Systematic review on factors associated with depression among mothers of children with cancer.

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence of depression among mothers of children with cancer, there appears to be a lack of studies or concern regarding factors associated with depression among these mothers. OBJECTIVE: To review the factors associated with depression among mothers of children with cancer. METHOD: Pubmed, Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, Psychology, and Behavioural Sciences Collection, and Academic Search Complete were searched according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to identify studies published between 2010 to 2022 on the associated risk factors of depression among mothers of children with cancer. The keywords used included mothers OR maternal' AND 'Child*' AND 'cancer OR tumo*r OR neoplasm' AND 'factors OR facilitators AND barriers OR predictors OR determinants AND 'depression'. Selected studies were evaluated by quality assessment. RESULT: Five articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria. The factors associated with depression among mothers of children were socio-demographic risk factors (marital status, education level, annual income, child cancer diagnosis), and stress factors (caregiving stress, cancer-related stress, general stress). There were other factors associated with depression that act as mediators along the process which were emotion-focused coping and perceived social support. CONCLUSION: Besides the commonly reported socio-demographic risk factors (marital status, education level, and annual income), other factors include stress factors (caregiving stress, cancer-related stress, and general stress). Furthermore, emotion-focused coping and perceived social support act as mediators along the process. More studies are warranted to explore depression among these mothers to ensure the most appropriate and effective preventive measures.

Prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety and stress in Malaysia during COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had severe impacts on mental health status worldwide. Several studies have investigated the prevalence and factors associated with depression, anxiety, and stress in different countries, however, a systematic review on the research topic during COVID-19 is presently lacking in Malaysia's context. To fill this gap, electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Sagepub, CINAHL, Psychology, and Behavioral Sciences Collection were searched for relevant studies. A total of 16 studies were included in the systematic review. METHODS: To fill this gap, electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, Sagepub, CINAHL, Psychology, and Behavioral Sciences Collection were searched for relevant studies. A total of 16 studies were included in the systematic review. RESULTS: The analyses showed that the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress ranged from 14.3% to 81.7%, 8.0% to 81.7%, and 0.9% to 56.5% respectively. Adult populations demonstrated the highest prevalence of depression, whereas university students reported the highest prevalence of anxiety and stress. Several factors were associated with mental health conditions including age, gender, family income, and perception of COVID-19. CONCLUSION: Differentials in mental health screening practices call for standardised screening practices. Mental health intervention should be targeted at high-risk populations with effective risk communication.

Evaluation of Gigantochloa scortechinii and soil interaction in three study sites in Malaysia.

Understanding the productivity and physiological status of an organ (rhizome) function can lead into a sustainable production of sympodial bamboo. Nutrient elements and ash content (AC) are among the indicators to indicate the productivity and physiological status of an individual bamboo organ. The present study aimed to (a) determine the concentration of macronutrient elements of Gigantochloa scortechinii's rhizomes at four different ages collected at three study sites, and (b) investigate their relationship with AC. The destructive sampling was conducted on a set of four consecutive rhizomes using the selective random sampling method. Middle rhizome wall portion was used to determine the macronutrient elements and AC. All primary and secondary macronutrients were found to be different (p ≤ 0.01) at different study sites, except for the magnesium (Mg). The changes in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and Mg from new sprout to mature rhizome showed a strongly positive relationship with AC. Thus, the N, P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations decreased with rhizome age, resulting in a decrease in AC. The present study suggests that the suitable harvesting of individual bamboo culm and rhizome is at mature and older age while the remaining younger age bamboo is kept being grown so that the bamboo production is sustainable in terms of the physiological functions.

Facial Skin Biophysical Profile of Women in Malaysia: Significance of Facial Skincare Product Use.

INTRODUCTION: At present, there is a lack of baseline data on the facial skin biophysical profile of women in Malaysia. The implications related to the daily habits and facial skincare product use on the skin biophysical condition are, thus, unknown. In this study, we aim to evaluate facial skin biophysical parameters of Malaysian women and examine the influence of demographic characteristics, daily habits, and facial skincare product use on these parameters. METHODS: Four skin biophysical parameters - transepidermal water loss (TEWL), melanin content, elasticity, and collagen intensity - were assessed on the cheek of the subjects (20-60 years). Demographic background, daily habits, and skincare product use were gauged through a survey. Only 197 from the 213 subjects recruited initially were used for analysis after the data were screened for normality. RESULTS: The biophysical parameters were similar in different races, except a higher melanin content in Indian female individuals. Elasticity and collagen intensity reduced with age, while melanin content increased in the older age-groups. But no difference was observed in TEWL at different ages. Evaluating the influence of daily habits, we observed that exercise significantly lowered TEWL and increased melanin content, which may be associated with UV radiation exposure. Facial skincare products are popular among the female subjects (>85% users). Products with moisturizing, sunscreening, and other skincare functions (astringent, antiaging, and anti-wrinkle) were preferred by subjects of all ages. These product functions significantly improve skin elasticity and reduce melanin content in the young adults. While aged women recognized the importance of having an additional skin-lightening function in their skincare routine. Although the influence of individual skincare function on skin biophysical parameters was mostly positive, the alteration of these parameters varied at different ages. CONCLUSION: This is the first report of facial skin biophysical profile of Malaysian women. There is no difference among 3 major races saved for melanin content. This work demonstrated age-dependent influences on the biophysical parameters, except TEWL. The significance of skincare product use is well reflected in the improvement of these parameters at different age-groups based on individual skincare functions.