Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 70 in total

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  1. Victimization After Meeting With Online Acquaintances: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Adolescents in Malaysia
    Marret MJ, Choo WY
    J Interpers Violence, 2018 08;33(15):2352-2378.
    PMID: 26787607 DOI: 10.1177/0886260515625502
    This study aimed to determine contact and privacy risks encountered by Malaysian adolescents with access to the Internet and mobile phones and factors associated with face-to-face meetings with online acquaintances as well as to estimate the prevalence of subsequent victimization. Secondary school students from randomly selected public schools in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur responded to an anonymous self-administered questionnaire (78% response rate). Out of 3,349 Internet or mobile phone users, 51% had been invited to meet offline with an online-meeting acquaintance and 30% complied. Of the 1,005 respondents who went to offline meetings, 55% had meetings with more than six people. Male gender, Malay ethnicity, online access at an Internet café, viewing pornography on the Internet, the absence of parental restrictions on visiting certain website and chat rooms, not being explicitly forbidden to meet strangers encountered online, and disclosure of personal information were significantly associated with increased odds of face-to-face meetings with online acquaintances. Verbal, physical, or sexual assaults were reported by 5.5% of the 1,005 including 13 males and five females who reported forced sexual intercourse. Similarities as well as differences in factors associated with risk-taking behavior compared with adolescents in Western countries have important implications on policy and intervention.
  2. Fulltext A Review of Research on Child Abuse in Malaysia
    Cheah IG, Choo WY
    Med J Malaysia, 2016 06;71(Suppl 1):87-99.
    PMID: 27801391 MyJurnal
    The aim of this review was to summarise published literature on child abuse and neglect and its consequences in Malaysia, to discuss the implications of the research findings and to identify gaps in the local literature on child abuse and neglect. Medical and social literature in the English language published between the year 2000 to 2015 were searched for, resulting in forty four papers to be reviewed inclusive of a few key papers in the earlier years to provide some background information. The literature shows that child abuse and neglect is an important impact factor on mental health outcomes, involvement in substance abuse and delinquency due to the slant of the research interest from social studies. At least 70% of perpetrators are known to the affected children according to school-based prevalence studies. Safety programs and rehabilitation outcome studies involve small cohort groups. Studies on childhood mortality from child abuse or neglect are very limited. Overall, there are a few comprehensive studies involving school children but overall available studies are too patchy in to advocate for resource allocation, change in statutory procedures or training requirements. More extensive studies looking at the complex interaction of social environment, parenting skills, societal attitudes and responses, resilience factors and child safety nets and statutory response and their impact on different types of abuse or neglect are required.
  3. Fulltext Factors associated with online victimisation among Malaysian adolescents who use social networking sites: a cross-sectional study
    Marret MJ, Choo WY
    BMJ Open, 2017 06 30;7(6):e014959.
    PMID: 28667209 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014959
    OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of online interpersonal victimisation and its association with patterns of social networking site (SNS) use, offline victimisation, offline perpetration and parental conflict among Malaysian adolescents using SNS.

    METHODS: A cross-sectional study of students from randomly selected public secondary schools in the state of Negeri Sembilan was conducted using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire examined patterns of SNS use and included measures of online victimisation, online perpetration, offline victimisation and parental conflict. A response rate of 91% from a total of 1634 yielded a sample of 1487 students between 15 years and 16 years of age.

    RESULTS: Ninety-two per cent of respondents had used at least one SNS. More than half of SNS users (52.2%) reported experiences of online victimisation over the past 12 months. Boys were significantly more likely to experience online harassment compared with girls (52.2% vs 43.3%, p<0.001). There were no significant gender differences in experiences of unwanted sexual solicitation. Adolescents who engaged in perpetration behaviours online had almost six times higher odds of reporting frequent online victimisation compared with online behaviours involving personal disclosure. There was a significant dose-response relationship between engagement in multiple types of online behaviour and the risk of frequent online victimisation. Both online and offline perpetrations were associated with an increased risk of victimisation. Those who were victimised offline or experienced parental conflict were twice as likely to report online victimisation.

