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Pan-Asian adapted ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for the management of patients with intermediate and advanced/relapsed hepatocellular carcinoma: a TOS-ESMO initiative endorsed by CSCO, ISMPO, JSMO, KSMO, MOS and SSO

Chen LT, Martinelli E, Cheng AL, Pentheroudakis G, Qin S, Bhattacharyya GS, et al.

Ann Oncol, 2020 03;31(3):334-351.
PMID: 32067677 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2019.12.001

The most recent version of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Clinical Practice Guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was published in 2018, and covered the diagnosis, management, treatment and follow-up of early, intermediate and advanced disease. At the ESMO Asia Meeting in November 2018 it was decided by both the ESMO and the Taiwan Oncology Society (TOS) to convene a special guidelines meeting immediately after the Taiwan Joint Cancer Conference (TJCC) in May 2019 in Taipei. The aim was to adapt the ESMO 2018 guidelines to take into account both the ethnic and the geographic differences in practice associated with the treatment of HCC in Asian patients. These guidelines represent the consensus opinions reached by experts in the treatment of patients with intermediate and advanced/relapsed HCC representing the oncology societies of Taiwan (TOS), China (CSCO), India (ISMPO) Japan (JSMO), Korea (KSMO), Malaysia (MOS) and Singapore (SSO). The voting was based on scientific evidence, and was independent of the current treatment practices, the drug availability and reimbursement situations in the individual participating Asian countries.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Ticks and tick-borne pathogens in animals and humans in the island nations of Southeast Asia: A review

Sharifah N, Heo CC, Ehlers J, Houssaini J, Tappe D

Acta Trop, 2020 Sep;209:105527.
PMID: 32447029 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105527

Ticks are blood-feeding ectoparasites and major vectors of pathogens that cause infectious diseases in humans and animals worldwide including mammals, birds and reptiles. Despite the growing scientific effort in the 20th century, there is still limited information on ticks and tick-borne pathogens in Southeast Asia, especially concerning medical, veterinary, socioeconomic and agricultural aspects in the island nations. This review provides an overview of the current state of knowledge of ticks and their pathogens in the island nations of Southeast Asia and peninsular Malaysia. We aim to stimulate further research studies on ticks and tick-borne pathogens of human and veterinary importance in this geographical region.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext Data for the subsurface characterization of Pahang River Basin with the application of Transient Electromagnetic geophysical surveys

Arifin H, Kayode J, Arifin K, Zahir Z, Abdullah M, Azmi A

Data Brief, 2020 Jun;30:105491.
PMID: 32373680 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105491

The Transient Electro-Magnetic (TEM) geophysical technique was deployed to map and characterized the subsurface of Pahang River Basin along the East Coast Peninsula Malaysia. The data aimed at differentiating between the massive zones and the weak zones within the region, to also assess and differentiate the subsurface structures and comes up with recommendations for policy decision, formulation and plans on the flooding impact, surface water and groundwater managements, in addition to other environmental related issues ravaging the area. The data presented in this paper, showed the properties of the subsurface rocks underlain the region as beneficial to the Agriculturists; Climatologists; Engineers; Environmentalists; Geoscientists, Hydrologists and Policy formulation officers. The TEM data collection utilized a 100 m x 100 m single loop coil for both the Transmitter (Tx) loop and the Receiver (Rx) loop to produce a total surface area coverage of 10,000 m2 per survey line along a single profile. The total area covered in the data extended across an average area of 30 km x 40 km in parts of Maran, Temerloh and Jerantut districts, within the State of Pahang, East Coast, Peninsula Malaysia. The conductivity data recorded varied from -20 mS/m to about 440 mS/m at a maximum depth of about 375 m. On the other hand, the resistivity data recorded varied from 0 Oh-m to about 1000 Oh-m. The information derived from the data are intended for potential abstraction by the Malaysian Groundwater Management Board; the Department of Mineral and Geoscience; Department of Irrigation and Drainage; the Pahang State Water Board, and the Department of Agriculture.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Input of organic matter in Brunei Bay, East Malaysia, as indicated by sedimentary steroids and multivariate statistics

