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Fulltext Enhancing active learning in microbiology through case based learning: experiences from an Indian medical school

Ciraj AM, Vinod P, Ramnarayan K

Indian J Pathol Microbiol, 2010 Oct-Dec;53(4):729-33.
PMID: 21045402 DOI: 10.4103/0377-4929.72058

Case-based learning (CBL) is an interactive student-centered exploration of real life situations. This paper describes the use of CBL as an educational strategy for promoting active learning in microbiology.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Fulltext Knowledge and attitude of university students in health sciences on the prevention of cervical cancer

Tan YY, Hesham R, Qodriyah HM

Med J Malaysia, 2010 Mar;65(1):53-7.
PMID: 21265250 MyJurnal

Cervical cancer is the second most common female cancer after breast cancer both in Malaysia and worldwide although it can be mostly prevented. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge level and attitude of University Kebangsaan Malaysia female students in the Faculties of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences on the prevention of cervical cancer. A total of 675 respondents were recruited for this cross-sectional study involving pre-tested questionnaires. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 15.0. There was significant association between grade and mean score of knowledge with different faculties and year of education (p<0.05). However, significant association was shown only between grade of knowledge with different programs in the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences. For mean score of knowledge, significant difference only existed among different races (p<0.05). Mass media was the most common source of information. In conclusion, the knowledge level of respondents on cervical cancer and its prevention was not satisfactory despite their positive attitude on prevention. Thus, more awareness programs should be conducted in University campuses to provide students with knowledge on prevention of cervical cancer.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Fulltext A simple model to demonstrate the movements and the axes of the eyeball

Nayak S, Soumya KV

Adv Physiol Educ, 2009 Dec;33(4):356-7.
PMID: 19948688 DOI: 10.1152/advan.00047.2009
Matched MeSH terms: Students, Medical
Fulltext Real-time teleteaching in medical physics

Woo M, Ng Kh

Biomed Imaging Interv J, 2008 Jan;4(1):e13.
PMID: 21614306 MyJurnal DOI: 10.2349/biij.4.1.e13

Medical physics is a relatively small professional community, usually with a scarcity of expertise that could greatly benefit students entering the field. However, the reach of the profession can span great geographical distances, making the training of students a difficult task. In addition to the requirement of training new students, the evolving field of medical physics, with its many emerging advanced techniques and technologies, could benefit greatly from ongoing continuing education as well as consultation with experts.Many continuing education courses and workshops are constantly being offered, including many web-based study courses and virtual libraries. However, one mode of education and communication that has not been widely used is the real-time interactive process. Video-based conferencing systems do exist, but these usually require a substantial amount of effort and cost to set up.The authors have been working on promoting the ever-expanding capability of the Internet to facilitate the education of medical physics to students entering the field. A pilot project has been carried out for six years and reported previously. The project is a collaboration between the Department of Medical Physics at the Toronto Odette Cancer Centre in Canada and the Department of Biomedical Imaging at the University of Malaya in Malaysia. Since 2001, medical physics graduate students at the University of Malaya have been taught by lecturers from Toronto every year, using the Internet as the main tool of communication.The pilot study explored the different methods that can be used to provide real-time interactive remote education, and delivered traditional classroom lectures as well as hands-on workshops.Another similar project was started in 2007 to offer real-time teaching to a class of medical physics students at Wuhan University in Hubei, China. There are new challenges as well as new opportunities associated with this project. By building an inventory of tools and experiences, the intent is to broaden the real-time teleteaching method to serve a wide community so that future students entering the field can have efficient access to high-quality education that will benefit the profession in the long term.

Matched MeSH terms: Students, Medical
A midlecture student seminar: an activity to break the monotony

Mohandas Rao KG

Adv Physiol Educ, 2006 Dec;30(4):262-263.
PMID: 17108258
Matched MeSH terms: Students, Medical
Fulltext Multiracial Facial Golden Ratio and Evaluation of Facial Appearance

Alam MK, Mohd Noor NF, Basri R, Yew TF, Wen TH

PLoS One, 2015;10(11):e0142914.
PMID: 26562655 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142914

