Kam Weng Boey - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Kam Weng Boey

Sleep, 1999

Kingdom 1 and United States 2 were affected by sleep disturbance and 17% considered themselves to... more Kingdom 1 and United States 2 were affected by sleep disturbance and 17% considered themselves to have serious insomnia. 2 Problems with sleep increase sharply with age so that up to 40% of elderly have sleep complaints. 3 Sleep disturbance has been associated with poorer quality of life, disproportionate use of sleeping pills and even increased morbidity and mortality. 3,4 The term "insomnia" has been used variously to denote a subjective perception of disordered sleep, 5 a complaint of unsatisfactory quantity or quality of sleep, 6 or a sleep disorder diagnosis. 7-9 In previous studies, many authors have used the term "insomnia" to mean "difficulty in falling asleep, broken sleep, and early morning wakening." Indeed, there are semantic variances in the usage of the term "insomnia" and there is as yet no consensus view in the literature. So far, there has been scanty data on sleep problems in Chinese elderly. We have recently conducted a survey to investigate the sleep habits and sleep problems in Chinese elderly in Hong Kong. In this study, the notions of "sleep disturbance" and "insomnia" were differentiated. Sleep disturbance was defined by any difficulty in falling asleep, broken sleep, and early morning wakening, while insomnia was a subjective appraisal that there was a problem of inadequate or poor sleep. This is concordant with the ordinary usage of the term "insomnia" by the lay public in Hong Kong. The project is part of a study examining the prevalence of dementia, depression, and sleep problems in Chinese elderly in Hong Kong. It has been approved by the local Ethics Committee. Details and results on the prevalence of dementia 10 and depression (submitted) are reported elsewhere. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The sample The survey was carried out in Shatin district of Hong Kong to examine a representative sample of Chinese elderly aged 70 years or over. In Hong Kong, there is no satis-Background: To examine the sleep habits and one-year prevalence of sleep disturbance (difficulty in falling asleep, broken sleep and early morning wakening) as well as insomnia (subjectively inadequate or poor sleep) in an elderly Chinese population in Hong Kong. Method: In Phase 1, a representative sample of elderly aged 70 years or above were interviewed with a sleep questionnaire, and Cantonese versions of the Mini-Mental State Examination (CMMSE) and Geriatric Depression Scale(CGDS). In Phase 2, those with scores suggestive of cognitive impairment on CMMSE or depression on CGDS were interviewed by psychiatrists for making clinical diagnoses according to DSM IV. Results: 1,034 elderly were interviewed in Phase 1. Occasional or persistent sleep disturbance were reported by 75% and insomnia in 38.2% of elderly. Slightly less than half of elderly with sleep disturbance complained of insomnia. Advancing age was associated with a higher rate of sleep disturbance while females had a higher rate of insomnia. Factors associated with sleep disturbance and insomnia included poor perceived health, past history of smoking, current depressive disorders, more chronic physical illness, more life events and more somatic complaints. Only 2.8% of the sample had taken sleeping pills within a one-year period. Conclusions: Sleep disturbance and insomnia are two separate but overlapping constructs and should be differentiated. Sleep disturbance is very common in the elderly and may be due to physiological changes with ageing. In contrast, those with a concommitant complaint of insomnia have impaired physical and mental health and may merit more medical attention.

Clinical Gerontologist, 1998

This study examined Kanter's theory of structural empowerment by exploring the moderating and med... more This study examined Kanter's theory of structural empowerment by exploring the moderating and mediating effect of self-esteem. Participants were frontline nurses (N = 556) of an acute hospital in Hong Kong. Results of the study indicated that structural empowerment was associated with job satisfaction only among nurses with high selfesteem. It was beneficial to positive well-being of nurses with moderate self-esteem but was detrimental to positive well-being among nurses who were low in self-esteem. The impact of only one of the components of structural empowerment (i.e., access to opportunity) was mediated by self-esteem. Self-esteem played a more important role in moderating than in mediating the effects of structural empowerment. The overall findings suggested that to facilitate positive outcomes, personality factors should be considered in the implementation of structural empowerment. Results of this study were discussed with reference to the three different motivational patterns of self-esteem, viz., self-derogation, self-protection, and self-acquisition. This study was conducted to explore the possible moderating and mediating effect of self-esteem in the empowerment process. Job satisfaction and psychological well-being which were two Central

