Obesity among health-care workers (HCWs) is an important issue as it can affect both their health condition and their professional capability. Although adult obesity is attributable to occupational factors, few reports are available on Malaysian health-care workers’ obesity and whether different health-care job categories are related to workers’ obesity. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity among HCWs and the association between various HCW job categories and obesity. A cross-sectional study was conducted by analyzing secondary data from the 2019 annual cardiovascular health screening program, which included information regarding all government health-care workers in the east coast region of Peninsular Malaysia. The subject’s body mass index (BMI) was categorized according to WHO criteria. Only 43% of the subjects had a normal BMI, while 33.1% were categorized as overweight, and 21.1% were obese. Different HCWs’ job categories were shown to be significantly associated with their obesity status, with nurses apparently having a higher risk of being obese (Adj OR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.45, 2.53, p-value < 0.001). This study's results require further exploration of HCWs’ working condition factors and for different job categories that contribute to obesity. Public health intervention programs to combat obesity should be implemented that primarily target HCW groups at the highest risk of obesity.

BackgroundMental health problems among the health workforce are a significant concern worldwide, including in Malaysia. Unfortunately, some health workforce may perceive various barriers or challenges that prevent them from seeking help. Identifying and addressing these barriers is crucial for enhancing mental health services and support. The Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE-3) questionnaire is a valuable tool that can be used for assessing these barriers among health workers. However, a validated Malay version is needed. Therefore, this study aims to translate, adapt, and validate the original version of Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE-3) into the Malay version (MBACE). MethodsA rigorous process of translation and adaptation was followed to develop the Malay version of the BACE-3 questionnaire (MBACE). A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the psychometric properties of the questionnaire, with purposive sampling employed to recruit 188 participants from various job categories, including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and non-clinical staff, such as health assistants and clerks. The analysis was conducted using the R software version 4.2.2 (R Foundation, Vienna, Austria). Construct validity was determined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). To assess the convergent validity, internal consistency, and reliability of the instrument, measures such as the average variance extracted (AVE), composite reliability (CR), and Cronbach's alpha values were calculated. ResultsDuring the CFA process, two items with a factor loading less than 0.5 (items 15 and 16) were removed to improve the convergent validity and model fit. The CFA results revealed that the 2-factor model MBACE had good construct validity (root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.053; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.939; Tucker-Lewis fit index (TLI) = 0.934). The internal consistency was supported by Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.92 to 0.94 for the stigma factor and non-stigma factor. The average variance extracted (AVE) and composite reliability (CR) values further supported the questionnaire's reliability and convergent validity. ConclusionThe translated and adapted 28-item MBACE questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the barrier to seeking professional mental health care among the Malaysian health workforce. This instrument has the potential to aid in the development of targeted interventions to promote mental health help-seeking behavior and enhance the well-being of the Malaysian health workforce.