1.Awareness, Attitude and Behaviour Related to the Intake of Dietary Supplements among Malaysian Pregnant Women
Nur Aizati Athirah Daud ; Samah Alzaid Mukhlef ; Fatimatuzzahra&rsquo ; Abdul Aziz
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2020;16(No.4):81-88
Introduction: With the expanding need of nutrients to support fetal growth during pregnancy, pregnant women are
recommended to take dietary supplements. However, the intake of these supplements in Malaysia are not much reported. We aimed to determine the awareness, attitude and behaviour among pregnant women related to intake of dietary supplements during pregnancy and associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among
pregnant women attending Obstetrics and Gynecology Specialist Clinic at Penang General Hospital between April
and June 2018. Convenience sampling was used, and data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire.
Awareness, attitude and behaviour were reported as frequency and percentages, and logistic regression was used to
report associated factors. Analyses were performed using SPSS Statistics (Version 22). Results: A total of 273 respondents completed the questionnaires. While the awareness level on the role of dietary supplements during pregnancy is
high (87.9%, n=240), only half of the respondents had a good attitude (53.5%, n=146) and had been taking essential
supplements during pregnancy (49.1%, n=134). Having health problem was inversely associated with a good attitude
towards the use of dietary supplements (OR=0.52, 95% CI 0.31-0.88), while respondents with a good awareness
and a good attitude were more likely to consume dietary supplements (OR: 6.51, 95% CI 2.42 – 17.55, OR: 2.07,
95% CI 1.26 – 3.41, respectively). Conclusion: While the awareness level on the role of dietary supplements during
pregnancy is high, only half of the respondents had a good attitude towards its intake and had been taking essential
supplements during pregnancy.
2.Reliability and Validity of the Malay Version of the Return and Disposal of Unused Medications (Redium) Questionnaire in Malaysia and the General Public’s Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Unused Medications
Siew Chin Ong ; Irwinder Kaur Chhabra ; Guat See Ooi ; Nur Aizati Athirah Daud ; Asrul Akmal Shafie ; Mohamed Azmi Ahmad Hassali
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2021;17(No.3):22-30
Introduction: In understanding of the general public’s knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on the returning
and disposal of unused medications is imperative towards the designing of better educational materials and policy
development. The objectives of this study was to validate the Malay version of the Return and Disposal of Unused
Medications (ReDiUM) questionnaire for use among Malaysian as well as to gain an understanding on these patterns
of behaviour among Malaysians. Methods: The English version of the ReDiUM was translated into Malay language
according to international guidelines. Content and face validity of the questionnaire was examined by experts.
Subsequently, the questionnaire was pilot tested in 10 native speakers. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s
alpha coefficients. The test-retest reliability was measured with Spearman’s Correlation Coefficient and Cohen’s κ
coefficient. Public were recruited through convenient sampling for the study. Results: The study recruited 319 respondents. For test-retest reliability, all the correlation coefficient values were >0.5 indicating strong reliability (26
respondents). Except few items, most of the kappa coefficients were >0.61 indicating substantial to almost perfect
agreement. Cronbach’s alpha of the KAP domains were 0.585, 0.770 and 0.759, respectively. The median knowledge score was only 50% with some negative attitudes and practices found. Conclusions: The translated questionnaire was valid and reliable for use in Malaysia with acceptable to strong internal consistency and most items with
substantial to almost perfect agreement. The findings from the study provide supporting evidence for policy makers
to develop interventions to help with reducing wastage and optimize healthcare expenditure.