Associations between meteorological variation and hospitalisations for rotavirus infections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Objectives: Rotavirus (RoV) infections have emerged as a significant public health concern around the world. Understanding the relationship between climatic conditions and hospitalisations due to RoV infections can help engage effective prevention strategies. This study aims to investigate the potential associations between meteorological variability and RoV-related hospitalisations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods: Hospitalization data from a tertiary teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur over a twelve-year period were retrospectively collected. Concurrently, meteorological data were obtained from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) including variables of temperature, humidity, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure to further demonstrate relationship with RoV-associated hospitalisations. Results: The results indicated positive correlations between increased rainfall, rainy days, humidity, and RoV-related hospitalisations, suggesting the influence of environmental factors on the transmission of RoV. Conclusions: This study highlights positive associations between meteorological variations and hospitalizations for RoV infections in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Further investigations, including national-level data, are needed to deepen our understanding of these associations, particularly within the context of Malaysia and to develop targeted interventions for disease prevention and control.

Factors influencing the intention to use the ICD-11 among medical record officers (MROs) and assistant medical record officers (AMROs) in Ministry of Health, Malaysia.

The transition of ICD has never been a straightforward initiative. As nations transition to ICD-11, ensuring its acceptance among the users is essential. To our knowledge, there are limited studies about the instrument and ICD-11 adoption. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to design an instrument and investigate the factors influencing the intention to use the ICD-11 among medical record officers (MROs) and assistant medical record officers (AMROs) at Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia facilities. Based on the current literature, a model based on the decomposed theory of planned behaviour (DTPB) was proposed. The model consisted of 13 dimensions and 12 hypotheses identified from previous studies. Using PLS-SEM, 185 survey data points were analysed. The study findings showed that ten factors have a significant impact on the suggested model. Users' subjective norm was the most influential factor in their intention to use ICD-11. Unexpectedly, perceived usefulness and was found to have no significant influence. This study is important for policymakers in strategising ICD-11 implementation efforts. This study's novelty lies in applying a DTPB theory model in the context of the intention to use ICD-11.

Reflection of connectivism in medical education and learning motivation 4 during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected the global healthcare and economy but threatened the world of education altogether. Malaysia is not spared from this pandemic as all universities were forced to close and initiate online learning with the implementation of Movement Control Order since mid-March 2020.The abrupt shift from conventional medical education to fully virtual learning definitely deserves a reflection on how it affects the learning motivation among medical students. Hence, this is the first study that compares the effect of digital learning on learning motivation among medical students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A modified Students Motivation towards Science Learning (SMTSL) was used to assess the learning motivation of UKM medical students throughout Year 1-5. The number of students that use digital learning during COVID-19 is significantly higher compared to before COVID-19 (p<0.05). However, there is no significant difference (p=0.872) in learning motivation among medical students before and during COVID-19 crisis. Higher frequency in digital learning usage frequency does not exert a great impact on learning motivation. Reflections from each participant were collated to justify the current situation. This could be due to motivation coming from the very choice to pursue medicine as a doctor, which is mainly influenced by intrinsic motivation, and ability to adapt in difficult situations. Thus, medical educators should be creative in enhancing extrinsic motivation by making use of digital learning as a platform so that medical students are able to independently fish for information in the vast pool of digital information and apply in actual medical practice in the future for life-long learning.

Prevalence and associated factors of ever use of electronic cigarettes: Findings from a hospitals and health clinics study based in Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are new smoking devices that have gained popularity recently. However, there is limited evidence on e-cigarette consumption in Malaysia. This study aims to determine the prevalence, risk factors and perception associated with e-cigarette use among those attending government hospitals and health clinics in Malaysia. METHODS: A cross-sectional hospital-based study was conducted in seven public hospitals and health clinics in Malaysia, which were selected through a two-stage cluster sampling. A validated questionnaire was used to obtain data from the selected participants. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to determine the association between sociodemographics and perceptions of e-cigarette use. RESULTS: Almost three-quarters (73.6%; n=923/1254) of participants were aware of e-cigarettes and 13.2% (n=122/923) reported having ever used e-cigarettes. The prevalence was significantly higher among males (18.1%), smokers (21.4%), and younger age group 18-34 years (30.2%). Ever users showed favourable perceptions towards e-cigarettes compared to non-users (23.3% vs 30.14%, p<0.001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that current smokers, younger age group and those possessing a positive perception towards e-cigarettes were likely to be ever users of e-cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed that the awareness level of e-cigarettes was high amongst the population but the prevalence of ever e-cigarette user was moderate. Most of the ever e-cigarette users were male, current smokers, young adults and those with favourable perceptions towards e-cigarettes. Therefore, effective health educational activities regarding safe usage of e-cigarettes targeting those group identified in this study are warranted to reduce the negative outcomes from the use of this product.