Search

Purpose: The paper sought to investigate TESL teachers' knowledge and understanding of the Malaysian School Based Oral English Assessment (SBOEA) after five years into its implementation in upper secondary ESL classrooms in Malaysian public schools Method: The descriptive study involved a total of 80 TESL trained teachers from the 19 schools located in a district in Selangor, Malaysia. The study employed a three-prong strategy to collect data which included a questionnaire, semi structured interviews and document analysis. Findings: The findings of the study indicated that there was a low compliance (58.7%) rate among teachers to the procedures laid out in the SBOEA Manual with regards to the implementation of SBOEA. The teachers also acknowledged their lack of knowledge and understanding of the SBOEA and a half of the teachers in the study admitted having problems with the scoring criteria. Some teachers highlighted that they felt the SBOEA lacked reliability and validity within and outside the schools. Significance: The paper explores the possible implications of the study to the enhancement of the implementation of the School Based Oral English Assessment in Malaysian public schools.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effectiveness of the curriculum implementation for undergraduate programme in the Faculty of Human Sciences, UPSI producing quality and competitive educators. Curriculum implementation has to go through an assessment process that aims to determine the problem, select relevant information and collect and analyses this information for conclusions that are useful for curriculum improvement. This initial study used a questionnaire with a sample of 150 graduates of the Faculty of Human Sciences who graduated in the year 2012/2013. Descriptive analysis was used to examine the effectiveness of variables, assessment of knowledge and skills of graduates, application of knowledge, skills of graduates and assessment in terms of employers and colleagues. The results showed that all variables are at high level, except for the assessment of knowledge and skills of graduate's variable, which was at a moderate level. This initial study showed that the level of implementation of the social science curriculum at UPSI is noteworthy in several respects concerning knowledge and skills among major courses. As a producer of graduates who will be called teachers, the responsibility of the faculty to is produce quality graduates and be competitive, in line with the objectives of UPSI and the country as a whole.

The Malaysian Government intention to implement the higher education reforms is observable in the implementation of National Higher Education Strategic Plan beyond 2020 in 2007. This plan emphasises on improving the research and teaching in higher education in accordance with the government objectives. Parallel to the introduction of this plan, the government has also initiated the funding reforms which are currently implemented on the public universities. Therefore, this paper will discuss the impact of Malaysian higher education reforms with emphasis on teaching and learning in Malaysian public universities.

Copyright of Journal of Educators & Education / Jurnal Pendidik dan Pendidikan is the property of Universiti Sains Malaysia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper explores the interrelationships of the key influences on student satisfaction via multivariate analysis from three groups of university students in two popular private universities in Malaysia. The correlation coefficient and structural model indicated that student satisfaction is influenced not only by academic quality, but also by the university core services, information technology services, and skill building. These dimensions are linked to one another. The strong interrelationships between these dimensions are indicative that holistic approach needs to be adopted rather than dealing with each dimension in isolation in creating a valued education. Significant performance gaps of key influences indicated that the satisfaction levels are below students' expectation despite the satisfaction scores being above average. Academic assessment, teaching quality, and IT are areas where a university management needs to prioritize resources in order to increase student satisfaction. Students who perceived higher value are more likely to have higher repurchase intention.

