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Structural modelling of food allergen knowledge, attitude and practices among consumers in Malaysia

Soon JM

Food Res Int, 2018 09;111:674-681.
PMID: 30007732 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2018.06.001

The aim of this study was to assess food allergen knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices among consumers in Malaysia. An online survey was conducted and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. A model linking food allergen knowledge and attitude and their direct effects on practices were confirmed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Consumers demonstrated moderate food allergen knowledge in this study but scored highly in their attitude towards food allergens. Although participants scored moderately in food allergen knowledge, this does not necessarily translate into practices. There is a possibility that an increase in food allergen knowledge can increase optimistic bias or a sense of over-confidence to manage allergen risks. Consumers' attitude towards food allergens has a positive and significant influence on practices. A positive attitude represents personal beliefs and reflects the level of motivation and care required to manage food allergens effectively. There was insignificant relationship between food allergen knowledge and attitude. This demonstrates a need to tailor targeted risk communication and learning strategies to influence consumers' practices.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior*
Consumers' Awareness and Trust Toward Food Safety News on Social Media in Malaysia

Soon JM

J Food Prot, 2020 Mar 01;83(3):452-459.
PMID: 32065648 DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-19-415

ABSTRACT: Social media offers numerous advantages for personal users and organizations to communicate, socialize, and market their products. When used correctly, social media is an effective tool to communicate and to share food safety news and good practices. However, there have been reports of fake food safety news shared via social media, fueling panic and resulting in a loss of revenue. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the consumers' awareness, trust, and usage of social media in communicating food safety news in Malaysia. A questionnaire divided into five sections-(i) demographics, (ii) reaction to food safety news, (iii) consumers' awareness, (iv) social media truth and level of trust, and (v) social media uses and content creation-was created and shared online. A total of 341 questionnaires were returned of which 339 surveys were valid. This study revealed that less than one-third of the study group (27.1%) knew which of the food safety news were fake. Most respondents (67.8%) were less likely to purchase the affected foods if the foods were featured in social media as problematic, although no differences were made between true and fake news and how that would influence respondents' willingness to purchase affected foods. Overall, 62% of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed about the usage of social media and its ability to prevent food poisoning cases, while more than 50% of the respondents were in total agreement that social media allow consumers to act more responsibly by sharing food safety news. Respondents tended to trust information shared by scientists (67.5%) and family members and friends (33%). Respondents would most often share the news after verifying its authenticity (46%). If respondents experienced a personal food safety issue (e.g., discovered a fly in their meal), they seldom or never took photos to post online (56.1%). It is possible that the respondents preferred to inform the food handlers and/or shop owners about the affected products rather than post the photos online. It is suggested that targeted food safety information and media literacy be provided to improve consumers' awareness and to positively influence self-verification of the food safety information before sharing. This study provides crucial insights for a range of stakeholders, particularly public authorities, food bloggers, and the public, in using social media effectively to build consumers' awareness and trust in food safety information.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Fulltext Revisiting consumer brand preference sustaining strategy through co-creation corporate social responsibility in the hospitality industry

Siti Hajar Md. Jani, Irwan Ibrahim, Afizan Amer, Nordayana Zulkifli, Mumtaz Ahmad

Journal of Academia Universiti Teknologi MARA Negeri Sembilan, 2019;7(101):117-125.
MyJurnal

When a hotel firm loses their existing customers, the organization needs to draw new customers. This is to maintain their market share in the industries. However, in order to attract and capture new customers, it may need higher cost on advertising and promotional activities. Brand preference is generally used to quantify the effect of brand equity that will lead to brand awareness and customers brand loyalty. Therefore, this research is conducted to examine how co-creation corporate social responsibility (CSR) influence brand preference sustaining strategy in the hospitality industry. The study involved three main variables to distinguish the effect of environment, society and stakeholders (CSR) base program on consumer brand preferences. This research is conducted at one of the hotels in Kuala Lumpur City. The scope of the research focusing on the impact of co-creation (CSR) programs towards consumer brand preference. The respondents are among the walk-in consumer the hotel. Result of the study found that there is significant impact of the three base (CSR) programs on consumer brand preference in the hotel industries. This study also built up a useful insight to the industry players and (CSR) research to gain knowledge on the future development of co-creation CSR programs which promotes low cost and high impact result.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Fulltext Willingness among food consumers to recycle human urine as crop fertiliser: Evidence from a multinational survey

Simha P, Barton MA, Perez-Mercado LF, McConville JR, Lalander C, Magri ME, et al.

