METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2015 among 8809 undergraduate university students from 13 universities in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam using self-administered questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the associated factors.
RESULTS: More than half (62.3%) of the study sample were female with a mean age of 20.5 (SD = 2.0) years. Of total, 12.8% were infrequent (
METHODS AND FINDINGS: Stratified random sampling design was used to select adolescents from 15 urban and rural secondary schools in Selangor, Perak and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Data collection was carried out from 1st April 2014 to 30th June 2014. Information regarding socio-demographic characteristics, sun exposure and sun protective behaviours, clinical data and environmental factors were collected. Blood for total vitamin D was sampled. Descriptive and multivariate logistic regressions were performed. Total 1061 participants were analyzed (62% were female; mean age 15.1 ± 0.4 years). The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 33%. Mean vitamin D was lower in female (53 ± 15 nmol), obese (body fat percentage (≥25%m; ≥33.8%f) (56 ± 16 nmol/L), Malays (58 ± 18 nmol/L) and Indians (58 ± 15 nmol/L). In multivariate analysis, female (OR = 5.5; 95% CI: 3.4-7.5), Malay (OR = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.3-8.0), Indian (OR = 4.3; 95% CI: 1.6-12.0) and those always wearing long sleeve (OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.1-5.4) were more likely to have vitamin D deficiency. For female participants, ethnicity {Malays (OR = 6.7; 95% CI: 2.0-18.5), Indian (OR = 4.5; 95% CI: 1.8-19.3)} was an important risk factors. Cloud cover, school residence, skin pigmentation, sun-exposure and sun-protective behaviours were not significant risk factors. The limitation of this study was recall bias as it relied on self-reported on the sun exposure and protective behaviours. The diet factors were not included in this analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency among Malaysian adolescents was considerable. Gender, ethnicity and clothing style were important risk factors.
METHODS: Twenty-nine healthy Malaysian subjects (14 males and 15 females) aged 19 to 30 years participated in this study. After measuring the head circumference, speech-ABR was recorded by using synthesized syllable /da/ from the right ear of each participant. Speech-ABR peaks amplitudes, peaks latencies, and composite onset measures were computed and analyzed.
RESULTS: Significant gender disparities were noted in the transient component but not in the sustained component of speech-ABR. Statistically higher V/A amplitudes and less steeper V/A slopes were found in females. These gender differences were partially affected after controlling for the head size.
CONCLUSIONS: Head size is not the main contributing factor for gender disparities in speech-ABR outcomes. Gender-specific normative data can be useful when recording speech-ABR for clinical purposes.
METHODS: Secondary analysis was carried out of data from the Malaysian national survey that involved 2322 community residents aged 60 years or older in Peninsular Malaysia. Cognition was measured by the digit symbol substitution test. Metabolic syndrome was assessed by five biomarkers: triglyceride, fasting blood sugar, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol ratio and body mass index. Chronic conditions were assessed by self-reported medical history. The structural equation modeling technique was used to analyze the mediation and moderation tests.
RESULTS: The number of chronic conditions partially mediated the association between metabolic syndrome and cognition. Men and women did not differ in the relationship between metabolic syndrome and cognition; however, the number of chronic conditions was found to be negatively associated with cognition in older women, but not in men.
CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic syndrome might increase the likelihood of older adults to suffer from more chronic conditions; these responses might reduce their cognition. To prevent cognitive decline in old age, specific intervention to minimize the number of chronic conditions by reducing their vascular risk factors is warranted, especially among older women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1914-1920.
METHOD: This cross-sectional study focused on children aged 5-36 months. One hospital was randomly selected from four geographic zones of the city. A total of 400 children from each hospital, fulfilling the inclusion criteria, constituted the sample. The examination was carried out by a single, trained examiner. The tooth was recorded as "present" or "absent" on the day of examination. The mean age of emergence was calculated using a probit model. Independent sample t-test was used to assess the statistical significance of differences in the mean age of tooth emergence.
RESULTS: The deciduous mandibular central incisor was the first tooth to erupt in the oral cavity (8.15±1.69 months). Girls showed delayed eruption compared to boys; however, no interarch variation was observed in the mean age of tooth eruption. There was also no difference in the sequence of eruption of deciduous teeth, as reported in other studies.
CONCLUSIONS: The present study establishes a chronological table for the eruption of deciduous teeth in Indian children. There was delayed eruption of deciduous teeth when compared to the reference ranges of Western populations.
METHODS: Eight male subjects shaved their heads prior to expose to dry (30%RH; H30%) and humid (85%RH; H85%) conditions at an air temperature of 32 °C. Total sweat rate, local sweat rates (frontal, vertex, temporal, and occipital regions), active sweat glands on the scalp (2 frontal, 2 parietal, 2 temporal, 1 occipital, and 1 vertex), and rectal and skin temperatures were measured during leg immersion in 42 °C water for 60 min.
RESULTS: (1) Total sweat rates were greater for H30% (179.4 ± 35.6 g h-1) than for H85% (148.1 ± 27.2 g h-1) (P
STUDY DESIGN: This study employed a repeated measures design.
SETTINGS: Otorhinolaryngology Clinic, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia.
PARTICIPANTS: Eligible Malaysian adults (N = 187, aged 21-75 years) were recruited and categorised into young (N = 60), middle-aged (N = 66) and older (N = 61) groups. Most of them were Malay, and 51.3% were men.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subjective visual vertical angles (in degrees) were determined from each participant in a static upright condition using a computerised SVV device. They were asked to indicate their verticality perception for three types of visual images (solid line, dotted line and arrow pattern).
RESULTS: Three-way mixed ANOVA revealed insignificant influences of age and gender on SVV results (P > 0.05). In contrast, mean SVV angles were significantly higher for the arrow pattern than for other visual images (P = 0.004).
CONCLUSION: While the insignificant influences of age and gender on static SVV are further ascertained with larger samples, the perception of verticality is less accurate when aligning a more geometrically complex visual image (ie, arrow pattern). Further SVV research on vestibular-disordered patients is beneficial, particularly to verify the normative data obtained with this complex visual image.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patients' perception of community healthcare seeking behaviour towards both acute and preventive physical and psychosocial health concerns by sex, age and type of primary care setting (as a proxy for affordability of healthcare).
METHODS: A total of 3979 patients from 221 public and 239 private clinics in Malaysia were interviewed between June 2015 and February 2016 using a patient experience survey questionnaire from the Quality and Cost of Primary Care cross-sectional study. Multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusted for the complex survey design was used.
RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, more women than men perceived that most people would see their general practitioners for commonly consulted acute and preventive physical and some psychosocial health concerns such as stomach pain (adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.64; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.22-2.21), sprained ankle (AOR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.06-1.56), anxiety (AOR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.12-1.55), domestic violence (AOR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.13-1.62) and relationship problems (AOR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.02-1.51). There were no significant differences in perceived healthcare seeking behaviour by age groups except for the removal of a wart (AOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.12-1.76). Patients who visited the public clinics had generally higher perception of community healthcare seeking behaviour for both acute and preventive physical and psychosocial health concerns compared to those who went to private clinics.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that sex and healthcare affordability differences were present in perceived community healthcare seeking behaviour towards primary care services. Also perceived healthcare seeking behaviour were consistently lower for psychosocial health concerns compared to physical health concerns.