Perceived Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety and Stress amongst Staff in a Malaysian Public University: A Workers Survey.

Mental health conditions are a major part of workers' health that predisposes to poor self-motivation for sustaining productivity. This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among staff in a Malaysian public university and its associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 459 staff from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) between April and June 2019. A questionnaire that consisted of items on socio-demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, employment description, lifestyle risk behaviors, personal medical history, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress was administered to participants. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted using SPSS version 22.0. The prevalence of perceived symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among the respondents was 28.7%, 50.1%, and 14.8%, respectively. Over one-quarter (26.5%) of the participants presented symptoms of two or more mental disorders. Women, those aged less than 40 years old, and non-academic professionals were more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms, while those with medical conditions that required hospitalizations sustained anxiety symptoms. Perceived stress was more likely to be prevalent among staff with secondary education or less and smokers. Proactive support for staff needs to be offered in sustaining their emotional well-being.

Factors Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life amongst Employees in a Malaysian Public University.

The current academic landscape has overwhelmed faculties and with demands to adopt tech-savvy teaching modes and accelerate scholarly works, administrative duties, and outreach programs. Such demands have deteriorated the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among university employees. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with HRQoL among university employees in a Malaysian public university. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 397 employees from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) between April and June 2019. A self-administered questionnaire that consisted of socio-demographic items, risky health behaviors, health-related information, and validated scales for measuring employees' physical inactivity, psychological states, and HRQoL was utilized. Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated using SPSS version 23.0. Hierarchical multiple linear regression models were yielded to determine the factors associated with different domains of HRQoL. Mediation analysis was conducted using PROCESS MACRO (Model 4). Statistical significance was set to p < 0.05. Physical HRQoL scored the highest, while environmental HRQoL had the lowest score among the employees. Physical HRQoL was influenced by age, service duration, comorbid conditions, BMI, chronic diseases, and anxiety. Factors associated with psychological HRQoL were age, service duration, depression, and stress. Age, service duration, and chronic diseases affected employees' social relationship HRQoL, while environmental HRQoL was associated with age, occupation type, chronic diseases, and depression. Socio-demographics, risky health behaviors, health profiles, and psychological attributes were significantly associated with employees' HRQoL. Age was the only positively correlated factor across all HRQoL domains, while other factors deteriorated employees' HRQoL.

Prevalence of metabolic syndrome and its associated risk factors among staffs in a Malaysian public university.

Public health systems are concerned with the commensurate rise of metabolic syndrome (MetS) incidence across populations worldwide, due to its tendency to amplify greater risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases within communities. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MetS and its associated risk factors among staffs in a Malaysian public university. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 538 staffs from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) between April and June 2019. MetS was defined according to JIS "Harmonized" criteria. A questionnaire that consisted of items on socio-demographics, lifestyle risk behaviors and personal medical history information was administered to participants. Subsequently, a series of physical examination and biochemical assessment was conducted at the hall or foyer of selected faculties in the university. Descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted using SPSS version 22.0. Multivariate models were yielded to determine the risk factors associated with MetS. Statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. The overall prevalence of MetS was 20.6%, with men having greater prevalence than women (24.9% vs. 18.3%). Prevalence of MetS increased with age. Factors contributed to MetS in the overall sample were BMI, hypertension, diabetes and physical activity of moderate intensity. Diabetes and hypertension were significantly associated with MetS in men, whereas BMI, diabetes and hyperlipidemia were significantly associated with MetS in women. Lifestyle behaviors and cardio-metabolic risk factors were associated with MetS for the overall sample, and across genders.