Purpose – The purpose of paper is to investigate and determine the intertemporal changes in linkages between migration (both emigration and immigration) and economic conditions in during 1990-2000 period. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employed cross-sectional analysis to investigate the relationship by employing data on immigration and emigration and as for economic condition the paper employed macro-variables such as real income differential (real gross domestic per capita), price level differential (consumer price index) and distance among the countries. Two different points of time were regressed cross-sectionally, with White standard being employed to remove traces of heterogeneity, albeit, 1990 and 2000. Findings – Results clearly indicate that there are significant changes in terms of the relationship of chosen variables with migration over time. The results provide some evidence on the important role played by these variables in influencing migration throughout the period in question. Research limitations/implications – Data covered is limited to 24 countries. The results from these countries alone are not sufficient to address the full impact of migration. Originality/value – The study covers the traditional topic of migration with an econometric approach, with some empirical regression and findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This paper examines the ethnic and gender differentials in high blood pressure (HBP), diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), arthritis and asthma among older people in Malaysia, and how these diseases along with other factors affect self-rated health. Differentials in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases among older people are examined in the context of socio-cultural perspectives in multi-ethnic Malaysia. Methods: Data for this paper are obtained from the 2004 Malaysian Population and Family Survey. The survey covered a nationally representative sample of 3,406 persons aged 50 and over, comprising three main ethnic groups (Malays, Chinese and Indians) and all other indigenous groups. Bivariate analyses and hierarchical logistic regression were used in the analyses. Results: Arthritis was the most common non-communicable disease (NCD), followed by HBP, diabetes, asthma and CHD. Older females were more likely than males to have arthritis and HBP, but males were more likely to have asthma. Diabetes and CHD were most prevalent among Indians, while arthritis and HBP were most prevalent among the Indigenous groups. Older people were more likely to report poor health if they suffered from NCD, especially CHD. Controlling for socio-economic, health and lifestyle factors, Chinese were least likely to report poor health, whereas Indians and Indigenous people were more likely to do so. Chinese that had HBP were more likely to report poor health compared to other ethnic groups with the same disease. Among those with arthritis, Indians were more likely to report poor health. Conclusion: Perceived health status and prevalence of arthritis, HBP, diabetes, asthma and CHD varied widely across ethnic groups. Promotion of healthy lifestyle, early detection and timely intervention of NCDs affecting different ethnic groups and gender with socio-cultural orientations would go a long way in alleviating the debilitating effects of the common NCDs among older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is making a comeback and has remained one of the main causes of mortality among the list of infectious diseases in Malaysia. Objective To evaluate the burden and demographic, socio-economic and behavior as risk factors of TB among communities in Malaysia. Method A comprehensive search of Scopus, Sciencedirect, PubMed, DOAJ, CINAHL Plus, MyJournal, BIREME, BMC Public Health, Medline, CAB, EMBASE (Excerpta Medica dataBASE), and Web of Science (WoS) was undertaken from the articles published from 1st January 2008 to 31st December 2017 using medical subject heading (MeSH) key terms. Results Of 717 papers screened, 31 eligible studies met our inclusion criteria. Gender, age, marriage status, ethnicity, area of living, being in prison and immigrant were evaluated as demographic factors, while educational level, occupation and household income were evaluated as socio-economic factors. For behavioral factors, smoking, drug abuse, alcohol consumption and other lifestyle practices were evaluated. However, not all the studies were statistically significantly associated with these risk factors. Studies on household income were few and too small to permit a conclusion. We also did not find any study that investigated TB infection among sex workers. Conclusion Immigrant in high density settings may increase the progression of disease infection in Malaysia. The risk factors for the development of TB, specifically in a high-risk population, should be targeted through the implementation of specialized interventions. Further research into the role of indoor and outdoor physical environments is required to better understand the association between the physical environment and the social environment with TB infection.

In general, gang can be described as a group of friends with identifiable leadership with certain internal organization that engage in various illegal activities such as crimes and drug trafficking. Although voluminous studies have been conducted in the West regarding gangs and gangsterism but very few studies were actually explored this issue in Malaysia. With this in mind, this study sought to provide some evidence for reasons behind decisions to join gangs as there is a lack of local qualitative research on the phenomenon of gangsterism. This lack is largely due to the vulnerability of people coming forward to share their experiences. The specific aim of this study was to explore demography and sociological factors behind gangsterism among Malaysian Indians. This study utilised a qualitative research design (semistructured interview) based on the inductive approach. Ex-gangsters and police personnel were interviewed individually. Thematic analysis was used to extract main themes and sub-themes. Three demography factors were identified: age, gender, and educational level. Four sociological factors were generated: poor parenting style, family members who were also gangsters, gang culture in the neighborhood, and financial difficulties. Two new factors emerged from the informants: social power and to experience gangster lifestyles. The outcome of this research is useful for proactive crime prevention in the form of evidence-based knowledge about demography and sociological factors behind gangsterism. This paper also briefly discussed