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It is widely evident that cost of living among university students are increasing over time. That said, little is understood about factors associated with general expenses among students in Malaysian universities. The present study uses primary survey data (n = 454) to examine the correlates of the total amount of money spent by students in a month. An ordered regression model was used to shed light on factors contributing to different magnitudes of expenses. The explanatory variables consisted of demographic factors, financial knowledge, parental income, peer influence, and personality trait of conscientiousness. Findings from the present study showed that a large proportion of students spent between Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 201 and RM400 per month. Young, male students tended to spend more than older, female students. Expenditure was higher among Chinese students than Malays. Educational levels and income were found to correspond to spending. Having good financial knowledge was associated with reduced expenditure. Students who were influenced by their peers were likely to indulge in high spending compared to those who were not. These findings have important implications for strategic planning and to assist policymakers, parents, and university authorities in formulating better intervention measures aimed at improving students’ spending behaviour, thereby lowering cost of living.

This study investigates the factors associated with pharmaceutical expenditure share (PES) among households in different regions of Malaysia. Using data from the Household Expenditure Surveys 2014 and 2016, the study found that on average, a Malaysian household had a PES of 0.8%, which was equivalent to Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 30-40 per month. In general, households with younger, male, less-educated, or Bumiputera heads were less likely to consume pharmaceutical products and had lesser PES than others. Not owning insurance reduced the likelihood of consuming pharmaceutical products and PES. Urban households in low- and middle-income states had a higher PES than rural households. This study recommends more public health clinics in urban areas of low- and middle-income states and townships with more elderly in order to improve access to essential medicines.

Statistics in Social Science encompasses studies on population dynamics, education and social well-being. The chapters are arranged to enable readers to quickly identify their interests while looking beyond the sub-themes and exploring how these studies will impact society, industry, or policymakers. In the past few decades, Malaysia has undergone rapid industrialisation and urbanisation. These changes have brought forward many social and educational issues that need to be addressed by the authorities and communities. In addition to raising awareness of societal issues, this book provides various statistical methods to investigate them. Readers will be able to learn and appreciate the application of such techniques in their respective fields. In the first part, this book explores issues like life satisfaction of ageing populations, world population growth and distribution, population redistribution and urbanisation in Malaysia. In the second part, the book examines the issues of the rural-urban gap and gender differences in Mathematics and Science achievement, gender differences in education and work among young Malaysians, the employability model of science graduates, and the relationship between physical activity and happiness are explored. Undoubtedly, some issues raised cannot be solved in the short run, for example, the achievement of learning Mathematics and Science. However, policy intervention is needed to increase the effectiveness of learning these two subjects in school. Thus, Malaysia can continue to boost its long-term competitiveness and move in its trajectory to achieve the vision of advanced civil society (Malaysia Madani).

This book, Statistics in Finance, Operation Research and Forecasting, is a collection of chapters that showcase the recent topic of interest and suitable statistical techniques applied to this work. These chapters enable readers to quickly identify their interests while looking beyond the sub-theme and exploring how these studies will impact society, industry, or policymakers. In addition to the subject matter, it is known that different topics will require different statistical techniques. This technique is due to the evolution of the subject area or, sometimes, the migration of techniques from other disciplines. Readers will learn and appreciate the application of such techniques in their respective fields.

This study examines the impact of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) programme on poverty reduction in Sokoto State of North-western Nigeria, through the channels of the education policy. A total of 826 responses from 11 Local Government Areas (LGAs) were received through a structured questionnaire. The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and the binary logit regression model. It is found that the NEEDS has had a significant impact on the education of the participating households, which could lead to poverty reduction in the study area. The results also reveal that the NEEDS educational policy is likely to empower the youth to be self-reliant and productive in order to combat poverty in Sokoto State. It is suggested that the government should plan educational policies in the context of poverty reduction, by creating a conducive atmosphere for learning. Further, those who have benefited from similar programmes can be involved in raising awareness of future programmes. In addition, the government should enact a law on children’s education so that domestic work in the household and family businesses do not interfere with children’s education.

