Violence-related behaviours among Malaysian adolescents: a cross sectional survey among secondary school students in Negeri Sembilan.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of violence-related behaviours among adolescents and the factors associated with it. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional school survey conducted on 4500 adolescent students, using a structured questionnaire. Data were collected using the supervised self-administered questionnaire [a modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance in the Malaysian National Language (Bahasa Malaysia)]. RESULTS: Our study showed that 27.9% of students had been involved in a physical fight, 6.6% had been injured in a fight, 5.9% had carried a weapon, 7.2% had felt unsafe, 18.5% had had their money stolen and 55.0% had had their property stolen. Adolescents who carried weapons to school, smoked, used drugs, felt sad or hopeless and played truant were more likely to be involved in physical fights after adjusting for age, sex, and ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Violence-related behaviours among adolescents, especially involvement in physical fights, are common and are positively associated with certain factors such as smoking, taking drugs, playing truant, feeling sad or hopeless. Interventions designed at targeting adolescent violence should also address these factors and target the high-risk groups. There may be a need to identify and provide services for adolescents who exhibit these factors.

Factors relating to adolescent suicidal behavior: a cross-sectional Malaysian school survey.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to examine factors relating to adolescent suicide behavior. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional school survey of 4,500 adolescent students based on a structured questionnaire. Data were collected using the supervised self-administered questionnaire (modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance in the Malaysian National Language, Bahasa Malaysia). RESULTS: Seven percent (312 of 4,454) of the adolescent students had seriously considered attempting suicide. Among the adolescents, 4.6% had attempted suicide at least once during the 12 months preceding the survey. Female adolescents were more likely to put their suicidal thoughts into suicidal action than were male adolescents. Malay and Indian people are more likely than the Chinese to respond, "Felt sad and hopeless." However, Malay adolescents had the lowest rate of attempted suicide. Based on multiple logistic regression, factors significantly related to urban adolescents' suicide behavior are "Felt sad or hopeless," "Number of days felt unsafe to go to school," "Riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol," "Physical fight," and "Number of days absent from school." In comparison, factors relating to rural adolescents' suicide behavior are "Felt sad or hopeless," "Physical fight," "Physical fight resulting in injury," and "Drive a vehicle after drinking alcohol." CONCLUSION: Adolescent suicide behavior should be viewed as a serious problem. Measures can be taken to prevent suicide by looking at the factors significantly linked to suicidal behavior among adolescents. Steps can then be taken to identify adolescents who have serious suicidal ideation so that intervention can be taken to reduce the suicidal rate.

Atención de salud en las selvas de Sarawak / Health care in Sarawak's jungles

En el Distrito de Baram, Sarawak, Malasia, se está aplicando un sistema de atención primaria de salud en beneficio de los penans, pueblo que, hasta fecha reciente, era nómada. Muchos de sus componentes tratan actualmente de adoptar un modo de vida sedentario, lo que crea especiales problemas de salud para ellos, porque la gente carece de los conocimientos necesarios para vivir siempre en un mismo lugar. Hasta el momento se han hecho ya considerables progresos en la atención de salud de la nadre y el niño y en la cobertura con inmunización

Health care in Sarawak's jungles

A primary health care system is being developed in Baram District, Sarawak, Malaysia, for the benefit of the Penans, who until recently, were largely nomadic. Many of them are now attempting to adopt a settled mode of existence, and this in itself creates special health problems because the people lack the skills needed for living in one place. Substantial progress has already been achieved in mother and child care and in immunization coverage

Cómo sacar la lepra al descubierto

A study in Sarawak, Malasya, revealed diverse opinions, prejudices and degrees of knowledge about leprosy among various ethnic groups. The information gathered was used as the base on which a health education package relating to the disease was established. It is intended that this will lead to the early detection and treatment of a higher proportion of cases than has previosly been possible