The population of Malaysia is relatively young, due to this there is a dearth in research conducted among the elderly especially relating to depression. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and the predictors of severe depression among the elderly in Malaysia. A sample of 2005 older adults randomly selected from the Penang State government's list of elderly receiving aid participated in the study. The Geriatric Depression Scale was used to screen for depression. Socio-demographic, social support, disease, functional and other factors were looked at as possible predictor variables. The prevalence of severe depression was 19.2 %. Indians (aOR = 2.0), being married (aOR = 10.5), widowed & divorced (aOR = 5.2), having poor (aOR = 2.7) or moderate social support (aOR = 2.7), having no one (aOR = 2.9), relatives (aOR = 2.3) or religious figures & others (aOR = 1.9) as compared to a spouse as a source of emotional support, feeling extremely lonely (aOR = 3.4), not socially active (aOR = 2.3), cognitively impaired (aOR 2.5), activities limited due to illness or disability (aOR = 1.6) and poor sleep quality (aOR = 3.6) were significant predictor variables. The prevalence of severe depression was high. It is pertinent that older adults, especially those with risk factors identified in this study be screened for depression at every opportunity.
Device, Questionnaire & Scale: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30)
The study of major life events and their effects on well-being has considerable relevance for scientific disciplines and policy making in understanding the consumer behaviour of older people. There is evidence of differences in reactions to and coping with stress between males and females but relatively little knowledge about such gender differences amongst older people, especially in middle-income countries. This study of older Malaysians looked at both coping strategies and gender differences in reactions to stress when people are confronted with certain life events. Seventeen major life events were used in interviews with 645 respondents aged 50 years or older in five major urban areas in Peninsular Malaysia. The analysis showed older women tended to experience higher levels of chronic stress than older men. They also had more health problems, had lower levels of self-esteem and were less satisfied with life. Whilst the results showed little support for gender differences in coping behaviours, stress had a significant influence on the way older men and women change store preferences. A hypothesis that older women would use more emotion-focused coping strategies was not supported. Knowledge of how older Malaysians cope with life events and stress and especially in this instance with regard to consumption behaviour, is likely to be of considerable academic and policy related interest.
Survey data from Australia, Fiji, Malaysia, Philippines, and the Republic of Korea are used to model older workers' choices. The co-existence of a traditional sector along with a modern sector in much of the Asia Pacific region offers a traditional family lifestyle, as well as paid work and retirement choices. Differences are analyzed between countries, by expanding choices to include traditional family support, and within countries by use of ethnic group dummies along with economic factors. Results demonstrate the importance of cultural and developmental factors within and between countries. There is less dependency on family in more developed countries but inverse effects for wealthy persons. Wealthier households in more developed countries depend upon income from their own work while in developing countries they depend on families. Women in the developing countries work whilst those in developed countries tend to retire with their husbands to share retirement leisure.
In this paper we use data from the Second Malaysian Family Life Survey (MFLS-2) to examine the extent to which ethnic differences in the living arrangements of the older population in Peninsular Malaysia can be explained by ethnic differences in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. We also investigate whether the three main ethnic groups of Malaysia differ in the extent to which their living arrangements are influenced by these factors. For the married, the higher incidence of remarriage and lower housing costs for Malays each contribute importantly to their lower coresidence rates. The relatively poorer health of Indians and better health of Malays also contribute to the ethnic differences in coresidence rates for the married, as does the higher incidence of daughter-only families among Malays. The explanatory variables considered here explain less of the ethnic differences in coresidence rates for the unmarried.
Study name: Malaysian Family Life Survey (MFLS-2)
This article examines the health and social support systems of a small survey sample of rural, low-income, functionally impaired elderly persons in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. Increases in the number and proportion of the elderly are a growing concern, especially in rural areas where there are indications that traditional care givers (daughters) for the elderly are migrating to urban areas. The out-migration patterns in this survey, however, were less than expected. In general, the needs of the respondents are being met by multiple in-kind assistance from adult children, spouses, relatives, friends and neighbors bolstered by free government health care and cash assistance programs. The survey does raise serious concerns regarding the utilization of health care facilities by women, the negative impact of detrimental myths about aging, and the need for more visiting nurses and mobile clinics.
