No abstract

The ratio of older adult patients attending our ED over the proportion of older people in the general population was 26:6, which is far higher than reported in previous published studies carried out in other countries. Older ED attenders are also more likely to require investigations, procedures and hospital admissions. With the rapidly aging population in Malaysia, reconfiguration of resources will need to occur at a compatible rate in order to ensure that the healthcare needs of our older adults are met.

Aim Falls are a common problem among older people, leading to major morbidity and increased mortality. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of falls among older persons in Malaysia and its associated factors. Methods Data were obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2018 (NHMS 2018), a cross‐sectional study using stratified cluster sampling design. Older persons were defined as aged ≥60 years in this study. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 25.0. Results Overall, 14.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.46, 15.84) of older persons reported having experienced at least one fall during the past 12 months. Univariate analyses revealed an association between the history of falls with not being employed (odds ratio [OR]: 1.35 [95% CI: 1.03, 1.77]), diabetes mellitus (OR: 1.65 [95% CI: 1.33, 2.04]), limitation in activities of daily living (ADL) (OR: 1.90 [95% CI: 1.43, 2.54]) or instrumental ADL (OR: 1.47 [95% CI: 1.16, 1.84]). Multiple logistic regression revealed that falls were positively associated with those who had diabetes mellitus (OR: 1.55 [95% CI: 1.23, 1.94]) and limitation in ADL (OR: 1.56 [95% CI: 1.14, 2.15]); 43.9% of falls occurred outdoors. Conclusion One in six older Malaysian people experience at least one fall over a 12‐month period. Diabetes mellitus and limitation in ADL were the factors associated with falls among older persons. A comprehensive and targeted program designed to reduce risk of falls is urgently needed. Future research should identify suitable programs for our setting to reduce the potential society burden of falls in older Malaysians. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 33–37.

Aim Studies on the influence of social support on activity limitation among older persons remain limited. A better understanding of this relationship will help with resource planning and policy making aimed to reduce burden of care. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of social support on limitation in daily living among older persons in Malaysia. Methods Data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2018, a nation‐wide, cross‐sectional survey using a two‐stage stratified sampling design, were analyzed. A representative sample of individuals aged ≥60 years identified through national sampling frames throughout Malaysia was included. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted using validated questionnaires on activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL). Social support was measured using the Duke Social Support Index. Results The overall prevalence of the presence of any limitations in ADL and IADL was 17.0% and 42.9% respectively. Overall prevalence of the older persons with low to fair social support was 30.8% and high to very high social support was 69.2%. Logistic regression analysis identified the following factors as being associated with limitations in ADL and IADL: being female, of older age, having a monthly income

Background Poor oral health affects not only dietary choices but overall well-being. This study explores the influence of lifestyle, socio-demographics and utilization of dental services on the dentition status of an older urban Malaysian population. Methods A total of 1210 participants 60 years and above, representing the three main ethnic groups were recruited from a larger cohort study. Weighted factors valued for comparison included socio demographics and health status. Knowledge of and attitude and behaviour towards personal oral health were also assessed. Dentition status, adapted from WHO oral health guidelines, was the dependent variable investigated. Data were analysed using descriptive chi square test and multivariate binary logistic regression. Results Overall, 1187 respondents completed the study. The dentition status and oral health related knowledge, attitude and behaviour varied between the three ethnic groups. The Chinese were significantly less likely to have ≥13 missing teeth (OR = 0.698, 95% CI: 0.521–0.937) and ≥1 decayed teeth (0.653; 0.519–0.932) compared to the Malays, while the Indians were significantly less likely than the Malays to have ≥1 decayed teeth (0.695; 0.519–0.932) and ≥2 filled teeth (0.781; 0.540–1.128). Conclusion Ethnic differences in dentition outcome are related to oral health utilization highlighting the influence of cultural differences and the need for culturally sensitivity interventions.

Background: The global population is ageing rapidly, with the most dramatic increases in developing countries like Malaysia. Older people are at increased risk of multimorbidity, frailty and falls. Objectives: In this study we aimed to determine the relationship between social participation, frailty and falls in Malaysia. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a cross-sectional study of individuals aged 55 years and above selected from the electoral rolls of three Klang Valley parliamentary constituencies through stratified random sampling. They were invited to take part in a questionnaire and physical assessment as part of the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) study. Measurements: Fallers were individuals who had fallen in the previous year. Frailty was defined as meeting ≥3 of: low body mass index, reduced cognition, low physical activity, low hand-grip strength, and slow walking speed. Social participation was determined from employment status, social network, and community activity. Binomial logistic regression multivariant analysis was performed to identify links between the measures of social participation and falls and frailty. Results: The mean age of the 1383 participants was 68.5 years, with 57.1% female. Within the population, 22.9% were fallers and 9.3% were frail. Social isolation (OR= 2.119; 95% CI=1.351-3.324), and non-engagement in community activities (OR=2.548; 95% CI=1.107-5.865) were associated with increased frailty. Falls increased with social isolation (OR=1.327; 95% CI=1.004-1.754). Conclusions: Previous studies have shown social participation to be linked to frailty and falls risk, and social isolation to be a predictor of falls. In this study frailty was associated with all three social participation measures and history of falls was associated with social isolation.

Low vision and blindness are major health issues affecting ageing population. This cross-sectional study aims to determine the prevalence of visual impairment (VI) in Petaling Jaya North, Petaling Jaya South, and Lembah Pantai using data from the Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research. There were 1322 participants aged ≥55 years selected by random sampling from parliamentary electoral rolls. Visual acuity was assessed using the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution chart at 4 m distance. The overall population-adjusted prevalence of VI was 9.0%. The estimated prevalence of VI was highest in Malays followed by Indians and Chinese. Following adjustments for ethnic discrepancies in age, marital status, education level, gender and medical illness, the Malay ethnicity remained an independent association for VI. Education level was associated with Indian ethnicity. In conclusion, the Malay ethnicity and lower education level among Indian ethnicity were found to be associated with VI among the older population in Malaysia. The Malay ethnicity showed the highest prevalence of VI followed by Indians and Chinese.

Objectives:To determine the relationship between falls and deficits in specific cognitive domains in older adults.Design:An analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) cohort.Setting:United Kingdom community-based.Participants:5197 community-dwelling older adults recruited to a prospective longitudinal cohort study.Measurements:Data on the occurrence of falls and number of falls, which occurred during a 12-month follow-up period, were assessed against the specific cognitive domains of memory, numeracy skills, and executive function. Binomial logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between each cognitive domain and the dichotomous outcome of falls in the preceding 12 months using unadjusted and adjusted models.Results:Of the 5197 participants included in the analysis, 1308 (25%) reported a fall in the preceding 12 months. There was no significant association between the occurrence of a fall and specific forms of cognitive dysfunction after adjusting for self-reported hearing, self-reported eyesight, and functional performance. After adjustment, only orientation (odds ratio [OR]: 0.80; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.65–0.98, p = 0.03) and verbal fluency (adjusted OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96–1.00; p = 0.05) remained significant for predicting recurrent falls.Conclusions:The cognitive phenotype rather than cognitive impairment per se may predict future falls in those presenting with more than one fall.