The need for assistance among the elderly is rising, which poses challenges for healthcare systems. Thus, this study aims to determine the factors associated with the need for assistance in the daily living activities of Malaysia’s elderly population. A total of 1204 elderly individuals, aged 60 years and above, were recruited. An interview was conducted using the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES-BM) questionnaire. Overall, 7.7% of the elderly participants required assistance. A logistic regression model showed that difficult financial statuses (aOR 4.56), hearing difficulties (aOR 1.78), and severe limitations in daily activity over the past 6 months (aOR 11.99) were associated with a higher likelihood of needing assistance. In addition, daily activities such as an inability to feed (aOR 8.46), stand without support (aOR 2.06), or walk for 15 min without stopping (aOR 1.99) were significantly associated with the need for assistance. Factors associated with the need for assistance are health status, disability, and the financial status of the elderly. Preventive measures should be included in policies to ensure the sustainability of the care provided to the elderly in terms of promoting healthy ageing and a good quality of life.

Background: Happiness is an essential component for experience healthy ageing. Hence, understanding the factors that contribute to happiness is essential for a better quality of life. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with happiness among the elderly population in Malaysia.Methods: In this study, 1204 respondents were recruited from urban and rural areas in Selangor. The face-to-face interview was conducted using the Bahasa Malaysian version of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study questionnaire. The inclusion criteria include Malaysians who are 60 years old and above and can converse in the Malaysian language. Those who encounter less than seven scores for the Abbreviated Mental Test were excluded from the study.Result: Among the 1204 respondents, 953 (79.2%) of them were happy. In terms of sociodemographic characteristics, men who were happy, 60 to 74 years old and live in urban areas were significantly associated with happiness. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the significant factors associated with happiness among the elderly include the social support they receive, both emotional support (adjusted OR 2.33) and instrumental support (adjusted OR 1.59); the locality they reside in (adjusted OR 1.65); how they self-rated themselves in terms of their health status (adjusted OR 1.58); their educational level (adjusted OR 4.20) and their household income (adjusted OR 0.77).Conclusion: Thus, ensuring the elderly population in receiving emotional and instrumental support can enhance their happiness level.

Background: Social interactions within and between communities influenced the spread of COVID-19. By using social network analysis (SNA), we aimed to understand the effect of social interaction on the spread of disease in a rural district. Method: A retrospective record review study using positive COVID-19 cases and contact-tracing data from an area in Malaysia was performed and analysed using the SNA method through R software and visualised by Gephi software. The justification for utilizing SNA is its capability to pinpoint the individuals with the highest impact and accountability for the transmission of COVID-19 within the area, as determined through SNA. Result: Analysis revealed 76 (4.5%) people tested positive for COVID-19 from 1,683 people, with 51 (67.1%) of the positive ones being male. Outdegrees for 38 positive people were between 1 and 12, while 41 people had 1–13 indegree. Older males have a higher outdegree, while younger females have a higher outdegree than other age groups among same-sex groups. Betweenness was between 0.09 and 34.5 for 15 people. We identified 15 people as super-spreaders from the 42 communities detected. Conclusion: Women play a major role in bridging COVID-19 transmission, while older men may transmit COVID-19 through direct connections. Thus, health education on face mask usage and hand hygiene is important for both groups. Working women should be given priority for the work-from-home policy compared to others. A large gathering should not be allowed to operate, or if needed, with strict adherence to specific standard operating procedures, as it contributes to the spread of COVID-19 in the district. The SNA allows the identification of key personnel within the network. Therefore, SNA can help healthcare authorities recognise evolving clusters and identify potential super-spreaders; hence, precise and timely action can be taken to prevent further spread of the disease.

Background: Handgrip strength (HGS) is indicative of overall physical health among older people. A reduction in HGS may be associated with an increased risk of disease. This study aims to assess the association between HGS and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the related risk factors.Methods: One thousand two hundred four (1204) participants from four areas in Selangor state, Malaysia, were recruited. A comprehensive face-to-face interview based on the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES-BM) questionnaire was administered, followed by HGS assessments by a handgrip dynamometer.Results: The mean age of the participants was 68.7 (SD 6.36) years. A total of 691 participants (57.4%) were male, and 513 (42.6%) were female. The mean HGS was 30.0 (SD 7.53) kg for men and 19.4 (SD 5.28) kg for women. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed that factors associated with HGS among elderly males were age group, employment status, smoking status, alcohol consumption, moderate physical activity, BMI class, diabetes mellitus and self-rated health status. For females, the significant factors were age group, moderate and light physical activity, and BMI class.Conclusions: The study contributed to a better understanding of factors associated with HGS among elderly individuals in Malaysia. Consequently, HGS may be recommended as an assessment for identifying elderly individuals at risk of NCDs and poor health status.Trial RegistrationNot applicable