This study aims to determine the job satisfaction (JS) level among professional driving instructors (PDIs) in the driver
training and licensing system in Malaysia. Specifically, it looks at the influence of income level and remuneration
scheme on PDI’s satisfaction. The average income of PDI is relatively low with three remuneration schemes: fixed
income; fixed income plus commission; and commission only. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey using the
20-item Minnesota Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) (short-form) with end-specified 10-point scale. Analysis of
the data revealed that PDIs with higher income are more satisfied with their job, t (179) = -3.248, p = 0.001.
Similarly, three level One-way ANOVA of JS scores with three remuneration schemes revealed a significant difference
of JS across these schemes, F (2,178) = 3.51, p ≤ 0.032. Researchers’ further exploration found a significant
interaction between these two variables (income level vs. remuneration scheme), F (5,175) = 4.88, p = 0.001. In
general, PDIs with higher income are more satisfied with their job only if they received it as a fixed income
(regardless of having commission or not). This insightful finding can be a basis for relevant stakeholders in
understanding the influence of income and remuneration scheme towards JS among PDIs in Malaysia.
The use of complementary medicine (CM) is on the rise worldwide. In Malaysia, CM is available as over-thecounter products in community pharmacies and consumers expect pharmacists to be knowledgeable about CM. However, little is known about Malaysian community pharmacists’ attitude and knowledge of CM. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the extent of integration of CM into practice, taking into account community pharmacists’ attitudes towards CM, their role in recommending CM, their knowledge of the evidence-base for commonly used CM, further education and training needs, and knowledge of information sources which can be used by pharmacists for CM information .Ethics approval was obtained and a pilot study was conducted to validate the questionnaire. After amendments were made, community pharmacists were invited to complete a 41-item paper-based or web-based questionnaire. Invitations to complete the survey were sent by either social media, email or face-to-face invitation. A response rate of 27% (453/1662) was achieved providing data from 453 community pharmacists. Most respondents were female (63%), aged 24- 72 years. Only 42% of pharmacists always asked their customers presenting with a prescription about concomitant CM use. Forty-two percent (42%) of pharmacists personally recommended CM and slightly more than half (58%) had notified manufacturers of CM products of any suspected adverse drug reactions. On average, pharmacists achieved a score of 54% for knowledge on CM-drug interactions and 71% for knowledge of clinically proven benefits. Most pharmacists (75%) obtained their CM product training through selfdirected learning. In addition, most pharmacists (66%) supported CM education at the undergraduate level and almost all (94%) recognised the need for additional CM education for pharmacists. Malaysian registered pharmacists do not routinely ask customers about CM use, or recommend CM products, but have a positive attitude towards their use and were interested in learning more about CM.
The lack of awareness about comprehensive eye examination amongst athletes could impact their eye health, hence it needs to be addressed. The authors hypothesize that a majority of athletes in Malaysia have never undergone a thorough eye examination. The present study aims to determine Malaysian athletes’ awareness of the importance of eye assessment. One hundred and twenty-one junior athletes, aged 13 to 16 years participated in the visual screening programme. A questionnaire consisting of fourteen dichotomous questions was developed in two languages, each being English and Malay language and administered prior to eye examination. The questionnaire was designed to measure self-reported visual function, ocular symptoms, and perceptions towards eye health. Questionnaire analysis showed 67.8% of participants never underwent any eye examination. A majority of participants, 66.9% and 75.2%, complained of visual and ocular symptoms respectively. The critical finding of this study showed that 57.9% of participants had reduced vision which could be visually corrected. Overall 90.9% of the participants agreed that eye examination was important. Almost none of the athletes owned any sports safety eyewear nor had undergone any visual training. The importance of wearing protective eyewear during sports needs to be given emphasis. This study implies that athletes' awareness of eye health, as well as visually related issues, is still at a very low level. Hence, the need for comprehensive eye examination and regular review among athletes’ needs to be emphasized. Athletes should also be educated on the importance of regular eye examinations from a young age.
