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Body mass index of married Bangladeshi women: trends and association with socio-demographic factors

Hossain MG, Bharati P, Aik S, Lestrel PE, Abeer A, Kamarul T

J Biosoc Sci, 2012 Jul;44(4):385-99.
PMID: 22340969 DOI: 10.1017/S002193201200003X

Body mass index (BMI) is a good indicator of nutritional status in a population. In underdeveloped countries like Bangladesh, this indicator provides a method that can assist intervention to help eradicate many preventable diseases. This study aimed to report on changes in the BMI of married Bangladeshi women who were born in the past three decades and its association with socio-demographic factors. Data for 10,115 married and currently non-pregnant Bangladeshi women were extracted from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). The age range of the sample was 15-49 years. The mean BMI was 20.85 ± 3.66 kg/m(2), and a decreasing tendency in BMI was found among birth year cohorts from 1972 to 1992. It was found that the proportion of underweight females has been increasing in those born during the last 20 years of the study period (1972 to 1992). Body mass index increased with increasing age, education level of the woman and her husband, wealth index, age at first marriage and age at first delivery, and decreased with increasing number of ever-born children. Lower BMI was especially pronounced among women who were living in rural areas, non-Muslims, employed women, women not living with their husbands (separated) or those who had delivered at home or non-Caesarean delivery.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*
Hazarding health: experiences of body, work, and risk among factory women in Malaysia

Root R

Health Care Women Int, 2009 Oct;30(10):903-18.
PMID: 19742364 DOI: 10.1080/07399330903042807

In the 1970s, Malaysia launched an export-oriented development strategy as a means of financing the nation's modernization. The success of the strategy hinged significantly on intensive recruitment of women for factory employment. I draw on descriptive qualitative research, including interviews (51), surveys (106), and ethnography in Malaysia to investigate factory women's experiences of work and work-related health risks. Discourse analysis surfaced a latent consciousness of bodily changes in relation to work. A grounded theory analysis showed a compromised access to occupational risk knowledge that may bear negatively on women's well-being and the role women's new labor identities played in mediating the meanings of work and risks. Given the predominance of women workers in low-end manufacturing globally, I aimed to contribute to theoretical and applied understandings of gender, globalization, and health.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health/ethnology
Climacteric and menopause in seven South-east Asian countries

Boulet MJ, Oddens BJ, Lehert P, Vemer HM, Visser A

Maturitas, 1994 Oct;19(3):157-76.
PMID: 7799822

The menopause is universal, but what about the climacteric? In an attempt to answer this question, a study was conducted in seven south-east Asian countries, namely, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan. Samples of approximately 400 women in each country were questioned about a number of climacteric complaints, incontinence and dyspareunia, consultation of a physician, menopausal status and several background characteristics. Special care was taken to overcome linguistic and cultural problems, and the data collected were kept as objective as possible. From the results obtained we were able to show that the climacteric was indeed experienced in south-east Asian countries, although in a mild form. The prevalence of hot flushes and of sweating was lower than in western countries, but was nevertheless not negligible. The percentages of women who reported the more psychological types of complaint were similar to those in western countries. The occurrence of climacteric complaints affected perceived health status. A physician was consulted for climacteric complaints by 20% of the respondents, although this was most frequently associated with the occurrence of psychological complaints and less so with that of hot flushes and sweating. The median age at menopause (51.09) appeared to be within the ranges observed in western countries. Ethnic background and age at menarche were found to have a significant influence on age at menopause. The study clearly demonstrated that climacteric complaints occur in south-east Asia. The findings suggest, however, that vasomotor-complaint-related distress might be 'translated' into psychological complaints, which are more frequently considered to warrant consulting a physician.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*
Work and women's well-being: religion and age as moderators

Noor NM

J Relig Health, 2008 Dec;47(4):476-90.
PMID: 19093675

Religion has been found to moderate the stress-strain relationship. This moderator role, however, may be dependent on age. The present study tested for the three-way interaction between work experience, age, and religiosity in the prediction of women's well-being, and predicted that work experience and religiosity will combine additively in older women, while in younger women religiosity is predicted to moderate the relationship between work experience and well-being. In a sample of 389 married Malay Muslim women, results of the regression analyses showed significant three-way interactions between work experience, age, and religiosity in the prediction of well-being (measured by distress symptoms and life satisfaction). While in younger women the results were in line with the predictions made, in the older women, both additive and moderator effects of religiosity were observed, depending on the well-being measures used. These results are discussed in relation to the literature on work and family, with specific reference to women's age, religion, as well as the issue of stress-strain specificity.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*
An international comparison of women's health issues in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore: the CIDA-SEAGEP Study

