ABSTRACT
Objectives@#Sarcopenia has emerged as a significant aging-related disease that affects many facets of societal-level and patient-level public health. This study analysed knowledge of sarcopenia and associated socio-demographic factors among the general public of Malaysia in order to effectively improve its prevention and countermeasures. @*Methods@#A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Selangor, Malaysia, using Google Forms among 202 Malaysian adults from January 1, 2021 to March 31, 2021. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge scores. The continuous variables were evaluated using the independent t-test, Mann–Whitney test, and one-way analysis of variance test. The Spearman correlation coefficient was employed to determine the correlation between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge score levels. @*Results@#The final analysis included 202 participants. The mean±standard deviation age was 49.03±12.65. Only 6.9% of participants had good knowledge of sarcopenia and were aware of sarcopenia’s characteristics, consequences, and treatments. Post-hoc comparisons using the Dunnett T3 test showed statistical significance in mean knowledge score and age group (p=0.011) and education level (p≤0.001). The Mann–Whitney test revealed that gender (p=0.026) and current smoking status (p=0.023) significantly influenced knowledge scores. @*Conclusions@#The general public’s knowledge of sarcopenia was found to be poor to moderate and associated with age and education status. Therefore, education and interventions by policymakers and healthcare professionals to improve public knowledge of sarcopenia in Malaysia are needed.
ABSTRACT
@#Introduction: Nursing education and training is known to be an inherently stressful experience and poses challenging demands for students. The aim of this study is to evaluate the stress levels among nursing students from different ethnic groups in Malaysia. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited the January to February 2020 nursing students from a private university in Malaysia with a self-administered questionnaire. Participants’ level of stress was measured using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) developed by Sheu and colleague in 2002. Data collected were analyzed with, One-way ANOVA and Spearman analysis to determine the significant factors associated with stress. Results: Two hundred nursing students across years one to three enrolled. The mean monthly household (family) income was MYR4686.25 ± 4660.38. Stress was significantly associated with ethnicity and monthly household (family) income (p< 0.05). Bonferroni post-hoc test demonstrated that the mean stress level of Malay students is statistically significant compared to Chinese and Indian students (p< 0.001). The PSS determined the nursing students’ stress level to be moderate. Conclusion: The association of stress levels with ethnicity, and monthly household (family) income suggested the need for suitable cultural and sufficient financial support for nursing students to reduce their stress levels.