Various factors may contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes; either maternal or foetal outcomes. This study aimed was to determine the association between advanced maternal age and adverse pregnancy outcomes. This is a cross sectional study. Data were collected from the birth records from January 1st 2012 until December 31st 2012 in Muar District. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were done and the results were presented as adjusted odds ratio (aOR) with p-value <0.05. The proportion of birth in Muar district, Johor was 14.8% among mothers aged 35 years and older and 85.2% among mothers aged 20 to 34 years. Advanced maternal age was associated with pregnancy induced hypertension (aOR: 5.00; 95%CI: 1.95-12.65), gestational diabetes mellitus (aOR: 2.32; 95%CI: 1.35-4.00) and Caesarean section (aOR: 2.21; 95%CI: 1.53-3.19). Anaemia was negatively associated with advanced maternal age (aOR: 0.50; 95%CI: 0.32-0.78). No significant association was found between advanced maternal age and adverse foetal outcomes. In view of the findings, special attention should be paid to the antenatal mothers aged 35 years and older, even to those without any pre-existing medical problems.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anemia and factors associated with anemia among men in Malaysia. The researchers used data from the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS). The hemoglobin levels of men aged 15 years and above who gave their consent was measured using the HemoCue® Hb 201+ System©. The majority of them (87.2%) were men aged 15–59 years, referred to as the younger age group in this study. The prevalence of anemia among men was 12.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 10.9, 14.5). The prevalence was higher among older men (30.7%; 95% CI: 26.6, 35.1) than younger men (10.0%; 95% CI: 8.2, 12.2). Anemia among men was associated with older age (adjusted odds ratios (aOR) = 3.1; 95% CI: 2.1, 4.4) and those with diabetes (aOR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.2, 2.1) via a logistic regression analysis. In conclusion, older men were more affected by anemia than younger men in this study. Anemia among older men in Malaysia is at the level of moderate to severe public health significance. The likelihood of developing anemia is increased among older men with diabetes compared to older men without diabetes. These often overlooked issues among men need to be detected and treated early in order to prevent complications and improve their quality of life.

Chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with adverse effects. However, NSAIDs are among the most popular pain killers and easily available over the counter. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of NSAIDs use in Malaysian adults and among those with chronic diseases such as arthritis, kidney disease, hypertension, heart disease and asthma. It also examined the factors associated with NSAIDs use. Data from the National Health Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2011, a nation-wide survey was analysed. A total of 18231 respondents aged 18 years and above responded to this module. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the association between NSAIDs use and associated factors. The overall prevalence of NSAIDs use among Malaysian adults was 14.2% (95%CI 13.3-15.1). Of the respondents, 4.2% (95%CI 3.8-4.7) took NSAIDs once daily. NSAIDs use was highly associated with those who were ever-told to have arthritis (aOR: 3.03; 95%CI 2.60-3.52) and have difficulty of performing daily activities or work (aOR: 2.06; 95%CI 1.86-2.28). Those who were ever-told to have kidney disease (aOR: 2.36; 95%CI 1.74-3.20), ever-told to have asthma (aOR: 1.36; 95%CI 1.17-1.58), ever-told to have heart disease (aOR: 1.34; 95%CI 1.08-1.65), known hypertension (aOR: 1.22; 95%CI 1.08-1.37) also were associated with NSAIDs use.  By socio-demographic profiles, NSAIDs use was positively associated with those who have government benefit scheme or private health insurance (aOR: 1.44; 95%CI 1.31-1.58), higher education level (aOR: 1.35; 95%CI 1.20-1.51), higher household income (aOR: 1.26; 95%CI 1.11-1.44, aOR: 1.12; 95%CI 1.02-1.24), currently working (aOR: 1.25; 95%CI 1.13-1.39) and female (aOR: 1.17; 95%CI 1.07-1.28). NSAIDs use was less likely among those aged 60 years and above (aOR: 0.83; 95% CI 0.72-0.97), Chinese (aOR: 0.41; 95% CI 0.36-0.47) and ‘Others’ ethnicity (aOR: 0.82; 95% CI 0.67-0.99) compared to Malay ethnicity. NSAIDs use is prevalent in Malaysian adults and associated with co-morbidities and higher socio-demographic status, thus appropriate awareness should be promoted and highlighted in the community.

