MyMedR

Fulltext The menace of vector-borne diseases

Retneswari, M.

JUMMEC, 2008;11(2):37-38.

MyJurnal

The crux of the current health problem is the alarming increase of dengue cases in the country. Dengue fever is endemic in Southeast Asia with Malaysia seeing dengue cases surge since 2003. The Health Minister of Malaysia has reported that the acute increase in dengue cases is worrying and could hit the country's productivity, tourism industry and economy.(Copied from article).

Fulltext Job strain among Malaysian office workers of a multinational company

Maizura H, Retneswari M, Moe H, Hoe VC, Bulgiba A

Occup Med (Lond), 2010 May;60(3):219-24.

PMID: 20308258 DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqq001

Information on job strain exposure among Malaysian workers in multinational companies is limited.

Fulltext Job stressors and smoking cessation among Malaysian male employees

Yasin SM, Retneswari M, Moy FM, Darus A, Koh D

Occup Med (Lond), 2012 Apr;62(3):174-81.

PMID: 22362839 DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqs005

Job stressors may reduce the likelihood of quitting smoking.

Timing and risk factors associated with relapse among smokers attempting to quit in Malaysia

Yasin SM, Moy FM, Retneswari M, Isahak M, Koh D

Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2012 Jul;16(7):980-5.

PMID: 22507850 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.11.0748

Many smokers attempt to quit smoking, but very few succeed.

Fulltext P53 expression in invasive pancreatic adenocarcinoma and precursor lesions

Norfadzilah MY, Pailoor J, Retneswari M, Chinna K, Noor LM

Malays J Pathol, 2011 Dec;33(2):89-94.

PMID: 22299208 MyJurnal

Patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma are known to have a high mortality rate. The 5-year survival rate still remains low even now compared to that of the 1960's despite new advances in management including surgery, chemotherapy, pathological classification and molecular diagnostic technologies. Precursors to invasive pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been identified in the last ten years that include mucinous cystic neoplasm, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia. p53 protein accumulation in the nuclei is a common molecular event in most human neoplasms. Our objective is to investigate p53 expression in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and precursor lesions and their significance. The selected study material encompassed 31 invasive ductal adenocarcinoma, 15 mucinous cystic neoplasm and papillary mucinous neoplasm, and 27 cases of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia including grade 1, 2 and 3. Immunoscore was given for each case based on intensity of staining and percentage of cells positive and compared between precursor lesions and invasive adenocarcinoma. A score of 50 and above was considered significant. The results showed that p53 expression increased progressively and significantly with the grade of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and adenocarcinoma (p-value < 0.001). These findings support the concept of multistep carcinogenesis in pancreatic adenocarcinoma and suggest that p53 inactivation occurs in the progression of precursors to pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Fulltext Smokers can quit regardless of motivation stage in a worksite smoking cessation programme in Malaysia

Yasin SM, Retneswari M, Moy FM, Koh D, Isahak M

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(9):2193-8.

PMID: 22296355

BACKGROUND: There is an unclear relationship between smoker's early motivation and success rates. Here we aimed to explore the correlates of motivation and smoking abstinence and relapse in worksite smoking cessation programmes.
METHODS: This prospective cohort study involved employees from two major public universities in Malaysia. Participants were actively recruited into a smoking cessation programme. At the start of treatment, participants were administered a questionnaire on sociodemographic variables, smoking habits and 'stage of change'. Behaviour therapy with free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) was given as treatment for two months. A similar stage of change questionnaire was given at six months, and their smoking status was determined.
RESULTS: There were 185 smokers from both Universities, who joined the programme. At six months, 24 smokers reported sustained abstinence while the others had relapsed. Prior to the programme, the majority of smokers were seriously planning on quitting (59.5%--preparation stage), but over a third had no plans to quit (35.5%--contemplation stage). There was no significant difference noted in changes of motivation stage among the relapsers and the non quitters. In addition, logistic regression showed that sustained abstinence was not predicted by pre-session motivation stage, but this did predict higher relapse for the participants, compared to those in the preparation stage.
CONCLUSION: It is possible to help smokers in the lower motivation groups to quit, provided extra caution is taken to prevent relapse. Healthcare providers' recruitment strategies for cessation programmes should thus encompass smokers in all motivation stages.

Fulltext Training of occupational safety and health: knowledge among healthcare professionals in Malaysia

Lugah V, Ganesh B, Darus A, Retneswari M, Rosnawati MR, Sujatha D

Singapore Med J, 2010 Jul;51(7):586-92.

PMID: 20730400

Awareness of occupational safety and health (OSH) plays an important role in the prevention of occupational injuries and diseases. Following the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1994, various programmes have been implemented by different agencies to increase awareness and knowledge of OSH in the workplace, including among healthcare workers. The objective of this study was to determine the level of OSH awareness and knowledge among healthcare professionals in Malaysia.

Predictors of sustained six months quitting success: efforts of smoking cessation in low intensity smoke-free workplaces

Yasin SM, Retneswari M, Moy FM, Taib KM, Ismail N

Ann Acad Med Singap, 2013 Aug;42(8):401-7.

PMID: 24045376

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to identify the predictors of a 6-month quitting success among employees involved in workplace smoking cessation with low-intensity smoke-free policy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multicentre prospective cohort study was conducted among employees from 2 different public universities in Malaysia. Interventions include at least 2 sessions of behavioural therapy combined with free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for 8 weeks. Participants were followed up for 6 months. Independent variables assessed were on sociodemographic and environmental tobacco smoke. Their quit status were determined at 1 week, 3 months and 6 months.

RESULTS: One hundred and eighty- five smokers volunteered to participate. Among the participants, 15% and 13% sustained quit at 3 months and 6 months respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that at 6 months, attending all 3 behavioural sessions predicted success. None of the environmental tobacco exposure variables were predictive of sustained cessation.

CONCLUSION: Individual predictors of success in intra-workplace smoking cessation programmes do not differ from the conventional clinic-based smoking cessation. Furthermore, environmental tobacco exposure in low intensity smoke-free workplaces has limited influence on smokers who succeeded in maintaining 6 months quitting.

Testing the transtheoretical model in predicting smoking relapse among Malaysian adult smokers receiving assistance in quitting

Yasin SM, Retneswari M, Moy FM, Taib KM, Isahak M, Koh D

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2013;14(4):2317-23.

PMID: 23725134

The role of The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) in predicting relapse is limited. We aimed to assess whether this model can be utilised to predict relapse during the action stage. The participants included 120 smokers who had abstained from smoking for at least 24 hours following two Malaysian universities' smoking cessation programme. The smokers who relapsed perceived significantly greater advantages related to smoking and increasing doubt in their ability to quit. In contrast, former smokers with greater self-liberation and determination to abstain were less likely to relapse. The findings suggest that TTM can be used to predict relapse among quitting smokers.

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