Assessing the direct and spillover protective effectiveness of Wolbachia-mediated introgression to combat dengue.

Background: Dengue remains a global health challenge with limited treatment options, highlighting the need for effective vector control strategies. The introduction of Wolbachia pipientis into Aedes aegypti populations has shown success in reducing dengue transmission across global field trials. However, the spillover effectiveness of the technology on untreated areas is not well-known.

Exposure to secondhand smoke among school-going adolescents in Malaysia: Results from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022: Adolescent Health Survey (AHS).

Introduction: The adverse effects of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure on health have been well established. Using the NHMS 2002: Adolescent Health Survey (AHS), this study attempts to evaluate the extent and factors associated with SHS exposure among Malaysian school-going adolescents.

Methods: We conducted the NHMS 2022: AHS to gather a representative sample of school-age teenagers.

Demographic, lifestyle, social, and psychological factors associated with worry-related sleep problems among school-going adolescents in Timor-Leste.

Objective: Adolescent sleep problems are a worldwide public health issue. The present study examines factors associated with worry-related sleep problems among school-going adolescents. The country of interest is Timor-Leste, a low-income country, where studies pertaining to adolescent sleep problems are lacking.

Introduction of mosquitoes carrying AlbB sharply decreases dengue incidence in disease hotspots.

Partial replacement of resident mosquitoes with introduced mosquitoes carrying certain strains of inherited symbionts can result in transmission blocking of dengue and other viruses of public health importance. strain AlbB is an effective transmission blocker and stable at high temperatures, making it particularly suitable for hot tropical climates. Following trial field releases in Malaysia, releases using AlbB have become operationalized by the Malaysian health authorities.

Validity and reliability of the Malay language Perception Towards Smoking Questionnaire (BM-PTSQ) among secondary school adolescents: Further validation using Confirmatory Factor Analysis.

Introduction: Perception is an essential factor influencing smoking among adolescents. Thus, a valid tool for measuring perception is a requisite in smoking studies. This study further establishes the validity and reliability of a Malay language version of the Perception Towards Smoking Questionnaire (BM-PTSQ) for assessing the perception of smoking among secondary school-going adolescents in Malaysia.

Spatial Distribution and Long-Term Persistence of -Infected in the Mentari Court, Malaysia.

Dengue is endemic in Malaysia, and vector control strategies are vital to reduce dengue transmission. The strain AlbB carried by both sexes of was released in Mentari Court, a high-rise residential site, in October 2017 and stopped after 20 weeks. frequencies are still being monitored at multiple traps across this site, providing an opportunity to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of and mosquito density with respect to year, residential block, and floor, using spatial interpolation in ArcGIS, GLMs, and contingency analyses.

Construct validity and reliability of the Malay version of the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND): A confirmatory factor analysis.

Introduction: The Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) was forward-backwards translated into the Malay language (FTND-M) and administered to 152 daily smokers who sought treatment for smoking cessation in government health clinics in Selangor state, Malaysia.

Methods: Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), four measurement models with the best relative fit were compared, one uni-dimensional model, and three different two-domain (morning and daytime smoking) models.

Results: The findings indicate that the best model of the FTND-M was a two-domain model, wherein domain one represented morning smoking (time to first cigarette of the day, smoking more in the morning, and which cigarette would you hate to give up) and domain two represented daytime smoking (cigarettes per day, difficulty refraining from smoking, and smoking when ill) which showed good model fit [χ/df=1.

Agreement between the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) and the heaviness of smoking index (HSI) for assessing the intensity of nicotine dependence among daily smokers.

Introduction: Measuring the level of nicotine addiction among smokers is an integral part of enhancing smoking cessation as nicotine dependence is one of the barriers to smoking cessation. In this study, we compared the level of agreement between FTND and HSI in detecting high nicotine dependence among daily smokers.

Methods: We collected data from participants of a public smoking cessation clinic in Selangor.

Lifestyles and Sexual Behaviour Among School-Going Adolescents: A Mediational Role of Mental Health.

Sexual behaviour and mental health among adolescents are major public health issues. This study examines how lifestyles affect sexual behaviour among school-going adolescents in Malaysia, and the potential mediational role of mental health. It is the first to our knowledge to explore the mediating effect of mental health on sexual behaviour with a focus on a fast-growing developing country.

Validation of the Malay Version of the Decisional Balance Inventory (MDBI) among secondary school-going adolescents.

Introduction: The Decisional Balance Inventory is a tool used to measure propensity to maintain or change a habit which takes into consideration the perceived advantages and disadvantages. This study aimed to establish the validity and reliability of a Malay language version of the DBI for assessing inclination for change in smoking behavior among secondary school-going adolescents in Malaysia.

Methods: We administered the MDBI to 669 secondary school students selected through multistage sampling.

Correlation between Population Density and COVID-19 Cases during the Third Wave in Malaysia: Effect of the Delta Variant.

Unlabelled: In this study, we describe the incidence and distribution of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia at district level and determine their correlation with absolute population and population density, before and during the period that the Delta variant was dominant in Malaysia.

Methods: Data on the number of locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in each of the 145 districts in Malaysia, between 20 September 2020 and 19 September 2021, were manually extracted from official reports. The cumulative number of COVID-19 cases, population and population density of each district were described using choropleth maps.

Correlates of dual/poly tobacco use among school-going adolescents in Malaysia: Findings from a nationwide school-based study.

Introduction: Dual/poly tobacco use is common among youths globally. However, in Malaysia information on dual/poly tobacco use is scarce, thus the present study examines the prevalence and factors associated with dual/poly tobacco users among school-going adolescents in Malaysia.