This study aimed to investigate the association of facial proportion and its relation to the golden ratio with the evaluation of facial appearance among Malaysian population. This was a cross-sectional study with 286 randomly selected from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Health Campus students (150 females and 136 males; 100 Malaysian Chinese, 100 Malaysian Malay and 86 Malaysian Indian), with the mean age of 21.54 ± 1.56 (Age range, 18-25). Facial indices obtained from direct facial measurements were used for the classification of facial shape into short, ideal and long. A validated structured questionnaire was used to assess subjects' evaluation of their own facial appearance. The mean facial indices of Malaysian Indian (MI), Malaysian Chinese (MC) and Malaysian Malay (MM) were 1.59 ± 0.19, 1.57 ± 0.25 and 1.54 ± 0.23 respectively. Only MC showed significant sexual dimorphism in facial index (P = 0.047; P<0.05) but no significant difference was found between races. Out of the 286 subjects, 49 (17.1%) were of ideal facial shape, 156 (54.5%) short and 81 (28.3%) long. The facial evaluation questionnaire showed that MC had the lowest satisfaction with mean score of 2.18 ± 0.97 for overall impression and 2.15 ± 1.04 for facial parts, compared to MM and MI, with mean score of 1.80 ± 0.97 and 1.64 ± 0.74 respectively for overall impression; 1.75 ± 0.95 and 1.70 ± 0.83 respectively for facial parts.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Connecting learners: The role of biotechnology programme in preparing students for the industry

Mohd Saruan N, Sagran A, Fadzil KS, Razali Z, Ow Phui San R, Somasundram C

Biochem Mol Biol Educ, 2015 Nov-Dec;43(6):460-7.
PMID: 26525315 DOI: 10.1002/bmb.20892

The recent growth of biotechnology requires a wide range of expertise within the industry. Education is the primary platform for students to gain information and knowledge on biotechnology. In Malaysia where biotechnology is relatively new, education programs and courses must be tailored to meet the demands of the industry. A combination of theoretical knowledge as well as practical and industrial training is essential to ensure graduates are prepared for their career in the fields of biotechnology. Results from this study show that university students lack literacy on biotechnology information and access to facilities provided by the universities. This may be a significant contributing factor to the lack of knowledge and information amongst graduates. Furthermore comparative analysis on the biotechnology program in Malaysian universities with that of other countries show the need to restructure the program by offering more specialized courses as well as soft skills and business subjects. This is to meet the demands of the related professionals as well as the various branches that exist in the biotechnology industry.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Fulltext Knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicines among pharmacy students of a Malaysian public university

Jamshed SQ, Khan MU, Ahmad A, Elkalmi RM

J Pharm Bioallied Sci, 2016 3 10;8(1):34-8.
PMID: 26957866 DOI: 10.4103/0975-7406.171686

BACKGROUND: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is consistently on the rise worldwide. Consumers often consider pharmacists as a major source of information about CAM products and their safety. Due to the limitation of data, it is worth exploring the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of pharmacy students toward CAM.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of pharmacy students regarding the use of CAM in Malaysia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted for 3 months among Bachelor of Pharmacy students in a public sector University of Malaysia. A pretested, self-administered questionnaire, comprised four sections, was used to collect the data from 440 participants. Descriptive analysis was used, and Chi-square test was used to test the association between dependent and independent variables.
RESULTS: Of 440 questionnaire distributed, 287 were returned giving a response rate of (65.2%). The results showed that 38.6% participants gave correct answers when asked about the use of herbal products with digoxin. Majority of the participants were knowledgeable about supplementary therapy (25.3%) while the lack of knowledge was mostly evident in traditional Chinese medicines (73.7%). Majority of the students were either neutral (49.5%) or disagreed that (42.8%) CAM use is unsafe. Females were more in disagreement to the statements than males (P = 0.007). Majority of students also agreed to use CAM therapies for their health and well-being (51.2%).
CONCLUSION: The study revealed that pharmacy students did not have adequate knowledge of CAM though their attitudes and perceptions were relatively positive.