Pang SY, Tay JH, Suratman S, Simoneit BRT, Mohd Tahir N

Mar Pollut Bull, 2020 Jul;156:111269.
PMID: 32510409 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111269

Brunei Bay is one of the most important marine environments of East Malaysia (South China Sea), covering many productive ecosystems with activities including fisheries, tourism, and main shipping lanes for petroleum transfers. Evaluation of the sources and distributions of steroids in the surface sedimentary organic matter was carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The concentrations of the total identified sterols (TIS) ranged between 0.81 and 12.69 μg g-1 dry weight, and the total sterones were between 0.11 and 5.66 μg g-1 dry weight. The coprostanol level was comparatively low (<0.10 μg g-1), and the multi-biomarker proxies indicated that the region did not exhibit significant contamination from sewage effluents. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed the coastal environment of the study area was dominated by allochthonous (mainly terrestrial) organic matter input.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext Assessing Cadmium and Chromium Concentrations in Drinking Water to Predict Health Risk in Malaysia

Ahmed MF, Mokhtar MB

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 04 24;17(8).
PMID: 32344678 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082966

Although toxic Cd (cadmium) and Cr (chromium) in the aquatic environment are mainly from natural sources, human activities have increased their concentrations. Several studies have reported higher concentrations of Cd and Cr in the aquatic environment of Malaysia; however, the association between metal ingestion via drinking water and human health risk has not been established. This study collected water samples from four stages of the drinking water supply chain at Langat River Basin, Malaysia in 2015 to analyze the samples by inductivity coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Mean concentrations of Cd and Cr and the time-series river data (2004-2014) of these metals were significantly within the safe limit of drinking water quality standard proposed by the Ministry of Health Malaysia and the World Health Organization. Hazard quotient (HQ) and lifetime cancer risk (LCR) values of Cd and Cr in 2015 and 2020 also indicate no significant human health risk of its ingestion via drinking water. Additionally, management of pollution sources in the Langat Basin from 2004 to 2015 decreased Cr concentration in 2020 on the basis of autoregression moving average. Although Cd and Cr concentrations were found to be within the safe limits at Langat Basin, high concentrations of these metals have been found in household tap water, especially due to the contamination in the water distribution pipeline. Therefore, a two-layer water filtration system should be introduced in the basin to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 agenda of a better and more sustainable future for all, especially via SDG 6 of supplying safe drinking water at the household level.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext Bats data from fragmented forests in Terengganu State, Malaysia

Zakaria N, Tarmizi AA, Zuki MAM, Ahmad AB, Mamat MA, Abdullah MT

Data Brief, 2020 Jun;30:105567.
PMID: 32382599 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2020.105567

This data article is about bats observed from fragmented forest understories interspaced by agricultural plantations, utility corridors, and man-made structures within rural areas of Setiu (Bukit Kesing Forest Reserve and Ladang Tayor TDM) and Hulu Terengganu (Pengkalan Utama and Sungai Buweh, Kenyir) that are situated in Terengganu state, Peninsular Malaysia. Surveys were conducted from October 2018 until January 2019. These bats were captured using harp traps and mist nets that were set 30 m apart across flyways, streams, rivers and less cluttered trees in the 50 m transect zones (identified at each site). All animals captured were distinguished by morphology and released at the same location it was caught. The data comprise of 15 species of bats from four family groups, namely Hipposideridae, Pteropodidae, Rhinolophidae and Vespertilionidae. The data were interpreted into weight-forearm length (W-FA) to inform about bats Body Condition Index (-0.25 to 0.25).

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Is flooding considered a threat in the degraded tropical peatlands?