Methods: We derived data on tobacco and e-cigarette use among Malaysian adolescents from a nationwide school-based study conducted in 2016.

Assessment of association between smoking and all-cause mortality among Malaysian adult population: Findings from a retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Smoking is a known risk factor for many chronic diseases. Illness and death due to smoking are a significant public health burden in many countries. This study aims to address the information gap in smoking-related mortality in Malaysia by estimating the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortalities due to smoking among Malaysian adults.

Gender Differences in Factors Associated with the Total Delay in Treatment of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Selangor, Malaysia.

: Gender plays a significant role in health-care-seeking behavior for many diseases. Delays in seeking treatment, diagnosis, and treatment for pulmonary tuberculosis (pTB) may increase the risk of transmission in the community and lead to poorer treatment outcomes and mortality. This study explores the differences in factors associated with the total delay in treatment of male and female pTB patients in Selangor, Malaysia.

COVID-19 in Malaysia: Descriptive Epidemiologic Characteristics of the First Wave.

This study aimed to describe the characteristics of COVID-19 cases and close contacts during the first wave of COVID-19 in Malaysia (23 January 2020 to 26 February 2020), and to analyse the reasons why the outbreak did not continue to spread and lessons that can be learnt from this experience. Characteristics of the cases and close contacts, spatial spread, epidemiological link, and timeline of the cases were examined. An extended SEIR model was developed using several parameters such as the average number of contacts per day per case, the proportion of close contact traced per day and the mean daily rate at which infectious cases are isolated to determine the basic reproduction number (R) and trajectory of cases.

Assessing the Spatiotemporal Spread Pattern of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia.

Introduction: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected human health and socioeconomic backgrounds. This study examined the spatiotemporal spread pattern of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia from the index case to 291,774 cases in 13 months, emphasizing on the spatial autocorrelation of the high-risk cluster events and the spatial scan clustering pattern of transmission.

Methodology: We obtained the confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 in Malaysia from the official GitHub repository of Malaysia's Ministry of Health from January 25, 2020 to February 24, 2021, 1 day before the national vaccination program was initiated.

Prevalence and factors related to secondhand smoke exposure among secondary school-going adolescents in Malaysia: Findings from Malaysia Global Health School Survey 2012 and 2017.

Introduction: Secondhand (SHS) smoke exposure has caused various health problems. Therefore, continuous monitoring of SHS exposure is important to determine the efficacy of various anti-tobacco measure implemented. The study aims to compare the prevalence and factor(s) associated with SHS exposure among secondary school-going adolescents in Malaysia during 2012 and 2017.

Insecticide resistance in dengue vectors from hotspots in Selangor, Malaysia.

Background: In Malaysia, dengue remains a top priority disease and usage of insecticides is the main method for dengue vector control. Limited baseline insecticide resistance data in dengue hotspots has prompted us to conduct this study. The present study reports the use of a map on the insecticide susceptibility status of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus to provide a quick visualization and overview of the distribution of insecticide resistance.

Characterization of Sodium Channel Mutations in the Dengue Vector Mosquitoes and within the Context of Ongoing Releases in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Specific sodium channel gene mutations confer target site resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in mosquitoes and other insects. In mosquito species, multiple mutations that contribute to resistance vary in their importance around the world. Here, we characterize voltage sensitive sodium channel () mutations in populations of from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and look at their persistence in populations affected by ongoing releases (a dengue control measure).

Modelling the Effectiveness of Epidemic Control Measures in Preventing the Transmission of COVID-19 in Malaysia.

Malaysia is currently facing an outbreak of COVID-19. We aim to present the first study in Malaysia to report the reproduction numbers and develop a mathematical model forecasting COVID-19 transmission by including isolation, quarantine, and movement control measures. We utilized a susceptible, exposed, infectious, and recovered (SEIR) model by incorporating isolation, quarantine, and movement control order (MCO) taken in Malaysia.

Entomological Surveillance Associated with Human Zika Cases in Miri Sarawak, Malaysia.

Two confirmed human cases of Zika virus (ZIKV) were reported in the district of Miri, Sarawak, in 2016. Following that, a mosquito-based ZIKV surveillance study was conducted within 200-m radius from the case houses. Mosquito surveillance was conducted using five different methods, that is, biogents sentinel mosquito (BG) sentinel trap, modified sticky ovitrap, resting catch, larval surveillance, and conventional ovitrap.

Establishment of Wolbachia Strain wAlbB in Malaysian Populations of Aedes aegypti for Dengue Control.

Dengue has enormous health impacts globally. A novel approach to decrease dengue incidence involves the introduction of Wolbachia endosymbionts that block dengue virus transmission into populations of the primary vector mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The wMel Wolbachia strain has previously been trialed in open releases of Ae.

Association between Availability of Neighborhood Fast Food Outlets and Overweight Among 5⁻18 Year-Old Children in Peninsular Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

A growing number of fast-food outlets in close proximity to residential areas raises a question as to its impact on childhood overweight and obesity. This study aimed at determining the relationship between the availability of fast-food outlets that were in close proximity to residential areas and overweight among Malaysian children aged 5 to 18 years. Measurement data on the weight and height of 5544 children (2797 boys, 2747 girls) were obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011.

Fish consumption pattern among adults of different ethnics in Peninsular Malaysia.

Background: Understanding different patterns of fish consumption is an important component for risk assessment of contaminants in fish. A few studies on food consumption had been conducted in Malaysia, but none of them focused specifically on fish consumption. The objectives of this study were to document the meal pattern among three major ethnics in Malaysia with respect to fish/seafood consumption, identify most frequently consumed fish and cooking method, and examine the influence of demographic factors on pattern of fish consumption among study subjects.