METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July to October 2016. All the 140 doctors in 12 public primary care clinics in Kuala Lumpur were invited to participate in this study. However, only 122 doctors (females, 82.8%) completed the self-administered questionnaire that assessed their demography, clinical experience, SCI practice and its barriers, self-efficacy in delivering and knowledge on smoking and SCI.
RESULTS: Only 42.6% of the doctors had good SCI practice. Almost all doctors assessed the smoking status of their patients (98.4%) and advised them to quit (98.4%). However, lesser proportions of the doctors followed up the practice of patients (50.0%), taught smokers on various methods of quit smoking (46.70%) and discussed about the barriers and resources to quit prior to the quit date (27.9%). Less than one-fourth of the doctors were confident in providing SCI. Although 69.7% had previous training in SCI, many felt they had inadequate knowledge (56.6%) and skills (47.5%). Only 11.5% of doctors thought their previous training was enough. Having higher level of knowledge on smoking and SCI was significantly associated with good SCI practice [adjusted Odds Ratio (95% Confidence Intervals): 1.21 (1.02, 1.43), p=0.026].
CONCLUSION: The SCI practiced by the primary care doctors in this study was sub-standard, particularly in assisting smokers to quit and arranging follow up. Low self-efficacy in providing SCI was also common. These inadequacies may be due to poor knowledge and skills, which needs to be improved through effective clinical training.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the common characteristics of pregnant adolescents residing in a government shelter home. Their reasons for pregnancy, sources of information on contraception, and views on abortion and future care of the baby were explored.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on 26 universally sampled pregnant adolescents in the centre. The adolescents responded to a set of self-administered questionnaire on their socio-demographic profiles, reasons of their pregnancy, contraception and future plans including abortion as well as care of the newborn.
RESULTS: Almost all (92%) of the adolescents were unmarried. Majority of them were in late adolescence, age between 16 to 19 years (73.1%), from urban areas (73.1%) and of low income families (53.8%). There were 69.3% of the adolescents who were school dropouts. The reasons for pregnancy were consensual sexual activity (63.0%), coercion by boyfriend (18.5%), and rape (11.5%). The main sources of information on contraception were friends (50%), partners (50%) and the internet or mass media (42.3%). 54% had considered abortion earlier, but majority (92.0%) disagreed that abortion should be legalised in Malaysia. Most of the adolescents planned to parent their child with or without help from significant others and only 42.3% planned to relinquish their child for adoption.
CONCLUSION: To curb teenage pregnancy-related problems, efforts on educating the adolescents about sexual reproductive health and assertive communication skills should be implemented, especially to the late adolescents, school dropouts and those from poor urban families. Parenthood support may be necessary to the pregnant adolescents who opted to care for their own child.
METHOD: This cross-sectional study included 115 women recruited through their husbands who were patients at a selected government health clinic in Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire containing the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 and items on health-related information, marital history, sexual history and perception of husband's ED was used to assess possible depression, anxiety and stress.
RESULTS: The prevalence of psychological morbidities was 28.7% (depression=17.4%, anxiety=25.2% and stress=10.4%). Most respondents were middle-aged [median (interquartile range)=44.0 (11.0) years], were employed (55.7%) and had a low income (81.7%). About 47.0% of the spouses had a medical problem. The mean marriage duration was 18.7 (standard deviation=7.9) years. Almost all (90.4%) had sexual intercourse (SI) within the previous month. The majority had moderate-to-high interest in SI (72.2%) with a frequency of one to two times per week (69.6%). The majority (75.7%) did not perceive their husband as having ED. Multiple logistic regression demonstrated that medical illness was significantly associated with anxiety (adjusted odds ratio=2.85, 95% confidence interval=1.11-7.29, P=0.029).
CONCLUSION: Psychological morbidities were present among the spouses of men with T2DM and ED. Psychological well-being was significantly affected by their medical illness. Despite their husband's ED, the women declared to have regular sexual relationships and did not perceive their husband as having erectile problems.