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Menstruation is a natural phenomenon considered an important indicator of women's health, reflecting their endocrine function. Women in low middle income countries face substantial menstrual hygiene management challenges. Data on the knowledge of dysmenorrhea and health-related practices among Malaysian women are scarce. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of dysmenorrhea among Malaysian women in Kuala Lumpur and its association with socio-demographic factors, knowledge level, and general practices. A cross-sectional study was carried out among Malaysian women in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 362 unmarried women, nulliparous and aged between 18 and 25 years old, were included in this study. Participants were conveniently recruited through online platforms as well as face to face using a self-administered questionnaire with five sections consisting of demographics, menstrual characteristics, Working ability, Location, Intensity, Days of pain, Dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) score for diagnosing and assessing the severity of dysmenorrhea as well as an evaluation of respondents' general knowledge and practices towards dysmenorrhea. The collected data were analysed using the SPSS tool, a descriptive statistic was used to report demographic characteristics. Inferential statistics was used to report the differentiation, association, and correlations of the variables. The prevalence of primary dysmenorrhea was 73.2%. It was found that the majority of the respondents had poor knowledge (60%) and poor practices (61.88%) of dysmenorrhea. The most common preventive practices among the respondents were using dietary supplements, and herbs, taking a rest and exercising. The findings also indicated that dysmenorrhea among the respondents was significantly associated with family history of dysmenorrhea (p = 0.002), monthly income (p = 0.001), and knowledge level (p = 0.001). Dysmenorrhea has a high prevalence among women in Malaysia in Kula Lumpur driven by low knowledge and lack of evidence-based practices among these women. Thus, it is critical for Government and healthcare authorities to promote education related to women health among Malaysian women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate knowledge, facilitators and barriers towards adverse drug reaction ( ADR) reporting among hospital pharmacists in Malaysia. Methods A questionnaire-based survey was conducted during July- August 2009. Survey participants were registered hospital pharmacists from 10 randomly chosen public hospitals. The validated and pilot-tested questionnaire consisted of four parts: demographic data, general knowledge about ADR reporting, attitudes and barriers towards ADR reporting and recommendations to improve ADR reporting. Key findings Altogether 300 questionnaires were mailed, and 163 returned (response rate of 54.3%). All respondents ( n = 163) believed that ADR reporting is part of their responsibility. The majority (89.6%) claimed to have reported an ADR in the past. Reactions of a serious nature (89.0%), unusual reactions (82.2%) and reactions to a new product (73.6%) were the most frequently cited reasons to report an ADR. Factors preventing pharmacists reporting ADRs were: insufficient information from the patient (54.6%), reaction assumed to be already well known (48.5%), too busy to report (35.6%) and forgot to report (31.9%). Suggested methods to improve ADR reporting included education and training in ADR detection and reporting (70%) and feedback from the relevant authorities (63.8%). Pharmacists with ≥3 years' working experience were more likely to report an ADR. However, the association was not statistically significant ( P = 0.08). Conclusion Malaysian hospital pharmacists are well informed about the national pharmacovigilance system and consider ADR reporting to be part of their professional responsibility. Education and training in ADR reporting can be used as one of the planning strategies to improve the reporting rate in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess and compare the knowledge and perception of breast cancer among women of various ethnic groups in the state of Penang. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 5 to March 15, 2008. 384 participants were conveniently selected and interviewed face to face by a trained researcher (M.A.H.) using a validated questionnaire. Participants were required to answer 22 questions concerning knowledge of breast cancer and 5 questions on the perception of breast cancer management and treatment outcomes. Results: The mean total score of knowledge was 59.1%, with Indian women having significantly less knowledge than the Chinese and Malay women (p < 0.001). Only 117 (32.3%) and 120 (33.0%) women were aware of the recommended breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) guidelines, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that ethnicity, age, level of education and employment status were major determinants of breast cancer knowledge. Conclusion: The current study has demonstrated that women in the state of Penang have serious knowledge deficits about breast cancer and poor awareness of BSE and CBE guidelines. This study has highlighted the need of an intensive breast cancer awareness campaign which should also stress the importance of early detection and reporting of breast cancer. Copyright © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of pharmacist recruitment on adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting in Malaysia. It notes that all ADR reports across the country are received and screened by the Malaysian Adverse Drug Reaction Advisory Committee (MADRAC) within the National Center for Adverse Drug Reaction Monitoring. The author also notes that contribution of community pharmacists in ADR detection poses the need for further education and training.