LoVE4MUM Mobile App to Prevent Postpartum Depression: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Postpartum depression remains a significant concern, posing substantial challenges to maternal well-being, infant health, and the mother-infant bond, particularly in the face of barriers to traditional support and interventions. Previous studies have shown that mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer an accessible means to facilitate early detection and management of mental health issues while at the same time promoting preventive care.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Leveraging on Virtual Engagement for Maternal Understanding & Mood-enhancement (LoVE4MUM) mobile app, which was developed based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and psychoeducation and serves as an intervention to prevent postpartum depression.

Beyond individual-level factors that influence family planning uptake among women with diabetes mellitus: a systematic literature review.

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus among women increased consistently together with the increase in the overall prevalence of diabetes mellitus globally. One of the components in holistic diabetes care among women are preconception interventions. Family planning usage has been one of the components in preconception care among this group of population, especially among women with unoptimised diabetes mellitus, where family planning may allow disease optimisation prior to pregnancy.

Exploring Asian maternal experiences and mHealth needs for postpartum mental health care.

Background: Mental health care during the postpartum period is notably underexplored within Asian demographics, with barriers such as stigma, privacy concerns, logistical challenges, and a shortage of mental health professionals that limits access to optimal mental healthcare. Previous studies found that mobile health (mHealth) technology has been offering a promising solution to these issues. However, the perspectives of mothers on existing mental health services and their mHealth needs are still not well understood and warrant further exploration.

Barriers to Childhood Immunization in Rural and Remote Areas: A Qualitative Exploration From the Perspectives of Community Leaders in Sindh, Pakistan.

Despite overall improvements observed at the national level, there is a significant disparity in childhood vaccination coverage rates between urban and rural regions, particularly within tribal and remote areas in Pakistan. Our study aimed to explore the views of community/tribal leaders concerning barriers and their local solutions for improving vaccine uptake, with a specific focus on remote settings. An exploratory qualitative research study was conducted from July to September 2019 in Shikarpur, Sindh, Pakistan.

Natural health product knowledge as a significant factor associated with health-promoting lifestyle in a low-income urban community in Kuala Lumpur.

Background: Low income communities are vulnerable to non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which affect their economy and disability status. An effective approach to address the NCD burden is through the multidimensional concept of health-promoting lifestyle. Another preferred approach by the population worldwide for NCD treatment is natural health product (NHP).

Family planning behaviours among women with diabetes mellitus: a scoping review.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus in pregnancies is associated with adverse outcomes both for the mothers and babies. Postponing pregnancy in unoptimized conditions and stabilisation of glucose should be prioritized. This scoping review is aimed to determine the scope and at the same time map the types of evidence available that is related to family planning behaviours among women with diabetes mellitus, with a particular focus on their factors which influence family planning usage and subsequently enable the identification of knowledge gaps in preventing unintended pregnancies among this high-risk population.

Women's autonomy in healthcare decision making: a systematic review.

Objectives: Although there are calls for women's empowerment and gender equity globally, there are still large disparities regarding women's autonomy in healthcare decision making. The autonomy of women is believed to be crucial in improving their health-related outcomes. This review discusses factors that influence autonomy among women in healthcare decision making.

A Comparison of the National Cervical Cancer Policies in Six Developing Countries with the World Health Organization Recommendations: A Narrative Review.

Background: This study reviewed cervical cancer policies implemented in developing countries that adhered to WHO standards. Despite long being known as a preventable disease, cervical cancer is still one of the leading causes of mortality among women. Nine out of ten cervical cancer deaths occurred in less-developed countries, suggesting that the preventive and control approaches in these countries might differ from those in developed nations.

Does Quit Smoking Desire Influence E-Cigarette Smoking Behaviour? Malaysian Perspectives.

Recent years have witnessed an emerging trend of e-cigarette smoking in Southeast Asia. On the basis of Malaysian perspectives, this cross-sectional study explored the relationship between e-cigarette smoking behaviour and variables such as perceived health benefit, the desire to quit, social acceptance, social impact and product usefulness. Individuals aged 17 years old and older were recruited via purposive convenience sampling, yielding a total sample of 503 respondents.

A Qualitative Study to Explore the Determinants of Risky Sexual Behaviors and Pregnancy among Female Adolescents in Sabah, Malaysia.

This investigation was performed in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah state, where the highest number of pregnancies is recorded. The purpose of this study was to determine variables associated with hazardous sexual activity and adolescent pregnancy in Sabah, Malaysia. The findings indicate that familial variables, peer interactions, self-esteem, psychiatric concerns, economic considerations, and sex knowledge all play a significant role in hazardous sexual conduct and adolescent pregnancy in Sabah, Malaysia.

The effectiveness of a theory-based intervention program for pregnant women with anemia: A randomized control trial.