Lupascu M, Varkkey H, Tortajada C

Sci Total Environ, 2020 Jun 25;723:137988.
PMID: 32392686 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137988

Tropical peatland degradation due to oil palm plantation development has reduced peat's ability to naturally regulate floods. In turn, more severe and frequent flooding on peatlands could seriously impair plantation productivity. Understanding the roles of peatland ecosystems in regulating floods has become essential given the continued pressure on land resources, especially in Southeast Asia. However, the limited knowledge on this topic has resulted in the oversimplifications of the relationships between floods, commercial plantations and peatland sustainability, creating major disagreement among policymakers at different levels in governments, companies, NGOs and society. Hence, this study identifies whether flood policies are integrated within peatland management through a qualitative policy analysis of publicly available papers, government reports, and other official documents that discuss flooding, and/or more in general, hydrology in peatlands. Document analysis was then triangulated with data obtained from several semi-structured discussions. The analysis indicates that the industry on peatlands and the peatland's environmental sustainability could be threatened by increased flooding. We show that, in spite of this, flood policies in SE Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia have not been well-integrated into peatland management. We also discuss how the countries could move forward to overcome this problem.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext Reassessment of species distribution and occurrence of mud crab (Scylla spp., Portunidae) in Malaysia through morphological and molecular identification

Naim DM, Nor SAM, Mahboob S

Saudi J Biol Sci, 2020 Feb;27(2):643-652.
PMID: 32210683 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2019.11.030

This study utilized genetic and morphometric approaches to assess the molecular and morphometric differentiation among commercially important species of mud crab. Molecular investigations were derived from 542 bp mitochondrial DNA COI on 249 individuals within genus Scylla from nine states in Malaysia represents four marine regions; South China Sea, Sulu Sea, Straits of Singapore and Straits of Malacca. Four specimens were obtained from Indonesia to give a robust analysis in this study. For species delimitation, Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) method on a web interface was employed. Analysis on phylogenetics was implemented utilizing Neighbour joining (NJ) and Maximum Parsimony (MP) methods. The inter- and intraspecies genetic distances (Ds ) was computed using Kimura 2-parameter distance and executed in MEGA version 5.05. All samples were genetically and morphologically identified and clustered into four distinct species. Among the species, S. olivacea was the most abundant (n = 111), on the other hand the occurrence of S. paramamosain in Malaysia was very low (n = 29). No single individual of S. serrata from Malaysia was recorded in this study. Both genetic distance and phylogenetic approaches exhibited a correlative monophyletic association among all specimens analysed. This present study is crucial as it reports the reassessment of all species within genus Scylla in Malaysia, eventually could be employed as a reference source for subsequent research mainly on mariculture and other conservation efforts for the species.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Economic and efficiency based optimisation of water quality monitoring network for land use impact assessment

Camara M, Jamil NR, Abdullah AFB, Hashim RB, Aliyu AG

Sci Total Environ, 2020 May 30;737:139800.
PMID: 32526579 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139800

The evaluation of the importance of having accurate and representative stations in a network for river water quality monitoring is always a matter of concern. The minimal budget and time demands of water quality monitoring programme may appear very attractive, especially when dealing with large-scale river watersheds. This article proposes an improved methodology for optimising water quality monitoring network for present and forthcoming monitoring of water quality under a case study of the Selangor River watershed in Malaysia, where different monitoring networks are being used by water management authorities. Knowing that the lack of financial resources in developing countries like Malaysia is one of the reasons for inadequate monitoring network density, to identify an optimised network for cost-efficiency benefits in this study, a geo-statistical technique coupled Kendall's W was first applied to analyse the performance of each monitoring station in the existing networks under the monitored water quality parameters. Second, the present and future changes in non-point pollution sources were simulated using the integrated Cellular Automata and Markov chain model (CA-Markov). Third, Station Potential Pollution Score (SPPS) determined based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to weight each station under the changes of non-point pollution sources for 2015, 2024, and 2033 prior to prioritisation. Finally, according to the Kendall's W test on kriging results, the weights of non-point sources from the AHP evaluation and fuzzy membership functions, six most efficient sampling stations were identified to build a robust network for the present and future monitoring of water quality status in the Selangor River watershed. This study proposes a useful approach to the pertinent agencies and management authority concerned to establish appropriate methods for developing an efficient water quality monitoring network for tropical rivers.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext Population Genetics in Malaysia and Japanese Populations Using Power Plex Y23 System