Matched MeSH terms: Students, Pharmacy
Fulltext A Cross-Cultural Examination of SNS Usage Intensity and Managing Interpersonal Relationships Online: The Role of Culture and the Autonomous-Related Self-Construal

Lee SL, Kim JA, Golden KJ, Kim JH, Park MS

Front Psychol, 2016;7:376.
PMID: 27148100 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00376

Perception of the autonomy and relatedness of the self may be influenced by one's experiences and social expectations within a particular cultural setting. The present research examined the role of culture and the Autonomous-Related self-construal in predicting for different aspects of Social Networking Sites (SNS) usage in three Asian countries, especially focusing on those aspects serving interpersonal goals. Participants in this cross-cultural study included 305 university students from Malaysia (n = 105), South Korea (n = 113), and China (n = 87). The study explored specific social and interpersonal behaviors on SNS, such as browsing the contacts' profiles, checking for updates, and improving contact with SNS contacts, as well as the intensity of SNS use, hypothesizing that those with high intensity of use in the Asian context may be doing so to achieve the social goal of maintaining contact and keeping updated with friends. Two scales measuring activities on other users' profiles and contact with friends' profiles were developed and validated. As predicted, some cross-cultural differences were found. Koreans were more likely to use SNS to increase contact but tended to spend less time browsing contacts' profiles than the Malaysians and Chinese. The intensity of SNS use differed between the countries as well, where Malaysians reported higher intensity than Koreans and Chinese. Consistent with study predictions, Koreans were found with the highest Autonomous-Related self-construal scores. The Autonomous-Related self-construal predicted SNS intensity. The findings suggest that cultural contexts, along with the way the self is construed in different cultures, may encourage different types of SNS usage. The authors discuss study implications and suggest future research directions.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Fulltext Evaluation of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase stability in stored blood samples

Jalil N, Azma RZ, Mohamed E, Ithnin A, Alauddin H, Baya SN, et al.

EXCLI J, 2016;15:155-62.
PMID: 27103895 DOI: 10.17179/excli2015-604

Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is the commonest cause of neonatal jaundice in Malaysia. Recently, OSMMR2000-D G6PD Assay Kit has been introduced to quantitate the level of G6PD activity in newborns delivered in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC). As duration of sample storage prior to analysis is one of the matters of concern, this study was conducted to identify the stability of G6PD enzyme during storage. A total of 188 cord blood samples from normal term newborns delivered at UKMMC were selected for this study. The cord bloods samples were collected in ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) tubes and refrigerated at 2-8 °C. In addition, 32 out of 188 cord blood samples were spotted on chromatography paper, air-dried and stored at room temperature. G6PD enzyme activities were measured daily for 7 days using the OSMMR2000-D G6PD Assay Kit on both the EDTA blood and dried blood samples. The mean value for G6PD activity was compared between days of analysis using Student Paired T-Test. In this study, 172 out of 188 cord blood samples showed normal enzyme levels while 16 had levels corresponding to severe enzyme deficiency. The daily mean G6PD activity for EDTA blood samples of newborns with normal G6PD activity showed a significant drop on the fourth day of storage (p < 0.005) while for samples with severely deficient G6PD activity, significant drop was seen on third day of storage (p = 0.002). Analysis of dried cord blood showed a significant reduction in enzyme activity as early as the second day of storage (p = 0.001). It was also noted that mean G6PD activity for spotted blood samples were lower compared to those in EDTA tubes for all days (p = 0.001). Thus, EDTA blood samples stored at 2-8 °C appeared to have better stability in terms of their G6PD enzyme level as compared to dried blood samples on filter paper, giving a storage time of up to 3 days.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Victimization After Meeting With Online Acquaintances: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Adolescents in Malaysia

Marret MJ, Choo WY

J Interpers Violence, 2018 08;33(15):2352-2378.
PMID: 26787607 DOI: 10.1177/0886260515625502

This study aimed to determine contact and privacy risks encountered by Malaysian adolescents with access to the Internet and mobile phones and factors associated with face-to-face meetings with online acquaintances as well as to estimate the prevalence of subsequent victimization. Secondary school students from randomly selected public schools in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur responded to an anonymous self-administered questionnaire (78% response rate). Out of 3,349 Internet or mobile phone users, 51% had been invited to meet offline with an online-meeting acquaintance and 30% complied. Of the 1,005 respondents who went to offline meetings, 55% had meetings with more than six people. Male gender, Malay ethnicity, online access at an Internet café, viewing pornography on the Internet, the absence of parental restrictions on visiting certain website and chat rooms, not being explicitly forbidden to meet strangers encountered online, and disclosure of personal information were significantly associated with increased odds of face-to-face meetings with online acquaintances. Verbal, physical, or sexual assaults were reported by 5.5% of the 1,005 including 13 males and five females who reported forced sexual intercourse. Similarities as well as differences in factors associated with risk-taking behavior compared with adolescents in Western countries have important implications on policy and intervention.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Fulltext Drug abuse, relapse, and prevention education in malaysia: perspective of university students through a mixed methods approach

