. When compared to the original English questionnaire, the sensitivities were similar for all four definitions of a positive screen.
CONCLUSION: This is the first validated epilepsy screening questionnaire in the Malay language and represents a useful tool for the ascertainment of epilepsy in population-based studies.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Fulltext Validation of Brunei's Malay EQ-5D Questionnaire in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Koh D, Abdullah AM, Wang P, Lin N, Luo N

PLoS One, 2016;11(11):e0165555.
PMID: 27835652 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165555

BACKGROUND: The Malay spoken in Brunei a South East Asian country where Malay is the national language is distinctive and different from Malay spoken in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. This study aimed to develop a Brunei Malay version of the 5-level EQ-5D questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) and to assess its psychometric properties among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
METHODS: The Brunei Malay EQ-5D-5L was developed by culturally adapting two existing Malay versions. A total of 154 Bruneians with T2DM completed the questionnaire in two different points of time with one week apart. Known-groups validity of the utility-based EQ-5D-5L index and visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) was evaluated by comparing subgroups of patients known to differ in health status. Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) or Cohen's kappa.
RESULTS: As hypothesized, patients known to have 'better' health had higher EQ-5D-5L index scores than those having 'worse' health in all 7 known-groups comparisons. The hypothesized difference in the EQ-VAS scores was observed in only 4 of the 7 known-groups comparisons. Kappa values ranged from 0.206 to 0.446 for the EQ-5D-5L items; the ICC value for the EQ-5D-5L index and EQ-VAS was 0.626 and 0.521, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: The utility-based EQ-5D-5L index appears to be valid and reliable for measuring the health of Brunei patients with T2DM. The validity of the EQ-VAS in Brunei requires further investigation.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group
VKORC1 and CYP2C9 genotypic data-based dose prediction alone does not accurately predict warfarin dose requirements in some Malaysian patients

Chua YA, Abdullah WZ, Yusof Z, Gan SH

Turk J Med Sci, 2015;45(4):913-8.
PMID: 26422867

BACKGROUND/AIM: VKORC1 and CYP2C9 genetic polymorphisms may not accurately predict warfarin dose requirements. We evaluated an existing warfarin dosing algorithm developed for Malaysian patients that was based only on VKORC1 and CYP2C9 genes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five Malay patients receiving warfarin maintenance therapy were investigated for their CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, and VKORC1-1639G>A genotypes and their vitamin K-dependent (VKD) clotting factor activities. The records of their daily warfarin doses and international normalized ratio (INR) 2 years prior to and after the measurement of VKD clotting factors activities were acquired. The mean warfarin doses were compared with predicted warfarin doses calculated from a genotypic-based dosing model developed for Asians.
RESULTS: A patient with the VKORC1-1639 GA genotype, who was supposed to have higher dose requirements, had a lower mean warfarin dose similar to those having the VKORC1-1639 AA genotype. This discrepancy may be due to the coadministration of celecoxib, which has the potential to decrease warfarins metabolism. Not all patients' predicted mean warfarin doses based on a previously developed dosing algorithm for Asians were similar to the actual mean warfarin dose, with the worst predicted dose being 54.34% higher than the required warfarin dose.
CONCLUSION: Multiple clinical factors can significantly change the actual required dose from the predicted dose from time to time. The additions of other dynamic variables, especially INR, VKD clotting factors, and concomitant drug use, into the dosing model are important in order to improve its accuracy.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group/genetics
Use of vaginal mesh; an Asian perspective footnote from the pan-Asia meeting

Lo TS, Tan YL

Int Urogynecol J, 2020 04;31(4):675-677.
PMID: 31932916 DOI: 10.1007/s00192-019-04219-x
Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Use of electroconvulsive therapy for Asian patients with schizophrenia (2001-2009): Trends and correlates

Xiang YT, Ungvari GS, Correll CU, Chiu HF, Lai KY, Wang CY, et al.

Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2015 Aug;69(8):489-96.
PMID: 25708964 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12283

Little is known about electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) use in Asian inpatients with schizophrenia. This study examined trends of ECT use for schizophrenia patients in Asia between 2001 and 2009 and its independent demographic and clinical correlates.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group/statistics & numerical data*
Use of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Malaysia: A Knowledge and Practice Study among General Population toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Relation to Health and Quality of Life in Malaysia

Mohiuddin SG, Aziz S, Ahmed R, Shaikh Ghadzi SM, Iqbal MZ, Iqbal MS

J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2020 12 21;13(1):102-107.
PMID: 34084055 DOI: 10.4103/jpbs.JPBS_258_20

Purpose: There is a wide range of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), which has increased drastically and affected treatments overall. The knowledge and practice of Chinese herbal medicine among the general population is considered as positive. Literature shows that the effectiveness and acceptance of alternative therapies is still debatable among the general population.
Materials and Methods: Study design was cross-sectional, in which sociodemographic data of respondents were collected through a validated questionnaire; results were analyzed by using validated data collection tool. The results were concluded on the basis of good, moderate, and poor response, which was evaluated through data analysis by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 20.0. A P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Results: Respondents were 182 (44.4%) males and 228 (55.6%) females; better knowledge was recognized among the females (P < 0.001) with mean knowledge of 15.55 ± 2.7. Chinese population had good knowledge with statistically strong correlation with mean knowledge of 15.63 (P = 0.006). Likewise, Buddhism was reported to have good knowledge among all the religions. Rural population was underlined with lesser family income and they showed good practice and understanding (P = 0.006). Comparatively positive attitude was noticed among the females (P < 0.001) with mean attitude of 15.55 ± 2.7. The highest level of education in this study was postgraduate, which showed 77.1% good attitude. Postgraduate participants were having varied results with standard deviation of ±6.23. Statistically highly significant association was seen between the religion and attitude of respondents with the P < 0.001. Chinese medicine is widely used, but religious difference was found among the races. Similar difference was found in knowledge and practice among the population of rural side and low family income compared to urban population with higher income and access to allopathic medicine.
Conclusions: Despite having better practice among the Malaysian population, still the knowledge needs to be disseminated among the population for the overall use of traditional Chinese medicine with safety to improve health and quality of life in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Use of Alternative Medications for Menopause-Related Symptoms in Three Major Ethnic Groups of Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Ohn Mar S, Malhi F, Syed Rahim SH, Chua CT, Sidhu SS, Sandheep S

