MyMedR

Fulltext Prevalence and Risk Factors of Anaemia among Orang Asli Children in Malaysia: A Scoping Review

Khalil MKN, Abd Razak MA, Tahir FA, Sahril N, Shahein NA, Rezali MS, et al.

Nutrients, 2023 Mar 20;15(6).

BACKGROUND: Anaemia continues to be a global public health burden affecting all age groups, particularly children. Indigenous people, including the Orang Asli (OA) population in Malaysia, are at risk of anaemia due to the vast disparities in social determinants of health in their population compared to the non-indigenous population.

OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to identify the prevalence and risk factors of anaemia among OA children in Malaysia and analyse the knowledge gaps.

METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus and Google Scholar databases. This review followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines.

RESULTS: This review identified six studies involving the participation of OA children from eight subtribes residing in Peninsular Malaysia. The overall prevalence of anaemia among OA children ranged from 21.6 to 80.0%, with iron deficiency anaemia prevalence at 34.0%. The risk factors of anaemia among OA children reported from one study in this review were being younger than ten years old children (AOR 2.11 (95% CI 1.23, 3.63)) and moderate to heavy Ascaris infections (AOR 2.05 (95% CI 1.12, 3.76)). There was no data from OA children from certain age groups and subtribes. Additionally, there is a paucity of data on risk factors for anaemia among OA children from the currently available evidence.

CONCLUSION: The prevalence of anaemia among OA children poses a moderate to severe public health concern. Therefore, more comprehensive studies in the future are needed to address the gaps identified in this review, primarily regarding anaemia risk factors. This data would encourage policymakers in devising effective national prevention strategies to improve morbidity and mortality among OA children in the future.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext Rhabdomyolysis due to Lamivudine administration in acute viral hepatitis B infection: a case report from Malaysia

Baharin J, Sahari NS, Lim SM

Electron Physician, 2014;6(3):863-7.

PMID: 25763159 DOI: 10.14661/2014.863-867

Rhabdomyolysis is a serious but rare side effect of Lamivudine treatment. Therefore, appropriate biochemical monitoring should be undertaken when it is used in the treatment of hepatitis B. This paper presents a case of Lamivudine-associated rhabdomyolysis in a 31-year-old man with congenital heart disease and hepatitis B. Three days after starting Lamivudine, the patient developed myalgia. Significant muscle tenderness and swelling of the upper and lower limbs was discovered during a physical examination. Creatine kinase was markedly raised. Lamivudine-induced rhabdomyolysis was suspected and the drug was discontinued. Symptoms and creatine kinase activity improved within four days of Lamivudine cessation and hydration. Early identification of Lamivudine-induced rhabdomyolysis is key in preventing this potentially fatal drug reaction; withdrawal of Lamivudine may contribute to complete remission of rhabdomyolysis.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology

Fulltext Suicide attempts in Malaysia from the year 1969 to 2011

Sinniah A, Maniam T, Oei TP, Subramaniam P

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:718367.

PMID: 24672358 DOI: 10.1155/2014/718367

The aim of this paper is to review the literature on suicide attempts in Malaysia. PsycINFO, PubMed, and Medline databases from 1845 to 2012 and detailed manual search of local official reports from the Ministry of Health and the Malaysian Psychiatric Association and unpublished dissertations from 3 local universities providing postgraduate psychiatric training were included in the current review. A total of 38 studies on suicide attempts in Malaysia were found and reviewed. Twenty-seven (76%) of the studies on suicide attempts were descriptive studies looking at sociodemographic data, psychiatric illnesses, and methods and reasons for suicide attempts. No study has been conducted on treatment and interventions for suicide attempts and the impact of culture was rarely considered. The review showed that in order for researchers, clinicians, and public health policy makers to obtain a better understanding of suicide attempts in Malaysia, more systematic and empirically stringent methodologies and research frameworks need to be used.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext Evaluation of SLE susceptibility genes in Malaysians

Molineros JE, Chua KH, Sun C, Lian LH, Motghare P, Kim-Howard X, et al.

Autoimmune Dis, 2014;2014:305436.

