Blood glucose screening among elderly Malaysians: Who to target?

Ethnic Differences in Participation in Medical Check-ups Among the Elderly: Evidence from Malaysia

BACKGROUND

There were ethnic differences in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases among the elderly in Malaysia.

OBJECTIVE

To examine ethnic differences in participation in medical check-ups among the elderly.

DESIGN

A nationally representative data set was employed. Multiple logistic regressions were utilised to examine the relationship between ethnicity and the likelihood of undergoing medical check-ups. The regressions were stratified by age, income, marital status, gender, household location, insurance access and health status. These variables were also controlled for in the regressions (including stratified regressions).

PARTICIPANTS

The respondents were required to be residents of Malaysia and not be institutionalised. Overall, 30,806 individuals were selected to be interviewed, but only 28,650 were actually interviewed, equivalent to a 93% response rate. Of those, only 2248 were used in the analyses, because 26,402 were others or below aged 60.

MAIN MEASURES

The dependent variable was participation in a medical check-up. The main independent variables were the three major ethnic groups in Malaysia (Malay, Chinese, Indian).

KEY RESULTS

Among the elderly aged 70-79 years, Chinese (aOR 1.89; 95% CI 1.28, 2.81) and Indians (aOR 2.39; 95% CI 1.20, 4.74) were more likely to undergo medical check-ups than Malays. Among the elderly with monthly incomes of ≤ RM999, Chinese (aOR 1.44; 95% CI 1.12, 1.85) and Indians (aOR 1.50; 95% CI 0.99, 2.28) were more likely to undergo medical check-ups than Malays. Indian males were more likely to undergo medical check-ups than Malay males (aOR 2.32; 95% CI 1.15, 4.67). Chinese with hypercholesterolaemia (aOR 1.45; 95% CI 1.07, 1.98) and hypertension (aOR 1.32; 95% CI 1.02, 1.72) were more likely to undergo medical check-ups than Malays.

CONCLUSIONS

There were ethnic differences in participation in medical check-ups among the elderly. These ethnic differences varied across age, income, marital status, gender, household location, insurance access and health status.

Prevalence and associated factors of undiagnosed glycaemic disorders in men with erectile dysfunction attending a primary care clinic

Objectives

Undiagnosed glycaemic disorders remain a major health concern as in such cases the opportunity for early interventions that can potentially prevent complications is missed. Erectile dysfunction (ED) has been suggested as a predictor for glycaemic disorders in men. However, data on men with ED having undiagnosed glycaemic disorders is limited, especially in the Malaysian context. This study aimed to identify prevalence and associated factors of undiagnosed glycaemic disorders in men with ED.

Methods

We applied a cross-sectional purposive sampling technique on a group of 114 men with ED without underlying glycaemic disorders. They underwent a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test and the cases were then classified into two groups: normal and undiagnosed glycaemic disorders groups. The glycaemic disorders group consisted of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and impaired fasting glucose (IFG). The patients were interviewed, and their medical records were reviewed for their sociodemographic and clinical profiles.

Results

Prevalence of undiagnosed glycaemic disorders in men with ED was 41.2%. Higher age (adjusted OR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.17, p = 0.002) and BMI (adjusted OR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.29, p = 0.003) were found to be significantly associated with undiagnosed glycaemic disorders.

Conclusion

This study found that men with ED had a high prevalence of undiagnosed glycaemic disorders. ED was associated with advancing age and higher BMI. Further research to validate the findings of this study is needed to increase the prevalence of DM screening among men with ED.

Factors associated with second-hand smoke awareness in Malaysia

Background:

The proportion of people exposed to second-hand smoke increases dramatically with a sharp increase in the prevalence of smoking. It is expected that awareness of the effect of second-hand smoke plays an important role in curbing smoking.

Objectives:

The objective of this study is to examine factors affecting awareness of second-hand smoke in Malaysia.

Methods:

Nationally representative data, covering a large sample size (4153 respondents) and collected based on multistage sampling, are used. Multiple logistic regression is employed to analyse the effects of demographic and lifestyle variables on the likelihood of being aware of second-hand smoke.

Results:

Results show that older people are less likely to be aware of second-hand smoke than youngsters and that less-educated individuals are less likely to be aware of second-hand smoke than well-educated individuals. Significant relationships are found between second-hand smoke awareness and wealth index, ethnicity and smoking behaviour.

Conclusion:

Demographic profiles should be considered when drawing up policies aimed at improving awareness of second-hand smoke among adults. The government needs to focus more on older people, wealthy individuals, less-educated individuals, Chinese individuals and smokers if a successful policy is to be implemented.