intervention, prevention, and suppression strategies that can be used to curb this gangsterism issue effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Socioeconomic inequalities in health represent unfairness in the health distribution of a population. Efforts to produce information on mortality distributions in many low and middle income countries (LMICs) are mostly hampered by lack of data disaggregated by socioeconomic groups. In this paper we describe how mortality statistics obtained from multiple data sources were combined to provide an evaluation of the socioeconomic distribution of mortality in Malaysia, a LMIC located in the Asia Pacific region. Methods: This study has an ecological design. As a measure of socioeconomic status, we used principal component analysis to construct a socioeconomic index using census data. Districts were ranked according to the standardised median index of households and assigned to each individual in the 5-year mortality data. The mortality indicators of interest were potential years of life lost (PYLL), standardised mortality ratio (SMR), infant mortality rate (IMR) and under-5 mortality rate (U5MR). Both socioeconomic status and mortality outcomes were used compute the concentration index which provided the summary measure of the magnitude of inequality. Results: Socially disadvantaged districts were found to have worse mortality outcomes compared to more advantaged districts. The values of the concentration index for the overall population of the Peninsula are C = -0.1334 (95% CI: -0.1605 to -0.1063) for the PYLL, C = -0.0685 (95% CI: -0.0928 to -0.0441) for the SMR, C = -0.0997 (95% CI: -0.1343 to -0.0652) for the IMR and C = -0.1207 (95% CI: -0.1523 to -0.0891) for the U5MR. Mortality outcomes within ethnic groups were also found to be less favourable among the poor. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that socioeconomic inequalities disfavouring the poor exist in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facebook is becoming increasingly important for the socio-economic development of countries across the globe as stakeholders engage in online social interaction and expand their reach for new products, services and markets to open up new revenue streams. Past studies have examined the environment that supports effective use of social networking technologies in the developed world. This study argues that the enabling environment in developed and developing countries may vary and therefore may impact Facebook adoption and its socio-economic benefits differently. The model integrates theUnified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology(UTAUT) and revised UTAUT. Using a structured questionnaire on a sample of 367 Facebook users, the results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions (affordability and regulatory environment) are important factors that impact Facebook adoption in a developing country such as Malaysia. The study contributes to the literature by identifying that Facebook user's perceived socio-economic benefits act as a mediator between adoption and actual use behaviour (information seeking, socialisation, entertainment and business development). The findings also indicate that religion, ethnicity, language, gender and education are significant factors moderating the adoption-perception-use behaviour of Facebook. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: By the year 2020, Malaysia aspires to become a fully developed nation. In order to realize this vision, formally termed ‘Vision 2020’, Malaysia must address nine strategic challenges identified by the government of former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad. These challenges are: (1) Establishing a united Malaysian nation, (2) Creating a psychologically liberated, secure, and developed Malaysian society, (3) Developing a mature democratic society, (4) Forming a community that has high morale, ethics, and religious strength, (5) Establishing a mature, liberal and tolerant society, (6) Establishing a scientific and progressive society, (7) Establishing a fully caring society, (8) Ensuring an economically just society, and (9) Establishing a prosperous society. The present paper seeks to identify and rank the critical success factors of these nine challenges by applying the Analytic Hierarchy Process. A number of ‘front-line’ critical success factors are discussed at length. The paper also analyzes the impact of respondents’ demography on the outcomes. The findings are expected to provide valuable guidelines to the Malaysian government in course of developing effective action plans to achieve Vision 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines and discusses the cultural diversity of doing business in Malaysia and is meant as a way of easing the transition from domestic business to international business. Included in this paper is the general country information of Malaysia, including the location, climate, type of government, currency, religion, ethnic groups, and sources of national pride. The social customs and manners are also discussed including, greetings, forms of dress/dress codes, tipping, gift giving, attitude towards foreigners, general etiquette and manners. Finally, business customs are discussed as far as business greetings, business card usage, gift giving, dress code, color significance, religious significance, communication and negotiation style, attitude toward female workers, and attitude toward older workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hypothesis that minority status creates social tensions that affect fertility behaviour attracted much attention during the late 1960s and l970s, but then disappeared after 1980. This sudden exit was due to a combination of methodological difficulties in distilling the independent effects of minority status from other socio-economic factors, weaknesses or ambiguities in the empirical record, and other difficulties. This paper examines a natural experiment that serendipitously by-passes more of these problems than has been heretofore possible - the attempt by Chinese in Malaysia to time births into the auspicious Year of the Dragon. A multivariate model shows that this unique fertility behaviour was more common in Malaysian districts with smaller proportions of Chinese, which suggests that minority status can directly affect ethnic identity. The results also highlight a paradoxical solution to a grander problem facing socio-demographic theory. Before we can posit that culture or values play an independent role in transitions to lower fertility, we should first trace a baseline definition of these values from the study of demographically trivial