Chie QT, Tam CL, Bonn G, Wong CP, Dang HM, Khairuddin R

Front Psychiatry, 2015;6:65.
PMID: 25999867 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00065

In recent years, there have been increasing accounts of illegal substance abuse among university students and professional groups in Malaysia. This study looks at university students' perceptions about this phenomenon. Students from Malaysian universities were asked for their impressions about drug availability and abuse, as well as factors contributing to drug abuse and relapse. The questionnaire also inquired into their knowledge and views regarding government versus private rehabilitation centers, as well as their exposure to, and views about, school-based drug-prevention education. Participants were 460 university students from five Malaysian states: Penang, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Sabah, and Sarawak. Results showed gender differences in perceptions of relapse prevention strategies, as well as factors leading to drug abuse and relapse. Students also believed that drug education would be more effective if initiated between the ages of 11 and 12 years, which is slightly older than the common age of first exposure, and provided suggestions for improving existing programs. Implications of student perceptions for the improvement of current interventions and educational programs are discussed.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Comparison of knowledge and attitudes about antibiotics and resistance, and antibiotics self-practicing between Bachelor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy students in Southern India

Ahmad A, Khan MU, Moorthy J, Jamshed SQ, Patel I

Pharm Pract (Granada), 2015 03 15;13(1):523.
PMID: 25883690

BACKGROUND: There is limited research on pharmacy specialization based differences with regards to usage of antibiotics.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the knowledge, attitude and practice of Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) and Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students about usage and resistance of antibiotics in Southern India.
METHODS: This was a cross sectional study involving final year BPharm and PharmD students studying in two private institutions located in Andra Pradesh, India. The study was conducted for the period of 3 months. The questionnaire was divided into 5 components: demographics, knowledge about antibiotic use, attitude towards antibiotic use and resistance, self-antibiotic usage, and possible causes of antibiotic resistance. The study questionnaire was assessed for reliability. Data were analysed by employing Mann Whitney and chi square tests using SPSS version 19.
RESULTS: The sample size comprised of 137 students. The response rate was 76.11% for the study. There was a significant difference in the knowledge of antibiotic use in BPharm and PharmD students (Mean score: 5.09 vs 6.18, p<0.001). The overall attitude of PharmD students about antibiotic use and resistance was positive compared to BPharm students (Mean score: 3.05 vs 2.23, p<0.05). The self-antibiotic practices was higher in BPharm students than PharmD students (36.4% vs 20%, p<0.05). A significantly high number of PharmD students believed that empirical antibiotic therapy led to antibiotic resistance (19.5% versus 48%, P<0.05).
CONCLUSION: PharmD students were more knowledgeable about antibiotic usage and resistance compared to BPharm students who did not have accurate and the much needed information about the same. Future interventions should be targeted towards educating the BPharm students so that they can implement the acquired knowledge in their practice.

Matched MeSH terms: Students, Pharmacy
Fulltext Perceptions of students in different phases of medical education of the educational environment: Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin

Rahman NI, Aziz AA, Zulkifli Z, Haj MA, Mohd Nasir FH, Pergalathan S, et al.

Adv Med Educ Pract, 2015;6:211-22.
PMID: 25848333 DOI: 10.2147/AMEP.S78838

The Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) was planned and designed to quantify the educational environment precisely for medical schools and health-related professional schools. DREEM is now considered a valid and reliable tool, which is globally accepted for measuring the medical educational environment. The educational environment encountered by students has an impact on satisfaction with the course of study, perceived sense of well-being, aspirations, and academic achievement. In addition to being measurable, the educational environment can also be changed, thus enhancing the quality of medical education and the environment, and the medical education process. The objective of this study was to assess the educational environment of the Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) undergraduate medical program from the students' perspective. The study expected to explore UniSZA medical students' overall perceptions, perceptions of learning, teachers, atmosphere, academic self-perception, and social self-perception using the DREEM questionnaire.