Nakamura Y, Samejima M, Minaguchi K, Nambiar P, Hashimoto M

Bull. Tokyo Dent. Coll., 2020 Jul 04;61(2):83-94.
PMID: 32522936 DOI: 10.2209/tdcpublication.2019-0023

Population flow between Southeast Asian countries and Japan continues to gather pace. Accordingly, the number of foreigners involved in incidents in Japan has markedly increased, which means that forensic dentistry is now increasingly being faced with the need to analyze DNA from persons of non-Japanese extraction. The DNA test currently used for personal identification mainly utilizes short tandem repeats (STRs) on autosomal chromosomes and the Y-chromosome. This test was developed for use in personal identification, not for distinguishing among races; nonetheless, the standard method for personal identification is often used because the procedure has been established. To determine the degree to which racial differences can be distinguished by standard DNA analysis, 23 STRs located on the Y chromosome were investigated in 218 Malay and 426 Japanese males. The frequencies of each STR were calculated in the two populations. The difference in the power of discrimination between the Malay and Japanese populations ranged from a minimum of 0.01 to a maximum of 0.27; the difference in polymorphic information content ranged from 0.01 (minimum) to 0.23 (maximum). No major differences were noted in the polymorphisms in these two Mongoloid populations, but the distributions of the 17 STRs differed significantly. Short tandem repeat types demonstrating a likelihood of racial differences were identified in 14 of the STRs. Race-specific STR types were identified in 10 STRs. These results suggest that the likelihood of Malay or Japanese genetic background can be judged based on Y-chromosome STR test results.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Dyslipidaemias in the Malaysian population [Abstract]

Mohd Nawawi H, Abdul Rahman T, Mohd Ismail A, Ismail TS, Ramli AS, Yusoff K, et al.

J Hypertens, 2012;30:e196.
DOI: 10.1097/01.hjh.0000420656.24296.e4

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of mortality globally, primarily attributed by atherosclerosis, of which dyslipidaemia is one of the main risk factors. There is limited data in Malaysia on the prevalence and awareness of having dyslipidaemia, and the proportion who are treated.
Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of (1)dyslipidaemia; (2)awareness of dyslipidaemia and (3)subjects with dyslipidaemia who are treated.
Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study involving 11,525 Malaysian subjects from various rural and urban populations, with representations from the three major ethnic groups (age mean + SD: 52.6 + 11.3years; 6487 females, 5038 males). Clinical history and physical examinations were performed and fasting blood samples were collected for the measurement of lipid profiles. Dyslipidaemia was defined by mild, moderate or severe hypercholesterolaemia(HC):TC > 5.2, 6.5 and 7.8mmol/L respectively, or hypertriglyceridaemia (HTG):TG > 1.7 mmol/L, or low HDL-c:females < 1.3, males < 1.0mmol/L. Questionnaires were completed for data on awareness and treatment of dyslipidaemia.
Results: Subjects with HC and HTG were 66.9% and 40.9% respectively. Low HDL-c were found in 15.2% and 74.9% in females and males respectively. Among those with HC, 42.6%, 19.3% and 5.0% had mild, moderate and severe HC respectively. Awareness of dyslipidaemia was only found in 13.9% of the population, of whom only 8.0% were on treatment.
Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of dyslipidaemias in Malaysia, majority of whom are unaware of having the major risk factor for atherosclerosis-related complications such as CAD. Hence, there is an urgent need for coronary risk identification, prevention and intervention to combat the global epidemic of CAD

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext New and little-known species of the genus Sphecodes Latreille (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) from Southeast Asia

Astafurova YV, Proshchalykin MY, Schwarz M

Zookeys, 2020;937:31-88.
PMID: 32547298 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.937.51708

