Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 43 in total

Abstract:
Sort:
  1. Elton-Marshall T, Xu SS, Meng G, Quah AC, Sansone GC, Feng G, et al.
    Tob Control, 2015 Nov;24 Suppl 4:iv6-13.
    PMID: 26420242 DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2015-052616
    In 2009, China changed its health warnings on cigarette packs from side-only text warnings to two text-only warnings on 30% of the bottom of the front and back of the pack. Also in 2009, Malaysia changed from similar text warnings to pictorial health warnings consistent with Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 11 Guidelines.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  2. Li L, Borland R, Yong HH, Sirirassamee B, Hamann S, Omar M, et al.
    Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2015 Aug;12(8):9508-22.
    PMID: 26287219 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph120809508
    In September 2005 Thailand became the first Asian country to implement a complete ban on the display of cigarettes and other tobacco products at point-of-sale (POS). This paper examined the impact of the POS tobacco display ban in Thailand, with Malaysia (which did not impose bans) serving as a comparison. The data came from the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia Survey (2005-2011), a prospective cohort survey designed to evaluate the psychosocial and behavioral impacts of tobacco control policies. Main measures included smokers' reported awareness of tobacco displays and advertising at POS. At the first post-ban survey wave over 90% of smokers in Thailand were aware of the display ban policy and supported it, and about three quarters thought the ban was effective. Noticing tobacco displays in stores was lowest (16.9%) at the first post-ban survey wave, but increased at later survey waves; however, the levels were consistently lower than those in Malaysia. Similarly, exposure to POS tobacco advertising was lower in Thailand. The display ban has reduced exposure to tobacco marketing at POS. The trend toward increased noticing is likely at least in part due to some increase in violations of the display bans and/or strategies to circumvent them.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
  3. Binns C, Low WY
    Asia Pac J Public Health, 2015 May;27(4):372-4.
    PMID: 25972457 DOI: 10.1177/1010539515586940
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  4. Mons U, Müezzinler A, Gellert C, Schöttker B, Abnet CC, Bobak M, et al.
    BMJ, 2015 Apr 20;350:h1551.
    PMID: 25896935 DOI: 10.1136/bmj.h1551
    OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of smoking and smoking cessation on cardiovascular mortality, acute coronary events, and stroke events in people aged 60 and older, and to calculate and report risk advancement periods for cardiovascular mortality in addition to traditional epidemiological relative risk measures.

    DESIGN: Individual participant meta-analysis using data from 25 cohorts participating in the CHANCES consortium. Data were harmonised, analysed separately employing Cox proportional hazard regression models, and combined by meta-analysis.

    RESULTS: Overall, 503,905 participants aged 60 and older were included in this study, of whom 37,952 died from cardiovascular disease. Random effects meta-analysis of the association of smoking status with cardiovascular mortality yielded a summary hazard ratio of 2.07 (95% CI 1.82 to 2.36) for current smokers and 1.37 (1.25 to 1.49) for former smokers compared with never smokers. Corresponding summary estimates for risk advancement periods were 5.50 years (4.25 to 6.75) for current smokers and 2.16 years (1.38 to 2.39) for former smokers. The excess risk in smokers increased with cigarette consumption in a dose-response manner, and decreased continuously with time since smoking cessation in former smokers. Relative risk estimates for acute coronary events and for stroke events were somewhat lower than for cardiovascular mortality, but patterns were similar.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our study corroborates and expands evidence from previous studies in showing that smoking is a strong independent risk factor of cardiovascular events and mortality even at older age, advancing cardiovascular mortality by more than five years, and demonstrating that smoking cessation in these age groups is still beneficial in reducing the excess risk.

    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
  5. Dahlui M, Jahan NK, Majid HA, Jalaludin MY, Murray L, Cantwell M, et al.
    PLoS One, 2015;10(6):e0129628.
