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Objective: This paper aims to discuss the answers to a Critical Review Paper used in the Malaysian Master of Medicine (Psychiatry) and Master of Psychological Medicine examination conducted in May 2013. Methods: One part of this broader postgraduate examination is to evaluate the students' skills of critical appraisal through answering questions based on a journal paper. Results: Model answers were provided at the end of the Critical Review Paper. The objective of the study presented in the review paper was to investigate the association of cigarette smoking with verbal working memory and psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia. Conclusion: This review paper had fairly evaluated the students' understanding and critical thinking on the given topic. This paper may serve as a guideline to teach students how to critically appraise research papers related to psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In the wake of nurses shortage and realizing the importance of professional standard in nursing care, professional commitment has been regarded as one of the important factors in providing high level of healthcare services and retaining nurses in their profession. According to the goal orientation theory, goal orientation is perceived as individual's dispositions towards engagement and commitment. Hence, it is beleived that if nurses possess the suitable goal orientation, it will certainly assist them in enhancing their professional commitment. Aim: The aim of this paper is to provide a conceptual analysis of goal orientation and professional commitment of nurses in Malaysia. This paper is guided by goal orientation theory in the process of establishing the proposed theoretical framework. Results: Our conceptual analysis suggests that learning goal orientation and performance-approach goal orientation will be positively related to nurses' professional commitment whereas performance-avoidance goal orientation will be negatively related to nurses' professional commitment. Research Implications: This study provides an avenue to future researchers to examine nurses' professional commitment by using goal orientation as the predictor. It also offers suggestion to the healthcare managers to identify their nurses' goal orientation so that training programs can be designed to provide motivation and guide them to achieve the desired professional commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contributing to this special issue of IJIE on inclusive communities, this paper explores the subjective heart and psychical workings of communities, which are firmly embedded in family, community and society. As countries all around the world are gripped by the rolling out of a psychology of the Global North--"Empire"--questions are raised about how different communities respond to the inclusion of disabled people. Our interest in communities, for this paper, relates to an ongoing project that aims to share understandings about disability, disablism and inclusion between the UK and Malaysia (http://www.rihsc.mmu.ac.uk/malaysiaukdisability). In this paper, we will attend to the psychosocial and emotional register of disablism and inclusion, bringing in social psychoanalytic ideas, to develop understandings of this register. We present stories from a Malaysian context, which raises local and global issues about the ways in which disability is manifested and reacted to. We conclude by remaining critical of the global dominance of a form of "Empire" described by Hardt and Negri--self-contained individualism--in community life in minority and majority world contexts and argue for the need to seek out alternative models of self and other, for example ensembled individualism. (Contains 1 box and table.)

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.)

The globalized Knowledge Society of the 21st century brings with it important changes in models of work and lifestyle, triggered by the revolution in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). It has led to new ways of understanding knowledge itself, human activity, and consequently, professional and economic activity. In this current socio-educational and socio-economic context, more than ever, it makes sense to ask whether the mission and vision of commonly used educational models, that is, the educational purposes pursued, should be adjusted in the light of new context-driven training demands for the present and upcoming generations. This paper is structured in several parts. First, the concepts of "Creativity", "Innovation" and "Entrepreneurship" are defined, as well as their relationships and role in the R&D&I value chain. Next is a justification of why the "Knowledge Society" needs persons with creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. Third, and at the heart of this review, we address the need for a "Psychology of Innovation and Entrepreneurship" and its contributions to educational processes for developing these competencies. Fourth, we suggest the implications of such contributions in an emerging educational paradigm, "Education for Competency in Innovation and Entrepreneurship", where we analyze what kind of learning would be involved in this competency, as well as cross-curriculum proposals to be integrated across educational processes. Conclusions and further educational implications are discussed in closing. (Contains 2 tables and 3 figures.)

Describes examples of simulations and strategies for teaching about psychology that were developed in Indonesia and Malaysia to incorporate and address controversies related to cultural differences. A model that simulates the influence of a client's cultural context in counseling is explained, and developing stereotyped synthetic cultures is described. (LRW)

The discourse on the meaning of home is largely centred on the Western experiences and perspectives, producing insights into the economic and psycho-social aspects of home, with less attention on the Eastern context. This paper explores the emotive meaning of home from the perspective of Malaysia, a nation of homeowners. Gurney’s view of home as an emotional “warehouse” framed this inquiry, supporting the notion of feelings associated with the dwelling being created, deposited and drawn by its occupants. This paper represents part of a larger housing study into an alternative housing tenure for Malaysia that argues that the sense of home can be independent of housing tenure. This paper reports the meaning of home as derived from 10 diarists who have been actively involved in creating the “home” and were therefore capable to describe the process of emotional appropriation of their lived space. Findings suggested that the process of assigning meaning to home was dependent on diarists’ feelings, perceptions, attachments and relations regarding their lived space. Diarists mainly associated their emotive construction of home with family-centred activities and space, which took place in both the micro-sense (within the dwelling) and the macro-sense (the neighbourhood). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reported the quality of life (QoL) of 260 Malaysian parents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and factors which influencing it. About half of these parents reported to having good QoL. The factors identified in the double ABCX model showed that perceived social support and sense of coherence (SOC) were mediated by coping strategies and had a positive direct and indirect effect on parents' QoL. These finding reiterate the importance of social support, coping skills, and strong SOC reflection skills in influencing the QoL of parents with ASD child. We therefore suggest parents to utilize the widely available social and organization supports to gain good QoL, which is also important for the wellbeing of their child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the turn of the twenty-first century, popular Malay television fiction has been thriving and gaining popularity. Through staggering online reruns, this sheer popularity broadens the expanse of multifaceted issues. This paper contextualizes popular TV fiction within a space of imperfection, focusing on audience responses to Julia, Adam & Hawa, and About Dhia. Using the lens of democratic habits of mind according to Mezirow: "respect for others, self-respect, willingness to accept responsibility for the common good, willingness to welcome diversity and to approach others with openness," this paper reveals two of the many emerging themes, namely, forgiveness and repentance, which can intensify possibilities for acknowledging human faults, vulnerability, and imperfection between the private/public and self/society. By considering reactions of some of the many popular TV fiction audience, this paper presents unfolding, interactive twenty-first-century insights into what it means to