Serious injury due to motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) significantly contributes to the adolescents’ health status. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of nonfatal injury due to MVAs and its associated factors among Malaysian school-going adolescents. Nationally representative samples were selected via 2-stage stratified cluster sampling. Data was collected using a validated self-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between the variables. A total of 1088 out of 27 497 adolescents reported that they had sustained serious injury due to MVAs with a prevalence of 4.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.7-4.5). Serious injury due to MVAs among adolescents was positively associated with being current cigarette smokers (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.5; 95% CI = 2.2-2.9), followed by Malay ethnicity (aOR = 2.4; 95% CI = 1.9-3.0), current drug users (aOR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.9-3.0), boys (aOR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.8-2.4), Indian ethnicity (aOR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.2-2.5), and those who were in upper secondary school (aOR = 1.3; 95% CI = 1.2-1.5). Targeted intervention and curbing substance use among boys may reduce the morbidities from MVAs and its resulting complications.

Background: Unprotected sexual activity predisposes adolescents to serious consequences later in life. This study aimed to identify the risks and protective factors associated with sexual activity in Malaysian adolescents aged 18 to 19 years. Methods: Data from a health screening program among adolescents conducted in 2010 were analyzed. A total of 21,438 unmarried adolescents responded to this topic using a self-administered non-anonymous validated questionnaire. Results: Among the participants, 54.5% were males and 45.5% were females. Ethnicities included 66.2% Malays, 20.7% Chinese, 7.2% Indians and 5.9% other ethnicities. Most of the respondents (97.1%) reported having a secondary level of education. The overall prevalence of sexual activity in older adolescents was 6.4% (8.9% among males and 3.6% among females). In a multivariate logistic regression model, sexual activity was positively associated with pornographic viewing (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.01-3.22), risky behavior (aOR: 2.62; 95%CI: 2.11-3.25), anti-social behavior (aOR: 2.44; 95%CI: 2.06-2.90), female (aOR: 2.24; 95%CI: 1.76-2.85), history of abuse (aOR: 1.81; 95%CI: 1.46-2.24), low religiosity (aOR: 1.71; 95%CI: 1.30-2.26) and masturbation (aOR: 1.34; 95%CI: 1.07-1.68). Conclusions: A comprehensive intervention program should be developed to target this at-risk group to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and criminal abortion.

Background: Point-of-care testing, POCT, was widely used to assess hemoglobin status before proceeding with the confirmation test. Our study aimed to assess the validity of Mission® Plus Hb in detecting hemoglobin levels in a general population compared with a standard laboratory hematology analyser as the gold standard. Methods: Two types of samples, capillary and venous blood, were collected from all respondents by trained nurses. Both blood samples were tested using Mission® Plus while the remaining venous blood in EDTA test tubes was sent to the reference laboratory. Results: A total of 622 respondents participated in this study, 75% of them females. The mean Hb tested from capillary blood using Mission® Plus Hb was 11.80±2.02 g/dl. For venous blood, the mean Hb concentrations using Mission® Plus Hb and Sysmex XE-2100 hematology analyser were 12.16±1.84 g/dl and 13.07±1.87 g/dl, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity in detecting anemia from venous samples were 98.8% and 73.4% respectively. Positive Predictive Value (PPV) was 58.5%, while Negative Predictive Value (NPV) was 99.4%. Conclusion: The findings of moderate PPV should alert the programme managers to the importance of a confirmatory test following screening using Mission® Plus Hb. Keywords: anemia; point-of-care testing (POCT); Mission® Plus Hb.