Quantitative forecasting trend of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever cases in Peninsular Malaysia

Introduction: Forecasting dengue fever (DF} cases (including dengue haemorrhagic fever, DHF) is important in improving the effectiveness of control measures by early identification of period with higher DF cases, areas and populations at risk. Objective: This study was carried out to describe epidemic, seasonal and trend-cycle of DF patterns, to determine the best time series forecasting model, to test the predictability of rainfall and temperature and finally, to forecast the monthly OF cases in the next two years (2005-2006) in Peninsular Malaysia which includes 11 states and Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Methods: A quantitative forecasting study was conducted using reported monthly DF cases (including DHF), rainfall and temperature during eight years, from 1997 to 2004. The OF data were obtained from the Vector Borne Diseases Section, Ministry of Health Malaysia and rainfall and temperature data was obtained from Malaysian Meteorological Service, Malaysia. The patterns of DF were described using decomposition time series method. The best time series forecasting model was identified among six time series models. The predictability of rainfall and temperature was tested using linear regression model and ARIMA mixed model. Finally, the best model was used to forecast the DF cases in the next two years (2005-2006).Results: During eight years, all states in Peninsular Malaysia faced epidemic outbreak, especially in 1998 and 2002. Seasonal variation was found in all states of Peninsular Malaysia except Selangor, Malacca, Perak and Kedah. Increasing trend of DF cases was observed in seven out of twelve study areas. Decomposition m~thod was identified as the best forecasting model for all states except Perak and Terengganu where Winter's and ARIMA with seasonal components model were the best respectively. However, rainfall and temperature were not found to be good predictors for DF. With a cut point (i.e. mean+2SD) for epidemic, several states such as Malacca, Kedah, Penang, Perlis, and Terengganu were forecasted to have at least one month of epidemic during 2005 to 2006. Conclusion: The study successfully identified the best forecasting model, and calculate forecasts for the next two years for each state in Peninsular Malaysia, which could help the health management in carrying out the activities of DF prevention and control by making the appropriate choice of strategy

Malay version of exercise self-efficacy: a confirmatory analysis among malaysians with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Exercise self-efficacy (ESE) is one of the psychological constructs in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM). The objective of the present study is to assess the validity and reliability of the Malay version of Exercise self-efficacy scale (ESE-M) among Malaysians with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling method using a self-administered questionnaire was carried out. Participants were invited to complete the ESE-M with 18 items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and composite reliability (CR) was computed using Mplus 8. A total of 331 Malaysians with T2DM with a mean age of 63 years old (Standard Deviation = 0.57) completed the questionnaire. Most of the participants were male (52%) and Malay (89.4%). Two initial CFA models (single factor and three factors) of ESE-M scale were tested and they did not fit to the data well. Several re-specifications of the models were conducted. The final model for the ESE-M showed improvement on the value of model fit indices for the single factor model (comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.952, Tucker and Lewis index (TLI) = 0.938, standardised root mean square (SRMR) = 0.044, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.054) and three factors model (CFI = 0.891, TLI = 0.863, SRMR = 0.049, RMSEA = 0.081). The CR for the self-efficacy factor was 0.921 (single factor), while CR for internal feelings, competing demands and situational (three factors) were 0.762, 0.818 and 0.864, respectively. The final model of single factor ESE-M showed better fit to the data compared to the three factors ESE-M. This indicated that the single factor ESE-M is more suitable to be adopted for future study among Malaysians with T2DM

Psychometric properties of the Malay version of the self-efficacy for exercise scale

Background: The present study was aimed at validating the Malay-language version of the Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE-M) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Methods: Data were collected from undergraduate students at all campuses of the Universiti Sains Malaysia. A total of 1,605 students completed the SEE-M (female: 71.5%, male: 28.5%), with the mean age of 20.3 years (SD = 1.5). Perceived self-efficacy was assessed with the 18-item SEE-M. Standard forward–backward translation was performed to translate the English version of the Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE) into the Malay version (SEE-M). Results: The 2 initial measurement models tested (1-factor and 3-factor models) did not result in a good fit to the data. Subsequent investigation of the CFA results recommended some modifications, including adding correlations between the item residuals within the same latent variable. These modifications resulted in good fit indices for the 1-factor model (RMSEA = .059, CFI = .939, TLI = .922, SRMR = .049) and the 3-factor model (RMSEA = .066, CFI = .924, TLI = .903, SRMR = .051). The final measurement models comprised all 18 SEE-M items, which had significant factor loadings of more than .40. The test-retest results indicated that the SEE-M was stable, with an intra-class correlation of .99. The composite reliability was .886 for the 1-factor model and .670–.854 for the 3-factor model. Conclusions: The translated version of the SEE-M was valid and reliable for assessing the level of self-efficacy for exercise among university students in Malaysia. Perspective: This study examining the psychometric properties of the SEE scale based on CFA was the first to assess 2 proposed models (1-factor and 3-factor models) simultaneously and to translate the original, English-language SEE into Malay.University Research Individual (1001.PPSP.8012250) from Universiti Sains Malaysia (http://www.research.usm.my/