PMID: 24696779 DOI: 10.1155/2014/305436

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a clinically heterogeneous autoimmune disease with strong genetic and environmental components. Our objective was to replicate 25 recently identified SLE susceptibility genes in two distinct populations (Chinese (CH) and Malays (MA)) from Malaysia. We genotyped 347 SLE cases and 356 controls (CH and MA) using the ImmunoChip array and performed an admixture corrected case-control association analysis. Associated genes were grouped into five immune-related pathways. While CH were largely homogenous, MA had three ancestry components (average 82.3% Asian, 14.5% European, and 3.2% African). Ancestry proportions were significantly different between cases and controls in MA. We identified 22 genes with at least one associated SNP (P < 0.05). The strongest signal was at HLA-DRA (P Meta = 9.96 × 10(-9); P CH = 6.57 × 10(-8), P MA = 6.73 × 10(-3)); the strongest non-HLA signal occurred at STAT4 (P Meta = 1.67 × 10(-7); P CH = 2.88 × 10(-6), P MA = 2.99 × 10(-3)). Most of these genes were associated with B- and T-cell function and signaling pathways. Our exploratory study using high-density fine-mapping suggests that most of the established SLE genes are also associated in the major ethnicities of Malaysia. However, these novel SNPs showed stronger association in these Asian populations than with the SNPs reported in previous studies.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology

Fulltext Spatial distribution of malaria in Peninsular Malaysia from 2000 to 2009

Alias H, Surin J, Mahmud R, Shafie A, Mohd Zin J, Mohamad Nor M, et al.

Parasit Vectors, 2014;7:186.

PMID: 24735583 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-186

Malaria is still an endemic disease of public health importance in Malaysia. Populations at risk of contracting malaria includes indigenous people, traditional villagers, mobile ethnic groups and land scheme settlers, immigrants from malaria endemic countries as well as jungle workers and loggers. The predominant species are Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. An increasing number of P. knowlesi infections have also been encountered. The principal vectors in Peninsular Malaysia are Anopheles maculatus and An. cracens. This study aims to determine the changes in spatial distribution of malaria in Peninsular Malaysia from year 2000-2009.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Is obesity an ineluctable consequence of development? A case study of Malaysia

Davey TM, Allotey P, Reidpath DD

Public Health, 2013 Dec;127(12):1057-62.

PMID: 24268545 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2013.09.008

Effective population-level solutions to the obesity pandemic have proved elusive. In low- and middle-income countries the problem may be further challenged by the perceived internal tension between economic development and sustainable solutions which create the optimal conditions for human health and well-being. This paper discusses some of the ecological obstacles to addressing the growing problem of obesity in 'aspiring' economies, using Malaysia as a case study. The authors conclude that current measures to stimulate economic growth in Malaysia may actually be exacerbating the problem of obesity in that country. Public health solutions which address the wider context in which obesity exists are needed to change the course of this burgeoning problem.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Cigarette smoking and the influencing factors among adolescents in a secondary school in Malaysia

Santhna LP, Khalid Z, Selamat S, Ho SE, Mat S

Clin Ter, 2013;164(6):507-12.

PMID: 24424214 DOI: 10.7417/CT.2013.1628

BACKGROUND: Smoking has always been a huge problem in Malaysia and its surrounding nations. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of cigarette smoking and to identify the influencing factors associated with smoking habits among adolescents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out on 226 respondents, using a questionnaire which had 4 sections: socio-demographic data, personal information, family information and social information. Data was analyzed using SPSS® version 16. For categorical variables, comparisons were made using Chi-square and for numerical variables a t-test was performed.

RESULTS: The current smoker prevalence rate was 20.8% which showed a significant association between smoking and individual factors: level of knowledge on the effects of smoking (p < 0.05), significant association was seen between smoking and marital status of parents, smoking status of male siblings and various other aspects of the individuals themselves.

CONCLUSIONS: Concerted efforts involving various parties should be taken to curb or prevent this problem or the number of teenage smokers in the country will increase. This in the long run will invite problems to the well being of the adolescents themselves, their families, community and the nation as a whole.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext Leptospirosis, an emerging zoonotic disease in Malaysia

Thayaparan S, Robertson ID, Fairuz A, Suut L, Abdullah MT

Malays J Pathol, 2013 Dec;35(2):123-32.

PMID: 24362475 MyJurnal

Leptospirosis is an endemic disease in Malaysia and recently has received increasing attention mainly due to several recent incidents that have resulted in human mortality which have alarmed health professionals in Malaysia. The increasing incidence of leptospirosis in forested regions is associated with the bacteria infecting small wild mammals other than rats. Infection in wildlife could result in the introduction of new serovars to humans and domesticated animals. More research on leptospirosis and the screening of wildlife and humans near wildlife habitats is required to have a better understanding of the involvement of wildlife in the disease.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext Prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of Hypertension among the elderly: the 2006 National Health and Morbidity Survey III in Malaysia

Ho BK, Kaur J, Nainu BM, Omar MA, Saleh M, Yau WK, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 2013 Aug;68(4):332-7.