pursue an imperfect duty, whose responsibility could be understood in the sense of forgiveness and repentance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors believed to influence the behavior of 1,042 rice farmers in Malaysia regarding the overuse of pesticides. Frequent overuse of pesticide will have an impact on human health and the environment, which lead to greater expenditure on health care.Design/methodology/approach The theoretical models of compliance behavior tested include the basic deterrence model, which focuses on the enforcement of regulation as a key determinant of compliance. The models integrate economic theory with theories of social behavior to account for motivations expected, influencing individuals’ decisions on whether to follow the regulation on using pesticides.Findings Significance tests reported that the information regarding the danger of using pesticides, the perception toward the impact on the environment and the expected impact on health influences the compliance behavior of using pesticides.Research limitations/implications These findings highlight the necessity for the policy makers to design an effective program which gives more information and provide training related to the risk and the safe handling of pesticides.Practical implications The farmers who receive information and training related to handling of pesticides become more cautious in the use of pesticides. Countries involved in agriculture and the use of pesticides widely by their farmers need to emphasize continuous training and periodic information dissemination.Social implications The implication drawn is rice farmers should be encouraged to practice new methods in rice planting, especially in the integrated pest management method.Originality/value These research findings suggest that the overuse of pesticides in the rice farming continues to be an important problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Although South Asia is a growing supplier of migrant labour, there is a paucity of research on the health and well-being of male Nepalese migrant workers. The purpose of this paper is to assess the health and mental well-being of Nepalese construction and factory workers employed in Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire administered, in and around Nepal’s international airport, to 403 migrants who had worked for over six months in their host countries. Logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with self-reported health status and mental health symptoms.Findings Over 13 per cent reported poor or very poor health and nearly a quarter reported mental health issues. Whilst age and exercise were significantly associated with health status, poor work environments and perceived health risks were associated with both mental health issues and health status.Research limitations/implications The study is limited to males only and those working in the factories and the construction industry. To improve migrant health and mental well-being, Nepalese and host governments should consider mandatory health insurance and a range of pre-departure and arrival education around general literacy, mental health assessments and workplace health and safety.Originality/value There have been no known studies on the health and well-being of Nepalese migrant construction and factory workers in the Middle East and Malaysia. The strong association between self-reported poor health and perceived work environment is an important issue that policy makers in Nepal and destination countries should address. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the effect of a moral education programme on the ethical judgement making ability of university students. The programme comprises two forms of intervention: a dedicated ethics course and subsequent practical training. A total of 113 accounting students from six Malaysian universities participated in a longitudinal study including three points of data collection, prior to an ethics course, after an ethics course, and following six-months' practical training. James Rest's short version of the Defining Issues Test (DIT) instrument (Rest, 1986, Moral development: Advances in research and theory, Praeger, NY) was employed and P-scores calculated at each data collection point. General Linear Model Repeated Measure analysis was employed to examine the within-subjects effect of the accounting programme on ethical judgement making ability. The findings highlight that the accounting programme is able to elevate levels of ethical judgement making ability and that practical training contributed significantly to the observed improvement. Results of this study appear to indicate that socialisation and interaction with the work environment are significant determinants of improvements in principled reasoning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Public participation in decision-making processes is regarded as important for successful tourism planning. This paper presents the findings of a study examining the public participation approach to tourism planning in the Langkawi Islands, Malaysia. The study was conducted between 2004 and 2008 to assess public participation during the preparation of the Langkawi Structure Plan 1990–2005 and the Langkawi Local Plan 2001–2015. Interviews were conducted with local stakeholders in the tourism industry and analysed using a “framework technique”. The results indicate that there were limitations in public participation in the tourism planning process due to (1) inadequate information, (2) an ineffective approach, (3) residents’ attitudes and (4) exclusion from participation processes. Public participation also occurred only at an early stage due to structural and operational limitations in the planning process. This included weaknesses in the Town Planning Act (Act 172), as under the Malaysian Planning System, all participation processes for Structure Plans and Local Plans in the country need to follow the participation approach suggested by the Act. The paper suggests that improvements can be made in tourism public participation processes in the Langkawi Islands and in their relationships with the Malaysian Planning System. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design and build concept has become a popular contract system. It requires the owner and contractor to identify, analyse and manage risks and search for the best solutions to improve performance. The objective of this paper is to identify the project manager's perception of risk factors associated with the design and build project in Malaysia. A total of 100 usable questionnaires were received and analysed using mean ranking and factor analysis. The results show that three most risky factors are: "client financial capability", "inadequate cash flow by contractor", and "lack of payment (delayed progress payment by owner to the contractor)". Risk can be grouped into 12 categories, namely: (1) lack of management competency; (2) lack of contractor experience; (3) political issues; (4) lack of standardized system; (5) unpredictable issues; (6) lack of client experience; (7) safety issues; (8) lack of teamwork; (9) poor supervision by client; (10) lack of client information; (11) material availability; and (12) design error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper describes the cross-cultural adaptation of the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire (PIDAQ) into Malay version (Malay PIDAQ), an oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) instrument specific for orthodontics for Malaysian adolescents between 12 and 17 years old.Methods: The PIDAQ was cross-culturally adapted into Malay version by forward- and backward-translation processes, followed by psychometric validations. After initial investigation of the conceptual suitability of the measure for the Malaysian population, the PIDAQ was translated into Malay, pilot tested and back translated into English. Psychometric properties were examined across two age groups (319 subjects aged 12-14 and 217 subjects aged 15-17 years old) for factor structure, internal consistency, reproducibility, discriminant and construct validity, criterion validity, and assessment of floor and ceiling effects.Results: Fit indices by confirmatory factor analysis showed good fit statistics (comparative fit index = 0.936, root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.064) and invariance across age groups. Internal consistency and reproducibility tests were satisfactory (Cronbach's α = 0.71-0.91; intra-class correlations = 0.72-0.89). Significant differences in Malay PIDAQ mean scores were observed between subjects with severe malocclusion and those with slight malocclusion based on a self-rated and an investigator-rated malocclusion index, for all subscales and all age groups (p < 0.05). Construct validity of the Malay PIDAQ subscales with those who rated themselves