Internet Addiction and Personality: Association with Impulsive Sensation Seeking and Neuroticism-Anxiety Traits

Introduction: The internet has revolutionized the information age. There has been growing concern regarding internet addiction, despite its benefits. Personality trait such as neuroticism has been linked with internet addiction. Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of internet addiction and its association with personality traits among college students. Methods: College students age 18-24 who were doing an attachment in a government hospital were recruited into the study. Internet addiction was assessed using the internet addiction test (IAT), whilst personality traits by using the cross cultural Malay language 40-item Zuckerman-Kuhlman personality questionnaire (ZKPQ-M-40-CC) Results: The prevalence of internet addiction was 31.8%, with moderate and severe use of internet at 30.7% and 1.1%, respectively. Based on multiple logistic regression analysis, the impulsive sensation seeking and neuroticism-anxiety traits were found to be significantly associated with internet addiction. Conclusions: The prevalence of internet addiction is comparable to other studies conducted in Malaysia. Personality traits impulsive sensation seeking and neuroticism-anxiety emerged as significant associated factors with internet addiction. Further study to understand the role of personality traits in the development of internet addiction is recommended

Psychometric properties of the health-promoting lifestyle profile II: cross-cultural validation of the Malay language version

Background: Health-promoting behaviour is an important concept for health education. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of validated instruments to measure levels of health-promoting behaviour in the Malaysian context. The purpose of this study was to validate a Malay-language version of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) using a confirmatory approach. Methods: Participants were 997 university undergraduate students, with a mean age of 21 years (SD = 1.58). The majority of the participants (80.4%) were female. Health-promoting behaviour was assessed using the 52-item HPLP-II, which measures six components of health-promoting behaviour outcomes. HPLP-II was translated into the Malay language using standard forward and backward translation procedures. Participants then completed the HPLP-II Malay version (HPLP-II-M). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted using Mplus 8.0 software on the six domains of HPLP-II-M model. Results: The CFA result based on the hypothesised measurement model of six factors was aligned with the original HPLP-II, except for two low loading items which were subsequently removed from the CFA analysis. The final CFA measurement model with 50 items resulted in a good fit to the data based on RMSEA and SRMR fit indices (RMSEA = 0.046, 90%CI = 0.045, 0.048, SRMR = 0.062). The construct reliabilities for the HPLP-II-M subscales were acceptable, ranging from 0.737 to 0.878. Conclusion: The HPLP-II-M with six components of health-promoting behaviour outcomes and 50 items was considered valid and reliable for the present Malaysian sample.Research University Individual, Universiti Sains Malaysia (1001/PPSP/8012250

Psychometric evaluation of a newly developed elderly - Constipation Impact Scale

Background. Chronic constipation is a common symptom among the elderly, and it may affect their quality of life (QoL). A lack of available research focused on the elderly means that this effect is not well understood. This study aimed to develop and validate a new scale (Elderly-Constipation Impact Scale (E-CIS)) to measure the impact of chronic constipation on QoL among the elderly. Methods. A pool of items was generated from a qualitative study, literature reviews, and expert reviews. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed on the original 40 items of the E-CIS and followed by 27 items for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). A total of 470 elderly people with chronic constipation were involved. Results. The mean age of the participants was 68.64 ± 6.57. Finally, only 22 items were indicated as appropriately representing the E-CIS, which were grouped into seven subscales: ‘daily activities’, ‘treatment satisfaction’, ‘lack of control of bodily function’, ‘diet restriction’, ‘symptom intensity’, ‘anxiety’ and ‘preventive actions’. The scale was confirmed as valid (root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.04, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.961, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.952 and chisquare/degree of freedom (chiSq/df) = 1.44) and reliable (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.66–0.85, composite reliability (CR) = 0.699–0.851) to assess the impact of chronic constipation on the elderly’s QoL. Conclusions. The E-CIS is useful to measure the impact of chronic constipation on the elderly’s QoL. A further test is needed to determine the validity and reliability of this scale in other elderly population

Effects of technology-supported brain breaks videos on exercise self-efficacy among type 2 diabetes mellitus Malaysians