Matched MeSH terms: Students, Medical
Screening of lead exposure among workers in Selangor and Federal Territory in Malaysia

Surif S, Chai CY

Environ Pollut, 1995;88(2):177-81.
PMID: 15091558

The study of lead exposure among workers in Selangor and the Federal Territory was carried out based on the delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) level in urine. Occupations which are expected to have higher lead exposure were chosen in this research. The ALA level in the workers' urine was linked to a few variables which may contribute to the lead level in the body. The result of this study showed that the ALA level of the urine of university students (0.352 +/- 0.038 mg/100 ml) < clerical staff (0.560 +/- 0.043 mg/100 ml) < traffic police (0.612 +/- 0.064 mg/100 ml) < vehicle workshop workers (0.673 +/- 0.099 mg/100 ml) < petrol kiosk workers (0.717 +/- 0.069 mg/100 ml) < bus drivers/conductors (0.850 +/- 0.055 mg/100 ml) which was similar to workers in the printing industry (0.852 +/- 0.110 mg/100 ml). The ALA levels in the urine of the exposed workers were significantly different from the control group (university students). However, results obtained from clerical staff revealed that they were also in the exposed group category. Analysis of variance showed that the exposed groups are in a population which is different from the control population. Correlation tests suggest that there is no significant connection between the ALA level in the urine and the variables tested. Furthermore, Duncan's Multiple Range Test showed no significant differences between the smoking/non smoking group, alcoholic/non-alcoholic group, race and sex (p > 0.05).

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Fulltext Smoking among university students: a comparative study between Malaysian students in Malaysia and Australia

Hashami B, Abdul Halim O, Yusoff K

Med J Malaysia, 1994 Jun;49(2):149-57.
PMID: 8090094

A total of 209 randomly selected Malaysian university students (128 from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 81 from the University of New South Wales) completed a self-filled questionnaire enquiring about their smoking behaviour and psychosocial characteristics. The prevalence of smoking was 26.6 per cent among students in Malaysia and 18.8 per cent among students in Australia (average 23.4%). Both samples have similar patterns in terms of age of starting smoking, time of the day when they smoked, family and peer history of smoking, and whether or not they inhaled deeply during smoking. The smokers tend to be male, studying beyond the first year, staying with peers outside the hostel, having financial sources other than a scholarship, and abnormal mental health score. However, the smokers from the Australian samples were noted to smoke less and made fewer attempts at quitting the habit.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Fulltext The prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis amongst primary school children in Pulau Ketam, Selangor--1988

Oothuman P, Rampal L, Omar B, Marwsi MA, Mohammod CG, Jeffery J, et al.

Med J Malaysia, 1989 Dec;44(4):312-6.
PMID: 2520040

A survey was conducted to investigate the prevalence of Enterobius vermicularis in 1352 Chinese children between the ages of 6-12 years from the three National Type Chinese Primary Schools in Pulau Ketam in 1988, using the scotch-tape technique on three successive days. The overall prevalence was high (56.88%). The prevalence in Sin Bin School was significantly lower (50.86%) compared to the other two schools (56.60% and 61.04%). Prevalence was significantly higher amongst the 6-7 years age group (61.61%-70.18%) compared to other age groups (47.9%-59.29%). There was no difference in the prevalence between the boys and girls being 56.15% and 57.55% respectively.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Tobacco Use Prevention for the Young (TUPY-S): Development, Validity and Reliability of an Interactive Multimedia Strategy from the Adolescents’ Perspective in Malaysia

Mohd Zin F, Hillaluddin AH, Mustaffa J

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2017 05 01;18(5):1435-1443.
PMID: 28612599