Choi BC

ScientificWorldJournal, 2004 Nov 19;4:989-1006.
PMID: 15578123

This was an international study of women's health issues, based on an Official Study Tour in Southeast Asia (the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore) and Canada. The objectives of the study were to identify and compare current gaps in surveillance, research, and programs and policies, and to predict trends of women's health issues in developing countries based on the experience of developed countries. Key informant interviews (senior government officials, university researchers, and local experts), self-administered questionnaires, courtesy calls, and literature searches were used to collect data. The participating countries identified women's health as an important issue, especially for reproductive health (developing countries) and senior's health (developed countries). Cancer, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, diabetes, poverty, social support, caring role for family, and informing, educating, and empowering people about women's health issues were the main concerns. Based on this study, 17 recommendations were made on surveillance, research, and programs and policies. A number of forthcoming changes in women''s health patterns in developing countries were also predicted.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*
Fulltext Differentials in the prevalence of anemia among non-pregnant, ever-married women in Bangladesh: multilevel logistic regression analysis of data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey

Kamruzzaman M, Rabbani MG, Saw A, Sayem MA, Hossain MG

BMC Womens Health, 2015;15:54.
PMID: 26219633 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-015-0211-4

Anemia is one of the most common public health problems globally, and high prevalence has been reported among women of reproductive age, especially in developing countries. This study was conducted to evaluate differentials in the prevalence of anemia among non-pregnant, ever-married women of reproductive age in Bangladesh, and to examine associations with demographic, socioeconomic, and nutritional factors.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*
Work and lifestyle factors associated with morbidity of electronic women workers in Selangor, Malaysia

Hwei-Mian Lim, Heng-Leng Chee, Mirnalini Kandiah, Sharifah Zainiyah Syed Yahya, Rashidah Shuib

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2002;14(2):75-84.
PMID: 12862411

The objective of this study was to identify sociodemographic, work, living arrangement and lifestyle factors associated with morbidity of electronics women workers in selected factories in Selangor, Malaysia. The research design was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. Most of the 401 respondents were young single Malay women. Morbidity was high as 85.5% of the women reported experiencing at least one chronic health problem, and 25.7% said that an illness or injury prevented them from carrying out normal activities within the last two weeks. Major acute illness symptoms were the common cold, backache, and diarrhoea while chronic health problems such as persistent headache, eye problems, menstrual problems, and persistent backache were also reported. After logistic regression, chronic health problems was significantly associated with room sharing; while illness that prevented normal activities within the last two weeks was significantly associated with overtime work and exercise. Further research is recommended to understand the complex inter-relationship between morbidity and working and living conditions.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*
Fulltext Postnatal depression and intimate partner violence: a nationwide clinic-based cross-sectional study in Malaysia

Ahmad NA, Silim UA, Rosman A, Mohamed M, Chan YY, Mohd Kasim N, et al.

BMJ Open, 2018 05 14;8(5):e020649.
PMID: 29764882 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020649

INTRODUCTION: An estimated 13% of women in the postnatal period suffer from postnatal depression (PND) worldwide. In addition to underprivileged women, women who are exposed to violence are at higher risk of PND. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between intimate partner violence (IPV) and PND in Malaysia.

METHODS: This survey was conducted as a nationwide cross-sectional study using a cluster sampling design. Probable PND was assessed using a self-administered Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Demographic profiles and IPV were assessed using a locally validated WHO Multicountry Study on Women's Health and Life Events Questionnaire that was administered in a face-to-face interview. An EPDS total score of 12 or more and/or a positive tendency to self-harm were used to define PND.

RESULTS: Out of 6669 women, 5727 respondents were successfully interviewed with a response rate of 85.9%. The prevalence of probable PND was 4.4% (95% CI 2.9 to 6.7). The overall prevalence of IPV was 4.9% (95% CI 3.8 to 6.4). Among the women in this group, 3.7% (95% CI 2.7 to 5.0), 2.6% (95% CI 1.9 to 3.5) and 1.2% (95% CI 0.9 to 1.7) experienced emotional, physical and sexual violence, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that women who were exposed to IPV were at 2.3 times the risk for probable PND, with an adjusted OR (aOR) of 2.34 (95% CI 1.12 to 4.87). Other factors for PND were reported emotional violence (aOR 3.79, 95% CI 1.93 to 7.45), unplanned pregnancy (aOR 3.32, 95% CI 2.35 to 4.69), lack of family support during confinement (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.87), partner's use of alcohol (aOR 1.59, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.35) or being from a household with a low income (aOR 2.99; 95% CI 1.63 to 5.49).

CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to IPV was significantly associated with probable PND. Healthcare personnel should be trained to detect and manage both problems. An appropriate referral system and support should be made available.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*
Review paper: gender competencies in the medical curriculum: addressing gender bias in medicine

Wong YL

Asia Pac J Public Health, 2009 Oct;21(4):359-76.
PMID: 19661102 DOI: 10.1177/1010539509337730

Gender inequalities in health and gender bias in medicine are interrelated challenges facing health care providers and educators. Women and girls are disadvantaged in accessing health care because of their low social status and unequal treatment in medical care. Gender bias has long been inherent in clinical practice, medical research, and education. This can be traced to the medical curriculum that shapes the perceptions, attitudes, and behavior of the future doctor. The author advocates medical curricula change to address gender inequalities in health and gender bias in medicine. She analyses the reasons for integration of gender competencies in the medical curriculum, discusses what gender competencies are, and reviews ways to in-build gender competencies and their assessment. Efforts to change and gender sensitize medical curricula in developed and developing countries are also reviewed. The review hopes to contribute to strategic medical curriculum reform, which would lead to gender-sensitive health services and equity in health.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health
Fulltext From Third World to Fourth. Third WONCA World Conference on Rural Health in Kuching, Malaysia; Fourth in Calgary

Topps D, Rourke J

Can Fam Physician, 2000 Oct;46:2065.
PMID: 11072589
Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health
Gendered burdens and impacts of SARS-CoV-2: a review

Ayittey FK, Dhar BK, Anani G, Chiwero NB

Health Care Women Int, 2021 2 23;41(11-12):1210-1225.
PMID: 33616506 DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2020.1809664

Using the SRQR EQUATOR checklist, we review the gendered burdens and impacts of SARS-CoV-2. Although men are primarily detected to be slightly more vulnerable in succumbing to the ongoing COVID-19 contagion, many researchers have recognized that women are facing more of the devastating brunt in secondary terms. Aside gendered health and social impacts, women are more disproportionately disadvantaged than men in economic terms, as they are predominantly found in the part-time and informal occupations, which have been closed down for months now since the emergence of the current global crisis. Also, since women form the vast proportion of the caregivers within the health sector, their role in handling the pandemic as frontline respondents at the hospitals put them in higher risks of contracting the disease. Despite this higher risk of infection, the peculiar attentions to women's health in the planning and rolling out of actions to contain the virus have been overlooked. Additionally, their unpaid domestic care works have also increased due to closure of schools and businesses, which have forced family members to stay at home for as long as movement control orders remain in place. In this confined state, the domestic violence against women have been recorded to be on the increase. To recommend measures that consider gendered dimensions of the current crisis, we have reviewed the various sex-based burdens and impacts of the pandemic, and proceeded to suggest necessary response actions to handle the situation. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of the outbreak on women, and how the gendered flaws in the current response strategies could be avoided in managing future global crises.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health
Preconception care in adolescents

Sainafat A, Asmawati, Ikhlasiah M, Mat SB, Hassan HC

Enferm Clin, 2020 06;30 Suppl 5:73-76.
PMID: 32713589 DOI: 10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.11.024

Preconception Care is an intervention starting from adolescence until near conception. Preconception Care refers to biomedical interventions and social preventive behaviors which can improve healthy babies and healthy mothers. Interventions carried out during adolescence are more effective in reducing the occurrence of pregnancies untimely, unplanned pregnancies. Preconception Care program has not run optimally so far. The purpose of this literature study is to present the research findings on how Preconception Care interventions in adolescents. The method used is the study of the research findings on Preconception Care published in the last ten years (2009-2019) in national and international reputable literature sources indexed by Scopus, Elsiver, Proquest, Plos One, and Google Scholar database. The keywords of Preconception Care, Adolescent, AKI, and AKB are used to facilitate the search for literature. The results of the study show that Preconception Care has a powerful impact on women's health and is part of Continuum Care, including Preconception Care, Antenatal Care, Intranatal, and Post Natal. Preconception Care in adolescents has a good impact on the preconception period and can reduce maternal mortality (AKI) and infant mortality (AKB), thus, it is necessary to optimize Preconception Care on adolescents.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health
Fear of negative appearance evaluation and attitude towards mammography: Moderating role of internal health locus of control,cancer worry and age

Pahlevan Sharif S, Ahadzadeh AS, Ong FS, Naghavi N

Health Promot Perspect, 2020;10(3):220-229.
PMID: 32802758 DOI: 10.34172/hpp.2020.35

