Physical activity reduces risk of non-communicable diseases. Physical activity prevalence is low due to barriers to physical activity. This study was conducted to translate the Barrier to Physical Activity (BPA) questionnaire into Malay and assess the reliability and validity of the translated version among nurses. The Malay version of BPA was developed after translating the English version of BPA through back to back translation process. The Malay BPA was distributed among 306 volunteered nurses from 5 government hospitals in Selangor state. Factor analysis, Cronbach’s alpha test and test – retest reliability was conducted to determine psychometric properties of BPA. Chronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.79 for perceived benefits items and 0.51 for perceived barrier items (overall was 0.73). The ICC was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.78-0.93) for test-retest testing after 7 days. Two factors components were yielded through exploratory factor analysis with eigenvalues of 3.9 and 2.0 respectively. Both the factors accounts for 31.4 % of the variance. Factor 1 included 14 items and explained 19.9% of the variance. Factor 2 consisted of 5 items and explained 11.5% of variance. CFA yielded two factor structures with acceptable goodness of fit indices [x2/df = 23.99; GFI = 0.82, SRMR = 0.09; PNFI = 0.49 and RMSEA = 0.10 (90%CI = 0.09-0.11)]. The Malay version of BPA had demonstrated satisfactory level of validity and reliability to assess barriers to physical activity. Therefore, this questionnaire is valid in assessing barriers to physical activity among working population.​

Background: The Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10) is widely used to assess stress perception. The aim of this study was to translate the original PSS-10 into Malay and assess the reliability and validity of the Malay version among nurses. Methods: The Malay version of the PSS-10 was distributed among 229 nurses from four government hospitals in Selangor State. Test-retest reliability and concurrent validity was conducted with 25 nurses with the Malay version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) 21. Cronbach’s alpha, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), intraclass correlation coefficient and Pearson’s r correlation coefficient were used to determine the psychometric properties of the Malay PSS-10. Results: Two factor components were yielded through exploratory factor analysis with eigenvalues of 3.37 and 2.10, respectively. Both of the factors accounted for 54.6% of the variance. CFA yielded a two-factor structure with satisfactory goodness-of-fit indices [x2/df = 2.43; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.92, goodness-of-fit Index (GFI) = 0.94; standardised root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.07 and root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.08 (90% CI = 0.07–0.09)]. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the total items was 0.63 (0.82 for factor 1 and 0.72 for factor 2). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.81 (95% CI: 0.62–0.91) for test-retest reliability testing after seven days. The total score and the negative component of the PSS-10 correlated significantly with the stress component of the DASS-21: (r = 0.61, P < 0.001) and (r = 0.56, P < 0.004), respectively. Conclusion: The Malay version of the PSS-10 demonstrated a satisfactory level of validity and reliability to assess stress perception. Therefore, this questionnaire is valid in assessing stress perception among nurses in Malaysia.

Background: The Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS-10) is a validated and reliable instrument to measure global levels of perceived stress. This study aims to assess the internal consistency, reliability, and factor structure of the Malay version of the PSS-10 for use among medical students. Methods: The original English version of the PSS-10 was translated and back-translated into Malay language. The Malay version was distributed to 242 Bachelor of Medical Science students in a private university in Malaysia. Test–retest reliability was assessed in 70 students. An exploratory principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation was performed. Reliability was tested using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: All 242 students participated in the initial questionnaire study (validity and factor structure), and 70 students participated in the test–retest reliability of the study. Exploratory factor analysis yielded 2 factors that accounted for 57.8% of the variance. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the 2 factors were 0.85 and 0.70, respectively. The reliability test showed an ICC of 0.82 (95% CI: 0.70, 0.89). Conclusion: The Malay version of the PSS-10 showed adequate psychometric properties. It is a useful instrument for measuring stress among medical students in Malaysia.

Background: Stress may affect students’ health and their academic performance. Coping strategies are specific efforts that individuals employ to manage stress. This study aimed to assess the perception of stress among medical students and their coping strategies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 376 medical and medical sciences undergraduates in Management and Science University in Malaysia. Stress was assessed by a global rating of stress. Sources of stress were assessed using a 17-item questionnaire. The validated Brief COPE inventory was used to assess coping strategies. Results: The majority of respondents were females (64.4%), aged 21 years or older (63.0%), and were Malays (68.9%). Forty-six percent felt stress. The most common stressor was worries of the future (71.0%), followed by financial difficulties (68.6%). Significant predictors of stress were smoking (OR = 2.9 , 95% CI 1.3–6.8, P = 0.009), worries of the future (OR = 2.1 , 95% CI 1.3–3.4, P = 0.005), self-blame (OR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.1–1.5, P = 0.001), lack of emotional support (OR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.7–0.9, P = 0.017), and lack of acceptance (OR = 0.8, 95% CI 0.6–0.9, P = 0.010). Students used active coping, religious coping reframing, planning, and acceptance to cope with stress. Conclusion: Stressors reported by the students were mainly financial and academic issues. Students adopted active coping strategies rather than avoidance. Students should receive consultation on how to manage and cope with stress.