Sci Total Environ, 2021 Apr 15;765:144438.
PMID: 33418332 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144438

Source-separating sanitation systems offer the possibility of recycling nutrients present in wastewater as crop fertilisers. Thereby, they can reduce agriculture's impacts on global sources, sinks, and cycles for nitrogen and phosphorous, as well as their associated environmental costs. However, it has been broadly assumed that people would be reluctant to perform the new sanitation behaviours that are necessary for implementing such systems in practice. Yet, few studies have tried to systematically gather evidence in support of this assumption. To address this gap, we surveyed 3763 people at 20 universities in 16 countries using a standardised questionnaire. We identified and systematically assessed cross-cultural and country-level explanatory factors that were strongly associated with people's willingness to consume food grown using human urine as fertiliser. Overall, 68% of the respondents favoured recycling human urine, 59% stated a willingness to eat urine-fertilised food, and only 11% believed that urine posed health risks that could not be mitigated by treatment. Most people did not expect to pay less for urine-fertilised food, but only 15% were willing to pay a price premium. Consumer perceptions were found to differ greatly by country and the strongest predictive factors for acceptance overall were cognitive factors (perceptions of risks and benefits) and social norms. Increasing awareness and building trust among consumers about the effectiveness of new sanitation systems via cognitive and normative messaging can help increase acceptance. Based on our findings, we believe that in many countries, acceptance by food consumers will not be the major social barrier to closing the loop on human urine. That a potential market exists for urine-fertilised food, however, needs to be communicated to other stakeholders in the sanitation service chain.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Fulltext Using individual stated-preferences to optimize HIV self-testing service delivery among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Malaysia: results from a conjoint-based analysis

Shrestha R, Alias H, Wong LP, Altice FL, Lim SH

BMC Public Health, 2020 Nov 25;20(1):1777.
PMID: 33238941 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-020-09832-w

BACKGROUND: HIV self-testing (HIVST) has the potential to improve HIV testing uptake and frequency for key populations like MSM who experience multiple barriers accessing clinic-based HIV testing. In the absence of HIVST in Malaysia, there is no guidance to inform HIVST delivery. This study investigated the acceptability of HIVST and preferences about the HIVST service delivery approaches using a standardized stated preference method.
METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey conducted between January and April 2019 assessed the interest in HIVST in 544 MSM in Malaysia. Participants ranked eight hypothetical HIVST service delivery program elements with varied combinations of six, two-level HIVST service delivery program attributes (cost, privacy, accuracy, kit collection site, kit type, and testing support). SPSS conjoint procedure was used to estimate the relative importance of each attribute and preference across eight possible HIVST service delivery programs.
RESULTS: Overall, 70.4% had previously tested for HIV, and of those, 64.0% had done so in the past 6 months (45.0% of all participants). Of all the participants, 25.2% reported having used HIVST previously. The acceptability for HIVST service delivery models ranged from 44.9 to 77.1%, with mean acceptability of 56.2% across the eight hypothetical HIVST distribution scenarios. The HIVST service delivery scenario with the highest acceptability had the following attributes: no cost (free), anonymity (name not required), 99-100% accuracy, home-delivered, fingerstick, and testing support using telephone hotline or texting. HIVST cost was the most important attribute (relative importance score: RIS = 19.30) associated with acceptability, followed by anonymity (RIS = 18.41), accuracy (RIS = 17.33), kit delivery (RIS = 16.99), fingerstick kit (RIS = 15.86), and support (RIS = 12.08).
CONCLUSIONS: Acceptability for HIVST in Malaysian MSM was high but differed markedly by a number of HIVST delivery scenarios and attributes. These findings could be relevant as the Malaysian Ministry of Health is in the process of developing a regulatory framework for ensuring the quality of kits, as well as policies supporting safe use while broader implementation under national AIDS programs.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior/statistics & numerical data*
Consumer perception on generic medicines in Basrah, Iraq: preliminary findings from a qualitative study

Sharrad AK, Hassali MA

Res Social Adm Pharm, 2011 Mar;7(1):108-12.
PMID: 21397885 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2009.12.003

