Medical Journal of Malaysia最新文献

{"title":"Determinants of oral health-related quality of life among undergraduate university students: A cross-sectional study.","authors":"N Zahrulsham, N Saddki, K Kamarazaman","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Young adulthood is a critical period for establishing lifelong health behaviours, yet oral health is often neglected. This study investigated factors associated with oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among Malaysian university students.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 395 undergraduate students aged 18 to 25 years. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, perceived oral health status, oral healthcare seeking behaviour, and OHRQoL via the short Malay version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (S-OHIP(M)). Multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors of OHRQoL.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of OHRQoL impact was 41.0%, with a mean S-OHIP(M) score of 9.15 (SD=6.39). Significant predictors of poorer OHRQoL included having at least one oral health problem, dissatisfaction with oral health status, and visiting the dentist due to an oral health issue. Dental and medical students reported significantly better OHRQoL compared to health sciences students. Oral health care seeking behaviour, although generally favourable, was not significantly associated with OHRQoL.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>OHRQoL among young adults is influenced by both subjective perceptions and behavioural patterns. Promoting routine dental visits and enhancing oral health awareness may improve quality of life outcomes. These findings inform strategies for preventive care and service delivery targeting young adult populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"540-547"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Interobserver and intra-observer agreement among radiographers in assessing the quality of chest radiograph.","authors":"D Rochmayanti, A Kusworo, E W Catur, A H Sulistiyadi, S Daryati","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Chest radiography is a commonly performed examination for screening, clinical assessment, and preintervention evaluation. Image quality plays an important role in supporting diagnostic interpretation. After image acquisition, radiographers decide whether the image should be accepted or repeated. Variation in these decisions may affect patient radiation exposure and radiology workflow. This study aimed to evaluate variation and agreement among radiographers in accepting or rejecting chest radiographs.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study involved 91 certified radiographers in Indonesia. Thirty de-identified chest radiographs representing technical-quality categories were selected by an expert panel, and 12 duplicate images were added to assess intra-observer consistency. The resulting 42 images were presented in random order. The acceptance and rejection criteria were classified into 8 factors: accepted, artifact, blurring, mispositioning, incorrect body part, body part cut-off, exposure failure, and under/over exposure. Data were analysed using Cohen's kappa for duplicated image pairs and Fleiss' kappa for interobserver agreement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were radiographer's perception variations in accepting or rejecting X-ray chest images. Intra-observer agreement for duplicated image pairs ranged from κ=0.027 to κ=0.727, with a simple mean Cohen's kappa of κ=0.525, indicating moderate agreement. Overall inter-observer agreement across the 42 images was fair (Fleiss' κ=0.337). Category-specific Fleiss' kappa values were highest for artifact-related rejection (κ=0.474) and image acceptance (κ=0.436), and lowest for blurring (κ=0.068), exposure failure (κ=0.076), incorrect body part (κ=0.107), and incorrect positioning (κ=0.173).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Radiographers showed moderate intraobserver consistency but only fair inter-observer agreement when evaluating chest radiograph quality. The findings demonstrate variation in accepting or rejecting chest X-ray image. Collaboration between radiographers and radiologists is recommended to align evaluation standards.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"572-576"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148714006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transabdominal cervical length measurement as primary screening method for short cervix in the mid-trimester: A prospective observational cohort diagnostic accuracy study.","authors":"L P Sii, H Y Voon, B Adam, L N Tan, R Amin","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Preterm birth (PTB) is a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality, with cervical insufficiency being a major contributor. While transvaginal ultrasound is the gold standard, concerns over invasiveness, resource requirements, and acceptability limit its universal use. Transabdominal cervical length measurement may offer a pragmatic alternative, particularly in conservative populations. We aim to compare transabdominal versus transvaginal cervical length measurement for screening of short cervix during the mid-trimester, and to determine the feasibility and clinical utility of using transabdominal ultrasound as a primary screening tool, especially in populations with reservations about undergoing transvaginal scans.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>This was a prospective observational cohort diagnostic accuracy study involving pregnant women undergoing routine mid-trimester anomaly scans. Cervical length was measured using transabdominal and transvaginal ultrasound by experienced sonographers.