Toxicology, 1988

The purpose of this study is to determine the contribution of psychological tests in discriminati... more The purpose of this study is to determine the contribution of psychological tests in discriminating neuropsychological effects of low lead exposure. The sample consists of 49 workers occupationally exposed to lead ahd a control group of 36 non-exposed workers. Their performance on various neuropsychological measures was subject to a discriminant analysis using the SPSS DISCRIMINANT subprogramme. The results indicated that simple reaction time, Digit Symbol (WAIS) and Trail-Making Test (Part A) provide the best combination of tests for the detection of neurotoxic effect of low lead exposure.

Social Science & Medicine, 2002

Studies have documented that health and income are important variables affecting the quality of l... more Studies have documented that health and income are important variables affecting the quality of life in old age. However, there is little knowledge about whether perceived financial sufficiency affects the health of elderly persons. Recent research has documented that in addition to material and behavioural determinants, psychosocial pathways also have an influence on health inequalities. This is the first paper to examine the relation between self-rated economic condition (measured with a single item question) and reported health conditions (i.e., somatic complaints, diagnosed physical diseases, functional health (Activities of Daily Living), self-rated health, and mental health status (General Health Questionnaire-30 [GHQ-30]) among elderly persons in Hong Kong. The respondents of the study were persons aged 65 and over residing in public housing estates in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. Four hundred and fifty respondents were interviewed in 1995 by means of a structured questionnaire. The study found that although it did not record the actual income levels of the respondents, the subjective measure vividly demonstrated the health differentials among the elderly respondents. Multiple regression analyses suggested that self-rated economic condition was a significant predictor of the number of somatic complaints and physical illnesses reported, as well as of functional health, self-rated health, and mental health status (controlling for socio-demographic variables). However, the measure explained a higher proportion of variance in models related to psychological health than those related to physical health. The findings substantiated the role of psychosocial processes in understanding perceived health and illness and health inequalities in particular.

Neonatology, 1992

The efficacy of ‘standard’ daylight phototherapy and ‘high intensity’ blue light phototherapy for... more The efficacy of ‘standard’ daylight phototherapy and ‘high intensity’ blue light phototherapy for neonatal jaundice from ABO-HD, or of a non-haemolytic nature was evaluated. Altogether 77 full-term infants with ABO-HD and 3,020 with non-haemolytic jaundice were studied. Both groups of infants responded well to standard daylight phototherapy; the response in non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia was significantly greater. High intensity blue light phototherapy was significantly more effective in reducing bilirubin levels than standard daylight phototherapy in both groups of infants with no failure being encountered. Four infants with non-haemolytic jaundice did not respond adequately to white light (1.4/1,000); they needed high intensity blue light for adequate response. Bilirubin rebound was mild. Four infants in the blue light group needed a second exposure (28.3/1,000) compared with 20 in the white light group (6.9/1,000), a difference that was significant. Standard white light photo...

Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, 1995

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of phototherapy for hyperbilirubinaemia in preterm infants wi... more Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of phototherapy for hyperbilirubinaemia in preterm infants with and without the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). Methodology: Prospective cohort study of preterm infants cared for at Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore: 170 with RDS and 477 without RDS, sepsis or other complications (control group) presenting with non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia at about the same time were exposed to daylight phototherapy when bilirubin concentrations exceeded 255 pmol/L or 222 pmol/L if <48 h of age. Bilirubin values were monitored 6-hourly during exposure, and daily for at least 2 days postp hototherapy. Results: The infants were comparable in birthweight, gestational age, plostnatal age, haemoglobin, haematocrit and bilirubin values, at start. The response to phototherapy of the infants with RDS WBS comparable to that of the well preterm infants; the duration of exposure was 50.1 3z 1.6 (mean * s.e.m.) versus 50.1 f 1.4 h, 24-hour decline rate 25.71 f 1.29% versus 26.32 f 0.65, and overall decline rate 0.96 k 0.03%/ h versus 0.95 f 0.02%/h. Conclusion: The presence of RDS did not affect the efficacy of phototherapy for neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia in preterm infants.