events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hardly anything is known about the demography of East Malaysia, that is of the lesser developed regions of Sabah and Sarawak, because of the wide range of deficiencies in the available data. This paper uses a range of indirect methods to construct a demographic profile of Sabah and Sarawak over the period 1960 to 1980. Comparisons are made between these areas and Peninsular Malaysia and some overall Malaysian estimates are given. The study suggests that between 1965 and 1980 there were large gains in life expectancy among the indigenous communities in Sabah and Sarawak, although their life expectancies are still shorter than those of the Chinese. Differentials in life chances between these regions and Peninsular Malaysia narrowed appreciably during the 1970s. Over the same period there were falls in levels of fertility. These were most spectacular among the Chinese communities and the groups living in and around the urban areas in Sarawak. There has been some decline in fertility among the indigenous groups in Sabah but current levels remain higher than among the indigenous groups in Sarawak and the Malays in the Peninsula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The nursing profession's uniqueness contributes to the development of knowledge, experience, age, education, economy, and position, as well as a unique gender role. Thus, the development and advancement of demographic characteristics of nurses while in this profession influences their caring behavior. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of work setting and demographic factors on nurses' caring behaviour, as well as the differences in nurses' caring behaviour based on demographic factors between nurses in public hospitals and nurses in public health services in Sabah, Malaysia. Methods: This research is a cross-sectional study using the survey method. Data were collected from 3,532 nurses (88.3% response rate) in public hospitals and public health services within Sabah, Malaysia. Data were analysed using two-way ANOVA. Results: The two-way ANOVA test revealed no significant impact of the work setting on CB, nor was there a notable interaction between the work setting and demographic factors influencing nurses' CB. However, demographic factors such as gender, age, education, economic status, position, and experience had a significant effect on CB. Conclusion: The present research has provided convergent evidence on the effect of demographic factors on nurses caring behavior and the differences in caring behavior based on demographic factors among nurses in public hospitals and public health services in Sabah, Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Uveitis is one of the common causes of visual impairment in Malaysia. It remains a challenging entity to diagnose and manage due to variation in its clinical presentation. This study aims to observe the demographic and clinical pattern of cases from the participating ophthalmology units in Malaysia. Methods: This study involved prospective and multicentered data collection for patients newly diagnosed with uveitis from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2018. Variables collected and analyzed included age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, state of origin, laterality, granulomatous or non-granulomatous uveitis, and etiology of uveitis. Results: A total of 1199 newly diagnosed uveitis patients were analyzed within the study period. There was a significant association between the anatomical location of uveitis with age at presentation. The percentage of patients with anterior uveitis was higher in the '40 to 60' years and 'above 60' years age groups at 52.1% (n = 210) and 61.3% (n = 114) respectively. In contrast the percentage of patients with posterior and panuveitis was higher in the 1 to 20 and 20 to 40 years age groups at 51.4% (n = 54) and 48.7% (n = 246) respectively. Sixty three percent of the patients presented with unilateral uveitis (n = 760, p < 0.001) vs bilateral. Non-granulomatous uveitis comprised 84.5% of all patients (n = 1013, p < 0.001) compared to granulomatous uveitis. Non-infectious etiology contributed to 65.7% of all patients (n = 788, p < 0.001) with the majority being unclassifiable uveitis (n = 686, 57.2%,). Specific inflammatory entities contributed to only 8.5% (n = 102) of the non-infectious causes with Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada (VKH) syndrome being the most common (n = 25, 2.1%,). Infectious uveitis comprised 34.3% (n = 411) with tubercular (TB) uveitis (n = 105, 8.8%) and viral uveitis (n = 107, 8.9%) contributing the most followed by ocular Toxoplasmosis (n = 93,7.8%).] Conclusion: This study has highlighted the demographic data and common causes of uveitis in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Two city trains collided in an underground tunnel on 24 May 2021 at the height of COVID-19 pandemic near the Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, immediately after the evening rush hours. We aim to evaluate the management of this mass casualty incident highlighting the lessons learned to be used in preparedness for similar incidents that may occur in other major cities worldwide. Methods: Information regarding incident site and hospital management response were analysed. Data on demography, triaging, injuries and hospital management of patients were collected according to a designed protocol. Challenges, difficulties and their solutions were reported. Results: The train's emergency response team (ERT) has shut down train movements towards the incident site. Red zone (in the tunnel), yellow zone (the station platform) and green zone (outside the station entrance) were established. The fire and rescue team arrived and assisted the ERT in the red zone. Incident command system was established at the site. Medical base station was established at the yellow zone. Two hundred and fourteen passengers were in the trains. Sixty-four of them were injured. They had a median (range) ISS of 2 (1–43), and all were sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL). Six (9.4%) patients were clinically triaged as red (critical), 19 (29.7%) as yellow (semi-critical) and 39 (60.9%) as green (non-critical). HKL's disaster plan was activated. All patients underwent temperature and epidemiology link assessment. Seven (10.9%) patients were admitted to the hospital (3 to the ICU, 3 to the ward and 1 to a private hospital as requested by the patient), while the rest 56 (87.5%) were discharged home. Six (9.4%) needed surgery. The COVID-19 tests were conducted on seven patients (10.9%) and were negative. There were no deaths. Conclusions: The mass casualty incident was handled properly because of a clear standard operating procedure, smooth coordination between multi-agencies and the hospitals, presence of a 'binary' system for 'COVID-risk' and 'non-COVID-risk' areas, and the modifications of the existing disaster plan. Preparedness for MCIs is essential during pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"This paper examines recent trends in urbanization in four selected ASEAN countries--Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand--giving particular attention to the scale and pace of urbanization, the unique features of urban communities, and the health changes and adjustments that accompany urban development in these countries.", (excerpt)

