METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was carried out in Selangor, Malaysia. A total of 1380 Malaysian adults (≥18 years old) participated in a structured and validated questionnaire survey. TANITA body scale and SECA 206 body meter were used to measure the respondents' weight and height, from which measurements of their body mass index (BMI) were calculated.

RESULTS: The overall prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) among adults in Selangor, Malaysia, was 18.6%. Factors significantly associated with increased risk of obesity were: being female (OR = 1.61, 95% CI [1.20-2.17]), aged between 30 to 39 years old (OR = 1.40, 95% CI [1.04-1.88]), being Indian (OR = 1.55, 95% CI [1.13-2.12]), married (OR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.03-1.83]), and having only primary school education (OR = 1.80, 95% CI [1.17-2.78] or secondary school education (OR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.04-1.81]). In the multiple linear regression analysis (stepwise method), perceived stress (B = -0.107, p = 0.041), suicidal ideation (B = -2.423, p = 0.003), and quality of life in the physical health domain (B = -0.350, p = 0.003) inversely and significantly contributed to BMI among males. Among females, stressful life events contributed positively to BMI (B = 0.711, p < 0.001, whereas quality of life in the psychological domain had a negative effect (B = -0.478, p < 0.001) in this respect.

METHODS: A parallel-group unblinded randomized controlled trial involving 300 patients was conducted in two hospital orthopedics clinics in Malaysia. Patients were randomly assigned to receive cognitive behavioral-based group therapy (n = 150) or no further intervention (n = 150). The primary outcome was the change from baseline in knee pain as determined by the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at 6 months. The data collected were analyzed by covariate-adjusted mixed design repeated measures analysis of variance. All analyses were performed under the terms of intention-to-treat.

RESULTS: At 6 months, mean change from baseline in the KOOS knee pain score was 0.6 points (95% CI -1.73 to 2.94) in the control group and 8.9 points (95% CI 6.62 to 11.23) (denoting less knee pain intensity) in the intervention group (significant treatment effect p < 0.0001). Patients treated with such an approach also experienced significant improvement in functional ability when performing activities of daily living and had improved ability to cope with depression, anxiety and pain catastrophizing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-blinded Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial was conducted at the IKN between January 2023 and June 2023. The estimated sample size was 120 participants. A sequential numbering system assigned a unique identifier to each participant until a total of 120 participants were recruited, with 60 participants in both the intervention and control groups. The intervention group received chemotherapy counselling using a newly developed module. QoL and depression were assessed at multiple time points using a validated questionnaire. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26, with independent tests and two-way repeated measures ANOVA. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant, and partial eta squared was used to measure effect size.

RESULT: Overall, in age distribution, the intervention group had the highest percentage of participants in the 41-60 years category (40.0%), whereas the control group had the highest percentage of participants aged ≥61 years (38.3%). The counselling module was effective in improving QoL and depression among participants at baseline and for three consecutive follow-ups following interventions. The QoL showed improvement in all four domains in the intervention group, which were Physical Health (p < 0.001), Psychological (p < 0.001), Social Relationship (p < 0.001), and Environment (p = 0.001). There was also a moderate effect reduction on depression (p < 0.001).