The available information about the cleptoparasitic bees of the genus Sphecodes in Southeast Asia is summarized. Thirty-one species are currently known from this area. Four new species are described: Sphecodes discoverlifei Astafurova & Proshchalykin, sp. nov. (Laos), S. engeli Astafurova & Proshchalykin, sp. nov. (Laos, Vietnam), S. ilyadadaria Astafurova, sp. nov. (Indonesia), and S. pseudoredivivus Astafurova & Proshchalykin, sp. nov. (Laos). Nine species are newly recorded from South East Asia: S. chaprensis Blüthgen, 1927 (Laos), S. howardi Cockerell, 1922 (Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand), S. kershawi Perkins, 1921 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand), S. laticeps Meyer, 1920 (Thailand, Vietnam), S. montanus Smith, 1879 (Laos), S. sauteri Meyer, 1925 (Laos), S. sikkimensis Blüthgen, 1927 (Laos, Myanmar), S. simlaensis Blüthgen, 1924 (Laos), and S. turneri Cockerell, 1916 (Laos). Based on type specimens, new synonymies have been proposed for Sphecodes kershawi Perkins, 1921 = S. javanensis Blüthgen, 1927, syn. nov.; S. simlaensis Blüthgen, 1924 = S. simlaellus Blüthgen, 1927, syn. nov.; S. laticeps Meyer, 1920 = S. biroi mariae Cockerell, 1930, syn. nov. Lectotypes are designated for Sphecodes biroi Friese, 1909, S. simlaellus Blüthgen, 1927, and S. laticeps Meyer, 1920. The female of Sphecodes sauteri Meyer, 1925, and the male of S. turneri Cockerell, 1916 are described for the first time.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext Whole exome sequencing identifies compound heterozygous variants of CR2 gene in monozygotic twin patients with common variable immunodeficiency

Mat Ripen A, Ghani H, Chear CT, Chiow MY, Syed Yahya SNH, Kassim A, et al.

SAGE Open Med, 2020;8:2050312120922652.
PMID: 32547748 DOI: 10.1177/2050312120922652

Objectives: A pair of female Malay monozygotic twins who presented with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, hepatosplenomegaly, bronchiectasis and bicytopenia were recruited in this study. Both patients were suspected with primary immunodeficiency diseases. However, the definite diagnosis was not clear due to complex disease phenotypes. The objective of this study was to identify the causative gene mutation in these patients.
Methods: Lymphocyte subset enumeration test and whole exome sequencing were performed.
Results: We identified a compound heterozygous CR2 mutation (c.1916G>A and c.2012G>A) in both patients. These variants were then confirmed using Sanger sequencing.
Conclusion: Whole exome sequencing analysis of the monozygotic twins revealed compound heterozygous missense mutations in CR2.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Modeling the transition behaviors of PM10 pollution index

Masseran N, Safari MAM

Environ Monit Assess, 2020 Jun 17;192(7):441.
PMID: 32557137 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-020-08376-1

Modeling and evaluating the behavior of particulate matter (PM10) is an important step in obtaining valuable information that can serve as a basis for environmental risk management, planning, and controlling the adverse effects of air pollution. This study proposes the use of a Markov chain model as an alternative approach for deriving relevant insights and understanding of PM10 data. Using first- and higher-order Markov chains, we analyzed daily PM10 index data for the city of Klang, Malaysia and found the Markov chain model to fit the PM10 data well. Based on the fitted model, we comprehensively describe the stochastic behaviors in the PM10 index based on the properties of the Markov chain, including its states classification, ergodic properties, long-term behaviors, and mean return times. Overall, this study concludes that the Markov chain model provides a good alternative technique for obtaining valuable information from different perspectives for the analysis of PM10 data.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext A quantitative assessment of school environment as viewed by teachers

Rasyidah G, Wafa SW

Heliyon, 2020 Jun;6(6):e04059.
PMID: 32551377 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04059