Objective: This study aims to develop, validate and determine the reliability of an interactive multimedia strategy
to prevent tobacco use among the young (TUPY-S) from an adolescents’ perspective. Methods: A descriptive study
design was utilized. A modular instruction guideline by Russel (1974) was followed in the entire process, comprising
a feasibility study, a review of existing modules, specification of the objectives, identification of the construct criterion
items, learner analysis and entry behavior specification, establishment of the sequence instruction and media selection,
a tryout with students and a field test. Result: Feasibility was agreed among the researchers and the school authorities.
Culturally suitable rigorously developed tobacco use preventive strategies delivered using information technology (IT)
are lacking in the literature. The objective of TUPY-S is to prevent tobacco use among adolescents living in Malaysia.
Identified construct criterion items include knowledge, attitude, intention to use, self-efficacy, and refusal skill. The target
population was early adolescents belonging to generation-Z. Content was developed from the adolescents’ perspective
and delivered using IT in Malay language. Content validity, assessed by six experts in the field and module development,
was good at 86%. The students’ tryout showed satisfactory face validity subjectively and objectively (85.5%) and
high alpha Cronbach reliability (0.91). Conclusion: TUPY-S was confirmed to suit early adolescents of the current
generation living in Malaysia. It demonstrated good content validity among the experts, satisfactory face validity and
reliability among the target population. TUPY-S is ready to be evaluated for its effectiveness among early adolescents.

Matched MeSH terms: Students
Fulltext Knowledge and awareness on human papilloma virus vaccination among final year nursing and medical students in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre

Rohani Mamat, Roziah Arabi, Noratika Jais, Nurul Syakila Ismail

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2019;15(106):55-55.
MyJurnal

Introduction:HPV vaccination is considered to be the primary form of cervical cancer prevention. However, the practice of HPV vaccination in Malaysia was not satisfied based on low vaccination rate among Malaysian. The health personal play a major roles in this scenario hence; this study was conducted to determine the knowledge and awareness on human papillomavirus vaccination and its relationship with socio –demographic among final year nursing and medical students in University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center. Methods: A cross-sectional design was conducted in the faculty of medicine, University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Center. Two hundred and thirty four students were recruited using universal sampling equivalent to 86% respondent rate. Data was collected using self-administered structured questionnaires contains three sections. Pearson Chi-square analyses were used to de-termine the relationship between various socio-demographic factors and outcome variables namely knowledge and awareness on HPV vaccination. Results: Findings indicates that most of the respondents (85.9%) had a high level knowledge and (100%) awareness on HPV vaccination. Among the socio-demographic factors, respondents’ race (p=0.006) and marital status (p=0.0006) were associated with knowledge while, there were significant relationship between awareness and gender (p=0.0001). Conclusion: It can be concluded, that final year nursing and medical students had high knowledge and awareness on HPV vaccination. Race and marital status affected the knowledge while gender and family history of cervical cancer are significant predictors for awareness on HPV vaccination.

Matched MeSH terms: Students, Medical
Fulltext Tobacco use and other aspects related to smoking among school-going adolescents aged 13-15 years in Malaysia: Analysis of three cross-sectional nationally representative surveys in 2003, 2009 and 2016

Lim KH, Ghazali SM, Lim HL, Kee CC, Cheah YK, Singh BSGP, et al.

Tob Induc Dis, 2020;18:80.
PMID: 33013276 DOI: 10.18332/tid/127231

INTRODUCTION: Periodic surveys on tobacco use patterns and other aspects of tobacco use among school-going adolescents in Malaysia provide information on the effectiveness of anti-smoking measures implemented. However, such information is limited in Malaysia. We investigated the prevalence of smoking and other related aspects among middle-secondary school students in Malaysia from the years 2003-2016 to fill this gap.
METHODS: We analyzed data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2003, GYTS 2009, and the Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Survey among Malaysia Adolescents (TECMA) 2016. The surveys employed multistage sampling to select representative samples of adolescents attending secondary school in Malaysia. Data were collected using a pre-validated self-administered anonymous questionnaire adopted from the GYTS.
RESULTS: Between 2003 and 2016, major changes occurred in which there were reductions in the prevalence of ever smoking, current smoking, and susceptibility to smoking. Reductions were also observed in exposure to SHS in public places and in the home. The proportion of school-going adolescents who support a ban on smoking in public places increased between 2013 to 2016, and there was a significant reduction in the proportion of respondents that were offered 'free' cigarettes by tobacco company representatives. However, there was no difference in the proportion of adolescents who initiated smoking before the age of 10 years and current smokers seeking advice to quit smoking across the time period.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that the smoking policies and measures have been effective in reducing smoking prevalence, secondhand smoke exposure, and access to cigarettes, among school-going adolescents in Malaysia. However, measures to reduce smoking initiation and increase smoking cessation need to be strengthened to reduce the burden of smoking-related diseases in Malaysia in the long-term.

Matched MeSH terms: Students

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