This study aims to describe the employment status and pattern among survivors of traumatic brain injury after motor vehicle accidents, and to explore the effects of demographic, injury variables and concomitant injuries on the employment status. A retrospective analyses of 370 medical reports written for patients who sustained traumatic brain injury from motor vehicle accidents was conducted. To establish the employment pattern, the pre-injury employment history was compared to the latest employment status documented. Types and severity of concomitant injuries were rated according to Abbreviated Injury Scale criteria. All significant variables were further analyzed using logistic regression to explore predictors of employment. Up to 87% of the patients sustained concomitant injuries, with more than two-thirds (72%) scoring ≤ 2 on the Abbreviated Injury Scale. One hundred and eighty-two patients (49.2%) successfully returned to work. Among those who returned to work, 34% returned to former employment with pre-injury job description. Severity of traumatic brain injury, length of acute hospital stay, ambulation status and cognitive status were found to be significant predictive factors for employment status post traumatic brain injury. Presence of concomitant extremity injuries was found to influence the employment pattern among traumatic brain injury survivors. The return to work rate was somewhat low and was not influenced by presence of concomitant injuries.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multivariate analysis of the 1974 Malaysian Fertility and Family Survey tests the hypothesis that an inverse relationship between women's work and fertility occurs only when there are serious conflicts between working and caring for children. The results are only partly consistent with the hypothesis and suggest that normative conflicts between working and mothering affect the employment-fertility relationship in Malaysia more than spacio-temporal conflicts do. The lack of consistent evidence for the hypothesis, as well as some conceptual problems, lead us to propose an alternative framework for understanding variation in the employment-fertility relationship, both in Malaysia and elsewhere. This framework incorporates ideas from the role incompatibility hypothesis but views the employment-fertility relationship as dependent not just on role conflicts but more generally on the structure of the household's socioeconomic opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A background study is important for the conservation and stock management of a species. Terapon jarbua is a coastal Indo-Pacific species, sourced for human consumption. This study examined 134 samples from the central west and east coasts of Peninsular (West) Malaysia and East Malaysia. A 1446-bp concatenated dataset of mtDNA COI and Cyt b sequences was used in this study and 83 haplotypes were identified, of which 79 are unique haplotypes and four are shared haplotypes. Populations of T. jarbua in Malaysia are genetically heterogenous as shown by the high level of haplotype diversity ranging from 0.9167-0.9952, low nucleotide diversity ranging from 0.0288-0.3434, and high FST values (within population genetic variation). Population genetic structuring is not distinct as shown by the shared haplotypes between geographic populations and mixtures of haplotypes from different populations within the same genetic cluster. The gene flow pat-terns and population structuring observed among these regions are likely attributed to geographical distance, past historical events, allopatric speciation, dispersal ability and water currents. For instance, the mixture of haplotypes revealed an extraordinary migration ability of T. jarbua (>1200 km) via ancient river connectivity. The negative overall value of the neutrality test and a non-significant mismatch distribution are consistent with demographic expansion(s) in the past. The median-joining network concurred with the maximum likelihood haplotype tree with three major clades resolved. The scarcity of information on this species is an obstacle for future management and conservation purposes. Hence, this study aims to contribute information on the population structure, genetic diversity, and historical demography of T. jarbua in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Singapore has witnessed rapid urban development in the last thirty years. Its landscape has changed from one of slums and squatters in the immediate post-war years to a city of gardens and high-rise high-density housing. The concept of a 'garden city' was introduced to guidethe development of a city-state with abundant greenery. In the process, many parks and gardens were created including park connectors which are green linkages between parks and other land uses. This paper presents the findings of an ongoing research into park connectors. It reports on that part of the survey results which examine the views ofresidents towards nature provision in park connectors and suggest some design options to enhance the planning of park connectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 cafe, 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This ecological study aims to examine the pattern of Age Standardised Mortality Rate (ASMR) among the states within Malaysia and its relationship with Gross Domestic Product (GDP), population density and age. In addition, the five-yearly patterns of ASMR for a fifteen-year period between 1995 and 2010 were studied. Death data from the National Registration Department (NRD), Malaysia and other important statistical data (i.e. data on GDP and population density) from the Department of Statistics, Malaysia from the same period were also analysed. It was found that GDP has a strong negative correlation with ASMR (Spearman's rho coefficient=-0.543, R2=0.295); however, the strength of correlation between population density and ASMR is very weak (Spearman's rho coefficient=-0.084, R2=0.008). Those states with