BACKGROUND: The use of generic medicines has been increasing steadily internationally, primarily because of cost concerns. Knowledge and use patterns of generic medicines in Iraq have not yet been measured.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore consumers' perception and knowledge on issues relating to generic medicine use in Basrah, Iraq.
METHODS: A qualitative approach was used to gather information from consumers in Basrah, Iraq. A purposive sample of 14 consumers in Basrah was interviewed face-to-face using a semistructured interview guide.
RESULTS: Thematic analysis of the interviews identified 5 major themes: understanding of the term "generic medicine," preference for generic medicine, refusal of generic medicine, generic substitution, and education on the use of generic medicines. Not all the consumers were familiar with the term "generic medicine;" they were familiar with the term "commercial medicine." Most of the participants understood that generics cost less compared with their branded counterparts. Most of the consumers said that their physicians and pharmacists had given them information on generics.
CONCLUSION: Knowledge of generic medicines may be lacking among consumers in Iraq. Development of consumer education on generics by health care providers is required to support the implementation of the policy on generic medicines in Iraq.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior*
Customers satisfaction towards Posyandu at urban and rural areas

Sharifa Ezat, W.P., Aniza, I., Jamiah, M., Khalib, L., Dwiyanti

Journal of Health Management, 2008;4(1):88-95.
MyJurnal

Customer satisfaction is one of the main priority to any service provider. It indicates process and quality involved in delivering of services. However, satisfaction level varies from one service to another. In Indonesia, satisfaction study is seldom done on Posyandu activity. This study tries to understanding this issue. A cross sectional study was conducted on Posyandu services located in urban and rural areas of South Sumatera, Indonesia from November 2005 until January 2006 with 125 respondents in urban area and 123 respondents in rural area using multi stages random sampling. Data was collected via structured questionnaires using SERVQUAL score method based on five dimensions : tangible, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The results showed that the proportion of satisfied customers was higher at 74% particularly in the rural area. Satisfied respondents were significantly associated with age, education, income and distance to Posyandu services. The most satisfying dimension were tangible and reliability especially in the urban area, but not for responsive and empathy dimension. Overall, the mean SERVQUAL score of all dimension was higher for the urban as compared to the rural area, implying that customer perceptions are much better from what was expected.
Responsive and empathy dimension were the main barrier affecting customer satisfaction. Staff development efforts such as training, refreshing and others form of organizational development strategies, therefore, need to be incorporated into its current managerial practice in order to improve the health services delivery and increase customers' satisfaction.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Fulltext The Relationship of Health and Nutrition Claims towards Purchasing Choices among Consumers in Shah Alam, Selangor

Shammakh M, Ali RT, Shaari T

J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo), 2020;66(Supplement):S222-S225.
PMID: 33612599 DOI: 10.3177/jnsv.66.S222

Consumers nowadays have more awareness for healthy foods and demanded healthier food choices to avoid health-related problems; therefore, industries had included health and nutrition claims on their products. Health and nutrition claims usually influence consumers' food choice decision. Products with health claim resulted in higher perception of healthiness and nutritional value of the product, even if the product was not considered as a healthy choice. The aim of this study was to assess whether the health and nutrition claims had led to a healthier perception or better evaluation of the product among consumers.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire on 385 respondents collected through convenience sampling. The survey consisted of four parts: socio-demographic background, health awareness, understanding and usage of health and nutrition claims, and purchase intention measured through the use of a mock packaging. Data collected were analyzed using SPSS version 22.
RESULTS: Most of the respondents aged 18-30 (81.0%) and almost half of them were Malay (45.7%) with bachelor/master or PhD qualification (60.0%). The distribution of household income for all categories was almost similar (18.2-20.8%). There was a significant statistical relationship between health awareness and purchase intention among respondents (r=0.391, p<0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: Health and nutrition claims influenced consumer's perceptions and purchase intention, especially for those who were more concerned about their health, thus, more focus on policy regarding claims is needed.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Studying the effects of nucleating agents on texture modification of puffed corn-fish snack

Shahmohammadi HR, Bakar J, Rahman RA, Adzhan NM

J Food Sci, 2014 Feb;79(2):E178-83.
PMID: 24410375 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.12324

To improve textural attributes of puffed corn-fish snack, the effects of 1%, 1.5%, and 2% of calcium carbonate, magnesium silicate (talc), sodium bicarbonate as well as 5% and 10% of wheat bran (as the nucleating materials) on textural attributes were studied. Sensory evaluation, bulk density, expansion ratio, maximum force, and count peaks were measured using the Kramer test. The results showed that all of the additives except bran significantly enhanced the texture. Among them, talc at 0.5% was the best to enhance the density and expansion ratio. Effects of using 0.5% talc on puffed corn-fish snack microstructure were studied using scanning electron microscopy. The average cell diameter of 109 ± 48 μm and cell numbers per square centimeter of 67.4 for talc-treated products were obtained, while for nontalc-treated extrudates, average cell diameter of 798 ± 361 μm and cell numbers per square centimeter of 13.9 were found. Incorporation of 0.5% w/w of magnesium silicate reduced (7-fold) the average cell diameter while increased (4-fold) the cell number.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Emoji meanings (pleasure-arousal-dominance dimensions) in consumer research: Between-country and interpersonal differences