Background: Mammography screening tends to reduce mortality rate through early detection. One of the barriers to mammography screening is fear of negative appearance evaluation(FNAE). This study investigated the impact of internal health locus of control, breast cancer worries and age on the relationship between FNAE and attitude towards mammography. Methods: A cross-sectional, questionnaire-based survey design was used. Samples were Iranian women, living in Iran, aged at least 30 years old, without any history of cancer, and had not performed mammography previously based on self-report. In total, 823 samples were collected through conducting an online survey from April to June 2016. The questionnaire consisted of several instruments including attitude toward breast cancer screening procedures scale, FNAEscale, the internal dimension of the multidimensional health locus of control, and two items to measure breast cancer worry. Using covariance-based structural equation modeling the model was tested. Results: The interaction of FNAE with internal health locus of control (β = -0.128, P<0.05,CI: -0.200, -0.056), breast cancer worry (β = 0.090, P<0.05, CI: -0.162, -0.017), and age (β =-0.095, P<0.05, CI = -0.163, -0.026) was significant. The three tested moderators dampened the positive relationship between FNAE and negative attitude towards mammography. Conclusion: More information about the screening procedure should be given to women to overcome their fear. The findings indicate the need for interventions seeking to shift women's health locus of control from external to internal. Women with low level of cancer worry need more attention.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health
Frailty and potentially inappropriate medications using the 2019 Beers Criteria: findings from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH)

Thiruchelvam K, Byles J, Hasan SS, Egan N, Kairuz T

Aging Clin Exp Res, 2021 Sep;33(9):2499-2509.
PMID: 33449339 DOI: 10.1007/s40520-020-01772-0

BACKGROUND: Frailty is an essential consideration with potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), especially among older women.
AIMS: This study determined the use of potentially inappropriate medications according to frailty status using the Beers Criteria 2019, identified medications that should be flagged as potentially inappropriate and harmful depending on individual health factors, and determined the association between frailty and PIMs, adjusted for characteristics associated with PIMs.
METHODS: This prospective longitudinal study included 9355 participants aged 77-82 years at baseline (2003). Frailty was measured using the FRAIL (fatigue, resistance, ambulation, illness and loss of weight) scale. Generalised estimating equations using log-binomial regressions determined the association between frailty and risk of using PIMs.
RESULTS: Among participants who were frail and non-frail at baseline, the majority used ≥ 3 PIMs (74.2% and 58.5%, respectively). At 2017, the proportion using ≥ 3 PIMs remained constant in the frail group (72.0%) but increased in the non-frail group (66.0%). Commonly prescribed medications that may be potentially inappropriate in both groups included benzodiazepines, proton-pump inhibitors and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and risperidone was an additional contributor in the non-frail group. When adjusted for other characteristics, frail women had a 2% higher risk of using PIMs (RR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01, 1.03).
CONCLUSION: Given that the majority of frail women were using medications that may have been potentially inappropriate, it is important to consider both frailty and PIMs as indicators of health outcomes, and to review the need for PIMs for women aged 77-96 years who are frail.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health
Fulltext Outcome of pregnancy among Malaysian women with diabetes mellitus - a single centre experience

Nirmala Kampan, Hanis Azman, Izzat Hafiz, Hazwani Mohammad, Chuah, Su Yee, Nur Azurah Abd Ghani, et al.

Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine, 2013;13(2):1-10.
MyJurnal

To observe the maternal and neonatal outcomes among women with diabetes mellitus in pregnancy as compared to healthy control. A case-control study involving 400 women with DM who delivered between 2005 to 2009 was done with age-matched control group. A total of 305 women (76.25%) were gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on diet control, 79 (19.75%) were GDM on insulin and 16 (4%) were pre-existing DM. The mean body mass index of the women with diabetes was higher compared to the age-matched healthy women (p

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health
Women's health beliefs and uptake of breast cancer screening in Malaysia

Htay MNN, Dahlui M, Schliemann D, Loh SY, Ibrahim Tamin NSB, Somasundaram S, et al.