higher ASMR generally have higher proportion of elderly people. In addition, states with higher GDP Malaysia showed decreasing trend of ASMR from 1995 to 2010. It can be concluded that in Malaysia, states with a higher level of ASMR have lower GDP and a higher proportion of the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiethnic Malaysia provides a unique case study of divergence in population aging of different sociocultural subgroups within a country. Malaysia represents 3 major ethnicities in Asia--the Malay, Chinese, and Indian. The 3 ethnic groups are at different stages of population aging, as they have undergone demographic transition at different pace amidst rapid social and economic changes. Between 1991 and 2010, the Malaysian population aged 60 and over has more than doubled from about 1 million to 2.2 million, and this is projected to rise to about 7 million or 17.6% of the projected population of 40 million by 2040. In 2010, the aging index ranged from 22.8% among the Bumiputera (Malays and other indigenous groups), to 31.4% among the Indians and 55.0% among the Chinese. Population aging provides great challenges for Malaysia's social and economic development. The increasing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases in older adults, coupled with the erosion of the traditional family support system has increased demands on health care services with an overwhelming need for multidisciplinary and specialized geriatric care. Following the adoption of the National Policy for the Elderly in 1995, issues of population aging have gained increasing attention, especially among researchers. There is an urgent need to increase public awareness, develop infrastructure, as well as support action oriented research that will directly translate to comprehensive and cohesive social strategies, policies, and legislation to protect not just the current older Malaysians but the future of all Malaysians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors aim to examine the impact of demographic changes, socioeconomic inequality, and the availability of health care resources on life expectancy in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. This is a cross-country study collecting annual data from 3 Southeast Asian countries from 1980 to 2008. Life expectancy is the dependent variable with demographics, socioeconomic status, and health care resources as the 3 main determinants. A structural equation model is used, and results show that the availability of more health care resources and higher levels of socioeconomic advantages are more likely to increase life expectancy. In contrast, demographic changes are more likely to increase life expectancy by way of health care resources. The authors suggest that more effort should be taken to expand and improve the coverage of health care programs to alleviate regional differences in health care use and improve the overall health status of people in these 3 Southeast Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The main objective of this descriptive nature study is to paint a picture of Malaysian parents' practices and perspectives towards school homework. Additionally, it determines the amount of time children spend on doing homework and aspects related to the management of homework. The sample of the study consisted of 723 parents with children in Primary 3 (aged 9) and Primary 5 (aged 11) from 17 schools selected via a random sampling technique. The instrument used for the study was a self-designed questionnaire comprising three sections: (a) demographic details, (b) parents' perceptions on homework, and (c) open and close-ended questions. Interviews were also conducted to triangulate the data collected from the questionnaire. The results showed that most of the parents viewed school homework as a positive catalyst to help a child learn independently. The majority of parents agreed that doing homework helps improve their children's academic achievement. In terms of time spent in doing homework, the findings indicated that children spent 1.92 hours daily on their school homework, and in terms of communicating with their children's school teachers, approximately 90% of the parents indicated that they hardly communicated with the teachers. The findings also revealed that only 48.9% of the respondents assist their children with homework. In addition, more than two-thirds of the mothers constantly monitor and help their children to complete their homework. It is hoped that the findings will generate further research that can contribute to the area of the practices and perceptions of parents with regards to the organization of school homework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newly affluent developing world cities increasingly adopt the same unfortunate low-density suburban paradigm that shaped cities in the industrialized world. Identified by a World Bank report as a 'mini-Los Angeles,' Kuala Lumpur is a sentinel example of the results of unrestrained sprawl in the developing world. Factors driving sprawl included government policies favoring foreign investment, 'mega-projects,' and domestic automobile production; fragmented governance structures allowing federal and state government influence on local planning; increasing middle-class affluence; an oligopoly of local developers; and haphazard municipal zoning and transport planning. The city's present form contributes to Malaysia's dual burden of disease, with inner-city shantytown dwellers facing communicable disease and malnutrition while suburban citizens experience increasing chronic disease, injury, and mental health issues. Despite growing awareness in city plans targeted toward higher density development, Kuala Lumpur presents a warning to other emerging economies of the financial, societal, and population health costs imposed by quickly-built suburban sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study aims to evaluate the predictors of non-prescription medicine purchasing patterns among pharmacy patrons in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional nationwide study was undertaken in 2011 in sixty randomly selected community pharmacies across 14 Malaysian states. A pharmacy exit survey was conducted over a 6-month period across Malaysia. A one-stage random cluster sampling technique was employed as there was no national sampling framework available for conducting this survey. Face-to-face interviews using a validated and pre-tested questionnaire were conducted by trained data collectors. The non-prescription medicine purchasing pattern was explored and analysed descriptively. Chi-square/Fisher exact test was used to determine the association between study variables. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of type of non-prescription medicine purchased. Results: A total of 2729 pharmacy patrons agreed to participate in 60 selected pharmacy outlets. A total of 3462 non-prescription medicine were purchased during the study period with an average of 1.3 medicines per participant. Most of the non-prescription medicine purchased was meant for alimentary tract and metabolism (31.8%), followed by respiratory system (19.4%) and musculoskeletal system (15.8%) usage. Factors found to be associated with the choice of non-prescription medicine purchased were age group [χ2 = 170.75, (df = 57), p<0.01], locality [χ2 = 48.16, (df = 19), p<0.01], gender [χ2 = 32.93, (df = 13), p = 0.002], ethnic group [χ2 = 118.89, (df = 39), p<0.01] and type of occupation [χ2 = 222.434, (df = 117), p<0.01]. Non-prescription medicine purchased defined about 20% of the variance in the combination of predictors such as locality, gender, age, ethnicity, type of occupation and household income. Conclusion: The predictors for selection of non-prescription medicine were locality (urban or rural), gender, age, ethnicity, type of occupation and household income per month. Future studies need to explore the safety and effectiveness of using these non-prescription medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the determinants of domestic violence, which is often unseen, and is a widespread form of gender-based violence affecting women the world over. The analysis is limited to the household impact in examining how demographic and marital capital factors relate to domestic violence in Malaysia. Empirical evidence used in this study is based on secondary data obtained from Women's Aid Organisation's case files. Results indicate three variables, specifically the perpetrator's age, the survivor's income status, and the number of children, show a significant link to the level of violence in a household. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental education was first formally introduced to Malaysian schools in 1986. Its implementation since then has been limited owing to various constraints facing teachers, and its success in achieving stated environmental education objectives remains uncertain. In view of this, an empirical, exploratory, descriptive study was undertaken to gauge levels of environmental understanding, awareness and knowledge, and the involvement of secondary school students in sustainable consumption practices. A survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire with 306 students who were randomly selected from four secondary schools in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The instrument had sections addressing demography, sources of environmental information, concept of environment, environmental knowledge, environmental awareness and concern, sustainable consumption behaviours, and nature-related activities. The data illustrate that students were aware of, but only moderately concerned with, environmental issues. Only 10% of the students were able to define environment in terms of a relational conception (as opposed to an object). The adoption of Janikowski's four principles of sustainable consumption (selection, reduction, maximization and segregation) in their daily living was modest. Environmental education 'in' and 'with' nature experiences was found to be minimal among the respondents. The relationship between variables was also investigated. The findings showed that environmental education had raised the environmental consciousness of students but was rather ineffective in changing action and behaviour patterns. Ways of enhancing understanding and participation of Malaysian school students in environmental education and sustainable development are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinical data on Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) are lacking in developing countries. The objective of this study was to delineate the demographic characteristics, investigations, and outcome of 21 Malaysian males diagnosed with DMD over a period of 10 years. Mean age presentation was 3 years 8 months (SD 23mo; range 10 to 84mo), mean duration from first presentation to diagnosis was 3y 7mo (SD 26mo; range 5 to 84) and the mean age for loss of ambulation was 11 years (SD 25mo; range 102 to 168). There was family history of DMD in five of the 21 patients. Muscle biopsy showed confirmatory findings of DMD in the 16 patients tested. Molecular genetic analysis showed dystrophin gene deletions in 11 of these 16 patients. Four and seven of the students stopped schooling and had learning difficulties, respectively; only nine had satisfactory school performances. Eight out of 14 patients evaluated were classified as having severe to total dependency levels on the modified Barthel Index for activities of daily living assessment. DMD is associated with significant medical and social needs for a developing country such as Malaysia. Earlier referral, genetic counselling, and provision of support and rehabilitative services are the main priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pace of urbanization in Peninsular Malaysia was slower in the most recent intercensal interval, 1957 to 1970, than in the previous period, 1947 to 1957. Most of the small change in the rural-urban balance from 1957 to 1970 appears due to the growth of towns into the urban classification rather than to a redistribution of population into the previous urban settlements. A number of towns in Peninsular Malaysia do show exceptional growth from 1957 to 1970, but there seems to be no clear relationship between a city's size and its subsequent growth. The rural areas on the outskirts of the largest cities do show rapid growth, especially the periphery of the capital city. It appears that neither the classic model of urbanization based upon Western experience nor the over-urbanization thesis explain the urbanization process in Peninsular Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the implications of temporary migrant workers in ASEAN countries. It says that the flow foreign workers in ASEAN countries, particularly in the middle East, has caused unexpected consequences in the economy, demography, and politics of both sending and receiving countries. It states that Philippines, Indonesia, and Thailand are the major outmigration sources while Singapore and Malaysia were considered as destination points. It mentions that outmigration sources benefit from workers' exportation through the reduction of its unemployment rate. It adds that the remittances from migrant workers provides valuable foreign exchange source to administrations that are financially constrained.