PMID: 24145262 MyJurnal

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with the awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among the elderly population in Malaysia.
METHODS: Analysis of secondary data from a cross-sectional national population based survey using stratified multistage sampling conducted from April to August 2006 throughout Malaysia National Health and Morbidity Survey III (NHMS III). Adults aged 60 and older who had participated in the survey were included in the study.
RESULTS: A total of 4954 respondents (14.3%) were elderly from the 34,539 respondents aged 18 years and above for hypertension module in NHMS III. A total of 4933 elderly had their blood pressure examined (giving a response rate of 99.6%). The overall prevalence of hypertension among elderly was 74.0%, more in elderly female (77.4%) than men (70.1%). Only 49.3% of them were aware of their hypertensive status, 42.4% were currently treated and 22.6% of those being treated were under control. The results of multiple logistic regression showed factors associated with higher awareness and treatment rates were similar i.e. females, young-old age group (age 60-74), urban residents, Chinese ethnic group and higher education. For those elderly who were on treatment, determinants associated with controlled hypertension were Chinese and Indians ethnic groups and higher educational level.
CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of hypertension among the elderly in Malaysia but with poor awareness, treatment and control rate. Reliable information on these aspects is important for the development of patient education programs, health policies to improve disease management and overall health care resource allocation especially among the elderly in Malaysia.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2006)

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Perspectives in Malaysian psychiatry

Maniam T, Sidi H, Razali R

Asia Pac Psychiatry, 2013 Apr;5 Suppl 1:2-3.

PMID: 23857829 DOI: 10.1111/appy.12035

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext A respite from chikungunya for now

Lim KG

Med J Malaysia, 2010 Dec;65(4):255.

PMID: 21901939

In the last four years, Malaysia has had three outbreaks of chikungunya virus infection. The first two occurred in Perak in 2006.The third began in Johor in early 2008. The genome of the viruses suggests that on each occasion a different virus was introduced into the population. The first outbreak in Bagan Panchor was due to an Asian genotype virus. The second in the Kinta district of Perak in late 2006 was due to a Central/East African genotype virus. Contact tracing was even able to discover the patient who was the source of the virus from the Indian subcontinent. The third outbreak in Johor was also of a Central/East African strain of virus, but introduced independently. The epidemiology of that outbreak is described in this issue of the MJM.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext Effective implementation of a structured psychoeducation programme among caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in the community

Paranthaman V, Satnam K, Lim JL, Amar-Singh HS, Sararaks S, Nafiza MN, et al.

Asian J Psychiatr, 2010 Dec;3(4):206-12.

PMID: 23050889 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2010.07.002

Background: Psychoeducation has shown promising benefits in managing patients with schizophrenia. In Malaysia, the use of psychoeducation is rather limited and its impact indeterminate.
Aims: To assess the effectiveness of a structured psychoeducation programme for the community in improving caregiver knowledge, decreasing caregivers’ burden, reducing patients’ readmission and defaulter follow up rates.
Method: In a controlled interventional study, 109 caregivers were included, 54 and 55 in the intervention and control groups respectively. Caregivers were assessed at baseline, 3 and 6 months post-intervention for knowledge and burden. Patients were monitored for relapse and defaulting follow up in the clinic.
Results: Caregivers in the intervention group showed significant improvement in knowledge, reduction in burden in assistance in daily living (severity) and a reduced defaulter rate was seen in the patients’ follow up.
Conclusion: The findings shows that structured psychoeducation programme among caregivers has the potential to improve outcome of care for patients with schizophrenia.
Keywords: Schizophrenia; Psychoeducation; Community; Caregiver Questionnaire: Family Burden Interview Schedule–Short Form (FBIS/SF)

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology

Changing trends of genital herpes in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1982-2008

Chiam CW, Chan YF, Sam IC

Int J STD AIDS, 2010 Jun;21(6):450-1.

PMID: 20606232 DOI: 10.1258/ijsa.2010.009569

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext Epidemiology of psoriasis in Malaysia: a hospital based study

Sinniah B, Saraswathy Devi S, Prashant BS

Med J Malaysia, 2010 Jun;65(2):112-4.

