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Fulltext Influence of socio-demographic factors on physical activity participation in a sample of adults in Penang, Malaysia

Cheah YK

Malays J Nutr, 2011 Dec;17(3):385-91.
PMID: 22655460 MyJurnal

Given the importance of physical activity to health, this study investigated the socio-demographic determinants of physical activity participation in a sample of adults in Penang.
Knowledge of smoking and influencing factors among school-going adolescents in Timor-Leste

Cheah YK

Int J Adolesc Med Health, 2024 Feb 01;36(1):95-103.
PMID: 38347679 DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2023-0175

OBJECTIVES: Knowledge of smoking is a protective factor for adolescent smoking. This study is the first to examine sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with adolescents' knowledge of smoking in Timor-Leste. It is also a pioneering investigation into the ways in which exposure to anti-tobacco messages and health warnings on cigarette packages, and involvement in smoking-related education at schools and home mediate the relationship between school grade levels and smoking knowledge.
METHODS: Data were obtained from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey Timor-Leste. Ordered logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between knowledge of smoking and sociodemographic, and lifestyle factors. Structural equation modelling was utilized to explore the mediating effects.
RESULTS: Adolescents were less likely to have high knowledge of smoking if they were lower-secondary students, were males, had unemployed parents and had no closest friends who smoked. The relationship between grade levels and smoking knowledge was partly mediated by awareness of anti-tobacco messages on mass media, school education about the dangers of smoking and family discussion about smoking.
CONCLUSIONS: Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors play an important role in determining knowledge of smoking among adolescents. To some extent, awareness-, education- and family-related variables explain how grade levels affect smoking knowledge.
Loneliness and its associations with demographic, lifestyle, social and parental factors among adolescents in Timor-Leste

Cheah YK

Psychol Health Med, 2024 Mar 04.
PMID: 38438275 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2024.2326532

Adolescent loneliness is prevalent and has serious adverse impacts on mental and physical health outcomes. This study aimed at examining factors associated with loneliness among school-going adolescents. The country of interest is a low-income country, Timor-Leste, where empirical studies are lacking. Data from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey Timor-Leste 2015 (n = 3455) were used for secondary analyses. An ordered probit model was utilized to assess demographic, lifestyle, social, and parental factors correlated with different levels of loneliness (no loneliness, moderate loneliness, and severe loneliness). Approximately 46.3% of adolescents felt moderately lonely and about 13.5% felt severely lonely. Older adolescents were more likely to experience severe and moderate loneliness than younger adolescents. Going hungry and being bullied were associated with an increased likelihood of being severely and moderately lonely. Adolescents had a higher probability of experiencing moderate and severe loneliness if they had sleep difficulties and were physically active. Having understanding parents was positively associated with the likelihood of severe loneliness. In conclusion, a large proportion of adolescents in Timor-Leste have feelings of loneliness, which have been found to be associated with demographic, lifestyle, social, and parental factors. Policymakers should recognize the correlated factors of loneliness in order to formulate a more effective intervention strategy.
Fulltext Factors influencing consumer purchase decisions for health-promoting goods and services in malaysia

Cheah YK

Malays J Med Sci, 2014 Nov-Dec;21(6):36-44.
PMID: 25897281 MyJurnal

In the context of global increases in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases, the objective of the present study is to investigate the factors affecting individuals' decisions to use health-promoting goods and services.
Fulltext Determinants of the demand for using preventive medical care among adults in penang, malaysia

Cheah YK

Malays J Med Sci, 2013 Jan;20(1):46-55.
PMID: 23613658 MyJurnal

In light of the fact that chronic diseases were becoming more prevalent recently, the primary objective of the study was to examine the socio-demographic, health, and lifestyle determinants of the use of preventive medical care in Penang, Malaysia.
Response to Yuan's Capsule Commentary

Cheah YK, Meltzer D

J Gen Intern Med, 2021 03;36(3):807.
PMID: 33432429 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-06360-6
Fulltext Ethnic Differences in Participation in Medical Check-ups Among the Elderly: Evidence from Malaysia

Cheah YK, Meltzer D

J Gen Intern Med, 2020 09;35(9):2680-2686.
PMID: 32185659 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-05766-6

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.
Blood glucose screening among elderly Malaysians: Who to target?

