Getting real: The Health Ministry wants to ensure an accurate representation of Malaysia’s elderly population and cover multiple health dimensions. — ART CHEN/The Star
Nationwide tracker to assess 5,000 people aged 60 and above
PETALING JAYA: A nationwide health survey tracking how well Malaysia’s growing population of seniors are ageing will start next month.
The National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2025 will assess 5,000 respondents aged 60 and above across multiple health dimensions.
“NHMS 2025 is expected to be the most extensive nationwide population-based survey conducted in Malaysia to date in terms of assessing the health status of older persons,” the Health Ministry said in response to questions from The Star.
To ensure an accurate representation of Malaysia’s elderly population, the survey will involve a stratified sample of older persons across all states and demographic groups.
According to the ministry’s Institute for Public Health website, the survey will cover cognitive impairment, dementia, depressive symptoms, falls, visual and hearing disabilities.
Other topics include diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), hypercholesterolaemia (high cholesterol), social support, quality of life and other issues relevant to older persons.
This marks the second time that the ministry’s survey will specifically target elderly health issues, following NHMS 2018.
Other surveys included older persons but did not make them the primary focus, such as NHMS 2023. The 2023 survey found that two in three older persons had high blood pressure; three in five had high cholesterol; two in five had diabetes; and three in 10 experienced depression.
Malaysia is expected to reach an ageing nation status by 2030, when 15% of its population will be aged 60 and above.
The ministry said NHMS 2025 will have additional modules on sarcopenia (age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength), frailty and ageing well.
It also said the inclusion of sarcopenia and frailty assessments will enable early identification of at-risk individuals.
The “ageing well” component will provide a broader perspective on successful ageing by encompassing physical, mental and social well-being.
The ministry said the findings of NHMS 2025 will provide inputs for new policies related to older persons and help design targeted interventions.
The survey will also reveal modifiable risk factors, including physical inactivity levels and social support availability.
In addition, it will set up 2025 baselines for monitoring several national initiatives.
These include the Malaysia National Ageing Blueprint and Action Plan, the Older Persons Health Services Action Plan 2023-2030 and the Dementia Action Plan 2023-2030.
Participants for NHMS 2025 will be chosen by the Statistics Department, with data collection to take place from July to September.
The ministry said the findings of the survey are tentatively scheduled for release by June next year.
