National expert consensus on short-acting beta-agonist overreliance in asthma care in Malaysia.

Objective: Inappropriate use of short-acting beta2-agonists (SABA) in asthma has been associated with undesired outcomes. This national expert consensus was developed to increase awareness of SABA overuse and provide recommendations on the ways to eliminate SABA overprescription and overreliance in Malaysia.

Data Sources: This expert consensus was developed by searching the PubMed database, using index terms to identify SABA overuse-related burden and recommendations made in asthma guidelines.

Level of fear towards COVID-19 and its determinants among healthcare providers in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Malaysia is one of the hardest-hit countries by COVID-19 in Asia. The rapidly rising number of cases had sparked fear among healthcare providers. This study aimed to assess the determinants of fear towards COVID-19 among healthcare providers in primary care settings.

A self-management app to improve asthma control in adults with limited health literacy: a mixed-method feasibility study.

Background: Digital technology tailored for those with limited health literacy has the potential to reduce health inequalities. Although mobile apps can support self-management in chronic diseases, there is little evidence that this approach applies to people with limited health literacy. We aimed to determine the acceptability of a self-management app in adults living with asthma and have limited health literacy and the feasibility of delivering the intervention and assessing outcomes.

Social Support among Older Persons and Its Association with Smoking: Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2018.

Background: Globally, the average age of the world's population of older people continues to rise and having a good social support network becomes increasingly relevant with the aging populace. Overall, in Malaysia, social support prevalence was low among older persons. This study was conducted to determine the association between social support and smoking status among the older Malaysian population.

Characteristics and factors associated with severity of COVID-19 infections in primary care.

Introduction: Primary care service plays a vital role in early clinical assessment of patients with COVID-19 in Malaysia. This study aimed to evaluate the potential risk factors of COVID-19 severity at presentation to primary care facilities in the post-vaccination period.

Method: Clinical records from the Selangkah system of all patients with COVID-19 aged above 18 years seen at COVID-19 assessment centres located in 10 government health clinics in Gombak district, Selangor, from 1 October to 31 December 2021 with complete documentation and outcomes were retrieved.

Assessing knowledge, acts of discrimination, stigmatizing attitudes and its associated factors towards people living with HIV (PLHIV) among Family Medicine trainees in Malaysia.

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HlV)-related stigmatisation and discrimination adversely affect health outcomes in terms of timely diagnosis, treatment and care. Despite global efforts, they remain common among healthcare workers worldwide. In Malaysia, family medicine specialists are entrusted with the care of HIV patients at the primary care level.

Feasibility of supported self-management with a pictorial action plan to improve asthma control.

Supported self-management reduces asthma-related morbidity and mortality. This paper is on a feasibility study, and observing the change in clinical and cost outcomes of pictorial action plan use is part of assessing feasibility as it will help us decide on outcome measures for a fully powered RCT. We conducted a pre-post feasibility study among adults with physician-diagnosed asthma on inhaled corticosteroids at a public primary-care clinic in Malaysia.

The Prevalence of Anemia and Its Associated Factors among Older Persons: Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2015.

Background: There is limited evidence on the association of anemia with chronic diseases and disabilities among older persons in Malaysia. We assessed the prevalence of anemia and its associated factors among community-dwelling older persons.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using data from the nationwide National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015 (NHMS 2015) on the health of older adults conducted by the Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Malaysia.

The Role of Media and Retailer Message Recall on Malaysian Male Perceptions of E-Cigarette Use: The 2016 National Study of E-Cigarettes Prevalence.

This study examined the perceptions of current smokers on electronic cigarette (EC) use, after exposure to information on EC use and its potential harms from various media and retail outlets. This cross-sectional study is a sub-analysis of the National Study of Electronic Cigarettes Prevalence (N = 4289) using the multi-stage stratified sampling method. Respondents were interviewed face-to-face by a trained data collector using a structured questionnaire printed in both Bahasa Malaysia and English.