    PMID: 26068668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129628
    Smoking among Malaysian adolescents remains a public health concern despite concerted efforts in tobacco control. The aims of this study were to examine the prevalence and determinants of current-smoking status in young adolescents. This cross sectional study used the first round of the Malaysian Health and Adolescents Research Team's prospective cohort study. It was conducted in three States of the Central and Northern regions of Peninsular Malaysia between March and May 2012. The study used the multistage stratified sampling design. A total of 1,342 adolescents of both sexes, aged 12-13 years, were sampled from randomly selected urban and rural national schools. Information on current smoking status and associated factors were collected by a self-administered, pre-tested, validated, structured questionnaire. Seven percent of the samples were current-smokers; the majority (62%) of them started smoking at the age of 11 years or below. The prevalence of current smoking was significantly higher in males (odds ratio [OR] = 2.37; 95% CI: 1.46, 3.84), those who were influenced by smoker friends (OR = 8.35; 95% CI: 4.90, 14.25), who were unaware of the health risks of smoking (OR =1.85; 95% CI: 1.02, 3.36) and who reported a lack of satisfaction about their overall life (OR =3.26; 95% CI: 1.73, 6.12). The study findings provide valuable information to strengthen the existing school-based smoking prevention program through integration of social competence and social influence curricula. The program should empower the young adolescents to refuse tobacco offers, to overcome social influences and to resist peer pressure to avoid starting smoking. Particular focuses to include mental health service to prevent both emotional and behavioural problems are needed.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  6. Lee WB, Fong GT, Dewhirst T, Kennedy RD, Yong HH, Borland R, et al.
    J Health Commun, 2015;20(10):1166-76.
    PMID: 26054867 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2015.1018565
    Antismoking mass media campaigns are known to be effective as part of comprehensive tobacco control programs in high-income countries, but such campaigns are relatively new in low- and middle-income countries and there is a need for strong evaluation studies from these regions. This study examines Malaysia's first national antismoking campaign, TAK NAK. The data are from the International Tobacco Control Malaysia Survey, which is an ongoing cohort survey of a nationally representative sample of adult smokers (18 years and older; N = 2,006). The outcome variable was quit intentions of adult smokers, and the authors assessed the extent to which quit intentions may have been strengthened by exposure to the antismoking campaign. The authors also tested whether the impact of the campaign on quit intentions was related to cognitive mechanisms (increasing thoughts about the harm of smoking), affective mechanisms (increasing fear from the campaign), and perceived social norms (increasing perceived social disapproval about smoking). Mediational regression analyses revealed that thoughts about the harm of smoking, fear arousal, and social norms against smoking mediated the relation between TAK NAK impact and quit intentions. Effective campaigns should prompt smokers to engage in both cognitive and affective processes and encourage consideration of social norms about smoking in their society.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  7. Nordin AS, Kadir RA, Yahya NA, Zakaria H, Rashid RA, Habil MH
    Int Dent J, 2014 Aug;64(4):206-12.
    PMID: 24835463 DOI: 10.1111/idj.12110
    As a signatory to the World Health Organisation 2003 Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Malaysia has policies in place and funded 300 public Quit clinics. Unfortunately, government dentists are not included to run tobacco dependence treatment. A cross-sectional exploratory survey was carried out to seek Malaysian dentists' opinion on their knowledge, perception and willingness to conduct tobacco dependence treatment. Participation was voluntary from those who attended a specially designed one-day, four-module workshop on tobacco cessation intervention. Data were collected using the Audience-Response-System equipment which tracked immediate responses covering four domains namely: smoking as a public health problem, smoking as an addiction, the role of dentists in the programme and confidence in conducting smoking cessation in the clinic. Sample comprised more female dentists (73.5%), mean age 33.6 (SD 8.99) years and with more than 3 years working experience. Findings indicated that the majority agreed Malaysia has a rising problem in the prevalence of smoking (71.6%) and predicted that it will affect mostly the young (81.9%). Only half of the dentists surveyed (58.9%) routinely recorded their patients' smoking habits. The majority (71.6%) believed that dentists are effective in helping their patient to stop smoking and 76.3% agreed that dentists should discuss the smoking habit with their patients; however, 60% agreed that doing so is too time consuming. In addition, only 24.7% knew of more ways to treat a smoking habit. The majority felt comfortable giving advice to patients about changing their habits (76.5%) or discussing treatment options (60.5%): 75% would opt for a combined programme of counselling and use of medication if they have to do, 15% would choose to go on counselling only, while 8% did not want to treat. In conclusion, the findings suggest that dentists have a strong potential to contribute significantly to providing smoking cessation treatment if adequately trained.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
  8. Nordin AS, Kadir RA
    Tob Control, 2014 Jul;23(4):284.
    PMID: 25061647
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  9. Abidin NZ, Zulkifli A, Abidin EZ, Rasdi I, Ismail SN, Rahman AA, et al.
    Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2014 Jul;18(7):856-61.
    PMID: 24902566 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.13.0906
    OBJECTIVE: To identify the relationship between knowledge, attitude and perception regarding environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and smoking among Malaysian adolescents living in states with complete or partial smoke-free legislation (SFL).
    METHODS: A total of 898 respondents aged 13-14 years were randomly selected from 21 secondary schools. The Malay version of the modified Global Youth Tobacco Survey questionnaire was used. Hierarchical logistic regression was performed in examining predictors of smoking attempt among adolescents.