The technology supported Brain Breaks (BB) videos are a series of structured, web-based physical activity (PA) videos designed to promote learning and health. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of BB videos on exercise self-efficacy (ESE) among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients using the Malay-versioned exercise self-efficacy scale (ESE-M). The study used a double-blind research design and was randomised into two groups: (1) The Technology Supported BB intervention group, and (2) the control group. 70 T2DM patients with a mean age of 57.6 years (SD= 8.5) were recruited from Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. For 4 months, participants in the intervention group were required to undertake PA every day using the BB videos (approximately 10 min). Both groups completed the ESE-M at pre-intervention, the end of the first month, the second month, the third month, and post-intervention. For the data analysis, a mixed factorial analysis of variance was used. The results showed that at the end of the intervention, the two groups’ ESE was significantly different (p < 0.001). From pre- to post-intervention, the intervention group’s ESE-M mean scores improved significantly. Technology-supported BB videos may be an effective strategy for improving ESE in T2DM patients

Co-Curricular Activities and Motives for Participating in Physical Activity among Health Sciences Students at Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia

Background: The purpose of the study was to compare the motives for participating in physical activity (PA) through the different types of co-curricular activities chosen by health sciences undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia. Methods: The participants were university students at USM’s Health Campus, who were invited to volunteer and complete two measures: a demographic form, including the types of co-curricular activities in which the students chose to enrol (sports, uniform and art), and the Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS). Results: A total of 588 university students (female = 79.1%, male = 20.9%) with a mean age of 19.77 (SD = 1.39) participated in the study. The results showed significant differences in the motives of affiliation (P < 0.001), appearance (P = 0.008) and physical condition (P = 0.010) across the types of co-curricular activities in which the students participated. The students who enrolled in sports generally showed higher motives of affiliation, appearance and physical condition for participating in PA than other types of co-curricular activities. Conclusion: The study findings can provide further insights into the motives for participating in PA among health sciences students and encouragement for students to integrate PA into their daily routines.Universiti Sains Malaysia Short Term Grant (Grant Scheme No. 304/PPSP/61313041

The socio-demographic and clinical factors associated with quality of life among patients with brain pathology in a tertiary referral hospital in Malaysia

Background: This paper investigates the quality of life of brain pathology patients in relation to their socio-demographic profiles and clinical factors. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study done at a tertiary referral hospital in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 100 patients were recruited in the study after excluding 22 patients who did not met the exclusion criteria. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) self-administered questionnaire was utilized in the study. The Global health status/QoL, Physical functioning, Role functioning, Emotional functioning, Cognitive functioning, Social functioning, Fatigue, Nausea and vomiting, Pain, Dyspnoea, Insomnia, Appetite loss, Constipation, Diarrhoea, and Financial difficulties were assessed in this study. Results: The most severe impairment in functioning was with lowest score of cognitive functioning (mean score=61) and the most severe symptom was fatigue (mean score=45). There were significant differences in quality of life scores in different socio-demographic groupsand types of brain pathology patients. Patients aged below 40 years old or less had better physical functioning, less symptoms of fatigue and insomnia compared to patients who were more than 40 years old. Male patients faced more financial difficulties compared with female patients. Patients who were married had increased insomnia compared to the single patients. Employed patients had better physical functioning and less financial difficulties compared with patients who were unemployed. Patients who earned >RM 2500.00 monthly had better physical functioning, less symptoms of pain and less financial difficulties than patients who earned ≤RM 2500.00. Patients with qualifications lower than SPM tended to face more financial difficulties compared to patients with qualifications of SPM or higher. Meningioma patients had better social functioning compared with others, whereas Carvenoma patients had better physical functioning. Meningioma patients had more symptoms of insomnia compared with other patients. All the findings were with p value less than 0.05. Conclusion: The quality of life of patients with brain pathology is affected by socio-demographic factors and clinical diagnoses. Efforts should be made to improve the overall quality of life of these patients

The impact of COVID-19 on students’ anxiety and its clarification: a systematic review

IntroductionSince the emergence of COVID-19 in 2019, every country in the world has been affected to varying degrees. Long-term psychological pressure and anxiety will inevitably damage the physical and mental health of students. This study aimed to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students who experienced stress and anxiety and to clarify which intervention was more effective.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted between January 2020 and December 2022 using online databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar by using the following keywords in combination: “COVID-19,” “stress,” “anxiety,” “depression,” and “intervention.” The retrieved literature was screened and reviewed.ResultsA total of 2,924 articles were retrieved using subject and keyword searches. After screening through the titles and abstracts, 18 related studies were retained. Their review revealed that: (1) most studies did not use medication to control stress and anxiety; (2) the standard methods used to reduce stress and anxiety were religion, psychological counseling, learning more about COVID-19 through the media, online mindfulness courses, improving sleep quality, and physical exercise; (3) the most effective interventions were physical activity and raising awareness about COVID-19 through the media and online mindfulness programs. However, some studies show that physical activity cannot directly relieve psychological stress and anxiety.ConclusionLimited interventions are effective, but learning more about COVID-19 and using active coping strategies may help reduce stress and anxiety. The implications of COVID-19 are also discussed