with excellent to poor dental appearance and those who felt they needed or did not need braces, showed significant associations for all age groups (p < 0.05). Criterion validity also showed significant association between the Malay PIDAQ scores with those with and without impact on daily activities attributed to malocclusion. There were no ceiling effects detected but floor effects were detected for the Aesthetic Concern subscale.Conclusion: The study has provided initial evidence for the validity and reliability of the Malay PIDAQ to assess the impact of malocclusion on the OHRQoL of 12-17 year old Malaysian adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This is a conceptual paper that discusses on the importance of business ethics and operational risk management in banks. Design/methodology/approach: The paper review the literatures of business ethics and operational risk management in banks. The paper analyze the factors that lead to operational risk particularly internal frauds, operational risk management, issues related to business ethics, Machiavellianism, the relationship between business ethics and operational risk management in banks, Machiavellianism as the moderator and agency theory and Machiavellianism Intelligence theory as the underpinning theories. Findings: A conceptual framework has been developed based on the literature review and the underpinning theories. Research limitations/implications: The paper only concentrated in the banking industry in managing operational risk that is related to internal fraud. There are other variables that are not taken into consideration such as the quality of banks human resources and the internal control system. Future research can be done on the antecedent and outcome of operational risk management with business ethics as the antecedent of operational risk management and internal fraud as the outcome of operational risk management. Besides, future research on business ethics and operational risk management can be done in other industry such as education, manufacturing or logistic industries. Practical implications: Banks could develop a robust operational risk management base on the dimensions of good business ethics. Machiavellianism variable as the moderator in the conceptual model will assists banks in identifying employees with high or low Machiavellianism personality traits. Originality/value: The proposed conceptual model helps banks to ensure the future risk of internal fraud occurrence can be eliminated. For future recruitment, banks might consider having personality test in identifying those applicants that might demonstrate high or low Machiavellianism when hired as bank employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mualaf is the term to represent people who just moves to Islam from other religion. Mualaf Center is an important place for mualaf to get information about Islam. There are some reasons and factors that make a not-Moslem hesitates about their religion and decides to move to Islam. These circumstances make them need a psychological and economical guidance as the effects after they become mualaf. There are 6.3% from total citizen becomes mualaf in Malaysia. This number is in the not-Moslem society, so the effect of becoming mualaf can be perceived especially the psychological and economical effects. Therefore, mualaf center can be a good place for mualaf to get a guidance and consultation. This paper discusses mualaf center design based on the issues and problems about mualaf in Malaysia. The aim of this study is to find a recommendation design for mualaf center based on the issue in Malaysia. The discussion uses literature study method which will be analyzed descriptively. So the result of the discussion is a summary of design criteria that proper with the issue. This design criterion will be integrated using relevant design theme approach, i.e. sustainable architecture. The design criteria that is already integrated is the availability of guidance and consultation facilities, also entrepreneur practice facility toward psychological and economical effects. With by the guidance in this mualaf center, the mualaf will be capable of adapting to the social environment around them and also can rebuild their economic life as before in islamic ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaysian fishermen have been identified as a key-affected HIV population with HIV rates 10 times higher than national rates. A number of studies have identified that psychosocial and structural-level stressors increase HIV injection drug risk behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to examine psychosocial and structural-level stressors of injection drug use and HIV injection drug risk behaviors among Malaysian fishermen.Methods: The study employs a cross-sectional design using respondent driven sampling methods. The sample includes 406 fishermen from Pahang state, Malaysia. Using multivariate logistic regressions, we examined the relationship between individual (depression), social (adverse interactions with the police), and structural (poverty-related) stressors and injection drug use and risky injection drug use (e.g.., receptive and non-receptive needle sharing, frontloading and back-loading, or sharing drugs from a common container).Results: Participants below the poverty line had significantly lower odds of injection drug use (OR 0.52, 95 % CI: 0.27-0.99, p = 0.047) and risky injection drug use behavior (OR 0.48, 95 % CI: 0.25-0.93, p = 0.030). In addition, participants with an arrest history had higher odds of injection use (OR 19.58, 95 % CI: 9.81-39.10, p < 0.001) and risky injection drug use (OR 16.25, 95 % CI: 4.73-55.85, p < 0.001). Participants with depression had significantly higher odds of engaging in risky injection drug use behavior (OR 3.26, 95 % 1.39-7.67, p = 0.007). Focusing on participants with a history of injection drug use, we found that participants with depression were significantly more likely to engage in risky drug use compared to participants below the depression cutoff (OR 3.45, 95 % CI: 1.23-9.66, p < 0.02).Conclusions: Findings underscore the need to address psychosocial and structural-level stressors among Malaysian fishermen to reduce HIV injection drug risk behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have contributed to a broad spectrum of explanation to understand Malaysians' ethnic consciousness. Some scholars engage the historical materialism approach. Other scholars use the social construction approach. There are also scholars who use both approaches to explain the phenomenon. This paper intends to reconsider all these approaches and propose an approach that will explain Malaysians' ethnic consciousness more concisely. In order to do so, eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted in Malaysian public universities. The FGDs were conducted to investigate the Malaysian Malay and Chinese students' interpretations concerning their ethnic consciousness. Judging from the outcomes of the FGDs, the social construction or the ‘bottom-up’ approach emerged as the more concise analytical method with which to analyse the nature of students' ethnic consciousness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper examined the behavior of institutional and retail investors in Malaysia during the bulls and bears. The results revealed significant differences in behavioral patterns between these two groups of investors. For the institutional investors, obvious differences were found in the areas of overconfidence, liquidity preference, and price anchoring between these two distinct market trends. As for the retail investors, there were no obvious difference in investing behavior except in terms of liquidity preference and self-control. The overall results indicated that both investors exhibited overconfidence during both periods; nonetheless, they were somewhat rational by exercising self-control and being concerned with liquidity when making investment decisions. Both investors ranked dividend yield as the most important fundamental variable particularly during bearish market outlook. On the other hand, trend analysis was rated as the most important variable closely watched technical indicator during bullish market outlook. Consistent with the findings of both surveys, we provide evidence that dividend yield appeared to be significant risk factor as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the 2000 census report, about 7% of the 1.4 million people 60 years and over in Malaysia live alone. This study investigated socioeconomic factors affecting the quality of life of this vulnerable population. Data from a subsample of the study on Mental Health and Quality of Life of Older Malaysians were used in this paper. About 10% of the original sample or 299 older persons aged 60 years and over were living alone. Perceived quality of life was measured by asking “In general, how do you perceive your quality of life?” on a 5-point Likert Scale response. A multinomial regression model was utilized to identify variables associated with perceived quality of life in older person living alone. Results revealed four factors significantly predicted their perceived quality of life, which include self rated health, gender, employment status, and level of education. In conclusion, self rated health and level of education had significant positive effects on perceived quality of life; elderly women and employed older persons were more likely to fall in the poor perceived quality of life group. The findings of this study posited that self-rated health and level of education have significant positive effects on the perceived quality of life; being female and employed are related to lower quality of life of an older person living alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines money attitudes and associated retirement issues of academics in higher education in Malaysia. Systematic random sampling was used in selecting the target respondents. A questionnaire was personally administered on 458 academics in 16 universities in Malaysia. The survey found that academics exhibited positive attitudes toward money, and income appears to be the prime motivator. Consistent with the findings of prior studies, position, age and educational levels were strong indicators of an academic's annual income. The survey found that female academics and those from public universities had more positive attitudes towards retirement. In retirement planning, the respondents considered the availability of other income after retirement the most important factor, while payment for children's education was the key potential conflict area. The findings provide important insights for the top management of higher education of the necessity of pre-retirement counseling and assistance to ease the passage to retirement for academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper offers a scenario of workplace learning as practiced in Malaysia. Based on survey research, the article describes learner profiles, learning provision and pattern. The analysis shows that Malaysians participate in formal workplace learning as part of their employment activities. Workplace learning in Malaysia is contextual, promoted by the political-economic agenda of a nation aspiring towards fully developed status. Workplace learning is also affected by factors such as learners’ socio-cultural, economic and psychological status, and employers’ role and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the heightened societal attention to the ethical aspects of business behaviour, there has been, in recent years, a great deal of discussion regarding individual and organisational factors influencing managerial decision making. The main focus of this paper is on understanding the attitudes of managers toward ethical dimension of their choices and judgments, as also the forces that pressurise, provide them with opportunities, or contribute to shaping their intentions, for ethical or unethical actions. Findings reported here are based on a questionnaire-survey of 381 managers from 41 commercial organisations in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work is to offer an alternative theoretical perspective and modelling of local investor sentiment proxies in Malaysian stock market. In the theoretical part, two alternative theoretical perspectives in understanding sentiment are introduced, namely, the cognitive-affective theory of mind from neuroscience and the ABC model of the cognitive psychology. In modelling, we identify a combination of survey-based and market-based investor sentiment proxies, namely, the consumer sentiment index, the business condition index, and the stock futures index. The validity of the theory and model is then falsified with empirical analysis by examining the long- and short-run as well as stability relationships of the sentiment proxies on the aggregate stock market index returns using suitable econometric methods. The findings revealed that the proposed sentiment proxies are statistically significant in relations to the stock market returns in the long- and short-run with varying degree of persistency. However, the relations are not homogeneous across different size, industry groups, and market states which are in line with the existing behavioural finance views. In summary, this paper provides a new theoretical insights and empirical evidence on the roles of sentiment in Malaysian stock market that offers valuable academic, practical and policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The current study attempted to assess the effect of positive emotion on postgraduate students’ psychological capital (PsyCap) as well as on their academic engagement behavior. Also, the direct relationship between PsyCap and academic engagement behavior was assessed alongside the presence of Stress as a moderating variable between PsyCap and academic engagement behavior amongst post-graduate students in Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection from 373 post-graduate Ph.D. students registered in various universities throughout Malaysia with a non-probabilistic sampling technique. Research respondents belonged to management, humanities, engineering, computer science, and health sciences domains, and they responded through a questionnaire copy. Statistically, structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to evaluate confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability analysis, validity analysis, measurement model, structural model, and path analysis. Furthermore, the (5000) bootstrapping approach was utilized to test the final model. Results: For the hypothesized model, our results confirmed that positive emotions had a positive and significant effect on students’ psychological capita as well as on their academic engagement behavior. Further, PsyCap also had a positive and significant effect on academic engagement behavior. Our results also reported that stress as a moderating variable has a negative and deteriorating effect on the relationship between PsyCap and the academic engagement of students. Conclusion: The study’s findings support the theoretical assumption that positive emotions help individuals generate cognitive resources, which in turn help them manage their engagement behavioral requirements. However, the stress caused by their study needs may deplete their psychological resources, consequently influencing their academic engagement behavior. Interventions like personal coaching/counseling, appropriate follow-up, and flexible goal settings with other measures may help postgraduate students in achieving their daunting tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the determination of female entrepreneurs in the construction industry based on masculine and feminine characteristics in the Malaysian construction industry, using the Bem Sex-Role Inventory ( BSRI). The median split method determined that female construction entrepreneurs have masculine traits. The results are not robust because of the limited number of responses; nonetheless, the findings can be used as a platform for future research on female construction entrepreneurs in the construction industry in Malaysia. To enhance the findings' contributions, this paper also discusses the industry characteristics, which are considered to have significantly contributed to the masculinity of female construction entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The factors of straightening the religiosity of Muslim converts (muallaf) are an important element especially involving zakat assistance. This is due to the fact that the zakat assistance is still an important allocation to muallaf. Thus, there are among muallaf who do not understand the faith of Islam well. As a result, they feel marginalized after embracing Islam. The objective of this article is to identify the factors strengthening influence of the level of religiosity among muallaf through zakat influencing factors which perception, psychology, motivation, environment, and faith. Thus, the design of this work is in the form of inferential statistics using the questionnaire form as the data collection method by structural equation modeling (SEM). There are 136 questionnaire forms analyzed involving the muallaf in Terengganu, Malaysia. Data analysis uses SPSS 22 and the Smart-PLS version 3.2.7. The finding will support continuous development with the aid of muallaf to strengthen religiosity through zakat assistance. There are four factors influencing the straightening religiosity among muallaf that are psychology, perception, motivation, and environment. It is hoped that the success of zakat assistances toward muallaf will produce quality for religion and avoid the negative perception of the public among