METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study involving a total of 1204 participants recruited from different areas in Selangor. A face-to-face interview was conducted using the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study questionnaire. The inclusion criteria were Malaysians aged ≥ 60 years who could converse in Bahasa Malaysia.
RESULTS: Among the 637 participants with hypertension, 18% (117) had not been previously screened but were found to have BP ≥ 140/90 mmHg, 21% (136) were undiagnosed, 3% (17) were untreated, 42% (267) were treated with antihypertensive medication but still had high blood pressure, and 16% (100) had hypertension that was controlled with medication. The hypertension care cascade demonstrates that 18% (117) of those with hypertension had never been screened for hypertension; 26% (136/520) of those who were screened never received a diagnosis; 4% (17/384) of those who were diagnosed did not receive treatment; and 73% (267/367) of those who were treated did not reach the threshold for control. The prevalence of total unmet needs was 84% (537/637). Statistically significant determinants of having any unmet need for hypertension care were smoking status and medical history, with adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) in the multivariate analysis of 0.5 (95% CI: 0.3-0.9) for being a smoker, 2.8 (95% CI: 1.1-6.9) for having a history of stroke and 1.6 (95% CI: 1.0-2.5) for having a history of diabetes mellitus.
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of unmet need for hypertension care among the older population in Selangor is 84% (537/637), which is alarmingly high. This study highlights where and how much of the loss of care for hypertension happens in the care cascade and provides insight into the efforts required to improve effective service coverage to manage the increasing burden of hypertension associated with population ageing.
METHODS: A baseline cross-sectional analysis of the Malaysian Cohort was conducted, which included 105 391 adults. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted for these three diseases across 20 job sectors compared with the unemployed/homemaker sector.
RESULTS: The prevalence of T2DM, hypercholesterolemia and obesity was 16.7%, 38.8% and 33.3%, respectively. The Accommodation & Food Service Activities and Transportation & Storage sectors had significantly higher odds for T2DM (adjusted [adj.] prevalence odds ratio [POR] 1.18, p=0.007 and adj. POR 1.15, p=0.008, respectively). No job sector had significantly higher odds for hypercholesterolemia compared with the unemployed/homemaker sector. Only the Accommodation & Food Service Activities sector had significantly higher odds for obesity (adj. POR 1.17, p≤0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Many job sectors were significantly associated with lower odds of having these three diseases when compared with the unemployed/homemaker sector. These differing associations between diverse job sectors and these diseases are important for public health intervention initiatives and prioritization.
METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. All participants who fulfilled the requirements of the study according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled. Study instruments included a demographic data questionnaire, Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS), Trail Making Tests, Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) and Digit Span. Bivariate analyses were done using chi-square for categorical data and t-test for continuous data and multiple logistic regression analysis was done to identify predictors of employment status.
RESULTS: A total of 95 participants who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled into the study. Among the sociodemographic, clinical and cognitive variables studied marital status, educational level, mean scores of negative symptoms, Digit Span and RAVLT and Trail Making Tests were found to show significant association with employment status on bivariate analyses. However, when entered into a logistic regression model, only cognitive variables ie. Trail A and B, Digit Span and RAVLT were significant predictors of employment status.
CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study support the role of cognitive function, particularly, attention, working memory and executive functioning on attaining and maintaining employment in persons with schizophrenia as measured by the RAVLT, Digit Span and Trail Making Tests. These findings may act as preliminary evidence suggesting the importance of integrating cognitive rehabilitation in the psychosocial rehabilitation program for patients with schizophrenia in Malaysia.