    CONCLUSION: Interventions to prevent online electronic aggression should target perpetration behaviour both online and offline. Youth should be equipped with skills in communication and decision-making in relationships that can be applied across a spectrum of contexts both online and offline.
  4. A review on the prevalence and measurement of elder abuse in the community
    Sooryanarayana R, Choo WY, Hairi NN
    Trauma Violence Abuse, 2013 Oct;14(4):316-25.
    PMID: 23878148 DOI: 10.1177/1524838013495963
    Aging is a rising phenomenon globally and elder abuse is becoming increasingly recognized as a health and social problem. This review aimed to identify the prevalence of elder abuse in community settings, and discuss issues regarding measurement tools and strategies to measure elderly abuse by systematically reviewing all community-based studies conducted worldwide.
  5. "Feeling unsafe": a photovoice analysis of factors influencing physical activity behavior among Malaysian adolescents
    Saimon R, Choo WY, Bulgiba A
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 Mar;27(2):NP2079-92.
    PMID: 23513006 DOI: 10.1177/1010539513480229
    Understanding the factors influencing physical activity (PA) in the Asia-Pacific region is critical, given the high prevalence of inactivity in this area. The photovoice technique explores the types of PA and factors influencing PA among adolescents in Kuching, Sarawak. A total of 160 photographs were collected from participants (adolescents, n = 22, mean age = 14.27 ± 0.7 years, and parents, n = 8, mean age = 48 ± 6.8 years). Data analysis used constant comparison methods of a grounded theory. The Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity was used to categorize PA factors. Study findings were centered on the concept of safety, facilities, parental restriction, friends, cultural traits, media, community cohesiveness, and weather. The central theme was "feeling unsafe" when being outdoors. To promote PA behavior, provision of PA facilities needs to be supported by other programs that build on peer support, crime prevention, and traffic safety, together with other educational campaigns.
  6. Are our new medical graduates ready to prescribe?
    Sim SM, Choo WY, Ng CJ
    Med Educ, 2009 May;43(5):492.
    PMID: 19422512 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2923.2009.03352.x
  7. The evolving evidence base for child protection in Chinese societies
    Dunne MP, Chen JQ, Choo WY
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2008;20(4):267-76.
    PMID: 19124321 DOI: 10.1177/1010539508325047
    Child maltreatment is a substantial public health problem worldwide. Although extensively studied in Western countries, until recently little systematic research had been published about the situation in the world's most populous nation and ethnic diaspora. In this review, we examine trends from community-based research with Chinese young people and parents in mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia. It is clear that many Chinese adolescents experience a substantial burden from various forms of maltreatment and the psychological and behavioral correlates are similar to those found in other cultures. However, the research reveals a large gap between this reality and Chinese adults' perceptions about emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Comprehensive awareness programs are needed to close this information gap and thereby mobilize support for prevention and care initiatives.
  8. Consequences of Elder Abuse and Neglect: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies
    Yunus RM, Hairi NN, Choo WY
    Trauma Violence Abuse, 2019 04;20(2):197-213.
    PMID: 29333999 DOI: 10.1177/1524838017692798
    This article presents the results of a systematic review of the consequences of elder abuse and neglect (EAN). A systematic search was conducted in seven electronic databases and three sources of gray literature up to January 8, 2016, supplemented by scanning of citation lists in relevant articles and contact with field experts. All observational studies investigating elder abuse as a risk factor for adverse health outcomes, mortality, and health-care utilization were included. Of 517 articles initially captured, 19 articles met our inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Two reviewers independently performed abstract screening, full-texts appraisal, and quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Across 19 studies, methodological heterogeneity was a prominent feature; seven definitions of EAN and nine measurement tools for abuse were employed. Summary of results reveals a wide range of EAN outcomes, from premature mortality to increased health-care consumption and various forms of physical and psychological symptoms. Higher risks of mortality emerged as the most credible outcome, while the majority of morbidity outcomes originated from cross-sectional studies. Our findings suggest that there is an underrepresentation of older adults from non-Western populations and developing countries, and there is a need for more population-based prospective studies in middle- and low-income regions. Evidence gathered from this review is crucial in upgrading current practices, formulating policies, and shaping the future direction of research.