Cheah YK, Goh KL

J Diabetes, 2016 Feb 12.
PMID: 26872319 DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.12388

An early detection of raised blood glucose can reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Despite being the high risk group, a significant proportion of the elderly population does not undergo blood glucose screening. The objective of the present study is to examine the factors affecting blood glucose screening among the elderly.
Fulltext Exploring factors influencing smoking behaviour in Malaysia

Cheah YK, Naidu BM

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2012;13(4):1125-30.
PMID: 22799293

OBJECTIVE: The objective of present study is to investigate the determinants of smoking behaviour among adults in Malaysia.
METHOD: Findings of the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-3) by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, were used. The sample consisted of 34,539 observations. A logistic regression model was thus applied to estimate the probability to participate in smoking.
RESULTS: Age, income, gender, marital status, ethnicity, employment status, residential area, education, lifestyle and health status were statistically significant in affecting the likelihood of smoking. Specifically, youngsters, low income earners, males, unmarried individuals, Malays, employed individuals, rural residents and primary educated individuals were more likely to smoke.
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, socio-demographic, lifestyle and health factors have significant impacts on smoking participation in Malaysia. Based on these empirical findings, several policy implications are suggested.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2006)
Fulltext The Interplay between MicroRNAs and Cellular Components of Tumour Microenvironment (TME) on Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Progression

Lee SS, Cheah YK

J Immunol Res, 2019;2019:3046379.
PMID: 30944831 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3046379

Cellular components of the tumour microenvironment (TME) are recognized to regulate the hallmarks of cancers including tumour proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis, as well as chemotherapeutic resistance. The linkage between miRNA, TME, and the development of the hallmarks of cancer makes miRNA-mediated regulation of TME a potential therapeutic strategy to complement current cancer therapies. Despite significant advances in cancer therapy, lung cancer remains the deadliest form of cancer among males in the world and has overtaken breast cancer as the most fatal cancer among females in more developed countries. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop more effective treatments for NSCLC, which is the most common type of lung cancer. Hence, this review will focus on current literature pertaining to antitumour or protumourigenic effects elicited by nonmalignant stromal cells of TME in NSCLC through miRNA regulation as well as current status and future prospects of miRNAs as therapeutic agents or targets to regulate TME in NSCLC.
Fulltext The determinants of participation in physical activity in Malaysia

Cheah YK, Poh BK

Osong Public Health Res Perspect, 2014 Feb;5(1):20-7.
PMID: 24955308 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrp.2013.12.002

Objectives: In light of the importance of physical activity, the aim of the present study is to examine the factors affecting participation in physical activity among adults in Malaysia.
Methods: A logistic regression model and the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey consisting of 30,992 respondents were used.
Results: Age, income, gender, education, marital status, region, house locality, job characteristics, and medical conditions are significantly associated with participation in physical activity. In particular, old individuals, high income earners, females, the well-educated, widowed or divorced individuals, East Malaysians, urban dwellers, the unemployed, and individuals who are not diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia are less likely to be physically active than others.
Conclusion: Because sociodemographic and health factors play an important role in determining physical activity, the government should take them into account when formulating policy.
Keywords: Malaysia; demography; health; participation; physical activity.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2006)
Factors influencing medication label viewing in Malaysia

Cheah YK, Chong YW

Glob Health Promot, 2018 Mar;25(1):63-72.
PMID: 27406823 DOI: 10.1177/1757975916649135

The misuse of medicine is a serious public health issue worldwide. An important factor that contributes to the misuse of medicine is the lack of medication label viewing by consumers. The objective of the present study is to examine the socio-economic, demographic and lifestyle factors associated with medication label viewing among Malaysian adults. The empirical analysis is based on a nationally representative data set of 30,992 respondents. An ordered probit model is used to examine different types of medication label viewers. The results of this study suggest that socio-economic (i.e. age, income level, education level, location of residence), demographic (i.e. gender, ethnicity, marital status) and lifestyle factors (i.e. physical activity, smoking) have significant effects on medication label viewing. It is found that age, low-income and low-education level reduce the likelihood of viewing medication label. Based on these findings, several policy implications are suggested. The present study provides policy makers with baseline information regarding which cohorts of individuals to focus on in efforts to increase the frequency of medication label viewing.
Fulltext The determinants of consumer health information on chronic non-communicable disease: an exploratory study in Penang, Malaysia

Cheah YK, Su TT

JUMMEC, 2012;15(2):1-7.
MyJurnal

The objective of the present study is to investigate the impact of socio-demographic factors on the acquisition of health information on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) among Malaysian adults. A robust analysis was conducted on cross-sectional survey data obtained from 398 respondents in Penang (Malaysia) between August to October 2010. An ordered probit model was applied to examine the factors affecting the scale of health information. The results suggest that old individuals, rural dwellers, having chronic disease and history of serious family illnesses are 0.19%, 2.39%, 2.2% and 2.71% less likely to acquire poor health information on NCDs than others, whereas Malays, Chinese, males and those of low educated are 8.76%, 6.22%, 2.94% and 21.62% more likely to acquire poor health information on NCDs than others. Based on these findings, several intervention measures toward increasing the health knowledge among the population are recommended, which include the use of language-based mass media to advertise the information on diseases, designing health awareness campaigns in urban areas and introducing more basic health related subjects and courses into primary and secondary schools.
Response to Kawada: Factors affecting blood glucose screening in the elderly with special reference to physical activity