Schouteten JJ, Llobell F, Chheang SL, Jin D, Jaeger SR

J Food Sci, 2023 Mar;88(S1):106-121.
PMID: 36413025 DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.16374

In line with the increasing popularity of emoji, the need for methodological research into these pictorial representations of emotion remains. The present research contributes to this goal by continuing to establish the meaning of emoji and exploring these according to between-country and interpersonal differences. The emoji (n = 12) were selected to span the valence × arousal emotion space, and the PAD model (Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance) was used to establish emoji meaning for the three dimensions, operationalized as measurement on 6 × 3 semantic differentials. Participants in the main study came from three countries-Germany, Singapore, and Malaysia (n = 2465), and a supplementary study included the United Kingdom and New Zealand (n = 600) (subset of four emoji). The results confirmed that emoji meanings according to the PAD model were largely similar between countries (albeit not identical). There were multiple minor significant differences for individual emoji, and where these existed, they often related to the dimension of Arousal, prompting a need for further investigation. Interpersonal differences were examined for gender (men and women), age group (18-45 and 46-69 years old), and frequency of emoji use. Again, significant differences were smaller rather than larger and supported the notion that emoji are generally applicable for multicountry research. However, caution regarding the participants who use emoji infrequently may be warranted. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The findings from this research will help academics and practitioners who are interested in using emoji for sensory and consumer research (or are already doing so) with more robust interpretations of their findings. For a set of 12 emoji that provide broad coverage of the valence × arousal emotional space, meanings are provided on the three dimensions of the PAD model. The data is collected in five countries and contributes to increased confidence that emoji meanings are by and large similar in these countries.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Fulltext The Feedback-Related Negativity and the P300 Brain Potential Are Sensitive to Price Expectation Violations in a Virtual Shopping Task

Schaefer A, Buratto LG, Goto N, Brotherhood EV

PLoS One, 2016 09 22;11(9):e0163150.
PMID: 27658301 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163150

A large body of evidence shows that buying behaviour is strongly determined by consumers' price expectations and the extent to which real prices violate these expectations. Despite the importance of this phenomenon, little is known regarding its neural mechanisms. Here we show that two patterns of electrical brain activity known to index prediction errors-the Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) and the feedback-related P300 -were sensitive to price offers that were cheaper than participants' expectations. In addition, we also found that FRN amplitude time-locked to price offers predicted whether a product would be subsequently purchased or not, and further analyses suggest that this result was driven by the sensitivity of the FRN to positive price expectation violations. This finding strongly suggests that ensembles of neurons coding positive prediction errors play a critical role in real-life consumer behaviour. Further, these findings indicate that theoretical models based on the notion of prediction error, such as the Reinforcement Learning Theory, can provide a neurobiologically grounded account of consumer behavior.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Color, sensory and textural attributes of beef frankfurter, beef ham and meat-free sausage containing tomato pomace

Savadkoohi S, Hoogenkamp H, Shamsi K, Farahnaky A

Meat Sci, 2014 Aug;97(4):410-8.
PMID: 24769097 DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2014.03.017

The present investigation focuses on the textural properties, sensory attributes and color changes of beef frankfurter, beef ham and meat-free sausage produced by different levels of bleached tomato pomace. The texture and color profile were performed using an instrumental texture analyzer and colorimeter. The findings indicated that tomato pomace-added sausages had higher water holding capacity (WHC) compared to that of commercial samples. The frankfurters containing 5 and 7% (w/w) tomato pomace had the highest redness (a*), chroma (C*) and color differences (ΔE) values, while the meat-free sausages containing 7% (w/w) tomato pomace had significant (p<0.05) values for lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*). Furthermore, there were no significant (p>0.05) color differences between beef ham samples (with and without tomato pomace). A significant progression in the textural hardness and chewiness of systems containing tomato pomace was observed as well as higher sensory scores by panelists. According to sensorial evaluations, bleached tomato pomace improved the consumer acceptability and preference.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Fulltext Creation of reliable relevance judgments in information retrieval systems evaluation experimentation through crowdsourcing: a review

