Factors Associated With Health-Related Quality of Life Among Female Secondary Schools Teachers.

Determining the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of secondary school teachers and its relationship with various factors will provide a basis for improving their quality of life and benefit society. To this end, this article endeavors to determine the factors associated with HRQoL among female secondary school teachers in Selangor, Malaysia. This was a cross-sectional study of 888 female secondary school teachers in Selangor, Malaysia.

Effects of a Community-Based Healthy Lifestyle Intervention Program (Co-HELP) among Adults with Prediabetes in a Developing Country: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes among Malaysian adults has increased by more than two folds over the past two decades. Strategies to collaborate with the existing community partners may become a promising channel for wide-scale dissemination of diabetes prevention in the country. The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of community-based lifestyle interventions delivered to adults with prediabetes and their health-related quality of life as compared to the usual care group.

Effect of vitamin D supplementation on cardiometabolic risks and health-related quality of life among urban premenopausal women in a tropical country--a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Many observational studies linked vitamin D to cardiometabolic risks besides its pivotal role in musculoskeletal diseases, but evidence from trials is lacking and inconsistent.

Aim: To determine whether Vitamin D supplementation in urban premenopausal women with vitamin D deficiency can improve cardiometabolic risks and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Design: A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The experiences of suffering of palliative care informal caregivers in Malaysia: a thematic analysis.

A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of suffering in 15 palliative care informal caregivers in University Malaya Medical Centre. The data were thematically analyzed. Seven basic themes were generated (1) empathic suffering, (2) anticipatory grief, (3) obsessive-compulsive suffering, (4) helpless-powerless suffering, (5) obligatory suffering, (6) impedimental suffering, and (7) repercussion suffering.

Can initial perceptions about quitting predict smoking cessation among Malaysian smokers?

Perceived risks and benefits of quitting smoking may be important factors in successful treatment. This study examined the association between initial perceived risks and benefits of quitting smoking and outcomes during a two month smoking cessation attempt. Participants (n = 185) were treatment-seeking smokers attending two smoking cessation clinics in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Association of melanocortin-4 receptor gene polymorphisms with obesity-related parameters in Malaysian Malays.

Background: Melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) is an important regulator of body weight and energy intake. Genetic polymorphisms of the MC4R gene have been found to be linked to obesity in many recent studies across the globe.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the effects of MC4R polymorphisms on obesity parameters, Linkage disequilibrium (LD) pattern and haplotypes in Malaysian Malays.

The experiences of suffering of palliative care patients in Malaysia: a thematic analysis.

A qualitative study was conducted with semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of suffering in 20 adult palliative care inpatients of University Malaya Medical Centre. The results were thematically analyzed. Ten basic themes were generated (1) loss and change → differential suffering, (2) care dependence → dependent suffering, (3) family stress → empathic suffering, (4) disease and dying → terminal suffering, (5) health care staff encounters → interactional suffering, (6) hospital environment → environmental suffering, (7) physical symptoms → sensory suffering, (8) emotional reactions → emotional suffering, (9) cognitive reactions → cognitive suffering, and (10) spiritual reactions → spiritual suffering.

General health related quality of life and associated factors among prostate cancer patients in two tertiary medical centers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: a cross-sectional study.

Measurement of quality of life among prostate cancer patients helps the health care providers to understand the impact of the disease in the patients' own perspective. The main aim of this study is to measure the quality of life among prostate cancer patients at University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) and to ascertain the association factors for physical coefficient summary (PCS) and mental coefficient summary (MCS). A hospital based, cross sectional study using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire was conducted over a period of 6 months.

Gender-dependent association of a β(2)-adrenergic gene variant with obesity parameters in Malaysian Malays.

Recent findings have shown that the rs1042714 (Gln27Glu) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the β2-adrenoceptor gene may predispose to obesity. The findings from other studies carried on different populations, however, have been inconsistent. The authors investigated the association between the rs1042714 SNP with obesity-related parameters.

Does change in perception following counseling result in improved quitting outcome among Malaysian smokers?

Objective: The authors examined the effects that change in perception about the advantages and disadvantages of smoking and quitting had on quitting outcome among smokers enrolled in a program for smoking cessation.

Methods: A total of 185 smokers from 2 public universities who were interested in quitting received smoking cessation counseling on understanding the risks and benefits of quitting (or smoking) in addition to a course of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). A decisional balance questionnaire (DBQ) was administered at baseline and at 2 months postcounseling to determine and assess changes in smoking perception.

Predictors of smoking cessation among staff in public Universities in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Smoking cessation studies are often performed in clinic based settings. The present example aimed to find predictors of success among staff in worksite smoking cessation programmes in two major public universities in Klang Valley, Malaysia. All staff from both universities received an open invitation via staff e-mail and letters to participate.