Cheah YK, Goh KL

J Diabetes, 2017 09;9(9):885.
PMID: 28544482 DOI: 10.1111/1753-0407.12568
Inequalities in Consumption Expenditure on Pharmaceuticals: Evidence from Malaysia

Ang WC, Cheah YK

Int J Soc Determinants Health Health Serv, 2023 Oct;53(4):528-538.
PMID: 37081820 DOI: 10.1177/27551938231170831

Pharmaceuticals play an important role in health improvements. This study is the first of its kind to examine the influences of household heads' sociodemographic characteristics and household profiles on pharmaceuticals expenditure among households of different income levels. The country of interest is a fast-growing developing country. Data from the Malaysian Household Expenditure Surveys 2014 and 2016 were used in the pooled cross-sectional analyses. Double-hurdle models were used to analyze consumption and amount decisions of pharmaceuticals. Analyses stratified by income were conducted. Results showed that households headed by younger adults (<60 years), males, less educated individuals, Bumiputera, and divorced/widowed adults were less likely to consume and spent less on pharmaceuticals compared with households headed by older adults (≥60 years), females, more educated individuals, non-Bumiputera, and single adults. These differentials varied across income groups. In conclusion, household heads' age, gender, educational levels, ethnicity, marital status, and household profiles are important determining factors of expenditure on pharmaceuticals among low-, middle- and high-income households.
Personal and Family Factors Associated With High-risk Behaviours Among Adolescents in Malaysia

Cheah YK, Lim HK, Kee CC

J Pediatr Nurs, 2019 07 29;48:92-97.
PMID: 31369963 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2019.07.012

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between high-risk behaviours and personal and family factors among adolescents in Malaysia.
METHODS: A nationwide data set was examined for this secondary data analysis. The dependent variable was the degree of risk, which was measured based on the number of high-risk behaviours in which adolescents participated. Age, gender, ethnicity, self-rated academic performance, family size, parental marital status and parental academic attainment were included as independent variables. Analyses stratified by educational level were conducted. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using ordered logit.
RESULTS: The most common high-risk behaviour among Malaysian adolescents was physical inactivity (35.97%), followed by smoking (13.27%) and alcohol consumption (4.45%). The majority of adolescents had low risks (52.93%), while only a small proportion had high risks (6.08%). Older age was associated with increased odds of having high risks (OR: 1.26). Male adolescents had higher odds of being in a high-risk category compared to female adolescents (OR: 1.28). Compared to Malays, Chinese adolescents had higher odds of being in a high-risk category (OR: 1.71), whereas Indian adolescents had lower odds (OR: 0.65). Excellent academic performance was associated with reduced odds of participating in high-risk behaviours (OR: 0.41).
CONCLUSION: Personal factors are important determinants of high-risk behaviours. This study provides a better understanding of those adolescent groups that are at greater risk.
PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: An intervention directed towards reducing participation in high-risk behaviours among adolescents who have both poor academic performance and less-educated parents may yield promising outcomes.
Factors affecting participation decision and amount of physical activity among urban dwellers in Malaysia

Cheah YK, Azahadi M, Phang SN, Hazilah N

Public Health, 2017 May;146:84-91.
PMID: 28404478 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2017.01.009

OBJECTIVES: The rapid rise in the prevalence of physical inactivity-related diseases has become a serious public health issue worldwide. The objective of the present study is to examine the factors affecting participation in physical activity among urban dwellers in Malaysia.
STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study measures physical activity using a rigorous regression model.
METHODS: Data are obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011 (NHMS 2011). A lognormal hurdle model is used to analyse the participation decision and the amount decision of physical activity.
RESULTS: The results show that income, gender, ethnicity, marital status and employment status are significantly associated with participation decision and amount decision. However, age, insurance and self-rated health only affect participation decision, whereas family size, education and smoking only affect amount decision.
CONCLUSIONS: It can, thus, be concluded that sociodemographic, insurance, lifestyle and health factors play an important role in determining physical activity behaviour among urban dwellers. When formulating policies, special attention must be paid to these factors.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2011)
Sociodemographic differences in smoking knowledge in Malaysia