Diabetes has become a serious public health concern. The objective of the present study is to examine the sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with consumption of sugar-sweetened food among different age groups of households in Malaysia. A nationally representative data (n = 14838) is used for secondary analysis. Multiple regressions are used to examine the independent effects of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors on household expenditure on sugar-sweetened food. Analyse are stratified by age group. Households headed by older individuals tend to spend more on sugar-sweetened food than households headed by younger individuals. Household size is positively associated with household consumption of sugar-sweetened food. Bumiputera households spend more on sugar-sweetened food than non-Bumiputera households. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors play an important role in determining consumption of sugar-sweetened food. Policy makers should pay special attention to the types of households that consume a lot of sugar-sweetened food.

The objective of the present study is to examine sociodemographic factors associated with consumption of confectionery among obese and non-obese adults in Malaysia. Secondary analysis of the Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (MANS) 2014 was performed. The survey was conducted in urban and rural areas in the 14 states of Malaysia, including the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Adults aged 18 years and above (n = 2696) were interviewed. The dependent variable was the total servings of confectionery consumed per week. An ordered logistic regression model was used to examine the associated sociodemographic factors in the decision of people to consume 0, 1−2, 3−5 and 6 servings of confectionery. Marginal effects of sociodemographic variables on confectionery consumption were calculated. Analyses stratified by bodyweight group were conducted. The results showed that income, education, gender, ethnicity, and employment status were significantly associated with consumption of confectionery. In particular, income, education, gender, ethnicity and employment status affected confectionery consumption, but not the other way around. However, no relationship was evidenced between age, marital status, household location and confectionery consumption. In conclusion, sociodemographic factors were related to consumption of confectionery. Policies aimed at discouraging consumption of confectionery should focus primarily on high income earners, well-educated individuals and Bumiputera.

The present study examines the factors afecting fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in Malaysia. A nationally representative data that consists of a large sample size is used. Hence, the fndings can provide inferential information. The present study uses secondary data from the Malaysian Household Expenditure Survey 2009/2010. The survey was carried out using a two-stage stratifed sampling. The frst stage was based on Enumeration Blocks, while the second stage was based on Living Quarters. A lognormal hurdle model is used to estimate the consumption decision and amount decision of FV across ethnic groups. The results suggest that household size, income, gender, marital status, age and education play signifcant roles in FV consumption. The probability of consuming FV and amount spent increase with household size (p<0.05). Higher income earners are more likely to consume FV than lower income earners (p<0.05). Being male (p<0.05) and unmarried (p<0.05) seem to reduce the consumption likelihood and amount spent. Compared to younger household heads, older household heads have a higher tendency to consume FV (p<0.05). In terms of policy implication, an intervention measure directed toward increasing FV consumption should focus particularly on those who are associated with low FV consumption. In conclusion, household heads’ sociodemographic and household characteristics are important in determining consumption decision and amount decision of FV among Malaysian households.

Studies on the efficiency of rice production focused on the technical and allocative; thus, the literature on economic efficiency in Kano is absent. The objective of this study is to identify the economic efficiency of fertilizer, hybrids, and farmland on rice farming. Using the multistage and purposive sampling, questionnaires distributed to a random sample of 768 rice farmers. The result of the socioeconomic characteristics shows that 55.3% of the respondents are within the active population (30 to 49) years, 55.3% have a low level of education, 78.7% spent at least six years in rice farming, 61.9%, 76.7%, and 47.7% have access to nitrogen fertilizer, improved rice, and at least one extension visits respectively. Further, the stochastic frontier result shows that an average rice farmer could economically save inputs worth of 29.54% to meet the most efficient counterpart in the study area. The worst rice farmer could economically save the cost of inputs by 86.18% to meet the best counterpart. The study suggests that overhauling the educational system, guidelines for agricultural inputs usage should have a translated version into the three major Nigerian’s languages (Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba). Collaboration between public and private to provide more extensions, construct rural link roads.

