ABSTRACT
@#Introduction: Anaemia is a common health problem in Malaysia, most common being iron deficiency anaemia (IDA). This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitude, practices (KAP), and health-seeking behaviour (HSB) towards anaemia among undergraduate female students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 180 female university students from a medical university in Malaysia. Data were collected using an online questionnaire comprising KAP and HSB. SPSS version 25.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: Most participants (60%) had an appropriate level of knowledge about anaemia. A positive attitude was shown with adequate awareness of anaemia. A total of 55.5% of participants reported having good health practices. However, 52.9% of the participants consumed less iron-rich foods and 81.7% reported skipping meals. The overall observed healthseeking behaviour was good. A statistically significant relationship was found between knowledge with attitude (p=0.003) and practice (p=0.005). This study observed that the study population had poor nutritional status, long menstrual duration, and vegetarianism. Moreover, infrequent consumption of vitamin C-rich fruits and low iron-folate supplementation were also observed. Conclusion: A good level of knowledge on IDA among students was noted. However, most of the students showed a lack of positive attitude and good practices towards preventing anaemia. University students are prone to IDA due to a lack of KAP, which can significantly affect health-seeking behaviour. This issue should not be neglected; therefore, implementing intervention programmes to educate students on the preventive measures against the risk factors of IDA is recommended.
ABSTRACT
@#The long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are the most prevalent and functionally diverse member of the non-coding RNA (ncRNA). The lncRNA has previously been considered to be a form of transcriptional “noise” but recent studies have found that the lncRNA to be associated with various disease conditions. It has also been found to play important roles in various physiological processes such as haemopoiesis, where lncRNA is reported to act as a fine-tuner of this very important process. To date, the effects of dysregulated lncRNA in thalassaemia has not been fully explored. This review article focuses on the possible roles of dysregulated lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of thalassaemia.