METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. A total of 327 secondary school students completed the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test and Children's Depression Inventory, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Binary and multivariable logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between the different variables.
RESULTS: A total of 42.2% of adolescents had PAU. Urban adolescents had a higher prevalence compared with rural adolescents (OR, 1.612; 95% CI: 1.036-2.508 P = 0.034). Female adolescents (56.8%) and Bumiputera Sarawak adolescents (76.8%) comprised a large proportion of the respondents with PAU. Cultural norm (78.3%) and curiosity (68.1%) were the two main reasons for PAU. Only family history of alcohol use (OR, 2.273; 95% CI: 1.013-5.107; P = 0.047), ever consumed alcohol (OR, 57.585; 95% CI: 21.885-151.525; P
AIMS OF STUDY: This study aimed to assess university students' knowledge and beliefs about and their use of antibiotics.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 674 medical and non-medical students of the National Defence University of Malaysia, using universal and convenience sampling methods. The data was collected using a validated questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS 24, and the MANOVA test and Logistic Regression were used to explore the associated factors.
RESULTS: More than half of the respondents' knowledge was low and their health beliefs outdated. Age, race and program were significantly associated with up-to-date knowledge and beliefs about antibiotic use, factors associated with finishing a course of antibiotics were studying medicine, personal health, and ethnicity. The significant factors associated with antibiotic self-prescribing were beliefs having been prescribed antibiotics during the last one year, and trusting the doctors who did not prescribe antibiotics.
CONCLUSION: This study has identified a concerning low knowledge about antibiotics amongst some Malaysian university students, reflected in use of un-prescribed antibiotics and a lack of adherence to treatment. There is a need for educational interventions for students regarding antibiotic usage and resistance issues.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the risk and protective factors contributing to suicidality among undergraduate college students in seven provinces in China.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 13,387 college students from seven universities in Ningxia, Shandong, Shanghai, Jilin, Qinghai, Shaanxi, and Xinjiang. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires.
RESULTS: Higher scores in the psychological strain, depression, anxiety, stress, and psychache (psychological risk factors for suicidality) and lower scores in self-esteem and purpose in life (psychological protective factors against suicidality) were associated with increased suicidality among undergraduate students in China. Demographic factors which were associated with higher risks of suicidality were female gender, younger age, bad academic results, were an only child, non-participation in school associations, and had an urban household registration. Perceived good health was protective against suicidality.
CONCLUSIONS: Knowing the common risk and protective factors for suicidality among Chinese undergraduate students is useful in developing interventions targeted at this population and to guide public health policies on suicide in China.
METHODOLOGY: A total of 396 students from the Management and Science University (MSU) participated during the semester of March 2010. Stratified random sampling was used and consent was obtained before the questionnaire was distributed. ANOVA and the t-test were used for the univariate analysis and multiple linear regression was used for the multivariate analysis.
RESULTS: The participants ages ranged from 18 to 27 years (Mean ± SD = 23.3 ± 1.57), more than half being female (62.4%). The majority were 23 years old or younger, single, Malay and from non-Medical and Health Science faculties and with a family monthly income of less than 10,000 Ringgits Malaysia(79.5%; 99%, 65.9, 52.5%, 63.9%; respectively). Only 18.4% of participants reported a family history of cancer. About 32.1% had a medical check-up in the previous 12 months and 17.4% were smokers. Multivariate analysis showed the faculty type to be significantly associated with knowledge of cancer prevention (p = 0.04). Regular medical check-ups were associated with attitudes and practices of cancer prevention (p = 0.04, p=0.003 respectively), the latter being significantly influenced by sex, family history of cancer and smoking (p = 0.034, p=0.013, p=0.002; respectively).
CONCLUSION: The majority of participants had poor knowledge of nutrition as related to cancer prevention. Attention should be given to regular medical check-ups, awareness of family history and smoking influence.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thos longitudinal study started in February 2011 and the subjects were 2552 form one students aged between twelve to thirteen years of from 15 government secondary schools of Kinta, Perak. Data on demographic, parental, school and peer factors were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. We examined the effects of peer, school and parental factors on the five stages of smoking; never smokers, susceptible never smokers, experimenters, current smokers and ex-smokers, at baseline.
RESULTS: In the sample, 19.3% were susceptible never smokers, 5.5% were current smokers 6% were experimenters and 3.1% were ex-smokers. Gender, ethnicity, best friends' smoking status, high peer pressure, higher number of relatives who smoked and parental monitoring were found to be associated with smoking stages. Presence of parent-teen conflict was only associated with susceptible never smokers and experimenters whereas absence of home discussion on smoking hazards was associated with susceptible never smokers and current smokers.
CONCLUSIONS: We identified variations in the factors associated with the different stages of smoking. Our results highlight that anti-smoking strategies should be tailored according to the different smoking stages.