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Nov;27(8 Suppl):19S-25S.
PMID: 25972428 DOI: 10.1177/1010539515586457

This cross-sectional study investigated the use of alternative medications to alleviate menopause-related symptoms among Malay, Chinese, and Indian women of Ipoh city. The prevalence, types, effectiveness, and associated factors were determined. The prevalence of alternative medication use was 41.4%. Evening primrose oil (EPO) was the most popular medication used (18.1%), followed by soy-based products (12.3%), green tea (6.8%), and gingko (5.8%). The medication was reported to be highly effective by 58.3% of soya bean diet users and 41.1% of EPO users. Significant variables associated with the use were Chinese or Indian ethnicity (P < .001), age between 50 and 54 years (P < .01), lower self-health rating (P < .05), education level of diploma or professional degree (P < .05), employment as professionals or entrepreneurs (P < .05), and the use of hormone replacement therapy (P < .05). Regression analysis showed that Chinese and Indians had significantly higher odds for the use than Malays (Chinese: odds ratio [OR] = 4.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.392-7.837; Indians: OR = 3.248, 95% CI = 1.586-6.654).

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group/statistics & numerical data*
Ureteric changes during pregnancy in Asian women

Chan DP

Med J Malaya, 1969 Jun;23(4):235-8.
PMID: 4242165
Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Urban blue: A global analysis of the factors shaping people's perceptions of the marine environment and ecological engineering in harbours

Strain EMA, Alexander KA, Kienker S, Morris R, Jarvis R, Coleman R, et al.

Sci Total Environ, 2019 Mar 25;658:1293-1305.
PMID: 30677991 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.12.285

Marine harbours are the focus of a diverse range of activities and subject to multiple anthropogenically induced pressures. Support for environmental management options aimed at improving degraded harbours depends on understanding the factors which influence people's perceptions of harbour environments. We used an online survey, across 12 harbours, to assess sources of variation people's perceptions of harbour health and ecological engineering. We tested the hypotheses: 1) people living near impacted harbours would consider their environment to be more unhealthy and degraded, be more concerned about the environment and supportive of and willing to pay for ecological engineering relative to those living by less impacted harbours, and 2) people with greater connectedness to the harbour would be more concerned about and have greater perceived knowledge of the environment, and be more supportive of, knowledgeable about and willing to pay for ecological engineering, than those with less connectedness. Across twelve locations, the levels of degradation and modification by artificial structures were lower and the concern and knowledge about the environment and ecological engineering were greater in the six Australasian and American than the six European and Asian harbours surveyed. We found that people's perception of harbours as healthy or degraded, but not their concern for the environment, reflected the degree to which harbours were impacted. There was a positive relationship between the percentage of shoreline modified and the extent of support for and people's willingness to pay indirect costs for ecological engineering. At the individual level, measures of connectedness to the harbour environment were good predictors of concern for and perceived knowledge about the environment but not support for and perceived knowledge about ecological engineering. To make informed decisions, it is important that people are empowered with sufficient knowledge of the environmental issues facing their harbour and ecological engineering options.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group
Fulltext Unravelling the genetic history of Negritos and indigenous populations of Southeast Asia

Aghakhanian F, Yunus Y, Naidu R, Jinam T, Manica A, Hoh BP, et al.

Genome Biol Evol, 2015 May;7(5):1206-15.
PMID: 25877615 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evv065

Indigenous populations of Malaysia known as Orang Asli (OA) show huge morphological, anthropological, and linguistic diversity. However, the genetic history of these populations remained obscure. We performed a high-density array genotyping using over 2 million single nucleotide polymorphisms in three major groups of Negrito, Senoi, and Proto-Malay. Structural analyses indicated that although all OA groups are genetically closest to East Asian (EA) populations, they are substantially distinct. We identified a genetic affinity between Andamanese and Malaysian Negritos which may suggest an ancient link between these two groups. We also showed that Senoi and Proto-Malay may be admixtures between Negrito and EA populations. Formal admixture tests provided evidence of gene flow between Austro-Asiatic-speaking OAs and populations from Southeast Asia (SEA) and South China which suggest a widespread presence of these people in SEA before Austronesian expansion. Elevated linkage disequilibrium (LD) and enriched homozygosity found in OAs reflect isolation and bottlenecks experienced. Estimates based on Ne and LD indicated that these populations diverged from East Asians during the late Pleistocene (14.5 to 8 KYA). The continuum in divergence time from Negritos to Senoi and Proto-Malay in combination with ancestral markers provides evidences of multiple waves of migration into SEA starting with the first Out-of-Africa dispersals followed by Early Train and subsequent Austronesian expansions.

Matched MeSH terms: Asian Continental Ancestry Group/genetics*

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