Mental health problems are common in old age, but frequently remain undetected and untreated. Mental health problems in the elderly are the result of a complex interaction of social, psychological ...and biological factors. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of mental health problems (depression, anxiety, and emotional stress) and their associated factors among the Malay elderly in a rural community of Perak, Malaysia.
It was a cross-sectional study. The Malay elderly aged 60 years and above were selected through convenient sampling to give a total of 230 respondents. The Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Bivariate analyses were performed using chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between the factors and each of the mental health statuses assessed.
The results showed that the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among the elderly respondents was 27.8%, 22.6%, and 8.7%, respectively. The significant factors for depression were single elderly (Adjusted OR = 3.27, 95%CI 1.66, 6.44), living with family (Adjusted OR = 4.98, 95%CI 2.05, 12.10), and poor general health status (Adjusted OR = 2.28, 95%CI 1.20, 4.36). Living with family was the only significant factor for anxiety (Adjusted OR = 2.68, 95%CI 1.09, 6.57). There was no significant factor for stress.
Depression and anxiety among the Malay elderly in the rural community were very worrying. More equity in health should be created or strengthened in order to intensify the opportunity to identify, diagnose, and treat those with mental health problems. Living arrangement in the rural community was an important factor that had influenced depression and anxiety. Therefore, further research is recommended for more comprehensive information, as a result of which appropriate intervention can be made.
Public health systems are concerned with the commensurate rise of metabolic syndrome (MetS) incidence across populations worldwide, due to its tendency to amplify greater risk of diabetes and ...cardiovascular diseases within communities. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS and its associated risk factors among staffs in a Malaysian public university. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 538 staffs from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) between April and June 2019. MetS was defined according to JIS "Harmonized" criteria. A questionnaire that consisted of items on socio-demographics, lifestyle risk behaviors and personal medical history information was administered to participants. Subsequently, a series of physical examination and biochemical assessment was conducted at the hall or foyer of selected faculties in the university. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted using SPSS version 22.0. Multivariate models were yielded to determine the risk factors associated with MetS. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. The overall prevalence of MetS was 20.6%, with men having greater prevalence than women (24.9% vs. 18.3%). Prevalence of MetS increased with age. Factors contributed to MetS in the overall sample were BMI, hypertension, diabetes and physical activity of moderate intensity. Diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with MetS in men, whereas BMI, diabetes and hyperlipidemia were significantly associated with MetS in women. Lifestyle behaviors and cardio-metabolic risk factors were associated with MetS for the overall sample, and across genders.
In this study, ensemble models using the Bates-Granger approach and least square method are developed to combine forecasts of multi-wavelet artificial neural network (ANN) models. Originally, this ...study is aimed to investigate the proposed models for forecasting of chlorophyll a concentration. However, the modeling procedure was repeated for water salinity forecasting to evaluate the generality of the approach. The ensemble models are employed for forecasting purposes in Hilo Bay, Hawaii. Moreover, the efficacy of the forecasting models for up to three days in advance is investigated. To predict chlorophyll a and salinity with different lead, the previous daily time series up to three lags are decomposed via different wavelet functions to be applied as input parameters of the models. Further, outputs of the different wavelet-ANN models are combined using the least square boosting ensemble and Bates-Granger techniques to achieve more accurate and more reliable forecasts. To examine the efficiency and reliability of the proposed models for different lead times, uncertainty analysis is conducted for the best single wavelet-ANN and ensemble models as well. The results indicate that accurate forecasts of water temperature and salinity up to three days ahead can be achieved using the ensemble models. Increasing the time horizon, the reliability and accuracy of the models decrease. Ensemble models are found to be superior to the best single models for both forecasting variables and for all the three lead times. The results of this study are promising with respect to multi-step forecasting of water quality parameters such as chlorophyll a and salinity, important indicators of ecosystem status in coastal and ocean regions.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting our lifestyles, such as work, living, and health. In Malaysia, the Restriction of Movement Order (RMO) was first announced in March 2020 to curb the spread of ...the virus. Since then, many Malaysians have been confined to their own home. This new lifestyle can cause a change of eating habits where healthy eating may be a challenge. Hence, our qualitative study explored the challenges and strategies for healthy eating during the first wave of the COVID-19 home confinement period among working adults overweight and obese in Malaysia. Eleven participants were individually interviewed through phone calls. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and then coded with NVIVO 12 based on thematic analysis. We found that social pressure, changes in the social setting, more free time to access food, and extra stock of unhealthy foods at home were among the challenges to healthy eating. Some participants countered these perceived challenges by reducing unhealthy food stock, limiting kitchen visits, and utilizing self-monitoring apps to monitor their calorie intake. Social media was not consistently perceived to influence their eating behavior during this period. We conclude that COVID-19 home confinement has created challenges to healthy eating habits among overweight and obese adults with overweight and obesity. Our study provides evidence that vulnerable groups such as overweight and obese individuals require specific nutritional support during pandemic-related confinement to enhance eating self-efficacy.
