Susceptibility to smoking, which is defined as a lack of cognitive commitment not to smoke in the future, has been shown to be a predictor for adolescent smoking initiation in developed countries. This study aims to evaluate the utility of a susceptibility-tosmoke measure as a predictor of smoking initiation among adolescents in Kota Tinggi district, Johor Malaysia. Susceptibility to smoking was evaluated among 1763 adolescents at baseline using a two-item construct. At follow-up 12 months later, 1288 of the 1763 adolescents (73.1%) responded. Results showed 14.9% (n=188/1260) of the respondents were susceptible to smoking at baseline. Among the susceptible adolescents, 31.9% initiated smoking after one year. Respondents who were identified as susceptible to smoking by the measure were 3.7 times (95%; CI: 2.17- 6.30) more likely to initiate smoking compared to non-susceptible respondents after adjusting for gender, school locality, percentage of friends who smoke, father smoking, parental acceptance of smoking, and belief in the positive and negative consequences of smoking. The findings suggest that the susceptibility measure is a reliable predictor and can be used as a screening tool to identify adolescents who are at risk of initiating smoking.
A cross sectional survey was conducted in Kampung Datuk Kerarnat, an urbanized residential area in Kuala Lumpur from August to November ZOO5 to assess knowledge, attitude and preventive practices on dengue among its residents. A two stage sampling strategy was used to select survey household. An adult aged at least 21 years old was identified from each selected household and interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Data was collected on demographics, dengue related KAP and house-types. Knowledge, attitude and practice were assessed using a scoring system. Each appropriate answer was given a point and the points for each section of the questionnaire were totalled. Knowledge was assessed as ‘good' or ‘moderate to poor’ based on arbitrary cut-off point. Out of 133 respondents interviewed, 78.2% were able to identify at least one clinical sign of dengue, 73% knew that dengue fever was caused by the bite of dengue infected Aedes mosquitoes, 71 % correctly identified breeding sites, 69.2% correctly identified the Aedes mosquito and 42% correctly reported biting times ofthe mosquito vector. Overall, knowledge
was categorized as poor, attitude was good and dengue control and prevention practices was moderately poor. There was a weak but significant positive correlation between knowledge and practice (r=0.271, p=0.002) but there was no significant correlation between attitude with practice and between attitude with knowledge (p>0.05) . The results suggested that inspite of good attitude l
on dengue fever, it did not correlate with good practices and good knowledge in dengue prevention. We conclude that there is a need to increase health promotion activities to increase knowledge which forms the basis for preventive practices as part of the strategy to control dengue. Preventive strategies are the only means of controlling the disease.
The high morbidity and mortality caused by smoking is a major public health problem today. Smoking prevention has been acknowledged and identified as a long-term measure to overcome this problem. This is a longitudinal knowledge; attitude and practice (KAP) study among form five students over l year. The response rate at follow‘up was 251/337 (74.5 %). The smoking prevalence changed after 1 year (from 29.7% to 26. 7%) after one year. The male to female smoking rates were 52.1% to 3.1% respectively. Students who smoke were found to have a positive attitude as well as poor knowledge of the risks of smoking. The initiation risk factors identified were being male and having a friend who smokes Positive peer influence also contributed to smoking cessation after a period of one year. Holistic measures that stress on micro macro and approaches such as health education programe to enhance knowledge of smoking hazards and community participation ( cooperation of school, family and community member) should be fomtulated in order to reduce initiation of smoking among the adolescents. Quit smoking programmes must also be readily available.