    RESULTS: Participants exposed to ETS >5 h/day were more likely to have smoked compared to those exposed to ETS <1 h/day (OR 4.1, 95%CI 1.03-16.0). Living in a state with partial SFL was associated with a two-fold increase in self-reported smoking attempts (OR 1.95, 95%CI 1.10-3.43) compared to living in a state with complete SFL. Negative attitudes and perceptions towards smoking and ETS exposure were linked to lower smoking attempts in states with complete SFL.
    CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with limited ETS exposure who lived in a state with complete SFL were less likely to attempt smoking compared to those exposed more regularly to ETS and living in a state with partial SFL. Preventing adolescents from becoming smokers is the key to reducing national prevalence rates in smoking. There is a need to implement comprehensive smoke-free legislation nationally across Malaysia.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
  10. Guindon GE, Driezen P, Chaloupka FJ, Fong GT
    Tob Control, 2014 Mar;23 Suppl 1:i13-22.
    PMID: 24227541 DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051074
    Decades of research have produced overwhelming evidence that tobacco taxes reduce tobacco use and increase government tax revenue. The magnitude and effectiveness of taxes in reducing tobacco use provide an incentive for tobacco users, manufacturers and others, most notably criminal networks, to devise ways to avoid or evade tobacco taxes. Consequently, tobacco tax avoidance and tax evasion can reduce the public health and fiscal benefit of tobacco taxes.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
  11. Nordin AS, Bullen C
    Tob Control, 2014 Jan;23(1):4-5.
    PMID: 24479154
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  12. Abu Hassan H, Abd Aziz N, Hassan Y, Hassan F
    PMID: 24868154 DOI: 10.2147/COPD.S56637
    BACKGROUND: Lack of awareness among ex-smokers on the benefits of sustaining smoking cessation may be the main cause of their smoking relapse. This study explored health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and hospital admission amongst chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients according to the duration of smoking cessation.
    MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study recruited COPD patients from a chest clinic who agreed to participate in a medication therapy-adherence program from January to June 2013. They were interviewed during their visits to obtain information regarding their smoking history and HRQoL. They were divided into three groups according to smoking status (sustained quitters, quit ≥5 years; quitters, quit <5 years; and smokers, smoking at least one cigarette/day). The effects of the duration of cessation on HRQoL and hospital admission were analyzed using a multinomial logistic model.
    RESULTS: A total of 117 participants with moderate COPD met the inclusion criteria, who were comprised of 41 sustained quitters, 40 quitters, and 36 smokers. Several features were similar across the groups. Most of them were married elderly men (aged >64 years) with low-to-middle level of education, who smoked more than 33 cigarettes per day and had high levels of adherence to the medication regimen. The results showed that sustained quitters were less likely to have respiratory symptoms (cough, phlegm and dyspnea) than smokers (odds ratio 0.02, confidence interval 0-0.12; P<0.001). The hospital admission rate per year was increased in quitters compared to smokers (odds ratio 4.5, confidence interval 1.91-10.59; P<0.005).
    CONCLUSION: A longer duration of quitting smoking will increase the benefits to COPD patients, even if they experience increased episodic respiratory symptoms in the early period of the cessation. Thus, the findings of this study show the benefits of early smoking cessation.
    KEYWORDS: HRQoL; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); hospital admission and hospital stay
    Study site: Chest Clinic, Hospital Melaka, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  13. Tee GH, Gurpreet K, Hairi NN, Zarihah Z, Fadzilah K
    Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2013 Dec;17(12):1652-5.
    PMID: 24200284 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.12.0241
    Assistant environmental health officers (AEHO) are health care providers (HCPs) who act as enforcers, educators and trusted role models for the public. This is the first study to explore smoking behaviour and attitudes toward tobacco control among future HCPs. Almost 30% of AEHO trainees did not know the role of AEHOs in counselling smokers to stop smoking, but 91% agreed they should not smoke before advising others not to do so. The majority agreed that tobacco control regulations may be used as a means of reducing the prevalence of smoking. Future AEHOs had positive attitudes toward tobacco regulations but lacked understanding of their responsibility in tobacco control measures.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  14. Yong HH, Savvas S, Borland R, Thrasher J, Sirirassamee B, Omar M
    Int J Behav Med, 2013 Jun;20(2):252-8.
    PMID: 22302214
    BACKGROUND: This paper prospectively examined two kinds of social normative beliefs about smoking, secular versus religious norms.
    PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to determine the relative importance of these beliefs in influencing quitting behaviour among Muslim Malaysian and Buddhist Thai smokers.