Cheah YK, Teh CH, Lim KH

Journal of Drug Issues, 2019.
DOI: 10.1177/0022042618821195

The objective of the present study is to examine the sociodemographic determinants of amount of smoking knowledge in Malaysia. Data are obtained from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). The GATS uses a multistage stratified sampling. A total of 4,153 respondents are used for analyses. The effects of sociodemographic factors on smoking knowledge are examined using a negative binomial regression. Age, wealth index, education, ethnicity, house locality, and smoking behavior are significantly associated with smoking knowledge. In particular, there are negative relationships between smoking knowledge and higher wealth index, less-educated individuals, Chinese, rural dwellers, and smokers. The present study concludes that sociodemographic factors play an important role in determining smoking knowledge. Hence, as an intervention measure directed toward improving the knowledge of smoking among Malaysian population, effective policies should pay special attention to individuals who are likely to have poor information on smoking.
Study name: Global Adults Tobacco Survey (GATS-2011)
Consumption Expenditure on Processed Meat and Its Correlates: An Ethnic Comparison

Cheah YK, Appannah G, Abdul Adzis A

Nutr Cancer, 2023;75(2):498-509.
PMID: 36111368 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2022.2123534

Background: The objective of the present study is to investigate the influences of sociodemographic and household factors on consumption expenditure on processed meat among households in Malaysia.Methods: Data were extracted from the Malaysian Household Expenditure Survey (HES) 2016. Lognormal hurdle models were utilized to assess the likelihood of consuming processed meat and the amount consumed. The independent variables consisted of household heads' age, educational level, gender, marital status, employment status, ethnicity, as well as household income, household region and household locality.Results: Bumiputera households with younger heads were more likely to consume processed meat and spent more than households with older heads. Chinese and Indian households in a higher income group had a higher likelihood of consuming and spending on processed meat than those in a lower income group. The probability of consuming processed meat and the amount consumed were positively associated with being from East Malaysia and urban areas.Conclusions: There are distinguished roles of sociodemographic and household factors across ethnic groups in consumption expenditure on processed meat. Policy makers should take account of age, income, education, household region and household locality factors when formulating intervention measures.
Fulltext Whole genome sequence and annotation dataset of rare actinobacteria, Barrientosiimonas humi gen. nov., sp. nov. 39T from Antarctica

Chong SY, Azmi AA, Cheah YK

Data Brief, 2023 Dec;51:109657.
PMID: 37876741 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2023.109657

Barrientosiimonas humi gen. nov., sp. nov. 39T is a rare actinobacteria strain isolated from the less explored extreme environment of the Antarctic soil. Here, we present the whole genome sequencing and annotation data from the high-quality draft genome of B. humi from Antarctica. The extracted genomic deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) was sequenced using the PacBio Sequel sequencing platform, followed by the Illumina HiSeq sequencing system. Subsequently, the assembly data from Canu 1.7 and Pilon were subjected to bioinformatics analysis for genome annotation to analyze the entire genomic information of the sequences. Different bioinformatics analysis approaches were used to disclose a high-quality draft genome basis for B. humi and provided a better understanding of its biological and molecular functions. Note that 83,639 reads were predicted from its 3.6Mb genome size, with a guanine-cytosine content (GC) content of 72.39%. The genome was assembled into two contigs, where the larger contig represents the chromosome and the smaller contig represents the plasmid. It is composed of 3,381 coding genes, with about 95% of them being functionally annotated. It consists of 3,318 coding sequences, one tmRNA gene, 57 tRNA genes, and five repeated regions. B. humi was evident, sharing a close sequence similarity with the species Demetria terragena and the family Dermacoccaceae. Gene Ontology (GO) functional classification indicated cell and cell parts were highly represented among the cellular component category; catalytic activity and binding were the most enriched processes within the molecular function category; metabolic and cellular processes were the most represented in the biological process category. Clusters of Orthologous Group (COG) functional classification revealed metabolism-related genes were highly enriched and mostly mapped to amino acid transport metabolism, transcription, energy production, and conversion. Moreover, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional classification reported that the metabolism process was the most represented KEGG pathway. There were 52 biosynthetic gene clusters involved in secondary metabolites biosynthesis, indicating B. humi has antibacterial, antifungal, cytotoxic, and inhibitor bioactivities. The dataset of the whole-genome sequence of B. humi has been deposited in the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) repository under the accession number PRJEB44986 / ERP129097. The dataset of the genome annotation of B. humi had been deposited in Zenodo. The reported genomic sequence data for B. humi contributes comprehensive data to the current molecular information of the species, serving as a significant approach that facilitates the advancement of medicine.

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