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Introduction: Leukaemia is the fourth leading cause of death among children aged 0 to 14. This study aimed to determine the prognostic factors of death in childhood leukaemia in Malaysia. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted for all childhood leukaemia patients aged 0 to 19 years diagnosed between 2010 and 2014 using data from the Malaysian National Cancer Registry database. Death dates were updated until 31st December 2019. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to determine the prognostic factors and hazard ratios. Results: Among the 1,212 children with leukaemia, females had a 19% (HR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.96) reduced risk of death than males. Meanwhile, patients aged less than one year, or between 10-14 and 15-19 years old reported adjusted hazard ratios of 1.7 (p<0.05), 1.7 (p<0.001), and 2.2 (p<0.001), respectively, when compared with patients aged 1-4 years old. Malay children with leukaemia had a 33% (HR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.68) higher risk of mortality than the Chinese. Patients with Mature B-cell (1a2) subtypes, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) (1b) subtypes, and "unspecified and other" leukaemia (1e) subtypes showed 1.6 (p<0.05), 1.5 (p<0.001), and 1.6 (p<0.001) times the risk of death as compared to acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL) (1a1) subtypes. Conclusion: Sex, age, ethnicity, and leukaemia subtypes were the four prognostic factors of mortality among pediatric patients. Early detection and treatment may improve childhood leukaemia survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: During the Covid-19 pandemic, hospital frontliners faced serious risks of getting infected with the potentially fatal Covid-19 infection and their perception of Covid-19 exposure and depressive symptoms could affect their health and reduce their work quality and their productivity as hospital frontliners. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their association with the perceived risk of exposure to Covid-19 infection. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was designed and carried out from May to June 2021. The universal sampling method was applied, and 454 people took part, giving a response rate of 98.7 per cent. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items were used as a validated self-administered questionnaire, and the data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Results: Age, female gender, ethnicity, level of education, marital status, and chronic medical ailment had a statistically significant relationship with depressive symptoms. Perceived factors such as difficulty getting the mask (p=0.01), discomfort wearing the mask (p=0.01), and feeling vulnerable to infection after close contact with confirmed/suspected Covid-19 patients (p=0.04) were found to have a statistically significant association with depressive symptoms among the hospital frontliners. In this study, 40.2 percent of hospital frontliners were found with depression symptoms. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression symptoms among hospital frontliners indicates the need for it to be highlighted and measures to be taken accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Candida albicans infection of the vagina is one of the commonest fungal which causes distress among women all around the world. In Malaysia, most women will search for relief by going to the doctors or over the counter for anti-fungal treatment. The usual treatment will be Nystatin or Clotrimazole pessary. However, traditionally, women have been known to use Piper betel (Sireh) leaves for quick relief. Methods: We extracted the active ingredients of Piper betel leaves and tested against lab-grown Candida albicans on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) and Saboruad Dextrose Agar (SDA). Active ingredients from Piper betel leaves were extracted at concentrations of 0.2545%, 0.1273%, 0.0636%, and 0.0318%, respectively. We also tested chemically produced anti-fungals, Nystatin and Clotrimazole. Results: The extract confirmed significant anti-fungal activities against Candida albicans. There was also a proportional effect on the anti-fungal activity to the concentration of the extract. In SDA medium, Piper betel extract had a maximum 29.0 mm inhibition zone at 0.2545% concentration. However, 1% Clotrimazole had a slightly larger inhibition zone of 29.3mm (0.3 mm difference). Piper betel antifungal activity on Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA), displayed an average inhibition zone of 29.33 mm with a standard deviation of 1.15. The p-value is 0.000*, indicating a highly significant difference compared to the other samples. Conclusion: Betel leaf extract has good anti-fungal effects against Candida albicans and is comparable to chemically prepared anti-fungal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Indoor air quality significantly impacts public health due to extensive indoor activity and the presence of hazardous substances. This study examines the association between indoor air quality parameters (fine particulate matter less than 2.5 microns [PM2.5], respirable particulate matter less than 10 microns [PM10], nitrogen dioxide [NO2], volatile organic compound [VOCs]) and heavy metal concentrations (chromium [Cr], manganese [Mn], nickel [Ni], lead [Pb], arsenic [As], and cadmium [Cd]) in indoor air particulate matter and dust from school environments, with students' respiratory health and lung inflammation in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. Materials and methods: Data were collected from 332 students across 24 Form 2 classrooms in six secondary schools. Data on respiratory symptoms and health were collected by questionnaire, while lung inflammation was assessed using fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements. Dust from classrooms was vacuumed using specific filters, digested for heavy metals with the aqua regia method, and analysed with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: From the questionnaire, 13% reported wheezing for the past 12 months, 51.5% throat dryness, 60.8% influenza symptoms, 50.6% sore throat, 27.7% irritating cough, 23.8% breathing difficulty, 11.4% asthma, and 55.1% respiratory infections. Heavy metals concentrations in the indoor air particulate matter in descending order is Cr>Pb>Mn>Ni>As>Cd, while in the settled dust was Mn>Pb>As>Ni>Cr>Cd. Approximately 49.4% of students exhibited lung inflammation, with FeNO levels exceeding 20 parts per billion (ppb). Conclusion: Air Mn, Pb, As, PM10, CO2, and VOCs are related to lung inflammation and reported respiratory symptoms among school students especially among male. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Childhood malnutrition, caused by multiple factors and linked to various health issues, is a significant public health concern. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of malnutrition among primary school children in Kota Kinabalu and its associated factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among Standard One primary school children (7 years old). The BMI-for-age was calculated, the Child Physical Activity Questionnaire (CPAQ) and the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) were utilised to assess the contributing factors. While multinomial regression is used to predict the probability of different outcomes. Results: In this study, 35.5% of children were underweight and 13.2% were overweight. Boys (OR 0.7; 95% CI 0.522-0.931) and children without a TV in view during meals (OR 0.740; 95% CI 0.549-0.997) were less likely to be underweight. Children of Kadazan ethnicity (OR 1.964; 95% CI 1.055-3.658) were more likely to be overweight than others. Parents of overweight children felt less responsible for their child's feeding (OR 0.67; 95% CI 0.521-0.863) and perceived their child (OR 3.245; 95% CI 1.745-6.034) and themselves as heavier (OR 1.822; 95% CI 1.023-3.244). In contrast, parents of underweight children perceived their children to be lighter (OR 0.425; 95% CI 0.284-0.637). Finally, parents of overweight children put less pressure on their children to eat (OR 0.584; 95% CI 0.448-0.761) than parents of normal and underweight children. Conclusion: Addressing the complex interplay between socio-cultural factors and parental attitudes in childhood malnutrition is crucial in designing effective interventions to combat malnutrition and promote healthier lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malaysia has made significant progress in lowering poverty and improving most Malaysians' living standards. Nevertheless, inequality is growing due to rapid urbanisation, particularly among low-income and poor urban families. Urbanisation and poverty have always been associated with detrimental effects on the mental health of the urban population. Hence, the review's objective was to provide an overview of depression among the urban poor in Malaysia based on the most recent research. Approximately 23.9 to 57.8% of poor urban people in Malaysia were depressed. Household income, stressful events, younger age, loneliness, chronic health conditions, a lack of assets, and non-Malay ethnicity have all been linked to depression among Malaysia's urban poor. Hence, the study revealed that depression is prevalent among Malaysia's urban poor. There is an immediate need to address mental health issues among Malaysia's urban poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Public health leaders in the current scenario face the persistent task of providing efficient public health services, which is made even more challenging due to the limitations imposed by scarce resources. To overcome the issue, various quality improvements (QI) were implemented to improve the efficacy and effectiveness of public health programs, services, and organisations. Objective: The review aimed to identify and examine published studies implementing QI within Asian public healthcare systems and their benefits on healthcare performance. Methods: The systematic review followed the PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across three databases - PubMed, SCOPUS, and Cochrane - specifically targeting peer-reviewed articles with titles or abstracts related to QI in the public health system. Only papers published between January 2017 and January 2022 were considered for inclusion in the review. Results: Nine articles were identified as relevant to the topic of interest, and the extracted findings were analysed. These nine studies naturally fell into distinct categories of QI, namely the Quality Improvement Model, Key Performance Index, Clinical Audit, and Root Cause Analysis. These studies explicitly connected their implemented QI to enhancing healthcare delivery quality. Conclusion: The findings of the review demonstrated that the implementation of QI could lead to notable enhancements in both the quality of care and overall healthcare performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an alarming increase in domestic violence against women owing to lockdown measures and limited access to support services. This article provides insights into the global prevalence of domestic violence, barriers to seeking help, its impact on women and children, and the best practices implemented worldwide. Domestic violence encompasses various forms of abuse; many young women experience partner violence. Barriers to seeking help include fear, financial constraints, lack of awareness of available services, and distrust among stakeholders. The consequences of domestic violence affect the mental health of both mothers and children. Countries have increased shelter funding and developed innovative protocols to reach survivors and address this issue. However, the healthcare sector's involvement in addressing domestic violence has been limited. This review advocates collaboration among healthcare institutions and government bodies. Key recommendations include utilizing telehealth services, implementing comprehensive training programs, establishing effective referral systems, enhancing health education, developing a domestic violence registry, improving the responses of law enforcement and justice systems through healthcare integration, promoting data sharing, and conducting further research. Healthcare systems should recognize domestic violence as a public health concern and detect, prevent, and intervene in cases to support survivors.