International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 1999

To establish the reliability and validity of a 10-item short form of the CES-D (CESD-10). Cross-s... more To establish the reliability and validity of a 10-item short form of the CES-D (CESD-10). Cross-sectional and longitudinal follow-up over 3 years. Standardized questionnaire and face-to-face interview were conducted. Community and psychogeriatric assessment clinic of a voluntary organization. Five hundred and fifty-four elderly in the general community, 30 elderly from a community centre and 31 elderly patients with depressive symptoms. Instruments other than the CESD-10 included Activities of Daily Living (ADL), the Life Satisfaction Scale (LSS), the Lubben Social Network Scale, a single-item measure of self-rated health. Reliability of the CESD-10 in terms of internal consistency was satisfactory (Cronbach alpha = 0.78-0.79). Moderate consistency over a period of 3 years was also found to be significant (r = 0.44, p < 0.01). The CESD-10 showed comparable accuracy to the original CES-D in classifying cases with depressive symptoms (kappa = 0.84, p < 0.01). Significant relationships of the CESD-10 with impairments of daily functioning, life satisfaction, social support, and self-rated health were established. The CESD-10 also differentiated significantly between groups of 'normal' and clinically depressed elderly. The CESD-10 attained satisfactory content and temporal reliability. Its construct and concurrent validity were established. With its brevity, it should prove a useful mental health measure for the elderly.

European Journal of Pediatrics, 1993

The efficacy of phototherapy in a group of 427 infants with hyperbilirubinaemia associated with g... more The efficacy of phototherapy in a group of 427 infants with hyperbilirubinaemia associated with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency and a comparable group of 3924 G6PD normal infants with non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia was evaluated. Phototherapy was highly effective in reducing bilirubin levels in both groups of infants, being significantly more effective in the group with normal G6PD status. Failure rate was very low (2.03/1000) in the group with normal G6PD status and nil in the G6PD deficient group. Bilirubin rebound after phototherapy was unremarkable with very few infants requiring a second exposure--4.68/1000 in the G6PD deficient group and 6.37/1000 in the G6PD normal group. All the babies tolerated phototherapy well. Phototherapy would therefore seem to be a simple and effective method for the management of severe jaundice associated with G6PD deficiency.

Clinical Gerontologist, 1993

BMJ, 1986

Clinical experience of phototherapy for non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia in 3999 infants in Kan... more Clinical experience of phototherapy for non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia in 3999 infants in Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore, is documented. Phototherapy was most effective in extremely preterm infants with very low birth weight (gestation-32 weeks, birth weight ei1500 g) and least effective in full term infants with very low birth weight (gestation >37 weeks, birth weight si1500 g) and large preterm infants (gestation <37 weeks, birth weight >2270 g). Overall, phototherapy was effective in almost all the infants, with a failure rate of only 2-00/1000 infants. No characteristic features common to all the failures could be detected. The bilirubin rebound was usually mild; repeat phototherapy was required in only 30 infants (7-50/ 1000), with the response to the second exposure comparable to that to the first. No infant required a third exposure. All the infants tolerated phototherapy well, none developing any illness that could be attributed to the treatment. This clinical experience shows that phototherapy for the treatment of nonhaemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia is effective and safe.

Received 22 March 2019 Accepted 10 March 2020 Introduction Health professionals, especially nurse... more Received 22 March 2019 Accepted 10 March 2020 Introduction Health professionals, especially nurses, in primary care setting are considered most appropriate for providing sexual health care. To provide quality sexual health care, nurses should have adequate sex knowledge and hold positive attitude towards sexuality. However, nurses’ perceived inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes towards sexuality were reported to be two major barriers to sexual health care, yet little is known about these barriers among nursing students in Hong Kong. This study was conducted to examine sex knowledge and attitudes towards sexuality among nursing students in Hong Kong. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on the first year nursing students (N= 258) who were recruited to participate via convenience sampling. The General Sexual Knowledge Scale (GSKS) and Attitude towards Sexuality Scale (ATSS) were used to collect data for this study. The data were analysed by descriptive statistics and i...