Vaccine hesitancy among parents has led to re-emergence of vaccine preventable diseases. In Malaysia, measles cases had increased by three times in 2015 compared to previous year. Immunization coverage has always been above 95% since 2009. However, in 2014, Mumps-Measles-Rubella (MMR) coverage has a significant drop to 93.4%. The aim of the study was to identify predictors for inadequate knowledge and negative attitude towards childhood immunization among parents in Hulu Langat, Selangor. A cross sectional study design was conducted from January to July 2016 with 760 respondents. Respondents were selected by cluster random sampling and a validated self-administered questionnaire was used. The majority of respondents were female (70%), Malay (87%), employed (92%) and parents with tertiary education (99.7%). In this study, 12.8% parents have an inadequate knowledge on childhood immunization and 47.6% parents have a negative attitude towards childhood immunization. The predictors for inadequate knowledge on childhood immunizations were last child’s age of 2 years old or more (AOR=1.413 95% CI 0.28-0.69); parents without tertiary education (AOR=2.02 95% CI 1.15-3.54); parents without educational exposure on childhood immunization (AOR=2.87 95% CI 1.59-5.18) and parents who obtained information on childhood immunization from non-healthcare provider (AOR=2.66 95% CI 1.50-4.70). Predictors for negative attitude on childhood immunizations were being male (AOR=1.44 95% CI 1.04-2.01); parents without tertiary education (AOR=1.67 95% CI 1.04-2.68); household income of less than RM5000 (AOR=1.85 95% CI 1.28-2.67) and unsatisfactory religious belief (AOR=2.76 95% CI 2.03-3.75). Therefore, these predictors should be considered in any health intervention on childhood immunizations for parents in Malaysia.
The purpose of this paper was to identify theories that underpin the relationship between perceived restorativeness and psychological wellbeing. This study also aimed to identify the types of activities that the respondent preferred to use as psychological resources when dealing with threatening situation. The instruments used in this study were Perceived Restorativeness for Activities Scale (PRAS) and Psychological Wellbeing Scale. The questionnaires were administered to a sample of 192 Master of Education students. The findings demonstrated that Master of Education students possess a high level of psychological well-being (Mean = 4.39, SD = 0.611) and high level of perceived restorativeness for their preferred activities (Mean = 4.57, SD = 0.76). The most preferred activities for restorativeness approach included participation in social context, followed by engaging in outdoor activities and lastly observing nature. The fascination property of perceived restorativeness obtained the highest score. Thus, the findings of the study illustrate the students’ preferred activities of restorativeness for maintaining their level of psychological wellbeing.
Chronic non-communicable diseases are the new emerging epidemic, and they are thought to challenge only rich countries; cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are now the leading cause of death and disability in low-income and middle-income countries, where they killed almost 8 million people younger than 60 years in 2013. Therefore, there is a need to develop a valid and reliable tool to measure the beliefs that influence people’s general behaviour, and a used to measure beliefs about chronic disease perceived susceptibility. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate the use of perception questionnaire among the young Iraqi adults. A total of 200 young adults participated who are free from any chronic diseases under study, and are living in Baghdad. The questionnaire, validated by an expert’s panel, translated to Arabic language, and pretested. Analyses included descriptive statistics of all the study variables, reliability estimates, and construct validity using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Results showed that mean age of respondents was 30 years old, majority were males 71.5%, and EFA showed that factor loading was more than 0.4. CFA results show that Chi-square (df) = 1.213(2); p value (>0.05) = 0.297. Internal consistency reliability analysis on health-related behaviour; special practice, information seeking and perceived probability of diseases have good Cronbach’s α value of between 0.8 - 0.9. These findings revealed that validation is favourable and can be utilized on larger scale of sample to proceed with main study on chronic disease perceived susceptibility among healthy people.
While driving, a driver is required to control the steering wheel to change direction. The driver’s muscles of the upper
limbs and shoulders are involved in such a task. Therefore, an assessment of the driver’s physiology according to
certain condition is necessary to improve driving comfort and safety. This study aims to investigate the driver’s
Deltoid Anterior (DA) muscle activity while operating the steering wheel. Eleven test subjects were recruited for an
experiment using a car simulator. They were required to remain in the car seat and perform the task of steering the
wheel. Surface electromyography (SEMG) was used to record each subject’s muscle contraction while turning the
steering wheel to the right and left by several degrees. According to the findings, 45 degrees turning recorded the
highest Root mean Square (RMS) value for DA. In addition, DA muscle activation increased with more degrees turning.
Aesthetic value of the automotive car seat has been one of the selling points of each car besides
providing functions such as being safe, supportive as well provides comfort to the occupants. Other
criteria considered besides the aesthetic element are cushion foam and self-adjustment factor.