Background: There is evidence suggesting that the school environment does have prominent contributions to the rise of childhood obesity.
Aim: The objective of this study was to assess the school environment by interviewing the teachers and compare the school environment score between rural and urban schools in Terengganu, Malaysia.
Methods: Thirty-two teachers from 16 primary schools in Terengganu were interviewed using a set of validated Malay version "School Environmental Mapping" questionnaire. A total of 76 items consisting of four domains of school environment factor: physical (what is available) with 41 items; economic (what the costs are) with nine items; political (what the rules are) with nine items; and socio-cultural (what the attitudes and beliefs are) with 17 items. Every item was questioned using an initial closed question followed by an open question when the criteria were not met or need further information regarding those particular items.
Results: The present study revealed that the school environment of school in state of Terengganu is still low and not satisfied. Based on the schoolteacher's information and observation, there are significant barriers to promoting healthy eating and physical activity at school e.g. limited financial and budget allocation; lack of school facilities; lack of manpower to organise and monitor the programme; lack of participation and cooperation from parents; and no enforcement and serious action from authorized personnel on street hawkers near the school. This is reflected by the score achieved for 16 schools in Terengganu was only 63.05%. The political environment indicated the highest score among the domains, which was 77.78%, whereas, the lowest score was an economic environment (50.00%). Upon comparing between the urban and rural areas, the present study reported that there was a significant difference between school settings (p < 0.001) for an overall school environment, in which the rural areas had a significantly higher score than urban counterparts (64.86% vs 59.34%, p < 0.001). For each domain of the school environment, the findings showed that only two domains (physical and political environment) were significantly different between school settings.
Conclusion: This study revealed that the level of a healthy school environment among schools in both settings is still not satisfied. Addressing the obesogenic elements of school environments is one of the strategies in prevention since the school environments exert a great influence on children's behaviour.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext Alterations in Herbage Yield, Antioxidant Activities, Phytochemical Contents, and Bioactive Compounds of Sabah Snake Grass (Clinacanthus Nutans L.) with Regards to Harvesting Age and Harvesting Frequency

Abd Samat NMA, Ahmad S, Awang Y, Bakar RAH, Hakiman M

Molecules, 2020 Jun 19;25(12).
PMID: 32575450 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25122833

Sabah snake grass or Clinacanthus nutans has drawn public interest having significant economic benefits attributable to the presence of phytochemicals and several interesting bioactive constituents that may differ according to harvesting age and harvesting frequency. The current study was aimed to evaluate the effect of harvesting age and harvesting frequency towards herbal yield, antioxidant activities, phytochemicals synthesis, and bioactive compounds of C. nutans. A factorial randomized completely block design with five replications was used to illustrate the relationship between herbal yield, DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays, total phenolic and flavonoid content affected by harvesting age (week 8, 12, and 16 after transplanting), and harvesting frequency (harvest 1, 2, and 3). The bioactive compounds by HPLC were also determined to describe the interaction effect between both harvesting age and harvesting frequency. The yield, antioxidant activities, and phytochemical contents were gradually increased as the plant grew, with the highest recorded during week 16. However, the synthesis and activities of phytochemicals were reduced in subsequent harvests despite the increment of the herbal yield. All bioactive compounds were found to be influenced insignificantly and significantly by harvesting age and harvesting frequency, respectively, specifically to shaftoside, iso-orientin, and orientin. Among all constituents, shaftoside was the main compound at various harvesting ages and harvesting frequencies. These results indicated that harvesting at week 16 with 1st harvest frequency might enhance the yield while sustaining the high synthesis of polyphenols and antioxidant activities of C. nutans.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
A voice to be heard: patient and public involvement in health technology assessment and clinical practice guidelines in Malaysia

Kamaruzaman HF, Ku Abd Rahim KN, Mohamed Ghazali IM, Mohd Yusof MA

Int J Technol Assess Health Care, 2021 Mar 22;37:e47.
PMID: 33745482 DOI: 10.1017/S0266462321000118

Patient and public involvement (PPI) in health technology assessment (HTA) is widely promoted to ensure that all health-related decisions are made after taking into consideration the viewpoints of important stakeholders. In Malaysia, patients or their representatives have been involved in the development of HTA and Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) since 2009 and their influences have been growing steadily over the years. This paper aimed to describe the journey, achievements, challenges, and future direction of the PPI throughout all stages of the development and implementation of HTA and CPG in Malaysia. Currently, in Malaysia, patients or their representatives are mainly involved during the initial development of HTA and CPG drafts as well as during the internal and external reviews. Additionally, they are also encouraged to be involved during the implementation of HTA and CPG recommendations. Although their involvement in this aspect has slowly increased over time, challenges remain in the form of limited representativeness of selected patients or carers, uncertainty on the level of patient involvement allowed during the HTA/CPG development processes, and limited health literacy, which affect their ability to contribute meaningfully throughout the processes. Continuous improvement in these processes is important as patients or their representatives play a pivotal role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and credibility throughout the HTA/CPG development and decision-making processes.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
The Relationship Between Workplace Spirituality and Work-to-Family Enrichment in Selected Public Sector Organizations in Malaysia