  9. Insight into elder abuse among urban poor of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-a middle-income developing country
    Sooryanarayana R, Choo WY, Hairi NN, Chinna K, Bulgiba A
    J Am Geriatr Soc, 2015 Jan;63(1):180-2.
    PMID: 25597571 DOI: 10.1111/jgs.13217
  10. Malay public attitudes toward epilepsy (PATE) scale: translation and psychometric evaluation
    Lim KS, Choo WY, Wu C, Tan CT
    Epilepsy Behav, 2013 Nov;29(2):395-9.
    PMID: 24090773 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2013.08.027
    INTRODUCTION: None of the quantitative scales for public attitudes toward epilepsy had been translated to Malay language. This study aimed to translate and test the validity and reliability of a Malay version of the Public Attitudes Toward Epilepsy (PATE) scale.
    METHOD: The translation was performed according to standard principles and tested in 140 Malay-speaking adults aged more than 18 years for psychometric validation.
    RESULTS: The items in each domain had similar standard deviations (equal item variance), ranging from 0.90 to 1.00 in the personal domain and from 0.87 to 1.23 in the general domain. The correlation between an item and its domain was 0.4 and above for all items and was higher than the correlation with the other domain. Multitrait analysis showed that the Malay PATE had a similar variance, floor and ceiling effects, and relative relationship between the domains as the original PATE. The Malay PATE scale showed a similar correlation with almost all demographic variables except age. Item means were generally clustered in the factor analysis as the hypothesized domains, except those for items 1 and 2. The Cronbach's α values were within acceptable range (0.757 and 0.716 for the general and personal domains, respectively).
    CONCLUSION: The Malay PATE scale is a validated and reliable translated version for measuring public attitudes toward epilepsy.
  11. Fulltext Teacher Reporting Attitudes Scale (TRAS): confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses with a Malaysian sample
    Choo WY, Walsh K, Chinna K, Tey NP
    J Interpers Violence, 2013 Jan;28(2):231-53.
    PMID: 22902514 DOI: 10.1177/0886260512454720
    The Teacher Reporting Attitude Scale (TRAS) is a newly developed tool to assess teachers' attitudes toward reporting child abuse and neglect. This article reports on an investigation of the factor structure and psychometric properties of the short form Malay version of the TRAS. A self-report cross-sectional survey was conducted with 667 teachers in 14 randomly selected schools in Selangor state, Malaysia. Analyses were conducted in a 3-stage process using both confirmatory (stages 1 and 3) and exploratory factor analyses (stage 2) to test, modify, and confirm the underlying factor structure of the TRAS in a non-Western teacher sample. Confirmatory factor analysis did not support a 3-factor model previously reported in the original TRAS study. Exploratory factor analysis revealed an 8-item, 4-factor structure. Further confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated appropriateness of the 4-factor structure. Reliability estimates for the four factors-commitment, value, concern, and confidence-were moderate. The modified short form TRAS (Malay version) has potential to be used as a simple tool for relatively quick assessment of teachers' attitudes toward reporting child abuse and neglect. Cross-cultural differences in attitudes toward reporting may exist and the transferability of newly developed instruments to other populations should be evaluated.
  12. Development and validation of a public attitudes toward epilepsy (PATE) scale
    Lim KS, Wu C, Choo WY, Tan CT
    Epilepsy Behav, 2012 Jun;24(2):207-12.
    PMID: 22564888 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2012.03.038
    A quantitative scale of public attitudes toward epilepsy is essential to determine the magnitude of social stigma against epilepsy. This study aims to develop and validate a cross-culturally applicable scale of public attitudes toward epilepsy.
  13. Factors associated with HER2 overexpression in breast cancer: Experience in an Asian developing country
    Tan GH, Choo WY, Taib NA, Yip CH
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2009;10(5):837-40.
    PMID: 20104975
    INTRODUCTION: The HER2 gene is amplified in up to 30% of human breast cancers, leading to overexpression of the HER2 protein on the cell surface. Overexpression of HER2 is associated with a more aggressive cancer and hence a poorer overall survival.