Published reports of workplace-based weight management interventions are often poorly described and are focused on dietary, physical, and behavioral management. These strategies are often ...unsustainable and only have short-term effectiveness. The Mind-SLIMSHAPETM is a mindfulness-integrated multidisciplinary intervention developed to address overweight and obesity problems among desk-bound employees while improving weight-related behavior through mindfulness meditation and mindful eating exercises. The integration of mindfulness and mindful eating aims to improve the individual’s focus on the present and heighten their sensitivity towards internal and external eating cues. The aim of this article is to describe the Mind-SLIMSHAPETM intervention program using The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. The Mind-SLIMSHAPETM module is a 24-week intervention program that was delivered in a quasi-experimental study among employees with BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m² in a selected higher learning institution. The module was delivered via hybrid sessions that included both face-to-face and virtual online sessions. The novelty of our description includes summaries of each intervention component with its intensity, details of the theory grounded for this program, and the rationale for the intervention components. The Mind-SLIMSHAPETM module is ready to be implemented and replicated in a similar setting with possible refinement and enhancement of the mindfulness and mindful eating elements.
The number of studies on graphene/Si heterojunction solar cells has increased dramatically in recent years. The integration of graphene into Si photovoltaic has resulted in high power conversion ...efficiencies exceeding 15% in several notable applications. The need for a single compilation to discuss the issues recently discovered in the current works is necessary to help with a smooth progression and, most importantly, to understand the best direction to take when designing a high-efficiency Si-based solar cell. This article reviews and compares the remarkable findings in graphene/Si heterojunction, focusing on their photovoltaic performance indicators along with their improvement features. First, we discuss the open circuit voltage of the heterojunction and highlight the important and problematic parts. Next, the efforts to maximize the short circuit current from graphene/Si solar cells are elaborated, followed closely by the main issues in fill factor. The emphasis on power conversion efficiency is given in the following section, which is alarming for this new photovoltaic device. The article concludes with the prospect, aim and direction for graphene/Si heterojunction solar cells, along with a brief discussion regarding the potential for utilizing low-cost reduced graphene oxide in Si solar cells.
We determined the effectiveness of a multi-strain probiotic (Hexbio®) containing microbial cell preparation MCP®BCMC® on constipation symptoms and gut motility in PD patients with constipation.
PD ...patients with constipation (ROME III criteria) were randomized to receive a multi-strain probiotic (Lactobacillus sp and Bifidobacterium sp at 30 X 109 CFU) with fructo-oligosaccaride or placebo (fermented milk) twice daily for 8 weeks. Primary outcomes were changes in the presence of constipation symptoms using 9 items of Garrigues Questionnaire (GQ), which included an item on bowel opening frequency. Secondary outcomes were gut transit time (GTT), quality of life (PDQ39-SI), motor (MDS-UPDRS) and non-motor symptoms (NMSS).
Of 55 recruited, 48 patients completed the study: 22 received probiotic and 26 received placebo. At 8 weeks, there was a significantly higher mean weekly BOF in the probiotic group compared to placebo SD 4.18 (1.44) vs SD 2.81(1.06); (mean difference 1.37, 95% CI 0.68, 2.07, uncorrected p<0.001). Patients in the probiotic group reported five times higher odds (odds ratio = 5.48, 95% CI 1.57, 19.12, uncorrected p = 0.008) for having higher BOF (< 3 to 3-5 to >5 times/week) compared to the placebo group. The GTT in the probiotic group 77.32 (SD55.35) hours reduced significantly compared to placebo 113.54 (SD 61.54) hours; mean difference -36.22, 95% CI -68.90, -3.54, uncorrected p = 0.030). The mean change in GTT was 58.04 (SD59.04) hour vs 20.73 (SD60.48) hours respectively (mean difference 37.32, 95% CI 4.00, 70.63, uncorrected p = 0.028). No between-groups differences were observed in the NMSS, PDQ39-SI, MDS-UPDRS II and MDS-UPDRS III scores. Four patients in the probiotics group experienced mild reversible side effects.
This study showed that consumption of a multi-strain probiotic (Hexbio®) over 8 weeks improved bowel opening frequency and whole gut transit time in PD patients with constipation.