muallaf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two decades, there has been a dramatic rise in international marriages in East and Southeast Asia. A large proportion of these have been between men from wealthier countries and women from poorer countries, many of which are mediated by commercial matchmaking agencies. Agencies that offer men instant marriages with Vietnamese women began to make an appearance in Malaysia in the early 2000s, following closely behind Singapore and Taiwan. In this paper, we use the concepts of objective centrality and social capital to examine three interfaces that marriage brokers in Malaysia have to bridge: the interface with male clients, with access to the supply of potential brides from Vietnam, and with the bureaucratic procedures of immigration and marriage registration. We present one story in greater depth to illustrate the sociability and social capital accumulation process of one Vietnamese bride as she works to establish relationships of trust with her husband and his family. As she makes the transition from marriage migrant to "good wife," she is able to access the social networks of her husband and his family to transform herself into a marriage broker, increasing her own autonomy and access to resources in the process. The surface observation that entering the commercial matchmaking industry does not require much economic capital conceals the considerable amount of social capital that is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The paper examined the quality of life of haematological cancer patients according to their socio-demographic profiles and clinical diagnoses. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the tertiary referral centre of Ampang Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, involving 105 patients. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life (EORTC QLQ-C30) questionnaire was used to measure their quality of life. Results: The study involved patients diagnosed with all types of haematological cancer, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), acute myelogenous leukaemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and multiple myeloma (MM), with a response rate of 83.3%. The patients with ALL, HL, without NHL, and without MM were younger than other patients. There were significant differences in quality of life scores in different socio-demographic groups and types of cancer diagnosis. The global quality of life of the female patients was much better than that of the male patients. Patients who were 40 years old or younger had a better global quality of life and physical functioning, as well as fewer symptoms of constipation, nausea, and vomiting. Employed patients were in less pain but showed greater impairments of cognitive function than did unemployed patients. Patients who earned a monthly wage of RM1000 or less had reduced physical function, more symptoms of pain, and more financial difficulties compared with patients who earned more. Patients with AML tended to have better physical functioning than did patients with MM, whose physical functioning was impaired. Comparatively, more symptoms of dyspnoea were found in ALL and HL patients than in other types of lymphoma. Compared with other patients, those with ALL had a greater loss of appetite, and other lymphoma patients had fewer symptoms of pain. Patients with NHL had impaired role functioning and more constipation compared with other patients. The results were all statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The quality of life of haematological cancer patients is affected by sociodemographic factors and clinical diagnoses. Efforts should be made to improve the overall quality of life of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a causal-comparative study of science anxiety among Form Four students in Penang. The Wynstra's (1991) Science Anxiety Inventory (SAl), which consists of six factors (i.e., danger anxiety, science test anxiety, math and problem-solving anxiety, squeamish anxiety, performance anxiety, and science classroom anxiety), was translated and modified to gauge the levels of science anxiety. Selected through a stratified random sampling, the sample comprises 160 students with equal number of males and females. Student ratings in Modified SAl were quantitatively analysed by gender using unpaired samples t-test with significance level set at probability level of 0.05. The findings indicate that Form Four females generally rated their overall science anxiety appreciably higher than did Form Four males. While there was no statistical significant difference between the ratings of males and females on science classroom anxiety, females rated appreciably higher than did males across five other subscales. These findings are discussed and implications for educational practice in the context of science learning in Malaysian classrooms are proffered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children aged 2 to 6 years are in a crucial period of growth development, during which it is important for them to attain specific cognition related to concentration and attention so that they can perform well in school later in life. Various factors influence children’s cognition during this crucial period. However, to date, only a limited number of studies have examined the cognitive performance of underprivileged children living in poverty, particularly indigenous children (also known as Orang Asli children in Malaysia). Therefore, this cross-sectional study aimed to determine the associations between sociodemographic factors, nutritional factors (body composition and hemoglobin), and environmental factors (home environment and parasitic infections) with cognitive performance among Orang Asli children in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. The participants were 269 children (51% boys, 49% girls) aged 2 to 6 years (M = 4.0, SD = 1.2 years) and their mothers, from 14 Orang Asli villages. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with the mothers, and the children’s cognitive performance, operationalized as working memory index (WMI), processing speed index (PSI), and cognitive proficiency index (CPI), was assessed using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV). The children’s weight and height were measured, and their blood and stool samples were collected to assess hemoglobin level and parasitic infections, respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the father’s years of education (β = 0.262–0.342, p < 0.05), availability of learning materials at home (β = 0.263–0.425, p < 0.05), and responsiveness of the parent to the child (β = 0.192–0.331, p < 0.05) were consistently associated with all three cognitive indices (WMI, PSI, and CPI). A holistic approach involving parents, communities, and government agencies should be established to improve the cognitive performance of these underprivileged children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaysia is widely credited to have achieved universal health coverage for citizens. However, the accessibility of healthcare services to migrant workers is questionable. Recently, medical fees for foreigners at public facilities were substantially increased. Mandatory health insurance only covers public hospital admissions and excludes undocumented migrants. This study explores barriers to healthcare access faced by documented and undocumented migrant workers in Malaysia. Methods: We use qualitative data from 17 in-depth interviews conducted with key informants from civil society organisations, trade unions, academia, medical professionals, as well as migrant workers and their representatives. We interviewed doctors working in public hospitals and private clinics frequented by migrants. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: We found that healthcare services in Malaysia are often inaccessible to migrant workers. Complex access barriers were identified, many beyond the control of the health sector. Major themes include affordability and financial constraints, the need for legal documents like valid passports and work permits, language barriers, discrimination and xenophobia, physical inaccessibility and employer-related barriers. Our study suggests that government mandated insurance for migrant workers is insufficient in view of the recent increase in medical fees. The perceived close working relationship between the ministries of health and immigration effectively excludes undocumented migrants from access to public healthcare facilities. Language barriers may affect the quality of care received by migrant workers, by inadvertently resulting in medical errors, while preventing them from giving truly informed consent. Conclusions: We propose instituting migrant-friendly health services at public facilities. We also suggest implementing a comprehensive health insurance to enable healthcare access and financial risk protection for all migrant workers. Non-health sector solutions include the formation of a multi-stakeholder migration management body towards a comprehensive national policy on labour migration which includes health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The present study was aimed at validating the Malay-language version of the Self-Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE-M) using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Methods: Data were collected from undergraduate students at all campuses of the Universiti Sains Malaysia. A total of 1,605 students completed the SEE-M (female: 71.5%, male: 28.5%), with the mean age of 20.3 years (SD = 1.5). Perceived self-efficacy was assessed with the 18-item SEE-M. Standard forward–backward translation was performed to translate the English version of the Efficacy for Exercise Scale (SEE) into the Malay version (SEE-M). Results: The 2 initial measurement models tested (1-factor and 3-factor models) did not result in a good fit to the data. Subsequent investigation of the CFA results recommended some modifications, including adding correlations between the item residuals within the same latent variable. These modifications resulted in good fit indices for the 1-factor model (RMSEA = .059, CFI = .939, TLI = .922, SRMR = .049) and the 3-factor model (RMSEA = .066, CFI = .924, TLI = .903, SRMR = .051). The final measurement models comprised all 18 SEE-M items, which had significant factor loadings of more than .40. The test-retest results indicated that the SEE-M was stable, with an intra-class correlation of .99. The composite reliability was .886 for the 1-factor model and .670–.854 for the 3-factor model. Conclusions: The translated version of the SEE-M was valid and reliable for assessing the level of self-efficacy for exercise among university students in Malaysia. Perspective: This study examining the psychometric properties of the SEE scale based on CFA was the first to assess 2 proposed models (1-factor and 3-factor models) simultaneously and to translate the original, English-language SEE into Malay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the importance of mental health/clinical social workers in Malaysia. Convenience sampling was utilised and an in-depth, semi-structured interview methodology was employed. Four participants – two social workers, a psychiatrist and a community nurse – were involved. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Participants reported that mental health social workers are important in providing psychoeducation and conducting assessments. Specialised training in the field of mental health would benefit social workers and their health care counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: To assess intensive care unit nurses’ knowledge of intensive care unit delirium and delirium assessment before and after an educational intervention. In addition, nurses’ perception on the usefulness of a delirium assessment tool and barriers against delirium assessment were assessed as secondary objectives. Background: Early identification of delirium in intensive care units is crucial for patient care. Hence, nurses require adequate knowledge to enable appropriate evaluation of delirium using standardised practice and assessment tools. Design: This study, performed in Malaysia, used a single‐group pretest–posttest study design to assess the effect of educational interventions and hands‐on practices on nurses’ knowledge of intensive care unit delirium and delirium assessment. Methods: Sixty‐one nurses participated in educational intervention sessions, including classroom learning, demonstrations and hands‐on practices on the Confusion Assessment Method‐Intensive Care Unit. Data were collected using self‐administered questionnaires for the pre‐ and postintervention assessments. Analysis to determine the effect of the educational intervention consisted of the repeated‐measures analysis of covariance. Results: There were significant differences in the knowledge scores pre‐ and postintervention, after controlling for demographic characteristics. The two most common perceived barriers to the adoption of the intensive care unit delirium assessment tool were “physicians did not use nurses’ delirium assessment in decision‐making” and “difficult to interpret delirium in intubated patients”. Conclusions: Educational intervention and hands‐on practices increased nurses’ knowledge of delirium assessment. Teaching and interprofessional involvements are essential for a successful implementation of intensive care unit delirium assessment practice. Relevance to Clinical Practice: This study supports existing evidences, indicating that education and training could increase nurses’ knowledge of delirium and delirium assessment. Improving nurses’ knowledge could potentially lead to better delirium management practice and improve ICU patient care. Thus, continuous efforts to improve and sustain nurses’ knowledge become relevant in ICU settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychosocial safety climate (PSC) is a facet‐specific aspect of organizational climate that pertains to employees’ psychological health. We sought to deepen our understanding of how and when resources function by considering the role of PSC as a contextual factor for job demands‐resources model. We explained this using two different mechanisms – PSC as a resource passageway (i.e., channelling, supplying, bolstering, complementing, compensating resources) or PSC as a safety signal (i.e., enabling resource use) effect. Using longitudinal data from 429 Malaysian health care workers from 53 teams and hierarchical linear modelling (HLM), we found team PSC was a stronger moderator of emotional demands than control or rewards on psychological health problems (emotional exhaustion and somatic symptoms), after controlling for the baseline outcomes. A three‐way interaction of team PSC at Time 1 with demands and resources (rewards only) at Time 2 showed that PSC is able to moderate the moderation relationship of demands and resources. Specifically, PSC, as a resource passageway, is providing a range of resources, that likely to compensate and complement low rewards. Hence, when both PSC and rewards were low, emotional demands had the strongest effect on psychological health. This result is robust as it was validated using HLM and split samples of PSC at the upper level. Given the important contextual role of PSC as a ‘moderator of the moderators’, building PSC should be the focus of workplace interventions to protect the psychological health of workers. Practitioner points: Psychosocial safety climate may compensate for job resources, particularly rewards in an organization to protect workers’ psychological health. Psychosocial safety climate buffers the detrimental effect of emotional demands on workers’ psychological health better than rewards and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dengue fever is a continuing public health burden globally, including Malaysia. Dengue fever has also become a burden among students who migrate to dengue endemic countries. Method: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the associated factors of knowledge and attitude on prevention of dengue infection among international postgraduate students in a university in Malaysia. Descriptive and analytic statistics were used to analyze the data collected through structured questionnaire. Chi-Square/Fisher's exact test and binary logistic regression was used to analyze the association and the predictors respectively. Level of significance was set at P less than 0.05. Results: A total of 327 international students participated with 93.4% response rate. Most of the students were male (70.3%), single (51.1%) and Asians (52.3%) with median age of 32 (IQR 10). Most of the respondents showed good knowledge (69.7%) and positive attitude (51.4%) towards prevention of dengue. Predictors of knowledge were being a female (aOR = 2.236, P = 0.007), previous history of dengue infection (aOR = 12.751, P = 0.007), longer duration of stay in Malaysia (aOR = 2.005, P = 0.007) and high influence of mass media (aOR = 3.076, P = <0.001). Predictors of positive attitude were, older age (aOR = 1.718, P = 0.024), higher perceived influence of mass media (aOR = 2.236, P = 0.007) and living in dengue endemic country (aOR = 1.796, P = 0.031). Conclusion: Knowledge and attitude of international students on prevention of dengue fever should be strengthened. The mass media should be optimally utilized as an influential source of information and health education regarding dengue infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Free-roaming cats are common in residential and public areas in Malaysia and approach people for food. However, the psychological determinants of public feeding are unknown. This study investigated public perceptions