Eur J Cancer Care (Engl), 2022 Sep;31(5):e13675.
PMID: 35946147 DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13675

OBJECTIVES: This study investigated women's health beliefs, the use of breast cancer (BC) screening services, and the factors that potentially influence uptake of screening.
METHODS: Face-to-face interviews were conducted with a randomly selected community sample of 992 women (>40 years old) in Selangor State, Malaysia.
RESULTS: Approximately 35% of women received a clinical breast examination (CBE) and 27% had a mammogram within the last 1 to 2 years. The regression analyses indicated that Chinese ethnicity has higher perceived susceptibility to BC compared to Malay ethnicity (mean 7.74, SD: 2.75; 95% CI 0.09, 1.03) whilst a lower perceived susceptibility was observed in women aged ≥70 years (mean 6.67, SD: 3.01; 95% CI -1.66, -0.24) compared to women aged 40-49 years. Indian Malaysian women (mean 16.87, SD: 2.59; 95% CI 0.12, 1.01) and women who had received a CBE (mean 16.10, SD:2.35; 95% CI 0.18, 0.89) were more likely to have higher perceived benefits scoring. Indian ethnicity, secondary education and tertiary education, top 20% income group, past history of CBE and mammogram uptake were significantly associated with lower barriers scoring.
CONCLUSIONS: There is a need to target BC screening uptake improvement programmes towards communities in which women experience disadvantages related to income, education, employment, and, in particular, to tailor programmes to take into consideration differences between ethnic groups regarding their beliefs about cancer screening.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health
Validity and reliability of the Malay version of WHO Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire

Saddki N, Sulaiman Z, Ali SH, Tengku Hassan TN, Abdullah S, Ab Rahman A, et al.

J Interpers Violence, 2013 Aug;28(12):2557-80.
PMID: 23508088 DOI: 10.1177/0886260513479029

The Women's Health and Life Experiences questionnaire measures the prevalence, health implications, and risk factors for domestic violence. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the Malay version of World Health Organization (WHO) Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire. Construct validity and reliability assessment of the Malay version of the questionnaire was done on 20 specific items that measure four types of intimate partner violence (IPV) act; controlling behaviors (CB), emotional violence (EV), physical violence (PV), and sexual violence (SV), which were considered as the domains of interest. Face-to-face interviewing method was used for data collection. A total of 922 women completed the interviews. The results showed that exploratory factor analysis of four factors with eigenvalues above 1 accounted for 63.83% of the variance. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that all items loaded above 0.40 and the majority of items loaded on factors that were generally consistent with the proposed construct. The internal consistency reliability was good. The Cronbach's α values ranged from 0.767 to 0.858 across domains. The Malay version of WHO Women's Health and Life Experiences Questionnaire is a valid and reliable measure of women's health and experiences of IPV in Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*
Islam, sexuality, and the marginal positioning of Pengkids and their girlfriends in Malaysia

Wong Y

J Lesbian Stud, 2012;16(4):435-48.
PMID: 22978284 DOI: 10.1080/10894160.2012.681267

Drawing on the lived experiences of the Pengkids and their girlfriends in the deprived district of the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, this article examines transgender practices and women's same-sex desires within the local contexts of urbanization and political Islam. This article questions the assumed marginal positions of transgender practices and same-sex desires in society, and provides a nuanced understanding of the politics of identity, gender, sexuality and religion involved in a Muslim country. While the Muslim-Malay sexual minorities are increasingly subjected to the threats of moral policing in Malaysia, Pengkid has become a new identity marker for the marginalized sexual subject framed by the Islamic discourse of this country.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health/ethnology*
Women's cardiovascular health: perspectives from South-East Asia

Rajadurai J, Lopez EA, Rahajoe AU, Goh PP, Uboldejpracharak Y, Zambahari R

Nat Rev Cardiol, 2012 Aug;9(8):464-77.
PMID: 22525668 DOI: 10.1038/nrcardio.2012.59

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an under-recognized major health problem among women in South-East Asia. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, and being overweight or obese has shown a significantly increasing trend among women in the region, with the exception of Singapore. The problem is compounded by low awareness that CVD is a health problem for women as well as for men, by misconceptions about the disease, and by the lack of suitable, locally available health literature. Efforts have been made by the national heart associations and other organizations to increase heart health awareness and promote healthy lifestyles. Singapore initiated these prevention programs in the early 1990s and has been successful in reducing the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. The governments of the region, in accordance with the Noncommunicable Disease Alliance, have begun implementing appropriate preventive strategies and improving health-delivery systems. However, psychological, social, and cultural barriers to cardiovascular health awareness in women need to be addressed before these programs can be fully and successfully implemented.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*
The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI): validation of the Malay version

Sidi H, Abdullah N, Puteh SE, Midin M

J Sex Med, 2007 Nov;4(6):1642-54.
PMID: 17608666

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a prevalent sexual health problem that has been inadequately investigated in Malaysia, a nation with a conservative multiethnic society.

Matched MeSH terms: Women's Health*

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