Ergonomics is not a new issue because most of the existing seat design today have already practiced it.
Existing car seat manufacturers have considered anthropometry data. The average upon 95th percentile of
human measurement had been deliberated. However, issues such as time spent driving and seat design
issue have arisen upon the search of comfort and rising of musculoskeletal disease such as back pain. As a
solution, this study would propose an automotive car seat design of ergonomic evolution, which would
create comfort by manipulating the seat cushion foams. The proposed seat cushion foam would be use to
replace the existing polymers with beanbag foam. This is inspire by the nature of beanbag, fitting up and
providing comfort to the occupants of various body sizes and shapes. Malaysian anthropometry
measurements are required for design of car seat, which later compared with the existing seats of
commercial vehicle. The literature review showed the pressure mapping technique of respondent seating
on the existing car seat. The most sensitive compartments where discomfort are experienced studied and
placed with sachets filed with beanbag beads. This experiment conducted many times over a few
respondents by using the pressure mat to find out, if there are any changes in terms of comfort. This
design of new car seat with a manipulation cushion foam replaced with beanbag foam could be a niche to
eliminate discomfort to all range body sizes and shapes.
Child restraint system (CRS) can protect children in the event of crash and reduce the severity of injuries. As such, it
is crucial to understand the prevalence of CRS usage and knowledge attributes on CRS usage among drivers. This
study aims to assessdrivers’ knowledge on CRS usage.A semi-structured questionnaire was developed and pilot tested
to verify its validity and reliability. The questionnaireaddressesdrivers’ knowledge about CRS currently available in
the Malaysian market, the types of restraints used and views on fitting restraints to passenger vehicles. Seventy four
percentfrom 500 respondents cited that they are usingor theyhave used CRS,64% knowabout CRS and its function, and
43% areawareof ISOFIX. In short, majority of the respondents are aware of CRS use and functions. Awareness and
education program should berigorously introduced to public towards the implementation of the CRS law.
Driving activity has become more important as this medium being practical, it is also cheaper and faster in
connecting human from one to another place. However, in some occurrence, it can cause accidents as they become
fatigued while driving. Driver fatigue is one of the top contributors to the road accidents and can be dangerous as
other road safety issues such as drink driving. Worst is, there are no laws regulating driver fatigue. Therefore, the
main purpose of this study is to develop the regression model of apsychophysical factor for drivers’ fatigue which can
predict the relationship between the process input parameters and output responses. The study was participated by
ten subjects. The heart rate was taken and recorded using heart rate monitor. Design Expert 8.0.6 software was used
for the regression analysis. The modeling validation runs werewithin the 90% prediction intervals of the developed
model and the residual errors were less than 10%. The R
2
value is 0.9400 whichmeans that the linear regression line
passed exactly through all points. The significant parameters that influenced the heart rate were also identified.The
parameters are time exposure, type of road, and gender.
Road transport is the movement of passengers or goods on the road. To date, issues concerning the safety of students
and school institutions have continued to attract public attention. The recent spate of incidents inside and outside
the school compound has brought the issue of children safety into our attention. These include the escalating number
of road casualties. This study was conducted to observe road hazard outside the school compound and analyse the
safety risks faced by school children by using the risk matrix. The risks are calculated to include likelihood and
severity of hazard as identified in the Guideline of HIRARC 2008. The area selected was the East Coast state of
Peninsular Malaysia, with over 111 schools randomly selected in Kelantan. Results were then analysed and six
highlighted hazards were discussed. The results show that the main road posed the highest risk due to speeding
vehicles. These vehicles failed to slow down when approaching the school area. The school
administration must enhance the safety of the staff, students, and public while in the school area. In conclusion, road
safety awareness must be instilled among teachers, students, parents and road users alike.
Lane Change Assistance (LCA) system in cars can potentially mitigate blind spot related crashes; but its effectiveness
largely depends on driver acceptance and proper use. Although still in early stages, the volume of cars equipped with
LCA system is expected torise in the near future as the technology has been considered in the New Car Assessment
Program for Southeast Asian Countries (ASEAN NCAP) 2017 Rating Scheme. Therefore, this study is initiated to assess
user acceptance of and experience with LCA-equipped cars. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to
owners of LCA-equipped cars at selected service centres in the Klang Valley from November 2016 to February 2017.