Samimi P, Ravana SD

ScientificWorldJournal, 2014;2014:135641.
PMID: 24977172 DOI: 10.1155/2014/135641

Test collection is used to evaluate the information retrieval systems in laboratory-based evaluation experimentation. In a classic setting, generating relevance judgments involves human assessors and is a costly and time consuming task. Researchers and practitioners are still being challenged in performing reliable and low-cost evaluation of retrieval systems. Crowdsourcing as a novel method of data acquisition is broadly used in many research fields. It has been proven that crowdsourcing is an inexpensive and quick solution as well as a reliable alternative for creating relevance judgments. One of the crowdsourcing applications in IR is to judge relevancy of query document pair. In order to have a successful crowdsourcing experiment, the relevance judgment tasks should be designed precisely to emphasize quality control. This paper is intended to explore different factors that have an influence on the accuracy of relevance judgments accomplished by workers and how to intensify the reliability of judgments in crowdsourcing experiment.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior*
Fulltext Housing improvement using quality function development in Melaka resident area: a case study

Salim, M. A., Wan Mohamad, W. M. F., Maksom, Z., Kamat, S. R., Sukarma, L., Putra, A., et al.

Journal of Advanced Review on Scientific Research, 2014;4(1):7-19.
MyJurnal

This paper presents the housing improvement proposition in the Melaka resident area.Quality Function Deployment is used as a method to analyze customer behavior regarding customer requirement, satisfaction and comparison among the developers. By using this method, the main requirement by the buyer for their bungalow is their need of sufficient space to place their appliances in the house. At the end of the study, the details of buyer requirements are plotted into House of Quality, where it is believed to improve the quality of future bungalow house development in Melaka.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Fulltext The determinant factors for the adoption of CRM in the Palestinian SMEs: The moderating effect of firm size

Salah OH, Yusof ZM, Mohamed H

PLoS One, 2021;16(3):e0243355.
PMID: 33662987 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243355

CRM adoption can provide innumerable benefits to the SMEs performance, including solving customer problems in a timely manner, enhancing customer satisfaction by appointing an expert to solve issues and queries, and the like. This study aims to examine the moderating effects of the firm size in the adoption of CRM in the Palestinian SMEs. A quantitative approach was used to investigate the relationships between the variables, which are compatibility, IT infrastructure, complexity, relative advantage, security, top management support, customer pressure, and competitive pressure. A questionnaire was designed to collect data from 420 SMEs in Palestine. A total of 331 respondents completed and returned the survey. The Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) approach was used to assess both the measurement and structural models. The Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI) and Technology, Organization, and Environment Framework (TOE) framework were employed to identify the determinant factors from the technological, organizational, and environmental perspectives. The findings and conclusions of this study provide show that the moderating effect of firm size has significant effect compatibility, top management support, customer pressure, and IT infrastructure factors.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Fulltext Chemical and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Waterborne Polyurethane Dispersion Derived from Jatropha Oil

Saalah S, Abdullah LC, Aung MM, Salleh MZ, Awang Biak DR, Basri M, et al.

Polymers (Basel), 2021 Mar 05;13(5).
PMID: 33807622 DOI: 10.3390/polym13050795

Nowadays, there is a significant trend away from solvent-based polyurethane systems towards waterborne polyurethane dispersions due to government regulations requiring manufacturers to lower total volatile organic compounds, as well as consumer preference for more environmentally friendly products. In this work, a renewable vegetable oil-based polyol derived from jatropha oil was polymerized with isophorone diisocyanate and dimethylol propionic acid to produce anionic waterborne polyurethane dispersion. Free standing films with up to 62 wt.% bio-based content were successfully produced after evaporation of water from the jatropha oil-based waterborne polyurethane (JPU) dispersion, which indicated good film formation. The chemical and thermo-mechanical properties of the JPU films were characterized. By increasing the OH numbers of polyol from 161 mgKOH/g to 217 mgKOH/g, the crosslinking density of the JPU was significantly increased, which lead to a better storage modulus and improved hydrophobicity. Overall, JPU produced from polyol having OH number of 217 mgKOH/g appears to be a promising product for application as a binder for wood and decorative coatings.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Fulltext MILLENIAL’S BEHAVIOUR AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS NATURAL COSMETICS: A CASE STUDY IN UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA TERENGGANU

