Relationship between physical activity and musculoskeletal disorders among low income housewives in Kuala Lumpur: A cross sectional study.

Housewives play a crucial role in their families' and communities' quality of life. However, musculoskeletal disorders are common among housewives due to housework and lack of physical activity. These musculoskeletal problems have been associated to leisure physical activity. As a result, the goal of this study was to determine the incidence of musculoskeletal problems and their association to physical activity among low-income women in Kuala Lumpur. A cross-sectional research was done among 82 housewives in Kuala Lumpur's low-income housing area. Housewives were asked to fill out a sociodemographic questionnaire, a short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), and body mass index were measured by researcher. The total prevalence of musculoskeletal problems was found to be 89.0%, with the lowest frequency in the lower back (35%), followed by the knee (31%), ankle or foot (31%), and elbow (1% %). The subjects spent an average of 117.6 + 474.8 minutes per week on MVPA and 524 + 810.3 MET minutes per week on physical activity. A total of 88% of the participants had a low level of physical activity, 8.5 percent had a moderate level of activity, and 3.7% had a high level of activity. In a Chi-square test, there was no significant association between musculoskeletal problems and physical activity. The primary sociodemographic factors impacting musculoskeletal diseases were body mass index and household income, while the primary variables influencing physical activity were household income and education level, according to a logistic regression test. In a Poisson regression test, only body mass index had a significant relationship with number of musculoskeletal disorders. In conclusion, housewives are likely to suffer from musculoskeletal problems, with a high incidence in the lower back, knees, ankles, and feet, and the majority of them engage in little physical activity. Furthermore, the high percentage of musculoskeletal problems in this study varies with the findings of other research based on the type of housework done by housewives in low-cost housing areas. Future research should look at identifying the sorts of household tasks and positions employed, as well as the amount of hours spent on housework each week.

MRI findings suggestive of Alzheimer's disease in patients with primary open angle glaucoma - a single sequence analysis using rapid 3D T1 spoiled gradient echo.

OBJECTIVE: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a degenerative optic neuropathy disease which has somewhat similar pathophysiology to Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study aims to determine the presence of medial temporal atrophy and parietal lobe atrophy in patients with POAG compared to normal controls using medial temporal atrophy (MTA) scoring and posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) scoring system on T1 magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo. METHODS: 50 POAG patients and 50 normal subjects were recruited and an MRI brain with T1-magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo was performed. Medial temporal lobe and parietal lobe atrophy were by MTA and PCA/Koedam scoring. The score of the PCA and MTA were compared between the POAG group and the controls. RESULTS: There was a significant statistical difference between PCA score in POAG and the healthy control group (p-value = 0.026). There is no statistical difference between MTA score in POAG compared to the healthy control group (p-value = 0.58). CONCLUSION: This study suggests a correlation between POAG and PCA score. Potential application of this scoring method in clinical diagnosis and monitoring of POAG patients. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: The scoring method used in AD may also be applied in the diagnosis and monitoring of POAGMRI brain, specifically rapid volumetric T1 spoiled gradient echo sequence, may be applied in POAG assessment.

Relationship between Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study among Low-Income Housewives in Kuala Lumpur.

Cardiovascular disease is a significant public health concern worldwide, including in Malaysia. Various attempts have been made to resolve this issue. One of the most important methods of controlling cardiovascular risk factors is physical exercise. However, today's women, especially housewives, are often identified by a lack of physical activity. This is alarming to society, as cardiovascular disease can affect the quality of their life. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors among low-income housewives in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 63 housewives participated in this cross-sectional study. All participating housewives were asked to fill out a sociodemographic questionnaire and the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). To evaluate cardiovascular risk factors, anthropometric measurements and blood samples were taken. Findings showed that an average of 70.5 ± 232.4 min/week was spent on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), which indicated a low level of physical activity. Data showed that 90.5% of the subjects had low physical activity, 6.3% were moderate, and 3.2% were considered as having a high level of physical activity. For body mass index (BMI), 58.7% of the respondents were obese, 28.6% were overweight (29.10 ± 5.67 kg m-2), and 81.0% of subjects had a waist circumference (WC) value above the normal range (92.74 ± 16.40 cm). A two-way ANOVA test revealed significant mean differences between systolic blood pressure (mm/Hg) and age groups (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, there was a significant association between MVPA and cardiovascular risk factors using negative binomial regression (p < 0.01). The findings of this study highlight the need for health promotional programs to raise awareness, educate, and engage low-income housewives in lifestyle-enhancing behaviors.