MyMedR

Fulltext Influence of socio-demographic factors on physical activity participation in a sample of adults in Penang, Malaysia

Cheah YK

Malays J Nutr, 2011 Dec;17(3):385-91.

PMID: 22655460 MyJurnal

Given the importance of physical activity to health, this study investigated the socio-demographic determinants of physical activity participation in a sample of adults in Penang.

Properties of the temperament and character inventory in a Chinese sample

Parker G, Cheah YC, Parker K

Acta Psychiatr Scand, 2003 Nov;108(5):367-73.

PMID: 14531757

OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of language and culture on the temperament and character (TCI) measure in a Chinese sample.

METHOD: We translated the TCI into Mandarin and had a non-psychiatric sample of Malaysian Chinese subjects complete the TCI at baseline and at a 1-month retest, with subsets completing English or Mandarin versions alternatively or on both occasions. Analyses examine the TCI factor structure and any impact of language and culture on TCI scoring.

RESULTS: We identified age, gender, occupation and language effects on TCI scale scores. Test-retest reliability was high and not compromised by language. Scale internal consistency was also high. Factor analyses of separate sets of TCI scales corresponded strongly to the structure identified in the TCI development studies.

CONCLUSION: The results indicate that TCI is likely to have applicability to Chinese subjects, and argue against properties being constrained by the English language or by western culture.

Healthcare knowledge acquisition: an ontology-based approach using the extensible markup language (XML)

Cheah YN, Abidi SS

Stud Health Technol Inform, 2000;77:827-31.

PMID: 11187669

The healthcare enterprise requires a great deal of knowledge to maintain premium efficiency in the delivery of quality healthcare. We employ Knowledge Management based knowledge acquisition strategies to procure 'tacit' healthcare knowledge from experienced healthcare practitioners. Situational, problem-specific Scenarios are proposed as viable knowledge acquisition and representation constructs. We present a healthcare Tacit Knowledge Acquisition Info-structure (TKAI) that allows remote healthcare practitioners to record their tacit knowledge. TKAI employs (a) ontologies for standardisation of tacit knowledge and (b) XML to represent scenario instances for their transfer over the Internet to the server-side Scenario-Base and for the global sharing of acquired tacit healthcare knowledge.

Health expert's tacit knowledge acquisition and representation using specialised healthcare scenarios

Cheah YN, Abidi SS

Stud Health Technol Inform, 2000;77:837-41.

PMID: 11187672

The abundance and transient nature to healthcare knowledge has rendered it difficult to acquire with traditional knowledge acquisition methods. In this paper, we propose a Knowledge Management approach, through the use of scenarios, as a mean to acquire and represent tacit healthcare knowledge. This proposition is based on the premise that tacit knowledge is best manifested in atypical situations. We also provide an overview of the representational scheme and novel acquisition mechanism of scenarios.

Evaluation and validation of a measure profiling needs and problems of psychiatric patients in the community: a Malaysian study

Cheah YC, Parker G, Roy K

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 2000 Apr;35(4):170-6.

PMID: 10868082

The Profile of Community Psychiatry Clients (PCPC) was developed in a Sydney-based sample of those with a mental illness as a 35-item measure of likely need for service recognition, review and possible assistance.

Do the Chinese somatize depression? A cross-cultural study

Parker G, Cheah YC, Roy K

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 2001 Jun;36(6):287-93.

PMID: 11583458

A large literature argues for the Chinese--whether in mainland China or elsewhere--being highly likely to express depression somatically, leading to predictable detection and diagnostic difficulties. If true, detection might be assisted if a set of somatic proxies of depression were identified, and this was the principal initial objective in mounting this study.

Fulltext Healthcare knowledge management through building and operationalising healthcare enterprise memory

Cheah YN, Abidi SS

Stud Health Technol Inform, 1999;68:726-30.

PMID: 10724990

In this paper we suggest that the healthcare enterprise needs to be more conscious of its vast knowledge resources vis-à-vis the exploitation of knowledge management techniques to efficiently manage its knowledge. The development of healthcare enterprise memory is suggested as a solution, together with a novel approach advocating the operationalisation of healthcare enterprise memories leading to the modelling of healthcare processes for strategic planning. As an example, we present a simulation of Service Delivery Time in a hospital's OPD.