Fertility in Peninsular Malaysia has declined continuously from the late 1950s, reaching a TFR of 3735 in 1983. All ethnic groups in Malaysia have contributed to this modern demographic transition but the rate of change has been most rapid for Chinese and Indians, Malay fertility having reached a plateau in the early 1980s. The effect of age structure, marital patterns and marital fertility (by parity) on the fertility declines for each ethnic community are analysed. Continuation of current trends would lead to replacement-level fertility for Malaysian Chinese and Indians by the year 2000. Malay fertility is likely to continue to decline but at a more moderate pace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Cardiovascular disease is the foremost cause of mortality in Malaysia but little is known about the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its associations with other known cardiovascular risk markers. We undertook a population-based study to examine these. Methods For the study, 4341 subjects were selected using a multistage stratified sampling method. Subjects were interviewed for personal and past medical history. Biomedical markers and anthropometric indices were measured. The metabolic syndrome was defined using the harmonized criteria. The associations between the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk markers, including high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, microalbuminuria and HbA1c were examined. Results The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome was 42.5%. Subjects with the metabolic syndrome are significantly more likely to have higher BMI (> 25 kg/m2), HbA1c [≥ 42 mmol/mol (6.0%)], LDL (≥ 2.6 mmol/l), elevated albumin:creatinine ratio (> 2.5 μg/mmol creatinine for men, 3.5 μg/mmol creatinine for women) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (> 3 mg/l); odds ratio 5.48, 6.14, 1.44, 3.68 and 1.84, respectively, P < 0.001. The presence of an elevated albumin:creatinine ratio and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein are strong predictors for the presence of a higher number of positive criteria of the metabolic syndrome. HbA1c > 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) is associated with increased relative risk of elevated albumin:creatinine ratio, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and LDL (relative risk 3.10, 2.46 and 1.65 respectively, P < 0.001). Conclusions We confirmed the high prevalence of the metabolic syndrome in Malaysia. Our study revealed a strong relationship between risk markers of elevated BMI, HbA1c, LDL, albumin:creatinine ratio and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein with the presence of the metabolic syndrome, putting them at a statistically high risk for cardiovascular mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Masting, the production of large seed crops at intervals of several years, is a reproductive adaptation displayed by many tree species. The predator satiation hypothesis predicts that starvation of seed predators between mast years and satiation during mast years decreases seed predation and thus enhances tree regeneration. Mast fruiting comes at demographic costs such as missed reproduction opportunities and increased density-dependence of recruits, but it remains unknown if predator satiation constitutes a sufficiently large benefit for masting to evolve as a viable life-history strategy. So far, no studies have quantified the net fitness consequences of masting. Using a long-term demographic data set of the dipterocarp Shorea leprosula in a Malaysian forest, we constructed stochastic matrix population models and performed a demographic cost-benefit analysis. For observed values of mast frequency and seed predation rates, we show that strict masting strongly increases fitness compared with fruiting annually. Model results also show that the demographic costs of mast fruiting are very low compared to the demographic losses due to seed predation in a scenario of annual fruiting. Finally, we find that mast fruiting would still be selected for even at low levels of seed predation and when including additional costs such as decreased adult growth rates, limiting crop size and density-dependent seedling survival. Synthesis. Our results are consistent with the predictions of the predator satiation hypothesis: mast fruiting increases fitness for a range of seed predation levels. Under seed predation pressure annually fruiting species are at a strong disadvantage and as a result a mast fruiting strategy may swiftly confer a fitness advantage. Our study shows that demographic modelling allows the weighing of fitness benefits and costs of life-history phenomena such as strict masting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]