SITI DIANA KAMILA NADIM, JARINA MOHD JANI

UMT Journal of Undergraduate Research, 2021;3(1):63-74.
MyJurnal

Investing in natural cosmetics contributes to the sustainability of natural resources in two ways – the emission of less harmful by-products, and the conservation of ecosystems through sustainable harvesting of resources. Therefore, studying students’ (millennials’) behaviour and attitude towards these products may help improve awareness-raising approaches on their benefits for local market acceptance. A study was conducted in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT), Malaysia with the aim to understand the current perception and habits of UMT students towards natural cosmetics and their readiness to convert to natural cosmetics. 521 responses were collected through an online survey that focused on three themes: Stage of Change, Decisional Balance Inventory, and Product Knowledge and Perception. The study found that most of the respondents (79%) claim to be using natural cosmetics, while only nine percent are not considering at all. Eighty-six percent of those users practice label reading habits although most respondents could not distinguish natural cosmetics from synthetic ones if solely based on personal knowledge and appearance of product. This proves that product design does influence customers’ purchasing behaviours. Moreover, results indicate that existing natural cosmetic users are quite likely to maintain the habit, while others are still indecisive. Meanwhile, label reading habits are quite likely to be maintained by many respondents. Hence, based on results, businesses should acknowledge that there is a demand in natural cosmetics among Malaysian millennials, and should increase their promotional activities, improve product design and affordability in order to grab consumers’ attention to switch from synthetic to natural cosmetics.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Two-stage DEA method in identifying the exogenous factors of insurers’ risk and investment management efficiency

Rubayah Yakob, Zulkornain Yusop, Alias Radam, Noriszura Ismail

Sains Malaysiana, 2014;43:1439-1450.

The objective of this study was to identify the exogenous variables of risk and investment management efficiency by using a two-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. The first stage involves obtaining the efficiency scores of risk and investment management via DEA that requires only the traditional inputs and outputs. In the second stage, the Tobit regression analysis is conducted in which the efficiency score obtained from the first stage is treated as a dependent variable, while the exogenous factors are considered to be independent variables. The exogenous factors consist of operating systems, organizational form, consumer preference and size. The results showed that the mutual company as well as the takaful system demonstrate better risk management performance than their stock and conventional system counterparts. In addition, size is also a significant indicator for risk management efficiency in which the larger insurer/takaful operator exhibits better risk management performance than the smaller one. However, consumer preference is found to be insignificantly correlated with the efficiency of risk management. In contrast, with risk management, organizational form, operating system and size are not indicators of the investment management efficiency, but consumer preference is significantly and positively associated with investment management efficiency.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior
Demand analysis of tobacco consumption in Malaysia

Ross H, Al-Sadat NA

Nicotine Tob Res, 2007 Nov;9(11):1163-9.
PMID: 17978990

We estimated the price and income elasticity of cigarette demand and the impact of cigarette taxes on cigarette demand and cigarette tax revenue in Malaysia. The data on cigarette consumption, cigarette prices, and public policies between 1990 and 2004 were subjected to a time-series regression analysis applying the error-correction model. The preferred cigarette demand model specification resulted in long-run and short-run price elasticities estimates of -0.57 and -0.08, respectively. Income was positively related to cigarette consumption: A 1% increase in real income increased cigarette consumption by 1.46%. The model predicted that an increase in cigarette excise tax from Malaysian ringgit (RM) 1.60 to RM2.00 per pack would reduce cigarette consumption in Malaysia by 3.37%, or by 806,468,873 cigarettes. This reduction would translate to almost 165 fewer tobacco-related lung cancer deaths per year and a 20.8% increase in the government excise tax revenue. We conclude that taxation is an effective method of reducing cigarette consumption and tobacco-related deaths while increasing revenue for the government of Malaysia.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior/economics
Hospital service quality: a managerial challenge

Rose RC, Uli J, Abdul M, Ng KL

Int J Health Care Qual Assur Inc Leadersh Health Serv, 2004;17(2-3):146-59.
PMID: 15301271

While much is known generally about predictions of customer-perceived service quality, their application to health services is rarer. No attempt has been made to examine the impact of social support and patient education on overall service quality perception. Together with six quality dimensions identified from the literature, this study seeks to provide a more holistic comprehension of hospital service quality prediction. Although 79 percent of variation is explained, other than technical quality the impact of the remaining factors on quality perception is far from constant, and socio-economic variables further complicate unpredictability. Contrary to established beliefs, the cost factor was found to be insignificant. Hence, to manage service quality effectively, the test lies in how well healthcare providers know the customers they serve. It is not only crucial in a globalized environment, where trans-national patient mobility is increasingly the norm, but also within homogeneous societies that appear to converge culturally.

Matched MeSH terms: Consumer Behavior

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