A major factor in the increased need for health and long term care services for the elderly at advanced ages is the higher prevalence of multiple chronic diseases and functional impairments at those ages. The association of chronic morbidity and disability has been well studied in developed countries. However, there is relatively little evidence on those associations in developing countries. In this paper we report on data from the WHO regional office of the Western Pacific-sponsored surveys conducted in four countries (the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, Malaysia and Fiji) which provide detailed information on that association. These data are analyzed using a multivariate analytic procedure that can identify both distinctive morbidity/disability patterns and the subgroups which manifest these patterns. In addition, we examine the implications of those relations for elderly persons' ability to remain socially and economically integrated.
Retirement has become a very important stage of life for persons in developed countries. Life expectancy for those over age 60 has increased markedly. Rising real income and the institution of broad based social security systems have encouraged older workers to leave the labor force at younger ages. p]Reductions in older age mortality have also affected the less developed regions. Increases in the number of older persons, coupled with continuing high fertility, have increased the size of the working age population through both large entry cohorts and longevity of current workers. The capacity of the economy to absorb this growth is severely limited. As a result, labor force decisions by older individuals will be of increasing importance.This study provides new evidence on labor force decisions in four developing countries in the Western Pacific: Fiji, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. A uniform survey sponsored by the World Health Organization in the four countries of persons aged 60 and over is employed to estimate the determinants of work decisions.
This report provides a comprehensive analysis of gender differences in economic support and well-being in eight countries in Southern and Eastern Asia (Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and Taiwan). We examine multiple economic indicators, including sources of income, receipt of financial and material support, income levels, ownership of assets, and subjective well-being. Results show substantial variation in gender differences across indicators and provide an important qualification to widely held views concerning the globally disadvantaged position of older women. Whereas men tend to report higher levels of income than women, there is generally little gender difference in housing characteristics, asset ownership, or reports of subjective economic well-being. Unmarried women are economically advantaged compared to unmarried men in some respects, in part because they are more likely to be embedded in multigenerational households and receive both direct and indirect forms of support from family members.
Determining factors that affect healthcare utilization by the elderly is vital for the health system to be more responsive in providing care to this vulnerable group. The main objective of this paper is to identify the effect of the predisposing, enabling, and need factors on doctor visits and in-patient care for the elderly residing in the northern region of Malaysia. A multistage cluster sampling was used in selecting the sample for the study. A total of 1414 respondents aged 60 and over were interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. A probit model was used in estimating the utilization equations. At a significance level of 0.05, except for age, all predisposing and enabling factors were not statistically significant in affecting the doctor visits. On the other hand, being a male, smoker, medical insurance holder or had not actively involved in social interaction within the reference period increases the likelihood of being in-patient. Health-related variables remain the most significant factors that determine healthcare utilization, including both doctor visits and in-patient stays, in the area of study, which suggests that government policies to improve population health may influence the level of healthcare use in the future.
The CAGE questionnaire is an instrument, proved useful in helping to make a diagnosis of alcoholism. The questions focus on Cutting down, Annoyance by criticism, Guilty feeling, and Eye-openers. The questionnaire has been more pervasive simple tool than AUDIT and LAST scales to screen in busy medical settings where limited time is considered for adult patient interviews. The present study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the CAGE questionnaire in Khuzistan province, Iran and evaluate its role in detecting alcohol-related problems. For this purpose, 382 men with mean age of 65 ± 5 were sampled by cluster-random sampling method in convenience model from the medical centers in eight counties of Khuzistan province during 2019 and they responded to the CAGE questionnaire. The coefficients of Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.82), convergent validity (0.73), divergent validity (-0.06), and criterion validity (0.87) were estimated (ρ