Fulltext Prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in Johor Bahru District school children--comparing three geographical areas

Cheah YC, Kadir AB, Jeyarajah S

Med J Malaysia, 1997 Jun;52(2):124-33.

PMID: 10968069

This is a cross sectional community study in Johor Bahru District. The aim of this study is to estimate the overall prevalence of emotional and behavioural deviance among the school children in three different geographical areas, and to identify their correlates. This paper presents the findings of phase one of a two-stage procedure involving a total of 589 children aged 10-12 years. Using the cut-off point validated locally, the prevalence of deviance on the parental scale was 40% in the rural school, 30.2% in the agricultural resettlement (Felda) school and 32.3% in the urban school. On the teachers' assessment, the prevalence of deviance was 40.8% in the rural school, 10.8% in the Felda School and 8.9% in the urban school. There was significantly higher prevalence of deviance in the rural school on the teachers' scale. In the rural school, significantly higher prevalence of deviance was found among boys.

Development of a measure profiling problems and needs of psychiatric patients in the community

Cheah YC, Parker G, Hadzi-Pavlovic D, Gladstone G, Eyers K

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol, 1998 Jul;33(7):337-44.

PMID: 9689896

We argue the advantages of a measure profiling common problems faced by psychiatric patients in the community and indicating a likely need for service recognition, review and possible assistance. We describe the development of such a measure, the 35-item Profile of Community Psychiatry Clients (PCPC), and the identification of four relevant domains. Component scales assess coping limitations, behavioural problems, levels of social support and organic problems. High test-retest reliability was established, and a number of tests of the measure's validity were undertaken. Discriminant validity was established by demonstrating that those case managed by a community mental health service returned significantly higher scale scores than a comparison group who, while having a similar diagnostic profile, were not case managed. Additionally, scale scores were associated with a number of categorical and dimensional validators reflecting aspects of service need, and distinctly with service costs. We demonstrate that PCPC scores correspond with scores generated by the Life Skills Profile (LSP), a measure of disability, and examine the extent to which PCPC scales correspond to those contained in the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS). We argue for the scale's capacity to provide both a profile of central problems faced by patients and their likely need for community-based service assistance.

Factors affecting participation decision and amount of physical activity among urban dwellers in Malaysia

Cheah YK, Azahadi M, Phang SN, Hazilah N

Public Health, 2017 May;146:84-91.

PMID: 28404478 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2017.01.009

OBJECTIVES: The rapid rise in the prevalence of physical inactivity-related diseases has become a serious public health issue worldwide. The objective of the present study is to examine the factors affecting participation in physical activity among urban dwellers in Malaysia.
STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study measures physical activity using a rigorous regression model.
METHODS: Data are obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011 (NHMS 2011). A lognormal hurdle model is used to analyse the participation decision and the amount decision of physical activity.
RESULTS: The results show that income, gender, ethnicity, marital status and employment status are significantly associated with participation decision and amount decision. However, age, insurance and self-rated health only affect participation decision, whereas family size, education and smoking only affect amount decision.
CONCLUSIONS: It can, thus, be concluded that sociodemographic, insurance, lifestyle and health factors play an important role in determining physical activity behaviour among urban dwellers. When formulating policies, special attention must be paid to these factors.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2011)

A Rare Case of Complicated Sinonasal Meliodosis Mimicking Sinonasal Lymphoproliferative Disease

Cheah Y, Jumastapha H, Tang IP

Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 2023 Sep;75(3):2564-2567.

PMID: 37636706 DOI: 10.1007/s12070-023-03792-4

Unilateral nasal obstruction with purulent nasal discharge is one of the presentations for sinonasal melioidosis. However, it may mimic nasal NK/T cell lymphoma. Both causing tissue destruction involving nasal septum, lateral nasal wall and palate. Here, we report a case of disseminated melioidosis involving sinonasal mimicking nasal lymphoma in a 32-year-old immunocompetent lady. She presented with prolonged fever, unilateral nasal blockage, painful facial swelling and knee pain. Clinical findings revealed extensive necrotic tissue and crusting involving right lateral wall of nasal cavity. Tissue and blood culture and sensitivity (C + S) grew Burkholderia pseudomallei. Recovery was complete after surgery and antibiotics.