Anemia in pregnancy is a public health concern. It has been diagnosed in 27% of pregnant women in Malaysia and up to 40% of pregnant women globally. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention initiative based on the health belief model.

Influence of sociocultural beliefs and practices on contraception: a systematic review.

In this systematic review, we aimed to explore the influence of sociocultural beliefs and practices on contraception and their uptake among women in low-income countries (LICs) and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs). For this purpose, a literature search was conducted using four databases, namely Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and EBSCOhost Research Platform. Twenty-five articles were selected and analyzed out of a total of 5180 retrieved and screened articles.

Quality of Life among Mothers of High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD)Adolescents.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has become more prevalent globally. The disorder is predominantly characterised by low social skills noted explicitly in people with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD). The individuals usually possess a normal or superior intelligence quotient (IQ) but the disability impedes the achievement of their actual high potential, hence compromising their quality of life (QoL).

The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Iron Deficiency Anemia Among Pregnant Women in Malaysia: A Systematic Review.

Anemia in pregnancy is defined as a hemoglobin level of <11 g/dl, and is commonly due to iron deficiency. This systematic review was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors of anemia and iron deficiency among pregnant women in Malaysia. A systematic literature search was conducted in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases.

The Acceptance of Human Papillomavirus Self-Sampling Test among Muslim Women:A Systematic Review.

Introduction: Human Papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling test has the potential to increase cervical cancer screening rate. Although every screening test has its own advantages and disadvantages, culture and religion can be significant predictors for the acceptability of screening tests among patients, including the HPV self-sampling test. This systematic review intends to identify and review published literature on the acceptance of HPV self-sampling test among Muslim women globally.

Physical inactivity in early pregnancy and the determinants in an urban city setting of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Background: Physical inactivity in pregnancy has been associated with excessive gestational weight gain, hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes mellitus and postpartum depression. Despite these risks, physical inactivity level remains high especially in higher income countries. The prevalence of physical inactivity among women in Malaysia aged ≥16 years was 28.

Missed Appointments at a Child Development Centre and Barriers to Access Special Needs Services for Children in Klang Valley, Malaysia: A Mixed Methods Study.

Attending appointments is vital for children with special needs, as such appointments involve long-term interdisciplinary care to ensure continuity of care and improve health and well-being. This study was performed to determine the prevalence of missed clinic appointments and identify the factors among those who have ever missed appointments and barriers of access to children's special needs services at the Child Development Centre (CDC) at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). Moreover, suggestions for improvement from the caregivers' perspectives were explored.

Factors affecting successful scale-up of health-related pilot projects.

Objective: To identify the key factors that contribute to the successful scale-up of pilot projects, with emphasis on factors that are proven helpful in the successful scaling up of health interventions.

Methods: Grey literature was searched at the library of the University of Kebangsaan, Malaysia, on database engines Google Scholar and Science Direct with specific key words to screen papers published from January 2001 to June 2016. They were reviewed to identify the key factors affecting scaling up of health-related pilot projects.

The Reliability and Validity of the Malay Parent-Report Version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.21315/mjms2019.26.

The Impacts of Illegal Toxic Waste Dumping on Children's Health: A Review and Case Study from Pasir Gudang, Malaysia.

Poor management of hazardous waste can lead to environmental pollution, injuries, and adverse health risks. Children's exposure to hazardous waste may cause serious acute and chronic health problems due to their higher vulnerability to the toxic effects of chemicals. This study examines an incident of illegal chemical dumping in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia and its potential health impacts on children.

Relationship between anthropometric and biochemical changes of metabolic syndrome with retinal nerve fiber layer and macular thickness.

Objective: To evaluate the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular thicknesses and identify systemic risk factors for thinning of these layers in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Methodology: A cross-sectional observational study was performed on patients diagnosed with MetS and compared to normal controls. All patients underwent ophthalmic and anthropometric examination, serological and biochemical blood investigations; and ocular imaging using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Factors Associated with Mental Health Problems among Malaysian Children: A Large Population-Based Study.

Mental health problems are a major public health issue, particularly among children. They impair children's development, academic achievement, and ability to live a productive life. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with mental health problems among children aged 5 to 15 years old in Malaysia.

A systematic review on noncommunicable diseases among working women.

The increasing involvement of women in the paid-labor market has led to multifactorial exposure towards the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This review aims to identify the prevalence of NCDs and the associated risk factors among working women. A systematic review was performed using PubMed and Scopus databases.

Reproductive and behavioural risk factors of low birth weight among newborns in Al Thawra Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen.

Background: Low birth weight can lead to infant death, especially during the first year of life.

Aims: To assess risk factors related to low birth weight babies in Sana'a, Yemen.

Methods: We conducted an unmatched case-control study of 252 women who came for delivery at Al Thawra Hospital, Sana'a, Yemen, between August and October 2016.