Hassan Z, Tnay JS, Sukardi Yososudarmo SM, Sabil S

J Relig Health, 2021 Dec;60(6):4132-4150.
PMID: 31902096 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-019-00971-y

Workplace spirituality (WPS) has been associated with various benefits, including its potential to reduce work-family conflict. Previous studies have established that individual religiosity influences work-family enrichment. To date, there has been no reliable evidence on the relationship between WPS and work-to-family enrichment (WFE). Hence, the present research aimed to identify the relationship between the three components of WPS, namely inner life, meaningful work, and sense of community and WFE among employees of the public sector in Malaysia. In this study, data collection was conducted using questionnaires that were distributed to two public organizations, which managed to receive a total of 81% response rate. The results were in line with past studies, which indicated a significant and positive relationship between workplace spirituality dimensions (inner life, meaningful work, and sense of community) and WFE. The significant influence of the sense of community toward WFE is believed to be caused by the collectivist culture of Malaysians. Therefore, the aspect of community must be taken into consideration in order to increase work-family enrichment among employees, particularly in the context of religious and collectivist society.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext Prevalence of physical activity and its associated factors among breast cancer patients in Peninsular Malaysia: a multi-centre cross-sectional study

Rufa’i AA, Yen SH, Wan Muda WAM

Journal of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, 2019;4(1):1-10.
MyJurnal

Shift in the dispersion of breast cancer population continues to be a major health concern for women in the developing countries. However, prevalence and associated factors of physical activity among this population have not been explored in Malaysia. This study determined the profile and factors associated with physical activity in the breast cancer women. A multi-center cross-sectional survey was conducted among 399 breast cancer women. Socio-demographic questionnaire was used to generate socio-demographic and clinical data. Physical activity was assessed using the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). Sociodemographic variables were summarized by descriptive statistics. Factors associated with physical activity were identified using Logistic regression analyses. Majority of the participants were married (83.9%), had surgery (92.4%) and menopause (74.1%). The overall physical activity prevalence was 39.4%. Non formal education (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 5.80; 95%CI: 1.65, 52.15;p=0.017), having had surgery (AOR 0.18; 95%CI: 0.04, 0.79; p=0.023),

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia
Fulltext Effect of physical activity intervention on physical activity, body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipid and fasting blood sugar among overweight and obese military personnel

Ahmad Fuad AF, Ismail S, Abdul Rahman H

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(203):8-14.
MyJurnal

Introduction: About 18% of Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) personnel are diagnosed with either hypertension, diabetes or coronary artery disease, while another 8% are obese. The rising prevalence necessitates intervention.
Methods: This is a single blinded randomized controlled trial among overweight and obese MAF personnel attending medical checkup in MAF hospital in Kuala Lumpur. An intervention module was developed to increase their physical activity level. Short version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity in metabolic equivalent of task score (METs score), while blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), blood lipid profile and fasting blood sugar measurements were also obtained. These parameters were measured at baseline and again at 6 months. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) statistical test were applied to evaluate the effect of the intervention.
Results: Response rate was 100%. Most of participants were aged above 40 years, male, from Malay ethnic group, completed secondary education and had monthly income above RM 4000. Most of the respondents were obese and had moderate level of physical activity at baseline. All variables compared between groups at baseline showed no significant difference. At six months, after controlling for covariates, the significant difference was only in METs score. The odds of having high METs score in the intervention group after receiving intervention was nearly 3 times higher than those in the control group, after adjusting for interaction between time and group as well as other covari- ates (AOR = 2.908, 95% CI 1.323 – 6.391, P=0.008).
Conclusion: Intervention was effective in increasing physical activity among overweight and obese military personnel.
Study site: Malaysian Armed Forces Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia

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