PMID: 23756793 MyJurnal

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a complex chronic inflammatory skin disease with a worldwide distribution.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of psoriasis according to age, gender and ethnicity among outpatients attending the dermatology clinic in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang Malaysia.
STUDY POPULATION: All outpatients attending the specialist clinic of the dermatology department in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang, Malaysia from January 2003 to December 2005.
METHODS: This is a retrospective descriptive study of all outpatients who attended the specialist clinic from January 2003 to December 2005 and diagnosed for psoriasis. The study population consisted of patients of all ages, both gender and different ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese, Indians and foreign workers) living in the Klang Valley and the surrounding areas.
RESULTS: A total of 5607 patients were examined during a period of three years and 9.5% were found to be suffering with psoriasis. It was more common in males (11.6%) than in females (7.2%). Patients within the 40-60 year age group had the highest (17.2%) rate and were lower in the younger age group including those aged over 60 years (8.1%). With regards to ethnicity, it was more common in Indians followed by Malays, Chinese and migrant foreign workers respectively. The study indicates that psoriasis is common in Malaysia and its distribution varies with age, ethnicity and gender.

Study site: dermatology department in Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah,

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext The trends of DMARDS prescribed in rheumatoid arthritis patients in Malaysia

Sulaiman W, Toib A, Chandrashekhar G, Arshad A

Oman Med J, 2009 Oct;24(4):260-06.

PMID: 22216379 DOI: 10.5001/omj.2009.53

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the trends of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
METHODS: Patients who fulfilled the ACR criteria for RA from 1995 to 2006 and who attended the Rheumatology clinic at Ipoh Hospital were selected and their records were evaluated to determine the changing trends in the use of DMARDs.
RESULTS: 128 patients with RA were identified. The most commonly prescribed DMARD as monotherapy was sulphasalazine (47.7%), followed by methotrexate (35.9%) and hydroxychloroquine. Methotrexate and sulphasalazine were the most frequently prescribed DMARDs, of which the use of methotrexate has increased 6 folds from 1997 to 2007 and the use of sulphasalazine remains around 30% to 50%. The combination of methotrexate with leflunomide has significantly increased in usage by 4 folds during the study period whilst methotrexate with sulphasalazine combination usage had slightly declined.
CONCLUSION: DMARDs are still the cornerstone in the treatment of RA. Changes in the trend and aggressive use of DMARDs has been markedly influenced by the patient's awareness of early treatment, the incapacitating damage, availability of recently introduced leflunomide and the advancement of current recommended treatment protocol.
Study site: Rheumatology clinic, Hospital Raja, Parmaisuri Bainum (HRBP), Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology

Fulltext A review of multiple sclerosis with Asian perspective

Chong HT, Tan CT

Med J Malaysia, 2008 Dec;63(5):356-61.

PMID: 19803290 MyJurnal

Multiple sclerosis, although a rare disease in Asia, often presents significant diagnostic challenges to clinicians. There has been rapid advancement in the understanding of the underlying genetic influence, pathophysiology, investigation and treatment recently. This paper reviewed the latest development of various aspects of the disease and examined the differences between the manifestations of Asian and Western patients. The implications of these differences to investigation and treatment were also touched upon.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext Extragonadal germ cell tumor presenting in a woman with systemic lupus erythematosus: a case report

Shahrir M, Halim A, Zainudin S, Mohamad R, Yuen LC, Saidin R, et al.

J Med Case Rep, 2010;4:97.

PMID: 20338049 DOI: 10.1186/1752-1947-4-97

Germ cell tumor of the pituitary gland is a very rare occurrence.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia; Malaysia/ethnology

Cutting: rare in Kelantan (Malaysia)

Pridmore S, Yaacob MJ

Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 2008 Oct;42(10):909.

PMID: 18788133

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Leprosy in sarawak, East malaysian borneo

Yap FB

Scand. J. Infect. Dis., 2009;41(4):320.

PMID: 19117243 DOI: 10.1080/00365540802680409

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

Fulltext Infectious diarrhoea

Lim VK

Med J Malaysia, 2007 Aug;62(3):187-8.

PMID: 18246903 MyJurnal

Infectious diarrhoea is the second most common cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The WHO estimates that about 2.5 million people die annually as a result of infectious diarrhoea, most of them children. In 2002 about 1.6 million children under the age of five in developing countries died from diarrhoeal disease. In the United States between 211- 375 million episodes of diarrhoeal disease occur annually resulting in 73 million physician consultations and 1.8 million hospitalisations with over 3,000 deaths.

Matched MeSH terms: Malaysia/epidemiology

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