Pulau Tioman is a famous tourist island off Peninsular Malaysia with beautiful coral reefs. This study aims to assess the health of the coral reefs surrounding Pulau Tioman based on the application ...of the Foraminifera in Reef Assessment and Monitoring Index (FI). Ten sampling sites around Pulau Tioman were studied with a total of 30 samples. Eight orders, 41 families, 80 genera, and 161 species of benthic foraminifera were identified. The agglutinated type of foraminifera constituted 2-8% of the total assemblages. Calcareous hyaline and porcelaneous groups represented 79% and 19% of the total assemblages, respectively. Symbiont-bearing taxa were the most common foraminifera. The results indicate that most of the sampling sites are conducive for coral reef growth with good recoverability from future stress to the ecosystem. However, several areas with higher coastal development and tourism have reduced water and sediment quality. Therefore, the limit on the number of visitors and tourists should be revised to enable coral growth and health. The FI values in this study showed a positive correlation with good water qualities and a negative correlation with organic matter enrichment. The FI is a good measure to assess the health of a coral reef and can be applied to other reef ecosystems around Malaysia.
Knowledge of and compliance to infection prevention and control (IPC) guidelines are crucial to curbing hospital acquired infections (HAIs). Globally, about 7-10% of patients suffer HAIs. However, ...there is limited evidence on nurses' knowledge and adherence to IPC guidelines. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge and determinants of IPC compliance among nurses in Yendi Municipality, Northern Ghana. We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study among 209 nurses of the Yendi Municipal hospital, using an adapted questionnaire. We collected and analysed data using SPSS version 26. Socio-demographics, knowledge level and compliance to IPC guidelines were assessed using descriptive statistics. The minimum scores for knowledge and compliance were 0 each with maximum scores being 10 and 8 respectively. Using binary multivariate logistic regression, the determinants of IPC compliance were analysed and odds ratios reported at 95% confidence intervals. The nurses had high mean and standard deviation scores for knowledge (7.26 ± 1.4) and compliance to IPC guidelines (5.41 ± 1.5). Females (aOR: 0.33; 95%CI: 0.17-0.64; p = 0.001) were significantly less likely to comply to IPC guidelines. Nurses working in Maternity/Labour wards (aOR: 8.31; 95%CI: 2.46-28.15; p = 0.001) and Outpatient Department (OPD)/Psychiatry (aOR: 5.00; 95%CI: 1.42-17.62; p = 0.012) were associated with higher odds of complying to IPC guidelines. Availability of IPC guidelines (aOR: 3.48; 95%CI: 1.13-10.72; p = 0.030) in a working department influenced compliance to IPC measures. The study revealed high knowledge and high compliance regarding IPC among nurses in the Yendi Municipal Hospital. A person's working department and the availability of IPC guidelines were key determinants for high compliance to IPC measures. However, knowledge of IPC did not influence compliance to IPC guidelines. The Municipal and Regional Health directorates, should therefore ensure adequate logistic flow, provision of IPC guidelines and proper supervision to ensure maximum compliance with IPC guidelines, particularly among paediatric, medical and surgical wards nurses as well as degree holding nurses.
Cervical cancer is a significant public health problem for women worldwide. It is the fourth most frequent cancer in women globally. While early detection of cancerous lesions through screening tests ...leads to a better prognosis and a better chance of being cured, the number of people who go for screening is still low, especially for groups that are marginalized, like immigrant women.
The purpose of this study was to identify cervical cancer screening practices and factors influencing screening status among Yemeni immigrant women living in the Klang Valley, Malaysia.
A cross-sectional study among 355 randomly selected respondents between the ages of 20 and 65 was conducted through an online survey. A questionnaire was sent directly to the participants via WhatsApp. The analysis was conducted using SPSS 25 with a significance level of 0.05. It included descriptive analysis, chi-square and multiple logistic regression.
The response rate was 59%, with the majority of the respondents being married and between the ages of 35 and 49. Screening was reported at 23.1% in the previous three years. The final model revealed that age group 50-65 years (AOR = 5.39, 95% CI: 1.53-18.93), insurance status (AOR 2.22, 95% CI = 1.15-4.3), knowledge (AOR = 6.67, 95% CI = 3.45-12.9), access to health care facilities (AOR = 4.64, 95% CI = 1.29-16.65), and perceived barriers (AOR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.3-4.83) were significant predictors of cervical screening uptake among Yemeni immigrant women in Malaysia (p<0.05).
According to the results, cervical cancer screening was found to be low among Yemeni immigrant women. The predictors were age group 50-65 years, insurance status, knowledge, access to health care facilities and perceived barriers. Efforts to enhance immigrant women's participation in cervical cancer screening must tackle barriers to access to healthcare services as well as expand cervical cancer screening education programs.
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