ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND THEIR ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG THE COMMUNITY IN PAHANG, MALAYSIA The proliferation of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or vaping users shows the current trend is now on the rise locally or globally. It has gained popularity because people are accepting it as an alternative to traditional tobacco smoking. There is a bundle of information about the advantages and disadvantages of e-cigarettes, with conflicting results that affect public understanding and attitude towards the usage of e-cigarettes. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge and attitude on e-cigarettes including their associated factors among one of the communities in Pahang, Malaysia. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted among 394 community members using online self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaire consists of 3 parts: Socio-demographic, knowledge, and attitude toward e-cigarettes. The data were analysed by SPSS version 24, using descriptive and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to answer the research aim. 48.5% of the participants exhibited a high level of knowledge regarding e-cigarettes, while 84% of them exhibited a positive attitude towards e-cigarettes. A MANOVA showed statistically significant multivariate effects of gender and smoking status (p < 0.001). Further analysis of univariate ANOVA revealed significant main effects of gender and smoking status on the attitude of e-cigarettes. Post-hoc analysis indicated that both passive and non-smoker have significance effect towards attitude as compared to smoker (p < 0.001). This study showed that community members are more likely to be knowledgeable about e-smoking. However, holistic community education programs and health campaigns should be undertaken to shape attitudes towards e-smoking by providing accurate information on e-cigarettes and preventing the rise of e-cigarette users. The government should take action by adopting tobacco control measures comprehensively that including e-cigarette regulations.

Introduction: One of the rising mental health issues among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic is anxiety. As future healthcare front-liners, nursing students are expected to perform good self-care to deliver quality care to patients. The purpose of the present study is to examine the factors associated with anxiety and its’ self-care measures among nursing students. Methods: The study recruited over 200 students in the East Coast region of Malaysia and the online survey was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between December 2020 and January 2021. The questions were in 3 parts: Socio-demographic, Self-care assessment worksheet (SCAW), and Burns Anxiety Inventory. Descriptive statistics, correlational analysis, and multiple linear regression were used to answer the research aim. Results: The range of anxiety levels among the nursing students was from no anxiety (7.5%) to severe anxiety or panic (28.9%, 17.9%). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed two predictors associated with higher level of anxiety were the first-year nursing students (bb =10.90, CI=4.49, 17.30), and respondents who stated having fairly satisfied with the nursing program (bb =13.50, CI=5.10, 21.90). Among the self-care components, result revealed that higher levels of physical care throughout the semester predicted lower anxiety (bb =-0.85, CI=-1.328, -0.372, p<0.05). Conclusion: The study’s overall finding is that nursing students’ participation in self-care, particularly physical care, may help to lessen anxiety. Our findings are significant because self-care can complement psychiatric interventions for people with high levels of anxiety and is a significant contributor to mental well-being.

Introduction: Nursing is a theory-practice course that requires high-quality and effective clinical education experiences. Clinical placement is one of the most important parts of nursing education; that can be challenging, stressful, and causes unpredictable changes. However, studies describing the challenges during clinical placement faced by nursing students are scarce. This study aimed to explore the challenges of Malaysian nursing students during a clinical placement at hospitals. Methods: A phenomenology qualitative study was conducted among nursing students at a public university in Malaysia. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data from October 2020 until November 2020. All interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Five themes emerged from this study: 1) attitude of the nurse, 2) patient’s distrust, 3) student’s issues, 4) learning environment, and 5) theory-practice gaps. Conclusion: This study revealed that nursing students face many challenges during their clinical postings. Therefore, various methods could be applied to increase the quality of practical sessions. Additionally, further research is needed to assess the coping strategies used by nursing students in dealing with the challenges during their clinical placement and the effectiveness of the interventions taken by the authority in helping the students.

Introduction: Breast cancer is a significant health problem that affects patients and their family members. Family members are often key to supporting the patient. However, there is an inadequate understanding of the role of female breast cancer patients’ family members in Malaysia. This study aimed to explore the roles of family members of female breast cancer patients from symptom appraisal until the patient treatment commences. Methods: Snowball sampling was applied and 14 participants were recruited through the nomination of the female breast cancer patients. The participants took part in in-depth, face-to-face, and audio-recorded one-time interviews. All of the interviews were subsequently transcribed verbatim and analysed using narrative analysis. Results: Five themes were identified with regard to the roles of family members: 1) confirming breast changes; 2) managing personal emotions; 3) seeking the information; 4) seeking alternative forms of treatment; and 5) advocating for conventional treatment. Conclusion: This study discovered that family members play an important role in the journey of women with breast cancer from the time an abnormality is discovered to the time the patient receives treatment. During this time, many of them suppressed their emotions in order to focus on the women suffering from breast cancer. Healthcare professionals working with breast cancer should recognise and support the key role of family members in supporting women to get treatment. It is important to take a proactive approach in recognising the early signs of stress for family members and, when appropriate, offering them additional sources of support.