Prevalence and factors associated with multimorbidity among older adults in Malaysia: a population-based cross-sectional study.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with multimorbidity among community-dwelling older adults in Malaysia.

Design: A population-based cross-sectional study.

Setting: 13 states and 3 Federal Territories in Malaysia.

Sociocultural influences on asthma self-management in a multicultural society: A qualitative study amongst Malaysian adults.

Background: Supported self-management improves asthma outcomes, but implementation requires adaptation to the local context. Barriers reported in Western cultures may not resonate in other cultural contexts. We explored the views, experiences and beliefs that influenced self-management among adults with asthma in multicultural Malaysia.

Effectiveness of training stop-smoking advisers to deliver cessation support to the UK national proposed standard versus usual care in Malaysia: a two-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Aims: To assess the effectiveness of training stop smoking services providers in Malaysia to deliver support for smoking cessation based on the UK National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT) standard treatment programme compared with usual care.

Design: Two-arm cluster-randomized controlled effectiveness trial across 19 sites with follow-up at 4-week, 3-month, and 6-month.

Setting: Stop smoking services operating in public hospitals in Malaysia.

Cardiovascular disease risk factors among older people: Data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015.

Study on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and their prevalence among the older people in Malaysia is limited. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with CVD risk factors using the non-laboratory Framingham Generalized 10-Year CVD risk score among older people in Malaysia. This was a population-based cross-sectional study using data of 3,375 participants aged ≥60 years from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015.

Prevalence of obesity and its associated risk factors among the elderly in Malaysia: Findings from The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2015.

Background: Obesity is a crucial public health problem and is rising globally. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of obesity and its associated factors among the elderly in Malaysia.

Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2015.

Trends in population blood pressure and prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension among older persons: The 2006 & 2015 National Health and Morbidity Survey in Malaysia.

Background: Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Thus, it is an important public health challenge worldwide. In Malaysia, only a few studies have focused on the trends of hypertension specifically for the aging population.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Attempts to Quit and Smoking Cessation in Malaysia.

Smoking cessation significantly reduces risk of smoking-related diseases and mortality. This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with attempts to quit and smoking cessation among adult current smokers in Malaysia. Data from the National E-Cigarette Survey 2016 were analyzed.

Perception of Harms and Benefits of Electronic Cigarettes Among Adult Malaysian Men: A Comparison by Electronic Cigarette Use and Smoking Status.

Little is known about the perceptions of harm and benefit associated with the use of e-cigarettes in Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample comprising 1987 males (≥18 years of age). Current, former, and never users of conventional cigarettes and/or e-cigarettes participated in a questionnaire study conducted via face-to-face interviews.

Tuberculosis Incidence and Factors Associated With Mortality Among Health Care Workers in Malaysia.

This study aims to determine tuberculosis incidence, all-cause mortality, and its associated factors among health care workers (HCWs) registered in 2012 to 2014 with the Malaysian National Tuberculosis (MyTB) Surveillance Registry. Regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with all-cause mortality. Incidence rates ranged from 135.

Dengue in Malaysia: Factors Associated with Dengue Mortality from a National Registry.

Background: The increasing incidence and geographical distribution of dengue has had significant impact on global healthcare services and resources. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with dengue-related mortality in a cohort of Malaysian patients.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients in the Malaysian National Dengue Registry of 2013.

Predictors of physical inactivity among elderly malaysians: recommendations for policy planning.

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for global mortality. Regular moderate-intensity physical activity has significant benefits for health. To determine the socioeconomic predictors of physical inactivity among elderly Malaysian population.

Usage of glucometer is associated with improved glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Malaysian public primary care clinics: an open-label, randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) has been underutilised. We conducted an open-label, randomised controlled trial to assess the feasibility of introducing SMBG in primary care clinics in Malaysia.

Methods: This was an open-label, randomised controlled trial conducted in five public primary care clinics in Malaysia.