Promoting libraries through wall : Needs, wants and opportunities

Most of the libraries nowadays were changing their promotion strategy by utilizing online social network such as Facebook as a channel to reach their services to the public. Libraries in Malaysia were not left behind in using this opportunities as a platform to promote their services towards the patrons a whole. However, there are still some limitations for the libraries in Malaysia to use Facebook applications thoroughly. Libraries in Malaysia need to do some research and observations to the maximum by utilizing the Facebook application in order for them to attract more patrons utilizing the Facebook that was developed by libraries.Facebook is developed as a medium for the patrons in getting to know the latest information, events, resources, products and services available in the libraries. This paper will focus on the barriers and limitations face by the librarians in using the Facebook towards promoting libraries resources, services, events, products and etc. Moreover, this paper also will discuss on how the libraries in Malaysia promoting their services as compare to the others international libraries. Standard frameworks of Facebook applications will be developed and used by Malaysian Libraries to ensure that they can utilize the Facebook successfully

A reliable measure of frailty for a community dwelling older population

BACKGROUND: Frailty remains an elusive concept despite many efforts to define and measure it. The difficulty in translating the clinical profile of frail elderly people into a quantifiable assessment tool is due to the complex and heterogeneous nature of their health problems. Viewing frailty as a 'latent vulnerability' in older people this study aims to derive a model based measurement of frailty and examines its internal reliability in community dwelling elderly. METHOD: The British Women's Heart and Health Study (BWHHS) cohort of 4286 women aged 60-79 years from 23 towns in Britain provided 35 frailty indicators expressed as binary categorical variables. These indicators were corrected for measurement error and assigned relative weights in its association with frailty. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) reduced the data to a smaller number of factors and was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) which restricted the model by fitting the EFA-driven structure to observed data. Cox regression analysis compared the hazard ratios for adverse outcomes of the newly developed British frailty index (FI) with a widely known FI. This process was replicated in the MRC Assessment study of older people, a larger cohort drawn from 106 general practices in Britain. RESULTS: Seven factors explained the association between frailty indicators: physical ability, cardiac symptoms/disease, respiratory symptoms/disease, physiological measures, psychological problems, co-morbidities and visual impairment. Based on existing concepts and statistical indices of fit, frailty was best described using a General Specific Model. The British FI would serve as a better population metric than the FI as it enables people with varying degrees of frailty to be better distinguished over a wider range of scores. The British FI was a better independent predictor of all-cause mortality, hospitalization and institutionalization than the FI in both cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty is a multidimensional concept represented by a wide range of latent (not directly observed) attributes. This new measure provides more precise information than is currently recognized, of which cluster of frailty indicators are important in older people. This study could potentially improve quality of life among older people through targeted efforts in early prevention and treatment of frailty

A Five-Year Prospective Evaluation of Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden and Falls in the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) study

Acknowledgements This third-wave follow-up interviews were funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2019/SKK02/UM/01/1). The Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research study is now part of the Transforming Cognitive Frailty into Later-Life Self-Sufficiency (AGELESS) study which merges two existing longitudinal studies of ageing and is funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Long-Term Research Grant Scheme (LRGS/1/2019/UM/01/1/1). We would also like to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of the MELoR investigators and research team.Peer reviewedPostprin

Body shape, fear of falling, physical performance, and falls among individuals aged 55 years and above

Acknowledgements We would like to thank all MELoR investigations for their help during the data collection. Additionally, we would also like to thank to our funders. The MELoR study was funded by a High Impact Research Grant from the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Malaysia ((UM.C/625/1/HIR/MOHE/ASH/02). We would also like to acknowledge the financial support provided by University of Malaya under the Wellness Research Centre (WRC) Grand Challenge grant (GC002A-HTM).Peer reviewedPostprin

Increased Body Mass Index is Associated with Sarcopenia and Related Outcomes

Acknowledgement This study was supported by grant from the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia, Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2019/SKK02/UM/01/1).Peer reviewedPostprin

Challenges and Research Priorities for Dementia Care in Malaysia from the Perspective of Health and Allied Health Professionals

Daniel Reidpath - ORCID: 0000-0002-8796-0420 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8796-0420Few studies to date have evaluated dementia care in Malaysia, and the focus of studies has primarily been on epidemiological and laboratory research. In this study, we aimed to identify potential challenges for the delivery of dementia care in Malaysia and priorities for research and enhancing existing dementia care. This study used thematic analysis to evaluate the open and focus group workshop discussions guided by semi-structured questions. Triangulation of the collected data (sticky notes, collated field notes, and transcripts of discussions) was achieved through stakeholder consensus agreement during a workshop held in 2017. Five main themes as priorities for dementia care were identified: (1) availability of a valued multi-disciplinary care service, (2) accessibility of training to provide awareness, (3) the functionality of the governance in establishing regulation and policy to empower care services, (4) perceived availability and accessibility of research data, and (5) influence of cultural uniqueness. The findings of this study seek to enhance existing dementia care in Malaysia but have potential application for other low and middle-income countries with a similar social and health care set up. The constructed relationship between themes also tries to tackle the challenges in a more efficient and effective manner, as none of these aforementioned issues are standalone challenges. In addition, we demonstrated how a carefully constructed workshop with defined aims and objectives can provide a useful analysis tool to evaluate health and social care challenges in a multidisciplinary forum.https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18211101018pubpub2

The association between orthostatic hypotension and medication use in the British Women's Heart and Health Study.

OBJECTIVE: to determine the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) and associations with medication use in community-dwelling older women. DESIGN: cross-sectional analysis using data from the British Women's Heart and Health Study. SETTING: general practices in 23 towns in the UK. PARTICIPANTS: 3,775 women aged 60-80 years from 1999 to 2001. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: orthostatic hypotension-drop of > or =20 mmHg in systolic and/or a drop of > or =10 mmHg in diastolic blood pressure on standing. RESULTS: prevalence of OH was 28% (95% confidence interval [CI] 26.6, 29.4), which increased with age and hypertension. Regardless of treatment status or diagnosed hypertension, raised blood pressure was strongly associated with OH (P < 0.001). OH was strongly associated with number of antihypertensives taken (none vs three or more: odds ratio [OR] 2.24, 95% CI 1.47-3.40, P < 0.001); the association was slightly attenuated after allowing for age and co-morbidities (OR 1.99; 95% CI 1.30, 3.05; P = 0.003). Women with multiple co-morbidities had markedly increased odds of OH independent of age, number and type of medications taken (none vs four or more diagnoses: OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.58-3.30, P = 0.005). CONCLUSION: uncontrolled hypertension, use of three or more antihypertensives and multiple co-morbidities are predictors of OH in older women. Detection or monitoring of OH in these groups may prevent women from suffering its adverse consequences