Asia Pacific Journal of Social Work and Development, 2022

International Journal of Sexual Health, 2022

International journal of public health research, 2020

Background: Health professionals in primary care settings were considered most appropriate for pr... more Background: Health professionals in primary care settings were considered most appropriate for providing sexual health care. However, nurses’ perceived inadequate knowledge and negative attitudes towards sexuality were reported to be two major barriers to sexual health care. Objectives: This study ascertained if inadequate sexual knowledge and negative sexual attitudes were valid reflection of the situations of nursing students in Hong Kong, and hence if relevant trainings were indicated for preparing students to provide quality primary sexual health care.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 258 first year nursing students were recruited to participate via convenience sampling. A questionnaire which contained items on sociodemographic characteristics and validated measures of sexual knowledge and sexual attitudes was designed for data collection. Results: Nursing students’ sexual knowledge was considered rather mediocre. Out of a total of 19 items, the number of it...

International journal of public health research, 2015

Introduction : Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a public health problem because of its high pre... more Introduction : Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a public health problem because of its high prevalence and harmful impacts on women’s physical health, psychological well-being, and overall quality of life. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors of sexual dysfunction and assess the sexual function of Hong Kong Chinese women. Results were compared with findings on American women. Methodology : A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data via convenience sampling. Participants of the study ( N = 1011) were women (aged 18 or above) from diverse demographic backgrounds. Results : S exual function of Hong Kong Chinese women was generally adequate, but significantly lower than that of American women. Women of older age (41 years old or above), lower education (primary or below), divorced, in menopause or with oophorectomy were at risk of FSD. Women at risk of FSD also exhibited a decline of sexual frequency which implicated poor quality of life. Conclusion : Wit...

Psychological development and education, 2002

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of GHQ 20 in the assessment ... more The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of GHQ 20 in the assessment of psychological well being of Chinese college student. The total sample consisted of 1142 college students from first year to third year at two universities in Beijing. The study consisted of two different studies study one(354 subjects)and two(788 subjects). Results of study one indicated that GHQ 20 consisted of three sub scales, which were GHQ sense of adequacy, GHQ depression and GHQ anxiety. Results of both studies indicated that GHQ 20 was of satisfactory reliability, and the three sub scales possessed either satisfactory or marginal acceptable reliability. Both studies reported a well established validity for GHQ 20 and the sub scales respectively. Based on these findings, we suggested that GHQ 20 could be considered as a satisfactory measure for psychological well being of Chinese college student. The three sub scales could be at least useful measures for student's psycholog...

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a serious health problem because of its high prevalence and de... more Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a serious health problem because of its high prevalence and deleterious effects on women’s quality of life. It is essential that practitioners of family medicine and community health are able to detect FSD in its early stage so that timely treatment could be offered. This study examined the applicability of a 5-item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-5) in the assessment of female sexual dysfunction and in the identification of risk factors of FSD. Data were collected from Hong Kong Chinese women (N = 1011) by questionnaire survey via convenience sampling. The data confirmed that FSFI-5 was a global measure of sexual dysfunction with satisfactory reliability (Cronbach a = .90). Validity of the FSFI-5 was demonstrated by its ability to differentiate sexual function of women with and without oophorectomy and of women in menopause vs. in menstruation. The scores on FSFI-5 showed that the sexual function of Hong Kong Chinese women was generally satisfa...

We study the field of moduli of singular K3 surfaces. We discuss both the field of moduli over th... more We study the field of moduli of singular K3 surfaces. We discuss both the field of moduli over the CM field and over Q. We also discuss non-finiteness with respect to the degree of the field of moduli. Finally, we provide an explicit approach to the computation of the field of moduli.

International Journal of Sexual Health, 2020

Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 7-h educational intervention in enhancing Ho... more Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 7-h educational intervention in enhancing Hong Kong nursing students’ knowledge and attitudes regarding sexuality in older adults. Its content encompassed perspectives of love, theory of sexuality, and topics on sexual health. A total of 169 first-year Hong Kong nursing students participated in the intervention program. The intervention significantly enhanced nursing students’ knowledge [F (1, 218) = 257.10, p < .001] and positive attitudes [F (1, 218) = 54.17, p < .001]. Sexuality educators may adapt the program of the intervention for the purpose of caring older patients with different sexual health concerns.