    METHODS: Data come from 2,166 Muslim Malaysian and 2,463 Buddhist Thai adult smokers who participated in the first three waves of the International Tobacco Control Southeast Asia project. Respondents were followed up about 18 months later with replenishment. Respondents were asked at baseline about whether their society disapproved of smoking and whether their religion discouraged smoking, and those recontacted at follow-up were asked about their quitting activity.
    RESULTS: Majority of both religious groups perceived that their religion discouraged smoking (78% Muslim Malaysians and 86% Buddhist Thais) but considerably more Buddhist Thais than Muslim Malaysians perceived that their society disapproved of smoking (80% versus 25%). Among Muslim Malaysians, religious, but not societal, norms had an independent effect on quit attempts. By contrast, among the Buddhist Thais, while both normative beliefs had an independent positive effect on quit attempts, the effect was greater for societal norms. The two kinds of normative beliefs, however, were unrelated to quit success among those who tried.
    CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that religious norms about smoking may play a greater role than secular norms in driving behaviour change in an environment, like Malaysia where tobacco control has been relatively weak until more recently, but, in the context of a strong tobacco control environment like Thailand, secular norms about smoking become the dominant force.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
  15. Tee GH, Hairi NN, Hairi F
    Int J Tuberc Lung Dis, 2012 Aug;16(8):1126-8.
    PMID: 22668450 DOI: 10.5588/ijtld.11.0254
    Physicians should play a leading role in combatting smoking; information on attitudes of future physicians towards tobacco control measures in a middle-income developing country is limited. Of 310 future physicians surveyed in a medical school in Malaysia, 50% disagreed that it was a doctor's duty to advise smokers to stop smoking; 76.8% agreed that physicians should not smoke before advising others not to smoke; and 75% agreed to the ideas of restricting the sale of cigarettes to minors, making all public places smoke-free and banning advertising of tobacco-related merchandise. Future physicians had positive attitudes towards tobacco regulations but had not grasped their responsibilities in tobacco control measures.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  16. Yasin SM, Retneswari M, Moy FM, Darus A, Koh D
    Occup Med (Lond), 2012 Apr;62(3):174-81.
    PMID: 22362839 DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqs005
    Job stressors may reduce the likelihood of quitting smoking.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
  17. Tan YL, Foong K
    Tob Control, 2012 Jan;21(1):55-6.
    PMID: 21803928 DOI: 10.1136/tc.2011.042713
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
  18. Borland R, Li L, Driezen P, Wilson N, Hammond D, Thompson ME, et al.
    Addiction, 2012 Jan;107(1):197-205.
    PMID: 21883605 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03636.x
    To describe some of the variability across the world in levels of quit smoking attempts and use of various forms of cessation support.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  19. De Silva WD, Sinha DN, Kahandawaliyanag A
    Indian J Cancer, 2012 Oct-Dec;49(4):438-42.
    PMID: 23442410 DOI: 10.4103/0019-509X.107753
    Sri Lanka became a signatory to the WHO Frame Work Convention on Tobacco Control in September 2003, and this was ratified in November 2003. With a view to reduce the use of tobacco in Sri Lanka, the National Authority on Tobacco and Alcohol Act (NATA) No. 27 of 2006 was implemented.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control*
  20. Yasin SM, Taib KM, Zaki RA
    Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2011;12(6):1439-43.
    PMID: 22126478
    The transtheoretical model (TTM) has been used as one of the major constructs in developing effective cognitive behavioural interventions for smoking cessation and relapse prevention, in Western societies. This study aimed to examine the reliability and construct validity of the translated Bahasa Malaysia version of TTM questionnaire among adult smokers in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The sample consisted of 40 smokers from four different worksites in Klang Valley. A 26-item TTM questionnaire was administered, and a similar set one week later. The questionnaire consisted of three measures; decisional balance, temptations and impact of smoking. Construct validity was measured by factor analysis and the reliability by Cronbach' s alpha (internal consistency) and test-retest correlation. Results revealed that Cronbach' s alpha coefficients for the items were: decisional balance (0.84; 0.74) and temptations (0.89; 0.54; 0.85). The values for test retest correlation were all above 0.4. In addition, factor analysis suggested two meaningful common factors for decisional balance and three for temptations. This is consistent with the original construct of the TTM questionnaire. Overall results demonstrated that construct validity and reliability were acceptable for all items. In conclusion, the Bahasa Malaysia version of TTM questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool in ass.
    Matched MeSH terms: Smoking/prevention & control
Filters
Contact Us

Please provide feedback to Administrator (afdal@afpm.org.my)

External Links