Fulltext The association between dyslipidaemia and types of antipsychotic medications among patients with chronic schizophrenia

Ruzanna ZZ, Ong LY, Cheah YC, Fairuz A, Midin M

Med J Malaysia, 2012 Feb;67(1):39-44.

PMID: 22582547 MyJurnal

This cross sectional study aimed to explore the association between dyslipidaemia and types of antipsychotics in 100 patients with chronic schizophrenia. Lipid profile, weight, height and waist circumference together with other relevant factors were measured. We found there was a high rate of dyslipidaemia among patients with chronic schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics (66%), however there was no significant difference found between typical or atypical antipsychotics (OR=1). All sociodemographic and clinical factors were not significantly associated with dyslipidaemia. Only non-Malays were found to have significant dyslipidaemia (p<0.1). Effective management is needed to deal with the dyslipidaemia in this group.

Fulltext Audit of new long-stay patients in Permai Mental Hospital, Johor

Cheah YC, Nur Aiza Z, Paramasivam S, Kadir ABA, Jeyarajah S

Med J Malaysia, 1997 Jun;52(2):139-45.

PMID: 10968071

We report a cross-sectional descriptive study of 90 new long-stay patients (NLS) (i.e. those who had been resident for six months to three years in Permai Mental Hospital, Johor) and studied from April to June, 1995. The age of this sample ranged from 18 to 85 years. Two subgroups were observed (i.e. younger NLS patients aged 18 to 34 years and older NLS patients aged 35 to 85 years). Among the younger NLS patients, the commonest diagnosis was schizophrenia (51.2%), followed by mental retardation with related problems (24.4%). Sixty-one percent of these younger patients had a history of serious violence or dangerous behaviour. Older NLS patients were likely to have a diagnosis of schizophrenia (79.6%), followed by mood disorder (6.1%) and dementia (4.1%). Forty seven percent of these older group had history of danger to others and 57.1% were at moderate or severe risk of non-deliberate self-harm. Focusing on the schizophrenic patients, all of them had some form of psychopathology, either positive, negative or general symptoms and about one-fourth were assessed to pose a risk for aggression.

Dengue-associated adult respiratory distress syndrome

Lum LC, Thong MK, Cheah YK, Lam SK

Ann Trop Paediatr, 1995 Dec;15(4):335-9.

PMID: 8687212 DOI: 10.1080/02724936.1995.11747794

In dengue shock syndrome, an acute increase in capillary permeability results in leakage of plasma into the interstitial space. Pleural effusion is commonly seen in dengue shock syndrome. We report three cases of dengue-associated adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in children, in all of whom dengue haemorrhagic fever, presenting with grade 3 or grade 4 dengue shock syndrome with disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, was confirmed. The criteria for the diagnosis of ARDS were based on the expanded definition of ARDS by Murray et al. Treatment consisted of fluid resuscitation, correction of coagulopathy and mechanical ventilation. All three children had multi-organ impairment, but it was more severe in the two who died. The one survivor was well at discharge.

Fulltext Assessment of Noroviruses in selected Ulam from local market

Tuan Zainazor, T. C., Afsah-Hejri, L., Noor Hidayah, M. S., Noor Eliza, M. R., Naziehah, M. D., Tang, J. Y. H., et al.

International Food Research Journal, 2012;19(3):877-881.

MyJurnal

Presence of Norovirus in food can cause viral gasteroenteritis. Recently, lots of reports relating to Norovirus in food have been published. Special attention must be paid to the raw foods as they are not subjected to further heat treatment. In this study, pegaga, kesum, tauge and ulam raja (popular salad vegetables in Malaysia) were investigated for Norovirus. A total of 32 samples from each type of salad vegetables were purchased from local market and analyzed using One-step RT-PCR (Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction) for both genogroups namely Norovirus Genogroup I and Genogroup II. Results showed that tauge had the highest contamination with Norovirus Genogroup I (15.6%) comparing to pegaga (9.4%), kesum (12.5%)
and ulam raja (0%). Samples were free from Norovirus Genogroup II. The study showed that raw vegetables are high-risk foods and can be contaminated with Norovirus.

Fulltext Association of suicidal ideation with demographic, lifestyle and health factors in Malaysians

Cheah YK, Azahadi M, Phang SN, Abd Manaf NH

East Asian Arch Psychiatry, 2018 Sep;28(3):85-94.