</p><p><strong>Statistical analysis: </strong>correlation assessed with Spearman's coefficient. Agreement evaluated with intraclass correlation and Bland-Altman plots. Diagnostic accuracy metrics (sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV) were calculated for transabdominal thresholds. Confounding factors, including bladder filling, maternal body mass index (BMI), and prior caesarean delivery on visualisation, were also evaluated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 266 women eligible to participate in the study, 6.0% were excluded as they declined a transvaginal scan. Postvoid transabdominal (TA) measurements demonstrated better agreement with transvaginal (TV) values but were associated with higher rate of nonvisualization (10.0%). Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement without systematic bias. The mean prevoid TA cervical length and postvoid TA cervical length were 35.7 mm and 35.6 mm respectively, compared to 39.3 mm on TV measurement. Non-visualization occurred more often postvoid (10%) than prevoid (6.4%), while postvoid TA measurements showed stronger agreement with TV (ICC=0.818). Agreement of measurements was higher among Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) consultants than among MFM fellows. Body mass index (BMI) and prior caesarean section scars did not significantly affected visualization or measurement accuracy.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>TA cervical length measurement is a reliable initial screening approach for identifying women at risk of short cervix during mid-trimester when performed by experienced operators. It serves as a pragmatic alternative in settings where TV scans are declined or not feasible, facilitating timely referral for TV confirmation and early initiation of preventive interventions such as progesterone therapy or cerclage. However, its application may be limited in untrained hands.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"461-465"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148714083","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hospital noise exposure: a systematic review of levels, sources, and effects on patients and staff.","authors":"A Razali, N Mazeli","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Noise is often underestimated as a hospitalrelated hazard. This systematic review aimed to assess noise levels in hospitals, their sources, and the associated physiological and psychological impacts on the hospital community.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A literature search was conducted through PubMed, ProQuest, Ovid, and Scopus without language or date restrictions. Studies in all languages were considered, non-English articles were assessed using machine translation, although none met the inclusion criteria. This review was registered in PROSPERO under registration number CRD42025112689. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method study designs that assessed hospital noise levels, sources, or effects were included. Risk of bias was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools based on study designs, and the data were synthesised narratively.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eighteen studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, which consisted of cross-sectional (n=10), cohort (n=7), and qualitative (n=1) designs conducted across various countries. Noise levels frequently exceeded World Health Organization (WHO) limits, with mean equivalent levels (LAeq) ranging from 43 to 75.8 dB(A) and peak levels (LAFmax) reaching 100 dB(A). Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and Emergency Departments (EDs) were consistently reported as the noisiest departments. The physiological and psychological impacts experienced by the hospital community included stress, sleep disturbances, annoyance, elevated heart rate, and headaches. In chronic cases, noiseinduced hearing loss (NIHL) was diagnosed particularly in hospital staff from the maintenance and service department. The principal noise sources were medical equipment alarms and staff communication.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Hospital noise levels consistently exceed recommended limits, posing both clinical and occupational risks. Noise should be considered a health and safety concern requiring institutional management. An integrated approach combining acoustic engineering, administrative policies, staff behavioural training, and continuous monitoring is essential to foster a safer hospital environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"600-609"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148714001","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antenatal Hepatitis B screening in pregnancy: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission strategy in Kedah, Malaysia.","authors":"N S Ismail, W L Tan, M A Mohd Suan, S A Soelar, A R Rahimah","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Hepatitis B virus remains a major global public health concern, with mother-to-child transmission contributing substantially to chronic infection, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. In 2019, the Ministry of Health Malaysia initiated pilot universal antenatal hepatitis B screening in four selected states, namely Kedah, Pahang, Terengganu and Sabah, to strengthen prevention of motherto- child transmission (PMTCT). This study reviewed the implementation of the PMTCT hepatitis B pilot project in Kedah by evaluating the transmission rate of HBV to infants, antenatal screening coverage of HBV and the prevalence of hepatitis B among pregnant mothers.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A cross-sectional review of secondary data was conducted using programme registers from 17 participating health clinics in Kedah. Data were extracted and analysed. The key outcomes were antenatal screening coverage, maternal HBsAg prevalence and mother-to-child transmission rate.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 54,682 antenatal attendees were screened for HBV during the study period, giving an overall screening coverage of 95.8%. Maternal HBsAg prevalence was 0.16%, with 92 confirmed HBsAg-positive mothers. Of these, 91 were referred for further assessment and 83 received antiviral therapy during pregnancy. Among exposed infants with documented follow-up, no HBsAg-positive cases were detected, resulting in a mother-to-child transmission rate of 0%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall, the mother-to-child transmission rate of the pilot project in Kedah was satisfactory at 0% among antenatal mothers who were treated and completed the follow-up plan. In addition, the prevalence of HBV among antenatal mothers was relatively low at 0.16%, with high HBV screening coverage of 95.8% among antenatal attendees.