RESUMO
The Prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Malaysia shows a rising trend that influences the society in many respects. Country specific evidence is vital for effective intervention. The aims of this study were to identify the role of gender and urbanisation status on NCDs prevalence and its effect on health care demand, specifically doctor visits among elderly in Malaysia. We focused on two of the highest occurrence NCDs in the country – diabetes mellitus and hypertension. A total of 1,414 respondents aged 60 years and above were selected using a multistage sampling for face-to-face interview. We started the analysis with descriptive analysis of the prevalence, taking the effect of gender and urbanisation status of residing area. We extended the study with parametric analysis to find the effect of these health problems on the likelihood of doctor visits as it reflects the equity for access and utilisation issues. Results showed that there were no significant difference of prevalence by gender and urbanisation for hypertension and diabetes mellitus. By utilising probit model, we found that those with diabetes mellitus or hypertension, controlling for other variables, were more likely to utilise doctor services. This result implies that the prevalence of NCDs may further increase demand for health care, especially in the state with a high proportion of older age groups.
RESUMO
Mental health is an integral component to the formation of human capital performance. Human capital with high productivity is the key factor to the growth of a country. Thus, this study aims to investigate the relationship between the level of mental health of undergraduate students in Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) with their performance. Mental health was measured using the General Health Questionnaire 12-item (GHQ-12) and the performance was based on the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). A total of 316 undergraduate students at UUM had answered questionnaires that were distributed. The data were analysed descriptively and the effect of the level of mental health on performance was tested using probit model. Based on GHQ-12, 48% respondents were found to have a good mental health status. A total of 67.21% of the students who obtain CGPA 3.67 and above have a good level of health compared with only 36.08% for those with CGPA under 3.67. Based on the probit model, the level of mental health was found to be significant at 1% level in influencing the CGPA. These findings provide indication to policy makers of the importance of mental health in influencing the students’ performance. Mental health education programs should be implemented or enhanced to raise awareness of the importance of good mental health state among students in higher education institution.