PMID: 30146496

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of suicidal ideation with demographic, lifestyle, and health factors, using data from National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011 (NHMS 2011) of Malaysia.
METHODS: The NHMS 2011 included 10,141 respondents. Independent variables of suicidal ideation were income, age, household size, sex, ethnicity, education, marital status, smoking, physical activity, and self-rated health. The risk factors of suicidal ideation were determined using logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS: In the pooled sample, suicidal ideation was associated with age, sex, ethnicity, and self-rated health, but not associated with income, household size, education, physical activity, or smoking.
CONCLUSION: The likelihood of having suicidal ideation is positively associated with young adults, women, Indians, and those with poor self-rated health.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2011)

Fulltext Management of T1DM in children and adolescents in primary care

Hong Y, Hassan N, Cheah YK, Jalaludin MY, Kasim ZM

Malays Fam Physician, 2017;12(2):18-22.

PMID: 29423125

The Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Children & Adolescents was developed by a multidisciplinary development group and approved by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in 2015. A systematic review of 15 clinical questions was conducted using the evidence retrieved mainly from MEDLINE and Cochrane databases. Critical appraisal was done using the Critical Appraisal Skills. Recommendations were formulated on the accepted 136 evidences using the principles of Grading Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation tailored to the local setting. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease, which usually occurs at an early age, and is associated with various complications including retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy and cardiovascular morbidity. Good glycaemic control early in the disease results in lower frequency of chronic diabetes complications, which in turn reduces the healthcare cost. Accurate classification of diabetes and optimum management with the aim to achieve glycaemic targets is of utmost importance.

Fulltext Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 exhibit strong antifungal effects against vulvovaginal candidiasis-causing Candida glabrata isolates

Chew SY, Cheah YK, Seow HF, Sandai D, Than LT

J Appl Microbiol, 2015 May;118(5):1180-90.

PMID: 25688886 DOI: 10.1111/jam.12772

This study investigates the antagonistic effects of the probiotic strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14 against vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC)-causing Candida glabrata.

Fulltext Analysis of TP53 gene expression and p53 level of human hypopharyngeal FaDu (HTB-43) head and neck cancer cell line after microRNA-181a inhibition

Cheah YK, Cheng RW, Yeap SK, Khoo CH, See HS

Genet. Mol. Res., 2014;13(1):1679-83.

PMID: 24535903 DOI: 10.4238/2014.January.22.4

The identification of new biomarkers for early detection of highly recurrent head and neck cancer is urgently needed. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small and non-coding RNAs that regulate cancer-related gene expression, such as tumor protein 53 (TP53) gene expression. This study was carried out to analyze TP53 gene expression using real-time PCR and to determine changes in intracellular p53 level by flow cytometry after downregulation of miRNA-181a miRNA inhibitor in the FaDu cell line. TP53 gene expression showed a 3-fold increment and the p53 protein level was also increased in the miRNA-181a-treated cells. In conclusion, miRNA-181a binds to the TP53 gene and inhibits its expression, decreasing the synthesis of p53.

Fulltext Formation of biofilm by Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 19112 at different incubation temperatures and concentrations of sodium chloride

Lee HY, Chai LC, Pui CF, Mustafa S, Cheah YK, Nishibuchi M, et al.

Braz J Microbiol, 2013;44(1):51-5.

PMID: 24159283 DOI: 10.1590/S1517-83822013005000004

Biofilm formation can lead to various consequences in the food processing line such as contamination and equipment breakdowns. Since formation of biofilm can occur in various conditions; this study was carried out using L. monocytogenes ATCC 19112 and its biofilm formation ability tested under various concentrations of sodium chloride and temperatures. Cultures of L. monocytogenes ATCC 19112 were placed in 96-well microtitre plate containing concentration of sodium chloride from 1-10% (w/v) and incubated at different temperature of 4 °C, 30 °C and 45 °C for up to 60 h. Absorbance reading of crystal violet staining showed the density of biofilm formed in the 96-well microtitre plates was significantly higher when incubated in 4 °C. The formation of biofilm also occurs at a faster rate at 4 °C and higher optical density (OD 570 nm) was observed at 45 °C. This shows that storage under formation of biofilm that may lead to a higher contamination along the processing line in the food industry. Formation of biofilm was found to be more dependent on temperature compared to sodium chloride stress.

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