From a total of 276 valid responses, results revealed that most owners greatly considered LCA system when
purchasing their cars and agreed that the systems had positively altered their driving behaviours i.e. regularly using
the turn signal and checking the side mirrors. Nevertheless, about 20% of the respondents stated theirannoyance and
distraction by the LCA systems due to unnecessary warnings from various sources, aside from getting too many
warnings during traffic congestion. The study findings provide some practical implications that can aid the industry
and relevant stakeholders in gauging the issue and actual situations concerning the use of LCA system in Malaysia.
Working in prolonged standing position among industrial workers has been shown to be associated with different
potentially serious health outcomes, namely lower back pain, leg pain, fatigue, discomfort, and other health issues.
Personalisation of insole offers a solution that will provide a perfect fit and comfort to the shoes wearer based on
the ergonomic considerations. It works in a way that it alters the pressure away from painful areas by increasing the
surface area that supports the weight of the body and evenly distributes it to the whole plantar area. Survey was
conducted among workers at a manufacturing industry company to study on the level of pain experienced by them
together with their foot anthropometry. Then, the foot pressure of each of the workers was collected by using
pressure measurement device (F-scan). Combination of these data was used to design the customized insole that is
fit for the worker. The personalised insoles were fabricated by using Additive Manufacturing technology. After that,
the insoles were validated by using the F-scan and Electromyogram (EMG) to ensure their effectiveness in reducing
pressures on the foot and muscle activity hence improving the comfort of the shoe wearer. At the end of the
experiment, it was found that the insole is able to reduce the peak pressure of four out of five areas of the worker’s
foot with the reduction of pressure percentage ranging from 6% to 28%.
Pedestrians' fatality trend in road crashes has been improving in recent years though it remains third in rank behind
motorcyclists and car occupants. Based on the statistics, young pedestrians were the most affected group and the
commonest injury regions were head and legs. Pedestrian crashes occurred primarily in rural areas and straight roads
and at low light environment, and often involve cars and motorcycles. In addition to existing issues of careless and
illegal crossing practices, there are potential new hazards face by pedestrian, which are mobile electronic device use
and electric vehicle, especially when crossing roads. Road safety programs and interventions shall consider these new
issues.
Road Safety remainsone the most important issuesaffecting educational institutions especiallythe school. The
prevalence of road accidentsin recent news reportsunderlines the importance of this issue. Such accidents involving
school pupils have further escalated this concern. As such,safety awareness among school teachersis crucial in order
for them to identify the suitable methods to prevent more road accidents in future. This study was conducted to
analyse teachers’ awareness of road safety in school to gauge the training requirementson road safety. Road safety
education and training in school is just as important as improving safety for road users outside schools. For this
study, a set of survey questionnaire wasdistributedto 400 school teachers from 111 schools randomly selected from
the 10 District Education Offices in Kelantan. Results were then analysed using Statistical Package for the Social
Sciences (SPSS). From the results, 40% of respondentswere male and 60% of them were female. Descriptive analysis
showed that school teachers understood road safety as 90% of them possessed basic safety knowledge, while 10% of
them lacked basicknowledge on road safety. However, they did not implement safety practice that may have
contributed to unfortunate eventshappening outside of school including road accidents as reported in the news. This
study suggests that school teachers must undergo road safety training to promote and improve road safety in
school.With higher awareness and more information about the road safety, the teacherscould create a safer
environment in their school. Undoubtedly, teachers have a vital roleto ensure safety of their pupils and their
commitment will likely reduce the number of road accidents.
This study is aimed at seat design optimization for high-speed train based on the Malaysians sitting anthropometry
data focusing on seat fit parameters. An analysis of anthropometry data composed of 15 dimensions that are
required in seat design was done with 50 male subjects. These data were collected through direct measuring
methods with standard equipment. According to the Malaysian automotive seat fit parameters, the backrest width,
backrest height, cushion width, and cushion length were established based on these anthropometric dimensions:
interscye breadth (5th percentile female and 95th percentile male), hip breadth (95th percentile female), sitting
shoulder height (5th percentile female), and buttock-popliteal length (5th percentile female), respectively. This
study uses the CATIA software to design and analyse the proposed seat design. The fit parameters proposed for the
new design are seat height, 380mm; cushion width, 450mm; backrest width, 450mm and backrest height, 850mm.