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between clinico-pathological features and HER2 overexpression in breast cancer.

    METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted in the Department of Surgery, University Malaya Medical Centre. The association between HER2 overexpression, determined by immunohistochemistry, and other clinicopathological factors was evaluated in 996 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer treated from 2005 to 2007 using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

    RESULTS: HER2 overexpression occurred in 30.3% of patients. On bivariate analysis, HER2 overexpression was inversely related to ER expression (p<0.01) and PR expression (p<0.01). This overexpression was associated with a higher tumour grade, lymphovascular positivity and infiltrating ductal carcinoma subtype. On multivariate analysis, HER2 overexpression was significantly associated with higher tumour grade (p= 0.018, CI 1.25-11.04), PR negativity (p= 0.002, CI 0.30-0.77) and lymphovascular positivity (p= 0.042, CI 1.01-2.12).

    CONCLUSIONS: HER2 overexpression was observed in 30.3% of Malaysian female breast cancer patients. This group of patients represents a more aggressive subtype of breast cancer with higher tumour grade, PR negativity and lymphovascular positivity. No significant relationship was established between HER2 overexpression and age, race, lymph node, ER, pathology subtype and stage of disease from this study.

  14. How do men perceive erectile dysfunction and its treatment? A qualitative study on opinions of men
    Low WY, Ng CJ, Choo WY, Tan HM
    Aging Male, 2006 Sep;9(3):175-80.
    PMID: 17050117 DOI: 10.1080/13685530600914601
    INTRODUCTION: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common medical disorder affecting the aging male. A man's perception of a disease affects his health seeking behaviour. This study aimed to explore perceptions of ED among men with ED and how these perceptions came about.
    METHODS: This qualitative study utilized in-depth interviews involving 17 urban men aged between 40 and 75 years old.
    RESULTS: Misconceptions existed regarding the definitions of ED. Most men perceived impotence to be more serious than ED. Although most were aware of the medical causes of ED, 'overuse of penis' and black magic were mentioned as culturally-related causes. ED was perceived as a serious problem associated with loss of manhood and it had a significant impact on relationships with their partners. However, some adopted an 'accepting' view and attributed it to aging and fate. Most men were only familiar with PDE-5 inhibitors and traditional therapies. PDE-5 inhibitors were perceived to be effective but they were concerned about side effects and costs.
    CONCLUSIONS: Identifying men's perceptions of ED and its treatment would help doctors in their consultation, and inform health policy makers in planning appropriate public education and services.
  15. Gambling Risk Amongst Adolescents: Evidence from a School-Based Survey in the Malaysian Setting
    Sheela PS, Choo WY, Goh LY, Tan CP
    J Gambl Stud, 2016 Jun;32(2):643-59.
    PMID: 26499201 DOI: 10.1007/s10899-015-9577-3
    There has been emerging evidence regarding gambling experiences of young people in Asia recently, but to date, none in Malaysia. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of gambling, and to identify individual, familial and high-risk behaviours factors among Malaysian adolescents. A cross-sectional study was conducted over 4 months at randomly selected secondary schools in Seremban in Negeri Sembilan state. A total of 2265 self-administered, anonymous questionnaires were distributed to the students. The students completed the questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic and family background, gambling behaviours, high risk behaviours and mental health questions. Approximately 29.6 % (95 % CI 27.7-31.5) of respondents reported participating in some forms of gambling activities in the previous 12 months. Among these, 3.6 % (95 % CI 2.8-4.3) of them were problem gamblers. Parental gambling was the strongest correlate with adolescent gambling behaviour. Signification association was found between gambling behaviour and gender (being males), but interestingly, not with ethnicity. Adolescents who reported engaging in high risk behaviours (such as smoking, alcohol consumption, involvement in physical fights, illegal vehicular racing) were also more likely to gamble. Gambling is not an uncommon phenomenon amongst Malaysian adolescents. Public awareness campaign, health education to targeted groups, revision of existing laws, and screening at primary care level should be implemented to address the issue of gambling among adolescents. This study also highlights the need to examine the national scope of the problem in Malaysia.
  16. Employability among people with uncontrolled seizures: An interpretative phenomenological approach
    Wo MC, Lim KS, Choo WY, Tan CT
    Epilepsy Behav, 2015 Apr;45:21-30.
    PMID: 25794681 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2015.02.016
    This study aimed to explore positive and negative factors affecting the employability in patients with uncontrolled seizures.
  17. Employability in people with epilepsy: A systematic review
    Wo MC, Lim KS, Choo WY, Tan CT
    Epilepsy Res, 2015 Oct;116:67-78.
    PMID: 26354169 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2015.06.016
    People with epilepsy were (PWE) reported to have poorer employment rate. However, the methodologies used differ greatly from one study to another, making global comparison difficult. We aimed to determine the employment rate of PWE globally using a unified definition of employment rate and to summarize the reported positive and negative factors affecting employability in PWE, using a systematic review.
  18. Factors affecting the employability in people with epilepsy
    Wo MC, Lim KS, Choo WY, Tan CT
    Epilepsy Res, 2016 Dec;128:6-11.
    PMID: 27792885 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2016.10.003
    PURPOSE: People with epilepsy (PWE) are negatively prejudiced in their ability to work. This study aimed to examine demographic, clinical and psychological factors associated with employability in PWE.