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"521-524"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148714024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The diagnostic and prognostic role of miRNA-21 and miRNA-223 in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review with exploratory meta-analysis.","authors":"K Anam, Afiati, D Ariany","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) is a common head and neck malignancy often diagnosed at advanced stages, resulting in poor prognosis and high recurrence rates. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), particularly miR-21 and miR-223, have emerged as promising non-invasive biomarkers because of their stability in body fluids and involvement in tumour biology. This study systematically reviewed the diagnostic and prognostic significance of circulating miR-21 and miR-223 in LSCC and performed an exploratory diagnostic metaanalysis of miR-21 when sufficient quantitative data were available.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, and SciSpace. Eligible studies evaluated circulating miR-21 and/or miR-223 in serum or plasma samples from LSCC patients and assessed their association with diagnostic or prognostic outcomes. Data regarding expression levels, diagnostic performance, and survival outcomes were synthesized qualitatively. Exploratory diagnostic meta-analysis was performed by pooling Area Under the Curve (AUC) values using the inverse variance method. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic, and a random-effects model was applied.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. Elevated miR-21 expression was consistently associated with advanced tumour stage, nodal involvement, recurrence, and poorer survival outcomes. miR-223 demonstrated dynamic changes following treatment and recurrence, suggesting potential utility for disease monitoring. Only two studies were eligible for exploratory diagnostic meta-analysis, yielding an exploratory pooled AUC of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.50-1.04) with substantial heterogeneity (I² = 83%).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Circulating miR-21 and miR-223 show potential clinical utility in LSCC, particularly for prognosis and recurrence monitoring. However, current evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, and the quantitative findings should be interpreted cautiously.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"586-592"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148714096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ethnicity-specific polygenic risk score for predicting coronary heart disease mortality in Malaysian patients with type 2 diabetes.","authors":"K A Zarkasi, N A Abdul Murad, N Abdullah, N A Mhd Yusuf, N Abd Jalal, N Ismail, M A Kamaruddin, N Ahmad, R Jamal","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Polygenic risk scores (PRS) are used to aggregate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) effects across the genome to estimate an individual's risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, most PRS models were developed mainly in Caucasian populations, limiting their applicability to Malaysia's diverse populations. This study aimed to develop a PRS to predict CHD mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in The Malaysian Cohort (TMC).</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>In Phase 1, 224 CHD-death cases and 625 controls were genotyped using Illumina's Infinium Asian Screening Array, followed by genetic imputation. From the genome-wide association analysis, 56 SNPs were identified at suggestive genome-wide significance (P < 5 × 10-⁵), with 15 SNPs selected to construct the PRS. In Phase 2, 806 T2D participants without known CHD at baseline were followed until death.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The PRS distinguished cases from controls across all ethnicities, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) indicating good discriminative ability. At 0.85 cut-off score, the PRS achieved 64.7% sensitivity and 73.1% specificity. Those in the high-PRS category had significantly shorter mean survival than those in the low-risk group: observed among Malays (6.60 vs 8.92 years), Chinese (6.20 vs 8.66 years), and Indians (7.21 vs 8.60 years). After adjusting for covariates, high-PRS individuals had increased CHD mortality risk, with hazard ratios of 3.23 (Malays), 9.59 (Chinese), and 9.65 (Indians) (all p<0.05).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates the utility of a population-specific PRS in predicting CHD mortality among Malaysian T2D patients, supporting its potential role in precision medicine and long-term risk stratification.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"554-563"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trends in adipokine-related studies in cardiovascular disease: A bibliometric analysis from 2002 to 2024.","authors":"S Sunita, M R Akbar, M Ghozali, I I Rakhmat, A Riyadi, A D Nugrahani, R Rinendyaputri, G I Nugraha, M R A A Syamsunarno","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Adipokines are bioactive proteins secreted by adipose tissue and are increasingly recognised for their role in obesity, inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). As research on adipokines and CVD has expanded over the past two decades, bibliometric analysis provides an important approach for mapping publication trends, research hotspots, citation patterns, and international collaboration. This study aimed to analyse global research trends related to adipokines and cardiovascular disease from 2002 to 2024.