The CATIA human activity analysis (based on Rapid Upper Limb Analysis, RULA) was also executed. From the study,
the new conceptual seat design gives the most optimized fit when compared to the current seat.
Research on environmental ergonomics of train/commuter is very limited. Thus, this study was conducted with aims
to determine the environmental ergonomic of public transport, whether it is in accordance to indoor air quality
standard inside women coach cabin train during operations. Although the number of passengers is increasing, some
claimed that the indoor air quality for the Malaysian commuter train is uncertain, especially at peak times.
Unsatisfactory feedback from some respondents—especially female passengers—will affect other passengers to
remain loyal to use this facility as one of the main transportation to reduce the traffic congestion that will be faced
if using private vehicles. The study conducted during peak hours on the weekends and the trip took exactly two hours
and covered 18 main stations. The measurement devices placed at the centre of the cabin Komuter using Air Quality
Meter (AIRFLOW Instrument Model TA465). The main parameters measured were temperature, humidity, and carbon
dioxide (CO2). This study also counts the number of passengers riding the train. The results showed that the indoor
air quality (AIQ) level of the morning hour will affect passengers’ health more compared to the evening hour (this is
due to the CO2 level that has exceeded the safety standard). Morning hour gave higher reading of CO2 (43.8%) and
relative humidity (17%) compared to evening hour. Evening hours also showed greater temperature at 3%. The
findings can give awareness to the train company to improve the IAQ by installing a suitable ventilation system and
can give comfort to the passengers when travelling using Malaysian commuter train.
This study was conducted to analyses the Biceps Brachii (BB) muscle contraction during different driving postures.
Drivers’ posture is one of the factors that contribute to driving fatigue that eventually may lead to road accident
and injuries. The experiment conducted for this study is using the surface electromyography (SEMG) method for
objective evaluation of muscle involved in driving activities. A total of 14 participants are involved in the
experiment. The experiment was done on three different posture based on comfortable angles published by previous
research. From the results analysis, the RMS value for activity left turn is lower than activity for right turn for all
three postures and results also shows that posture B with elbow angle of 134° is perceived as most comfortable
based on the lowest value of muscle contraction with a value of 15.67μV. The outcomes from this study are hoped to
benefit both manufactures and also car users in ensuring better and optimum driving postures that can avoid fatigue
and injuries.
Prolonged sitting is one of the factors for back discomfort. Sitting in the same position for long periods of time is worse.
This experimental based study was conducted to achieve three objectives. There were to 1) identify whether is there any
differences between perceived body discomfort among respondents before and after upright sitting, 2) identify whether
is there any differences between perceived body discomfort among respondents before and after slump sitting and 3)
compare the level of perceived body discomfort among respondents after two sitting postures. Thirty young and healthy
adults were recruited as study respondents. Each respondent was asked to sit in a posture either upright or slump for 30
minutes. Respondents were then rated their body discomfort using Borg CR-10 scale before and after sitting. Another
sitting posture was carried out after one day interval. There is a significant difference between perceived body
discomfort among respondents before and after upright and slump sitting. Body discomfort of upright sitting was shown
significantly greater than slump sitting. Although, slump sitting caused less discomfort than upright, but it proven by
previous studies did not provide benefit to occupational safety and health practice in preventing occupational health
related disease.
Measuring discomfort towardthe car seat is important as the act of driving requires a driver to remain at the car seat
while controlling the car. The seat condition, including sitting position as well as the driver’s posture can lead to
discomfort and fatigue. The objective of this study is to investigate a driver’s pressure distribution in static and
dynamic circumstances for two types of cars; the sedan and compact car. This study involved both subjective and
objective evaluations of 12 respondents. For the subjective evaluation, the Visual Analog Scales (VAS) were used to
obtain respondents' perception of discomfort. For the objective evaluation, pressure distribution readings of the seat
interface were obtained using piezo capacitive sensors. The findings showed that the highest pressure was recorded
for the compact car. Furthermore, the static circumstance showed greater pressure compared to the dynamic state.
Subjective evaluation indicated that the right buttocks and the lower back (lumbar)experience the highest discomfort
for both types of seats.The type of seat found to contribute to the value of different pressure. Thus, it can be
concluded that appropriate seat selection can reduce pressure as well as discomfort.