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BackgroundGlobally, diarrhoea is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality among children under than 5 years of age. There is a scarcity of published data on acute gastroenteritis (AGE) prevalence in Malaysia among children. This study aims to determine factors associated with diarrhoea in children aged less than 5 years in Malaysia.MethodData from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2016 conducted by Ministry of Health was analysed. This nationwide survey involved 15,188 children below five years old. The survey was carried out using a two-stage stratified sampling design to ensure national representativeness. The Questionnaire from UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MCIS) was adapted to suit local requirements. Analysis was done using SPSS Version 23. Descriptive followed by multiple logistic regression were done to identify relevant factors.ResultThe prevalence of diarrhoea among children under five in Malaysia was 4.4% (95% CI: 3.8,5.2). Analysis using logistic regression indicated that only ethnicity and usage of untreated water were significantly associated with diarrhoea among children after controlling for relevant factors. By ethnicity, children in the ‘Other Bumiputera’ group had 2.5 times the odds of having diarrhoea compared to children of Malay ethnicity. Children of Indian ethnicity were also at higher risk, at almost double the odds, as well as other ethnic groups (1.5 times). Children who used untreated water supply were two times more likely to develop diarrhoea.ConclusionThere is a higher risk of diarrhoea among children of ‘Other Bumiputera’ ethnicity, Indian ethnicities, and other ethnic groups and those who consume untreated water. Strategies to reduce diarrhoea among children should be targeted towards these at-risk populations. In addition, the Government must strive to ensure universal access to treated clean water in Malaysia and the Ministry of Health must focus on raising awareness on how to prevent diarrhoea.

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Background: Reliable national data on disability which is internationally comparable is needed in Malaysia. This study aims to examine the prevalence of disability among adults in Malaysia and its determinants, particularly the socioeconomic factors and comorbidities. Methods: This study was based on the disability module, which is part of the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015. This survey was implemented using a multi-stage stratified sampling design. A locally validated Washington Group questionnaire was used to collect data on disability.Results: Based on the definition of having at least one domain scored "a lot of difficulty or unable to do at all" or at least "some difficulty" scored in two domains, the prevalence of disability among adults in Malaysia was 11.8% (95% CI: 11.15, 12.53). Logistic regression analysis performed showed that population at risk of having disability in Malaysia were those of older people, ethnic minority, low level of education, single, obese, physically inactive and having mental health problems. Among older people, disability was significantly higher among those with no formal education, having mental health problems and physically inactive. Conclusions: The prevalence of disability among adults in Malaysia is comparable to WHO estimates and most developing countries. Planning for healthcare services should consider at-risk population, particularly older people and those from disadvantaged background to ensure equity healthcare.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important gender-based, social, and public health problem that affects women worldwide, including women who are pregnant or have recently given birth. Studies have shown that violence against women often increases during pregnancy and the postpartum period. This study aims to examine lifetime and past-year prevalence of IPV among postpartum women in Malaysia, and to determine the socio-demographic as well as husband's/partner's behavioral factors associated with IPV exposure. This is a nationwide, cross-sectional and clinic-based study involving a total of 5727 women at 6 to 16 weeks postpartum, who attended randomly selected government health clinics between July to November 2016. Face-to-face interviews were conducted by trained female enumerators based on a pre-validated structured questionnaire, using mobile devices as data collection tools. Chisquared tests and multivariable logistic regressions were used to investigate selected factors associated with IPVexposure. The lifetime and past-year prevalence of any form of IPV among postpartum women were 4.94% (95% CI [3.81,6.39]) and 2.42% (95% CI [1.74,3.35]) respectively, with the highest prevalence being emotional violence, followed by physical and sexual violence. Multivariable analysis showed that husband's/partner's behaviors, such as frequent alcohol use, drug use, fighting habits and controlling behaviour were significantly associated with both lifetime and past-year IPV (all p < 0.001 for past-year IPV). These findings suggest that prevention and intervention strategies for IPV should consider the prevention of substance use and reducing controlling behaviors by husband/partner, as well as raising awareness to build healthy relationships through education.