STUDY DESIGN: A review of articles was performed.
METHODS: A search strategy was used by using electronic bibliographic databases including PubMed, Embase and CENTRAL for published studies and reference list of published studies. The articles were exported to a bibliographic database for further screening process. Two reviewers worked independently to screen results and extract data from the included studies. Any discrepancies were resolved and confirmed by the consensus of all authors.
RESULTS: There were three screening approaches for detecting MCI and dementia - screening by a healthcare provider, screening by a self-administered questionnaire and caretaker informant screening. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was the most common and preferable tool for MCI screening (sensitivity [Sn]: 81-97%; specificity [Sp]: 60-86%), whereas Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination (ACE) was the preferable tool for dementia screening (Sn: 79-100%; Sp: 86%).
CONCLUSION: This systematic review found that there are three screening approaches for detecting early dementia and MCI at primary health care. ACE and MoCA are recommended tools for screening of dementia and MCI, respectively.
METHODS: A nationwide survey was conducted among individuals aged ≥60 years. Cognition was assessed with the Identification and Intervention for Dementia in Elderly Africans (IDEA) tool. QoL of older caregivers was assessed using the Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization and Pleasure (CASP-19) questionnaire.
RESULTS: The prevalence of dementia among older adults aged ≥60 years in Malaysia was found to be 8.5%. The prevalence was found to be higher among females, those with no formal education and those in rural areas in Malaysia. The mean QoL of family caregivers of PLwD was significantly lower than the caregivers of older adults without dementia were (P
METHODS: Data from a nation-wide community-based cross-sectional study were analyzed. This study was conducted using a two-stage stratified random sampling design. In total, 3772 older adults aged ≥60 years responded to the survey. Depression was identified using a validated Malay version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (M-GDS-14), with those scored ≥6 categorized as having depression. Functional limitations were assessed using both Barthel's Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Lawton's Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). The relationship was determined by multivariate logistic regression, adjusted for other variables.
RESULTS: The prevalence of depression was 11.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.4, 13.4). Multiple logistic regression analysis found that older adults with limitations in ADL were 2.6 times more likely of having depression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.58, 95% CI 2.01, 3.32), while those with limitations in IADL the risk of having depression was almost doubled (aOR 1.68, 95% CI: 1.32, 2.14). Other significant factors were incontinence (aOR 3.33, 95% CI: 2.33, 4.74), chronic medical illness (aOR 1.44, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.81), current smoker (aOR 4.19, 95% CI: 1.69, 10.39), poor social support (aOR 4.30, 95% CI: 2.98, 6.20), do not have partner, ethnic minorities and low individual monthly income.
CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with functional limitation in both basic ADL and complex IADL are independently at higher risk of having depression. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 21-25.
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.
METHODS: The scoping review was conducted based on the framework by Arksey and O'Malley. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analysis (PRISMA) diagram was used as a guide to record the review process. Articles from year 2008 until 2017 on overweight and obesity among adults aged 18 years and above were retrieved based on the keywords using electronic databases (Embase/Ovid, Pubmed, Cochrane library and Google Scholar). Local journals, Nutrition Research in Malaysia Biblography (2011 and 2016), online local theses databases, virtual library databases were also included in the searches. Consultations with relevant key informants from the National Institutes of Health and local universities were also conducted. Search activities were managed using Endnote software and MS Excelsheet.
RESULTS: The characteristics of the results were described based on the objectives of the review. A total of 2004 articles and reports were retrieved, and 188 articles related to obesity in Malaysia were included in the final review. Scopes and topics of obesity research based on the Nutrition Research Priorities in Malaysia (NRPM) for 11th Malaysia Plan were obesity prevalence, weight loss intervention, association of physical activities and dietary factors with obesity. The majority of obesity research among adults in Malaysia was cross sectional studies and only a small number of intervention studies, qualitative studies and systematic review were indentified. Research gaps were identified in order to make useful recommendations to the stakeholders.
CONCLUSIONS: In the past decade, there has been an emerging evidence on obesity research among adults in Malaysia. More obesity research needs to be conducted particularly on obesity intervention among specific gender, qualitative studies, economic cost and genetic factors of obesity.
Methods: An online survey was conducted among healthcare providers across public health clinics in Malaysia. All family medicine specialists, medical officers, nurses and assistant medical officers involved in the screening program for adult men were invited to answer a 51-item questionnaire via email or WhatsApp. The questionnaire comprised five sections: participants' socio-demographic information, current screening practices, barriers and facilitators to using the screening tool, and views on the content and format of the screening tool.
Results: A total of 231 healthcare providers from 129 health clinics participated in this survey. Among them, 37.44% perceived the implementation of the screening program as a "top-down decision." Although 37.44% found the screening tool for adult men "useful," some felt that it was "time consuming" to fill out (38.2%) and "lengthy" (28.3%). In addition, 'adult men refuse to answer' (24.1%) was cited as the most common patient-related barrier.
Conclusions: This study provided useful insights into the challenges encountered by the public healthcare providers when implementing a national screening program for men. The screening tool for adult men should be revised to make it more user-friendly. Further studies should explore the reasons why men were reluctant to participate in health screenings, thus enhancing the implementation of screening programs in primary care.
DESIGN: Cross-sectional. Setting, participants, and outcome measures: We used data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2018, a nationwide community-based study. This study was conducted using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling design. Older persons were defined as persons aged 60 years and above. SRH was assessed using the question "How do you rate your general health?" and the answers were "very good", "good", "moderate", "not good", and "very bad". SRH was then grouped into two categories; "Good" (very good and good) and "Poor" (moderate, not good, and very bad). Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 25.0.
RESULTS: The prevalence of poor SRH among older persons was 32.6%. Poor SRH was significantly related to physical inactivity, depression, and limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs). Multiple logistic regression revealed that poor SRH was positively associated with those who had depression (aOR 2.92, 95% CI:2.01,4.24), limitations in ADLs (aOR 1.82, 95% CI: 1.31, 2.54), low individual income (aOR 1.66, 95% CI:1.22, 2.26), physical inactivity (aOR 1.40, 95% CI:1.08, 1.82), and hypertension (aOR 1.23, 95% CI:1.02, 1.49).
CONCLUSIONS: Older persons with depression, limitations in ADLs, low income, physical inactivity, and hypertension were significantly associated with poor SRH. These findings provide information to aid health personnel and policymakers in the development and implementation of health promotion and disease prevention programs, as well as adequate evidence in planning different levels of care for the older population.