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A bibliometric analysis was conducted using publications retrieved from the Scopus database. Publications were identified using predefined search terms related to adipokines and cardiovascular disease. Bibliometric indicators included publication trends, author keywords, citation patterns, country contributions, and international collaboration. The retrieved data were analysed using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer version 1.6.16 to visualise bibliometric networks and research patterns.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1,283 documents from 602 sources were included in the analysis. Annual publication output increased substantially from 2002 and peaked around 2013- 2014. Keyword analysis identified obesity, adiponectin, leptin, inflammation, and metabolic dysfunction as dominant research themes associated with cardiovascular disease. Citation analysis demonstrated several highly influential publications related to adipokines and cardiometabolic disorders. The United States contributed the largest publication output, citation impact, and international collaboration within the field.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Research on adipokines and cardiovascular disease has expanded substantially over the past two decades, with major thematic emphasis on obesity, metabolic dysfunction, and inflammatory pathways. This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the intellectual structure and global research landscape in this field. The findings may help identify future research priorities related to adipokines as potential biomarkers, preventive targets, and therapeutic approaches in cardiovascular disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"593-599"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148714147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Medication adherence and medication concordance among chronic illness patients in selected suburban areas in Johor, Malaysia: A cross-sectional study.","authors":"A Thurairaj, K M M Swe, R K N Vaisnavi, M J Hon, W M Ng, J L Goo, L L L Yeong Livia Lin Lee, I Z Wong","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Inadequate medication adherence is a significant problem globally, affecting up to 50% of chronic illness patients. The complications can also be significant, with increased rates of disease complications and hospitalisations due to lack of adherence. This research study seeks to find the medication adherence rate across select suburban areas in Johor, Malaysia, and to identify the relationship between medication adherence and treatment concordance.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with chronic diseases across various locations in Johor. A validated questionnaire, the Malaysia Medication Adherence Assessment Tool (MyMAAT) and a Modified Concordance Scale were used to explore the study objectives.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Medication adherence is defined as a MyMAAT score of ≥54. A total of 82 chronic illness patients participated in this study, with males (48.8%) and females (51.2%). The mean age of the participants is 57.5 years old. The study reported 41.5% adherence (MyMAAT ≥54). Female vs male OR was calculated via logistic regression adjusting for confounding factors, with adherence (MyMAAT≥54) as a binary factor (OR=4.23; 95% CI 1.38-12.91; p=0.011). A statistically significant weak correlation was found between the MyMAAT score and the Modified Concordance Scale score (SR ρ=0.286, p=0.009).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In conclusion, the study shows a potential relationship between medication concordance and improved patient adherence in the Malaysian setting. More research should be conducted to further verify these findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"466-472"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148713974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Factors associated with non-attendance at initial tuberculosis screening among contacts in Kudat, Sabah.","authors":"H G Jastin, V Ganesan, H Hamid, R Avoi","doi":"","DOIUrl":"","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Tuberculosis (TB) contact screening is a key strategy for early case detection and prevention of transmission. However, non-attendance at initial TB screening among contacts remains a persistent challenge, particularly in high-burden settings such as Sabah, Malaysia. This study aimed to determine factors associated with non-attendance at initial TB screening among contacts in Kudat, Sabah.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A case-control study was conducted using primary and secondary data from the National Tuberculosis Registry involving 468 TB contacts registered between June and December 2023. Cases were contacts who failed to attend initial screening within one month, while controls attended screening within the same period. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that factors associated with lower odds of non-attendance included contacts of male TB index patients (OR: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.194-0.470), contacts of extrapulmonary TB index patients (OR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.050-0.179), and higher attitude scores (OR: 0.88, 95% CI: 0.818-0.952). In contrast, contacts with secondary education had higher odds of nonattendance compared to those with no formal education (OR: 1.86, 95% CI: 1.080-3.209).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Non-attendance at initial TB screening among contacts was associated with index case sex and TB form, contact education level, and attitudes towards TB. Targeted interventions addressing behavioural and structural barriers are essential to improve TB contact screening uptake in high-burden settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":39388,"journal":{"name":"Medical Journal of Malaysia","volume":"81 4","pages":"504-512"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148714027","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}