The aim of this paper is to identify the effect of physical and institutional infrastructure on rice productivity, the causes of the differences in rice productivity among the rice farmers, and the level of productivity of the rice farmers. A total sample of 90 rice farmers randomly selected from 9 clusters by selecting ten from each cluster. The stochastic frontier model used to analyse the data. The demography results show that male farmers 82.2% dominate rice farming and 65.6% of the respondents are within the economically active group (30 – 49) years. Further, 81.1% are married, 30% obtained tertiary education, while 51.2% have low-level education (primary and secondary education). 83.3% have more than six years of experience in rice farming, 76.7% have access to fertiliser, 48.9% have access to improved seed, and 37.8 have access to extension visit. The stochastic frontier results show that road networks, farm size, electricity, and education have a significant adverse effect on rice productivity, while improved seeds and climate change awareness have a significant positive effect on rice productivity. Also, the technical efficiency of an average rice farmer is 89.11%, the most inefficient rice farmer produces at 77.20% level while the most efficient rice farmer produces at 93.84% level. Furthermore, the inefficiency results show that qualification and marital status are positively significant, while access to improved seed is negatively significant. The study recommends further study to expand the sample to identify the specific problem of each rice cluster in the state.

The present study examines age and educational level determinants of the consumption of medical care using data from Malaysia. A nationally representative data with a large sample size (n = 14838) was used for analyses.Several important findings are noteworthy. First, age and educational level are positively associated with the consumption of medical care. Second, the impact of educational level on the consumption of medical care varies across age.Third, there is no diminishing marginal effect of educational level on the consumption of medical care.Findings of the present study suggest that age and educational level play an important role in determining the consumption of medical care.When designing policies to improve population well-being, consideration should be given to the effects of age and educational level on the consumption of medical care.It is important for policymakers to understand which age group and educational level of people are more or less likely to use medical care.The present study offers a better understanding of the effects of age and educational level on the consumption of medical care and assists policymakers in developing more effective intervention measures to improve population well-being.

Prior literature has revealed that access to education and equal opportunity for education, are some of the major steps taken by the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) program to tackle the problem of poverty through the education sector in Nigeria. However, most studies on NEEDS and education have failed to address the effects of education under the program on poverty reduction. As NEEDS is primarily set to achieve poverty reduction in Nigeria, this study, therefore, examines the relationship between the accessibility and equal opportunity for education under the NEEDS and perceived poverty reduction through investigating the educational impacts of NEEDS on poverty reduction.  The paper suggests that for educational policies to serve in reducing poverty, such policies must be implemented in the context of poverty reduction; must involve seasoned teachers and administrators; and must conduct teacher-capability verification to flush out and retrain unqualified teachers. Given adequate infrastructure and funding, and if well adopted, the measures, if employed would bring about self-reliance, self-employment, income generation, and poverty reduction.

Background: This study examines the effects of sociodemographic factors on participation in vigorous and moderate physical activity and how they vary across bodyweight group (underweight, normal, overweight, obese I, obese II). Methods: This study uses a nationally representative data with a sample of 10141 respondents. Bivariate and multivariate analyses are stratified by bodyweight group. The intensity of physical activity is measured using metabolic equivalent (MET). Vigorous physical activity has >6 MET, while moderate physical activity has ≤6 MET.Results Several important findings are noteworthy. First, age has a positive impact on moderate physical activity among obese I individuals but a negative impact on moderate physical activity among obese II individuals. Second, education is significant in determining participation in all intensity levels of physical activity among obese I individuals. Third, higher income obese II individuals spend less time in vigorous physical activity than their lower income counterparts. However, higher income overweight and obese I individuals spend less time in moderate physical activity compared with those who have lower income. Fourth, overweight, obese I and obese II males spend more time in vigorous and total physical activity than their female counterparts, but they allocate less time for moderate physical activity.Conclusions It appears that sociodemographic factors play an important role in determining participation in vigorous and moderate physical activity among overweight and obese adults. We conclude by discussing implications for policies directed towards promoting physically active lifestyle among overweight and obese adults who are unlikely to spend time in physical activity.