Institute for Public Health Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC-IPH) was established and given the task of logistic management during the major flood disaster in Malaysia on the eve of 2015 new year. The objective of this paper is to share the experience and challenges faced in the process. Upon establishment, CPRC-IPH recruited its members, set up a designated flood operation room, created an inventory of stand-by vehicles, deployed them to flooded areas for aids, monitored their activities thoughout, devised the idea of vehicle-day to quantify the intensity of involvement of the stand-by vehicles provided by different parties, and submitted feedback daily to Ministry of Health Malaysia Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC-KKM) in Putrajaya. The result wasa 22-member team running CPRC-IPH for 20 days, different tasks outlined in the terms of reference. Eighty-seven (87) vehicles were on stand-by, of which 55 were from various agencies under Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia, 15 from concessionaries, and 17 from a private rental company. In total, 281 vehicle-days were completed throughout the period; out of which 39 vehicle-days were contributed by MOH vehicles, 124 by concessionaries, and 118 were rented. On average, around 14 cars were deployed each day with two from MOH. This greatly reduced the impact to the exisiting core business of the participating MOH agencies. Three challenges faced by CPRC-IPH in the process were shortage of vehicle supply, communication breakdown, and difficulties in monitoring. Government private partnership, establishment of standard operation procedure for disaster management, prior structured training for CPRC members, utilisation of diverse information systems, and creative simplification of quantifying measurement were the keys in solving the problems faced. In conclusion, CPRC-IPH fulfilled the logistic management successfully. It is hoped that its experience may help to improve the logistic management for flood disaster in the future.

Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia is an important modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease. Lifestyle changes in diet and physical activity can improve cholesterol levels. This study aimed to compare the fruits and vegetables (FV) intake and physical activity (PA) between hypercholesterolemic adults and non-hypercholesterolemic adults in Malaysia, and to investigate factors associated with meeting the recommended levels of FV intake and PA in a hyper-cholesterolemic population. Methods: This study was based on 17,988 participants (response rate 98.7%) aged 18 years and above who responded to the hypercholesterolemia questionnaire in the 2011 Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), a cross-sectional study with two-stage stratified sampling design. Data were obtained by trained enumerators via face-to-face interviews and were analysed by descriptive analysis, chi-square test, and univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Out of Results: the total population assessed, 39.0% had hypercholesterolemia. The prevalence of consuming five or more servings of FV per day is low (7.8%) while 36.0% were physically inactive among the hypercholesterolemic adults. No significant differences were observed in FV intake and PA between hypercholesterolemic and non-hypercholesterolemic populations. Gender, age and educational levels were associated with FV intake and PA among hypercholesterolemic adults. Hypercholesterolemic adults who were underweight or obese were less likely to consume FV, while those who were former smokers and those who had diabetes and heart disease were less likely to be physically active. Conclusion: These findings are relevant for future health promotion strategies, suggesting that more intensive interventions are needed to increase FV intake and PA level in hypercholesterolemic population and in the general population.

Adolescents who overestimate the prevalence of smoking among their peers or other teens are at higher risk to take up smoking. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the factors which are related to adolescents’ overestimation of smoking. We surveyed form four (16 years old) students in Petaling District, Selangor. A sample was selected using two-stage stratified sampling, and data were collected using standardised, self-administered questionnaires. A response rate of 80.4% (n=1045/1298) was obtained, and a total of 943 students were included in the final analysis. About 73 percent (n=688/943) of the respondents overestimated the prevalence of smoking among their peers. The odds of overestimating increased as the number of close friends who smoke increased [Two close friends, OR=3.10(1.67-5.75), three close friends OR=10.81(4.44-26.3) and four-five close friends OR= 12.91(5.31-31.43)]. Those who had an elder brother who smoked (OR=1.95 (1.18-3.24)) and females [2.08(1.37-3.33) were more likely to overestimate peer smoking prevalence. Intervention programmes to correct the misperception of peer smoking prevalence are recommended, in addition to measures to modify the other factors that are amenable to intervention, so as to reduce the risk of smoking initiation among adolescents.