OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with acceptance towards decriminalization of medical marijuana among adults in Selangor, Malaysia.
METHODOLOGY: The study was a cross-sectional study conducted in year 2021 among 462 adults aged 18 years old and above in Selangor, Malaysia. The respondents were sampled using a multistage random sampling. The data was collected via self-administered questionnaires and has been analyzed using SPSS version 25.
RESULT: More than half of the respondents in this study (64.7%) show acceptance towards the decriminalization of medical marijuana in Malaysia. The results of statistical tests indicate that there are significant associations between age (p < 0.001), gender (p = 0.005), ethnicity (p < 0.012), level of education (p < 0.011), employment status (p = 0.001), ever smoked (p < 0.001), given up smoking (p = 0.002), ever used substance (p < 0.001), current substance use (p < 0.001), given up substance (p < 0.001), exposure to medical marijuana-related content (p < 0.001), perceived risk associated with medical marijuana use (p < 0.001), perceived risk of harm of medical marijuana use (p < 0.001), and perceived approval of medical marijuana use (p < 0.001) with acceptance towards decriminalization of medical marijuana. The predictors for acceptance towards decriminalization of medical marijuana are perceived high approval of medical marijuana use (aOR = 7.023, p < 0.001, 95%CI = 3.534,13.955), perceived low risk of medical marijuana (aOR = 5.716, p < 0.001, 95%CI = 2.828,11.554), perceived low risk of harm from medical marijuana use (aOR = 3.480, p = 0.001, 95%CI = 1.702,7.114), current substance use (aOR = 2.264, p = 0.050, 95%CI = 1.001,5.118), and ever used substance (aOR = 2.005, p = 0.004, 95% CI = 0.054,0.576).
CONCLUSION: The results of the survey show that the current acceptance level towards decriminalization of medical marijuana is considerably high. However, the acceptance is mainly among those who are exposed to the substance and those who perceive low risk of medical marijuana. Thus, a further exploration of this phenomenon is needed, especially by increasing the sample size and expanding the study location to other states.
AIMS: This study aims to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of the safety and health programme TRIMOSH (Theory-Based Intervention Module on Occupational Safety and Health) in improving the knowledge, attitude, and practice among food industry workers.
METHODS: TRIMOSH intervention study is a two-arm randomised, single-blinded, controlled, parallel trial that will be conducted among food industry workers in Selangor, Malaysia. In a partnership with Food Handler Training Schools in Selangor, 10 pairs of Food Handler Training Schools with 12 participants per group (n = 240) will be recruited for balanced randomisation intervention and control conditions. Furthermore, data collection of all participants was conducted at four time points: baseline (T0), immediately (T1), one month (T2), and three months (T3) post-intervention. Generalised Linear Mixed Model (GLMM) will be conducted to determine the effects of intervention within and between study groups. Subsequently, the primary outcomes increase the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of safety and health at food premises. Clinical Trial Registry registration was approved by the ClinicalTrials.gov committee on October 2022 with the ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05571995. This study has also been approved by the Ethics Committee for Research Involving Human Subjects of Universiti Putra Malaysia (JKEUPM-2022-346). All participants are required to provide consent prior to participation.
CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of the respondents are expected to show no difference between the groups. It is hypothesised that TRIMOSH is effective in improving the knowledge, attitude, and practices of food industry workers in Selangor. The results will be reported and presented in international peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and other platforms. In addition, the TRIMOSH programme will be offered at the national level by the relevant authorities for the benefit of food industry workers.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among food industry workers in Selangor, Malaysia. The respondents were sampled using a multistage random sampling method. Data were collected via online self-administered questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models in the SPSS software, version 25.
RESULTS: A total of 250 responses were received from 342 samples, with an overall response rate of 73.0%. The prevalence of recent occupational injuries among food industry workers was 44.8%. Statistically, significant associations were present between occupational injuries and alcohol consumption (p = 0.001), poor knowledge (p = 0.031), poor compliance (p = 0.021), poor safety management (p = 0.021), poor safety training (p = 0.002), poor safety culture (p = 0.003), physical exposure (p < 0.001), and ergonomic exposure (p = 0.009). The predictors for recent occupational injuries among food industry workers were Malay (adjusted Odds Ratio; aOR = 2.60, p = 0.027, 95% Confidence Interval; CI = 1.116, 6.035), alcohol consumption (aOR = 5.31, p = 0.001, 95% CI = 2.042, 13.779), poor knowledge (aOR = 1.98, p = 0.032, 95% CI = 1.059, 3.691), poor safety culture (aOR = 2.44, p = 0.002, 95% CI = 1.372, 4.342), and exposure to physical hazards (aOR = 8.88, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 3.031, 26.014).
CONCLUSION: This study has found a high prevalence of occupational injuries among food industry workers, thereby highlighting the importance of addressing alcohol consumption, improving worker knowledge, enhancing work safety culture, and better control measures on exposure to physical hazards, especially among Malay workers. By prioritising these factors, employers can create safer work environments and minimise the risk of occupational injuries.