    METHODS: This study recruited epilepsy patients from a neurology clinic in Malaysia. Employability was measured using employment ratio, with a ratio ≥90% (ER90) classified as high employability. Basic demographic data such as age, gender, marital status, religion, education level and household income was collected. Clinical measures consisted of age of seizure onset, seizure frequency, type of epilepsy, aura, polytherapy, nocturnal seizures and seizure control. Psychological measures included Work Self-Determination Index (WSDI), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS).

    RESULTS: Of 146 PWE, 64.4% had high employability. The participants were predominantly female (52%), Chinese (50.7%), single (50%), having tertiary education (55.5%) and focal epilepsy (72.6%). Clinically, only type of epilepsy was significantly correlated to employability of PWE. Employability of PWE was associated with ability to work (indicated by education level, work performance affected by seizures, ability to travel independently and ability to cope with stress at work) and family overprotection. The high employability group was found to have lower self-perceived stigma (ESS), higher self-determined motivation (WSDI), self-esteem (SES) and perceived social support (MSPSS), than the low employability group. Logistic regression analysis showed that tertiary education level (AOR 3.42, CI: 1.46-8.00), higher self-determination (WSDI, AOR 1.09, CI: 1.012-1.17), lower family overprotection (AOR 0.76, CI: 0.61-0.95), and generalised epilepsy (AOR 4.17, CI: 1.37-12.70) were significant predictors for higher employability in PWE.

    CONCLUSION: Ability to work (education level), clinical factor (type of epilepsy) and psychological factor (self-determined motivation and family overprotection) were important factors affecting employability in PWE.

    Study site: neurology clinic Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC)
  19. Psychological distress and its association with job satisfaction among nurses in a teaching hospital
    Ghawadra SF, Abdullah KL, Choo WY, Phang CK
    J Clin Nurs, 2019 Nov;28(21-22):4087-4097.
    PMID: 31294501 DOI: 10.1111/jocn.14993
    AIM AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of psychological distress and its association with job satisfaction among nurses in a teaching hospital in Malaysia.

    BACKGROUND: Nurses constitute the majority of health care workers, and, compared with other professions, nursing profession is highly stressful and, hence, a cause of anxiety and depression. This may affect nurses' job satisfaction.

    METHOD: Using self-administered questionnaires, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Job Satisfaction Scale for Nurses (JSS), a cross-sectional study of 932 nurses from the inpatient departments of a teaching hospital was conducted in December 2017. Descriptive analyses and multiple logistic regressions were used for the analysis. The STROBE guideline was used in this study.

    RESULTS: The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 41%. The prevalence of stress, anxiety and depression were 14.4%, 39.3% and 18.8%, respectively. It was found that single and widowed nurses had a higher level of stress, anxiety and depression compared with married nurses. In addition, nurses in the age of 26-30 years had a higher level of depression than nurses in other age groups. Also, nurses who worked in the paediatric departments had a higher level of depression compared with nurses in other departments. The majority of the nurses were satisfied with their job at 92.0%. Those nurses who were not satisfied were found to be significantly associated with a high level of stress and depression.

    CONCLUSION: This study revealed that the level of stress, anxiety and depression is high. Stress and depression were found to be associated with nurses' low job satisfaction.

    RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Stress and depression can affect nurses' job satisfaction, it is important for nursing managers to institute strategies to address this issue.

  20. Fulltext The role of general practitioners in the management of erectile dysfunction-a qualitative study
    Ng CJ, Low WY, Tan NC, Choo WY
    Int J Impot Res, 2004 Feb;16(1):60-3.
    PMID: 14963472 DOI: 10.1038/sj.ijir.3901141
    The objective of this study was to explore the roles and perceptions of general practitioners (GPs) in the management of erectile dysfunction (ED). This qualitative study used focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. This study was conducted based on 28 GPs from an urban area in Malaysia who had managed patients with ED and prescribed anti-ED drugs. Main outcome measures included the roles of GPs in managing patients with ED (active or passive), perceptions regarding ED and the treatment, and factors influencing their decision to prescribe. Majority of the GPs assumed a passive role when managing patients with ED. This was partly due to their perception of the disease being nonserious. Some also perceived ED as mainly psychological in nature. The anti-ED drugs were often viewed as a lifestyle drug with potentially serious side effects. The fear of being perceived by patients as 'pushing' for the drug and being blamed if the patients were to develop serious side effects also hampered the management of this disease. GPs who participated in this study remained passive in identifying and treating patients with ED and this was attributed to their perception of the disease, drug treatment and patient's background.
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