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Objectives: Knowledge of smoking is a protective factor for adolescent smoking. This study is the first to examine sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with adolescents' knowledge of smoking in Timor-Leste. It is also a pioneering investigation into the ways in which exposure to anti-tobacco messages and health warnings on cigarette packages, and involvement in smoking-related education at schools and home mediate the relationship between school grade levels and smoking knowledge., Methods: Data were obtained from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey Timor-Leste. Ordered logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between knowledge of smoking and sociodemographic, and lifestyle factors. Structural equation modelling was utilized to explore the mediating effects., Results: Adolescents were less likely to have high knowledge of smoking if they were lower-secondary students, were males, had unemployed parents and had no closest friends who smoked. The relationship between grade levels and smoking knowledge was partly mediated by awareness of anti-tobacco messages on mass media, school education about the dangers of smoking and family discussion about smoking., Conclusions: Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors play an important role in determining knowledge of smoking among adolescents. To some extent, awareness-, education- and family-related variables explain how grade levels affect smoking knowledge., (© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.)

This study explores the correlates of sociodemographic factors, smoking, and caloric knowledge to body mass index awareness with a focus on Malaysia. Logistic regressions were estimated to examine sociodemographic factors associated with body mass index awareness. More than half of respondents were unaware of their body mass index (54.8%). Age was negatively associated with body mass index awareness. Adults without formal education were less likely to know their body mass index than those with tertiary-level education. Adults were less likely to be aware of their body mass index if they engaged in smoking. Adults with knowledge of the definition of calories were more aware of their body mass index than others. The findings emphasize the urgent need for a forthcoming sociodemographic factors-specific policy directed toward improving body mass index awareness to lower the prevalence of obesity in Malaysia., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between high-risk behaviours and personal and family factors among adolescents in Malaysia., Methods: A nationwide data set was examined for this secondary data analysis. The dependent variable was the degree of risk, which was measured based on the number of high-risk behaviours in which adolescents participated. Age, gender, ethnicity, self-rated academic performance, family size, parental marital status and parental academic attainment were included as independent variables. Analyses stratified by educational level were conducted. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated using ordered logit., Results: The most common high-risk behaviour among Malaysian adolescents was physical inactivity (35.97%), followed by smoking (13.27%) and alcohol consumption (4.45%). The majority of adolescents had low risks (52.93%), while only a small proportion had high risks (6.08%). Older age was associated with increased odds of having high risks (OR: 1.26). Male adolescents had higher odds of being in a high-risk category compared to female adolescents (OR: 1.28). Compared to Malays, Chinese adolescents had higher odds of being in a high-risk category (OR: 1.71), whereas Indian adolescents had lower odds (OR: 0.65). Excellent academic performance was associated with reduced odds of participating in high-risk behaviours (OR: 0.41)., Conclusion: Personal factors are important determinants of high-risk behaviours. This study provides a better understanding of those adolescent groups that are at greater risk., Practical Implications: An intervention directed towards reducing participation in high-risk behaviours among adolescents who have both poor academic performance and less-educated parents may yield promising outcomes., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The objective of present study is to investigate the determinants of smoking behaviour among adults in Malaysia., Method: Findings of the Third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-3) by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia, were used. The sample consisted of 34,539 observations. A logistic regression model was thus applied to estimate the probability to participate in smoking., Results: Age, income, gender, marital status, ethnicity, employment status, residential area, education, lifestyle and health status were statistically significant in affecting the likelihood of smoking. Specifically, youngsters, low income earners, males, unmarried individuals, Malays, employed individuals, rural residents and primary educated individuals were more likely to smoke., Conclusion: In conclusion, socio-demographic, lifestyle and health factors have significant impacts on smoking participation in Malaysia. Based on these empirical findings, several policy implications are suggested.

Objective: Adolescent sleep problems are a worldwide public health issue. The present study examines factors associated with worry‐related sleep problems among school‐going adolescents. The country of interest is Timor‐Leste, a low‐income country, where studies pertaining to adolescent sleep problems are lacking. Design and Measures: Data were analysed from the Global School‐Based Student Health Survey Timor‐Leste (n = 3455). An ordered probit model was used to assess the effects of demographic, lifestyle, social, and psychological factors on different levels of worry‐related sleep problems (i.e., no, mild and severe sleep problems). Results: School‐going adolescents were more likely to face mild or severe worry‐related sleep problems if they were older, passive smokers, alcohol drinkers and moderately active. School‐going adolescents who sometimes or always went hungry were more likely to experience worry‐related sleep problems than those who did not. Involvement in physical fights, being bullied, and loneliness were positively associated with the probability of having modest or severe worry‐related sleep problems. Conclusion: Age, exposure to second‐hand smoke, alcohol consumption, physical activity, going hungry, physical fights, being bullied and loneliness are the important determining factors of adolescent worry‐related sleep problems. Policymakers should pay special attention to these factors when formulating intervention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco epidemic is a serious global health issue, and it is responsible for various illnesses. The objective of this study is to examine sociodemographic and lifestyle factors associated with the use of tobacco and smokeless tobacco among the population in Timor-Leste. Information on tobacco consumption, sociodemographic profiles, and lifestyle behavior was obtained from the Timor–Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016. A bivariate probit regression method was developed to analyze data from 17229 respondents. The effects of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors on the likelihood of using tobacco and smokeless tobacco were estimated. Age, gender, educational level, wealth quintiles, employment status and alcohol drinking were significantly associated with the use of tobacco and smokeless tobacco. Older individuals, males, employed individuals and alcohol drinkers were more likely to be dual users than younger individuals, females, unemployed individuals and non-alcoholic drinkers. Having a high educational level and being in a wealthy quintile were protective against being a dual user. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors play an important role in determining the use of tobacco and smokeless tobacco in Timor-Leste. The findings of this study could help the authorities in formulating more effective tobacco control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the present study is to examine the sociodemographic determinants of amount of smoking knowledge in Malaysia. Data are obtained from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). The GATS uses a multistage stratified sampling. A total of 4,153 respondents are used for analyses. The effects of sociodemographic factors on smoking knowledge are examined using a negative binomial regression. Age, wealth index, education, ethnicity, house locality, and smoking behavior are significantly associated with smoking knowledge. In particular, there are negative relationships between smoking knowledge and higher wealth index, less-educated individuals, Chinese, rural dwellers, and smokers. The present study concludes that sociodemographic factors play an important role in determining smoking knowledge. Hence, as an intervention measure directed toward improving the knowledge of smoking among Malaysian population, effective policies should pay special attention to individuals who are likely to have poor information on smoking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having a better understanding of the factors associated with sexual behaviour among adolescents is important as it may assist government in lowering the prevalence of teen pregnancy. The objective of the present study is to examine the effects of demographic and lifestyle factors on the likelihood of engaging in sexual intercourse with a focus on Malaysian adolescents. Using a nationally representative data collected by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, the present study finds that age, self-rated academic performance, parents’ marital status, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking can significantly affect the sexual behaviour among adolescents. The present study concludes by discussing the policy implications of these findings. As a measure towards reducing underage sex, successful policies should be targeted primarily at adolescents who aged more than 16 years self-rate their academic performance as poor, have single parents, and adopt alcohol drinking and cigarette smoking behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]