of feeding free-roaming cats, based on an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB). It consisted of qualitative belief-elicitation interviews with 25 participants, followed by a quantitative survey of 167 participants, representative of the country's population. The majority (87.2%) of the sample had fed free-roaming cats. The mean intention score (4.88 out of 7) indicated the public was likely, and would make an effort, to feed free-roaming cats in the future. The public's benevolence toward animals largely explained the findings, based on generally positive attitudes and perceptions of moderate social credence and capability and confidence, underpinned by affective and cognitive beliefs. An important finding was the role of anticipated regret in predicting and explaining intentions, which contributed variance over and above that explained by the TPB constructs. The extended framework is explained by the influence of anticipated regret on the perceived evaluation of potential TPB outcomes, which in turn leads to the behavior becoming less volitional. Therefore, future TPB studies of people's interactions with animals, such as free-roaming cats, should take account of affective and emotional antecedents of behavior, such as anticipated regret, to improve explanatory power. The study also has implications for managing public feeding of free-roaming cats, such as drawing on and strengthening the Malaysian public's positive attitudes and emotional concern to redirect current feeding practices toward more constructive animal welfare initiatives. Such humane approaches align with the public's sensitivity toward animal welfare and the historical development of cat population control from lethal methods to humane non-lethal methods to ensure adequate care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in international mobility in higher education especially in Asia, the issue of cross-cultural adaptation becomes paramount since international students try to overcome challenges and flourish psychologically and socioculturally in a new environment. Therefore, this study was conducted to identify the factors influencing international postgraduate students’ psychological and sociocultural adaptations in Malaysian public universities, an emerging education hub in the region. It also further examined importance-performance matrix analysis (IPMA) of the antecedents for psychological and sociocultural adaptations as the endogenous variables to provide managerial insights for the authorities in higher education. A quantitative research approach using questionnaire was applied to get response from randomly selected international postgraduate students (i.e. Master or PhD) from top five research universities in Malaysia. The findings revealed that among the identified factors in this study perceived stereotype image and adjustment attitude were significantly related to psychological and sociocultural adaptations of the international students in Malaysia. However, attachment attitude was not significantly associated with psychological and sociocultural adaptation; and English language proficiency was not related to psychological adaptation. Moreover, the results of IPMA in SmartPLS shed some light on perceived stereotype image and adjustment attitude as the factors with the highest priority with relatively lowest performance in relation with psychological and sociocultural adaptations. Based on the results, this study derives recommendations for education policymakers and academic administrators to ensure successful international postgraduate students’ cross-cultural adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Research has shown a fall of research productivity of faculty after their promotion to professor rank. This study explores the factors that lead to this decline in research productivity of professors in medical discipline. Methods: A 20-item questionnaire was distributed online to medical professors of a Saudi, Malaysian and a Pakistani medical school. The participants were instructed to select their responses on a 5-point Likert’s scale and the collected data was analyzed for quantitative and qualitative results. Results: Of 161, 110 responded; response rate of 68.3%. About 35% professors spent 1-4 hours and 2% spent 19-25 hours per week for research. As many as 7% did not publish a single article and 29% had published 10 or more articles after attaining professor rank. During the last two years, 44% professors had published 5 or more research articles. Majority pointed out a lack of research support and funds, administrative burden and difficulty in data collection as the main obstacles to their research. Conclusions: This research has identified time constraints and insufficient support for research as key barriers to medical professors’ research productivity. Financial and technical support and lesser administrative work load are some suggested remedies to foster the professors’ research output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muslim faith healers are often sought by the Malaysian public as an avenue to address psychological distress. “Ruqyah” refers to the recitation of verses from the Qur'an and/or sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and is used by Muslim faith healers as a method of treatment. This study was conducted to assess the knowledge and attitude of Muslim faith healers in dealing with psychiatric patients in Malaysia. Seven Muslim faith healers were interviewed. The interviews were transcribed verbatim, and analysed qualitatively using thematic content analysis. The authors identified four themes: understanding of psychiatric illnesses, diagnostic competence, patients' referral, and integrating “ruqyah” into mainstream psychiatry. It was found that the respondents had limited knowledge of psychiatric illness, focusing on “ruqyah” as the main intervention in treating psychiatric illness. Recognizing the important role played by Muslim faith healers in the treatment of psychiatric illness in Malaysia, collaboration between them and fellow psychiatrists is deemed highly necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this case study was to explore patient satisfaction with the quality of prosthetic leg sockets intended for persons with lower limb amputations. A qualitative study based on in-depth interviews, preceded by a questionnaire session, was carried out with patients from the Rehabilitation Center and Hospital in Malaysia. Twelve out-patient and in-patient amputees with lower limb amputations, specifically below-knee amputations, were chosen randomly. The analysis of patients’ narratives aimed to identify the functional and esthetic characteristics of currently used prosthetic leg sockets and any problems related to them. The obtained results indicated that out of the 12 participants, 41.7% and 25% were satisfied and somewhat satisfied with their current prosthetic sockets. Durability and comfort were rated by the participants as the most important characteristics of prosthetic sockets, with 83.3%. As regards the esthetic appearance of the socket, 66.7% of the respondents considered that the most important feature was the material from which the socket was fabricated. Thus, we conclude that current satisfaction levels with the quality of prosthetic sockets among amputees in Malaysia are suitable, prosthesis being preferred by many amputees. The results can be used to direct future research on cosmesis and functionality of prosthetic socket design.Implications for RehabilitationCase study will help participants to get cost effective prosthetic leg socket.Develop prosthetic leg socket comfortable as comparative to existing one.Help Malaysian government to make policy to develop local prosthetic leg socket at affordable price. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Assessing physicians' experiences in HPV vaccine recommendation and delivery to adolescent boys is essential to providing an understanding of the issues of vaccine acceptance and an insight for policymakers to enhance HPV vaccinations among adolescent boys. Between January and April 2014 a mail survey was conducted using physicians in Malaysia known to provide either one or both HPV vaccine (Gardasil and Cervarix) immunisation services. A total of 357 completed questionnaires were received (response rate 22.5%). Of these, 335 physicians see adolescent boys aged 11 to 18 years old in their practice. Only 26.3% (n = 88) recommended the HPV vaccine to these boys. A total of 46.6% (n = 41) have successfully given the HPV vaccine to adolescent boys. A lack of proper guidelines from the health authorities regarding the recommendation of HPV vaccine to the boys (37.2%) and a lack of awareness of the availability of the vaccine for boys (32.8%) were the most commonly cited reasons for non-recommendation. Impact statement Recommending the HPV vaccine for adolescent boys remains a challenge for physicians. Our study provides evidence of challenges and barriers faced by Malaysian physicians who recommend the HPV vaccines (Gardasil and Cervarix) in their practices. In this study, physicians reported HPV vaccine uptake by adolescent boys was very poor. A lack of proper guidelines from the health authorities regarding the recommendation of HPV vaccine to boys and a lack of awareness of the availability of the vaccine for boys were the most commonly cited reasons for non-recommendation. Physicians viewed that support and encouragement from the health authorities are needed to promote the recommendation of the HPV vaccine to adolescent boys. Physicians were also of the opinion that the lay public should be educated about the availability of the HPV vaccine for boys, and its benefits, safety and efficacy, and the high susceptibility of boys to getting HPV infections. The findings provide insights that could be helpful to policymakers or high-level decision-makers of the potential strategies to enhance HPV uptake among adolescent boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding patients’ perspective towards HIV screening in Malaysia is pivotal to explore challenges faced by these individuals. This would be beneficial for developing local plans to improve the health-seeking behaviours among population at risk of HIV/AIDS. Methods: A qualitative research methodology was adopted to explore HIV/AIDS patients’ views about disease screening. A semi-structured interview guide was used for in-depth patient interviews. All interviews were audio-recorded and were subjected to a standard content analysis framework for data analysis. Results: Most patients were positive about screening and the value of knowing about their status early. However, fear of social stigma, discrimination, lack of support system and lack of public understanding were identified as major concerns affecting their willingness to be screened. They were concerned about mandatory screening being implemented without improvement in support system and public education. Conclusions: Reluctance to seek HIV screening is an important factor contributing to transmission in developing countries. In the Malaysian context, efforts should be made to strengthen screening strategies especially in the most-at-risk populations to monitor the epidemic and target prevention strategies. Practice implications: In a multicultural context, HIV preventive strategies must include disease awareness, including measure to tackle barriers towards screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity, eating disorders and unhealthy weight-loss practices have been associated with diminished growth in adolescents worldwide. Interventions that address relevant behavioural dimensions have been lacking in Malaysia. This paper describes the protocol of an integrated health education intervention namely 'Eat Right, Be Positive About Your Body and Live Actively' (EPaL), a primary prevention which aimed to promote healthy lifestyle in preventing overweight and disordered eating among secondary school adolescents aged 13-14 years old.Methods/design: Following quasi-experimental design, the intervention is conducted in two secondary schools located in the district of Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia. Adolescents aged 13-14 years will be included in the study. A peer-education strategy is adopted to convey knowledge and teach skills relevant to achieving a healthy lifestyle. The intervention mainly promoted: healthy eating, positive body image and active lifestyle. The following parameters will be assessed: body weight, disordered eating status, stages of change (for healthy diet, breakfast, food portion size, screen viewing and physical activity), body image, health-related quality of life, self-esteem, eating and physical activity behaviours; and knowledge, attitude and practice towards a healthy lifestyle. Assessment will be conducted at three time points: baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up.Discussion: It is hypothesized that EPaL intervention will contribute in preventing overweight and disordered eating by giving the positive effects on body weight status, healthy lifestyle behaviour, as well as health-related quality of life of peer educators and participants. It may serve as a model for similar future interventions designed for the Malaysian community, specifically adolescents.Trial Registration: UMIN Clinical Trial Registration UMIN000024349 (Date of registration: 11th. October 2016, retrospectively registered). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fishermen who inject drugs represent an understudied group at high risk for HIV in Malaysia. This study describes fishing, drug use, and attitudes toward medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders. Thirty-four male ethnic Malay fishermen completed semistructured interviews analyzed by content analysis. Analysis revealed four themes surrounding opioids, which they called ubat (“medicine”): (a) the fishing lifestyle facilitating substance use, (b) previous unsuccessful attempts to quit, (c) categorizing substances as haram or halal, and (d) attitudes toward MAT. Fishermen's environment permits substance use, including injecting drugs on boats. Fishermen expressed more positive attitudes toward methadone and negative attitudes toward buprenorphine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some Malaysian scholars believe that the theoretical basis and models of intervention in Islamic counseling practices in Malaysia are deficient and not eminently identified. This study investigated and describes the nature of current Islamic counseling practices including the theories and modules of Islamic counseling that are been practiced in Malaysia. This qualitative research has employed data that mainly consist of texts gathered from literatures and semi-structured interviews of 18 informants. It employed grounded theory analysis, and the result shows that most of the practitioners had applied integrated conventional counseling theories with Islamic rituals, references, interventions and ethics. Some had also applied Islamic theories and modules formulated in Malaysia such as iCBT, al-Ghazali counseling theories, Cognitive ad-Deen, KBJ, Prophetic Counseling and Asma Allah al-Husna Counseling Therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Malay version of the Psychosocial Impact of Dental Aesthetics Questionnaire has been validated for use by Malaysian adolescents. Although Malay is their national language, English is widely used as the lingua franca among Malaysians of different ethnicities. This study aimed to validate an English version of the PIDAQ adapted for use by Malaysian adolescents to optimize data capture from adolescents who prefer English as the medium for communication.Methods: The published English version of PIDAQ was pilot tested on 12- to 17-year-old adolescents, resulting in a few modifications to suit the Malaysian variety of English. Psychometric properties were tested on 393 adolescents who attended orthodontic practices and selected schools. Malocclusion was assessed using the Malocclusion Index, an aggregation of Perception of Occlusion Scale and the Aesthetic Component of the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need, by the subjects (MI-S) and investigators (MI-D). Data were analysed for internal consistency and age-associated invariance, discriminant, construct and criterion validities, reproducibility and floor and ceiling effects using AMOS v.20 and SPSS v.20.Results: The item Don't like own teeth on video of the Aesthetic Concern (AC) subscale was not relevant to a large proportion of participants (11.7%). Therefore, it was removed and the Malaysian English PIDAQ was analysed based on 22 items instead of 23 items. Confirmatory factor analysis showed good fit statistics (comparative fit index: 0.902, root-mean-square error of approximation: 0.066). Internal consistency was good for the Dental Self-Confidence, Social Impact and Psychological Impact subscales (Cronbach's alpha: 0.70-0.95) but lower (0.52-0.62) though acceptable for the AC subscale as it consisted of only 2 items. The reproducibility test was acceptable (intra-class correlations: 0.53-0.78). For all PIDAQ subscales, the MI-S and MI-D scores of those with severe malocclusion differed significantly from those with no or slight malocclusion. There were significant associations between the PIDAQ subscales with ranking of perceived dental appearance, need for braces and impact of malocclusion on daily activities. There were no floor or ceiling effects.Conclusion: The adapted Malaysian English PIDAQ demonstrated adequate psychometric properties that are valid and reliable for assessment of psychological impacts of dental aesthetics among Malaysian adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]