Many studies on adolescent smoking have been conducted in Malaysia, but very limited information is available on smoking amongst lower secondary school male students (Forms 1 and 2). We present data from a baseline study in Kota Tinggi District, Johor on the psychosocial factors, stages of smoking acquisition and susceptibility to smoking initiation and their relationship to adolescent smoking. The study is the first wave of a 3-year longitudinal study which was conducted from March 2007 to May 2009, aimed to describe the prevalence of smoking among students in the lower secondary classes. A three stage stratified sampling was performed to obtain a sample. The Bogus Pipeline Method was employed to confirm smoking status. Prevalence of smoking was 35.5%. Smoking prevalence among students of schools located in the Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) settlement areas (42.9%) was two-fold higher than in the rural and town schools combined (20.29%). Using the Fagerstrom scale, 90% of current smokers had lower addiction to nicotine. Smoking was associated with peer smoking [OR, 4.19 (95% CI, 2.57-6.82)], having a brother smoking [2.17 (1.31-3.61)], parental smoking [1.73 (1.17-2.80)] and locality where respondents attend school [1.94(1.11-3.39)]. The study indicates that, the prevalence of smoking was high in all areas especially FELDA settlement areas. Measures such as teaching of skills to resist social pressure to smoke, establishment of peer support groups and involvement of parents in anti-smoking programs are recommended to curb the high prevalence of smoking among lower secondary school students in Kota Tinggi.
Merokok merupakan amalan yang dimulakan sewaktu usia remaja. Beberapa kajian yang dijalankan terdahulu di negara maju mendapati keluarga mernpakan faktor penyumbang kepada amalan ini. Meskipun pelbagai kajian di negara·negara rnaju, namun tidak banyak kajian berkaitan aspek ini yang dilaporkan di negara ini. Data kajian lverkait dengan pembolehubah kekeluargaan iaitu hubungan kekeluargaan, pandangan remaja tentang reaksi ibu bapa terhadap amalan rnerokok, struktur keluarga, jumlah ahli keluarga, status merokok di kalangan ibu bapa dan jantina dengan amalan merokok diperolehi dari 251 pelajarpelajar sekolah menengah (Tingkatan 5) (48.2% lelaki dan 51.8%
perempuan} di Daerah Kota Ting?. Johon Kajian ini mendapati sikap ibu bapa yang negatif dan bapa yang tidak merokok merupakan faktor pelindung dari amalan merokok. Hasil kajian mencadangkan faktor kekeluargaan memainkan peranan dalam mempengaruhi amalan merokok di kalangan jantina. Institusi kekeluargaan hendaklah dilibatkan dalam program pencegahan amalan merokok di kalangan remaja.
Peningkatan mutu penjagaan kesihatan menyaksikan peningkatan populasi wargatua di Malaysia. Antara gejab yang menjejaskan taraf kesihatan wargatua adalah rnorbiditi akibat amalan merokok. Meskipun pelbagai kajian tentang merokok telah dijalankan di negara ini, namun ttclak banyak yang berkaitan dengan amalan merokok di kalangan wargatua di Malaysia. Perbezaan faktor sosio ekonomi dan pengetahuan tentang amalan merolook di kalangan 850 responden lelaki berusia 60 tahun dan ke atas yang mengambil bahagian di dalam kajian peringkat kebangsaan sempena Kempen Cara Hidup Sihat 2002 dikaji. Maklumat tentang status merokok, pengetahuan dan sikap diperolehi melalui temubual bersemuka menggunakan borang soal selidik berstruktur. Prevalen merokok di kalangan responden adalah 39.2%. Prevalen diclapati paling tinggi di kalangan golongan bertaraf sosio ekonomirendah. Pengetahuan tentang bahaya amalan merokok berbeza mengikut status perokok. Perokok mempunyai pengetahuan yang lebih rendah, sikap yang lebih negatif tentang amalan merokok serta tanggapan risiko penyakit akibat amalan merokok yang lebih rentlah berbanding dengan bekas perokok dan yang tidak pemah rnerokok. Amalan merokok merupakan masalah yang masih membelenggu wargatua lelaki di negara ini. Prevalen merokok di kalangan wargatua Malaysia pada kadar 39 .2% adalah birth tinggi jikidibandingkanhdengan Amerika Syarikat (12%) dan China (26%). Program anti merokok yang mementingkan peningkatan pengetahuan dan sokongan kepada mereka yang ingin berhenti merokok dasar wargatua. Ini untuk meningkatkan kualiti kehidupan wargatua dengan mencegah penyakit kronik berkaitan dengan merokok.