Introduction: The objective of the present study was to investigate the influences of sociodemographic factors on consumption of high-sodium foods among adults in Malaysia. Methods: Data were extracted from the Malaysian Community Salt Survey (MyCoSS) (n=1046). A seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) was utilised to assess factors associated with the number of servings of high-sodium foods (nasi lemak, roti canai, fried rice, fried noodles, and fried vermicelli) consumed per week. The independent variables were sociodemographic factors. Results: Younger individuals consumed more high-sodium foods than their older counterparts. Adults with secondary level education consumed more high-sodium foods compared with those with tertiary level education. Consumption of high-sodium foods was higher among males and Malays compared to females and non-Malays. Conclusion: Consumption of high-sodium foods was common in the population. Sociodemographic factors, such as age, education level, gender, and ethnicity, play an important role in influencing the decisions of people to consume high-sodium foods.

Introduction: Adolescents are the future generation, and their support for smoke-free policies might create momentum for future stringent smoke-free initiatives. This study aimed to determine the levels and factors associated with support for smoking in public areas among Malaysian school-going adolescents aged 10-19 years Methods: The data were derived from the Tobacco and E-cigarettes among adolescents in Malaysia (TECMA), which employed the cross-sectional study design and multistage sampling to select the representative samples of school-going adolescents. Data was obtained through self-administered of pre-validated questionnaire. Descriptive study, cross-tabulation and multivariable analysis were used for analysis Conclusion The level of support for smoke-free initiative in public areas was high among youths in Malaysia, and this might offer promising prospects to expand the non-smoking areas to more public areas in the future.

Introduction: Multitude studies have shown perception is an integral factor associated with smoking, However, no such tool was available in Malay language. In this study, we established a Bahasa Malaysia version of PTSQ (BM-PTSQ) and tested the validity and reliability among secondary school adolescents. Methods: The English version of PTSQ originally consists of 12 items. It was translated into Bahasa Malaysia and back-translated again into English to check for consistency. After face validity (face-to-face query) was determined among 20 secondary school adolescents, only 10 items were included in the survey. Construct validity was established from 407 school adolescents through random selection in the same locality. More than 60% of the respondents were female, a majority (67.3%) were schooling in rural areas. Then, the reliability of the questionnaire was determined with Cronbach's alpha. Results: EFA has grouped PTSQ into two components, they are associated with either knowledge or attitude towards smoking. The variance and Cronbach's alpha for the first and second component were 38.24% and 0.861 (7 items) and 21.62% and 0.661 (3 items) respectively. Conclusion The PTSQ showed good validity and reliability for measurement of perception in smoking among school adolescents in Malaysia, thus this is a viable measurement tool. More importantly this study shows an urgent need to improve the smoking education among adolescents in Malaysia.

Introduction: The prevalence of e-cigarette smoking is increasing. Many people still have a poor understanding of the risks of e-cigarettes. The purpose of this study is to examine sociodemographic factors associated with knowledge about e-cigarettes with a focus on the perception that e-cigarettes are less dangerous than regular cigarettes. Methods: Multivariable logistic regressions are utilised to estimate the effects of sociodemographic factors on the likelihood of having the perception that e-cigarettes are less dangerous than regular cigarettes. These regressions are stratified by ethnic groups. A Malaysian nationwide survey that consists of a large sample size (n = 4176) is used for secondary analysis. Results: Age, gender and educational level are associated with the perception about e-cigarettes. Older individuals are less likely to think that e-cigarettes are less dangerous than regular cigarettes compared with younger individuals. Males are more likely to have the perception that e-cigarettes are less dangerous than regular cigarettes relative to females. Having primary or secondary educational level rather than tertiary educational level is associated with a reduced likelihood of having the perception that e-cigarettes are less dangerous than regular cigarettes. Conclusions Sociodemographic factors play an important role in determining the perception about e-cigarettes. Nationwide policies directed toward improving knowledge about e-cigarettes among individuals who think that e-cigarettes are less dangerous than regular cigarettes may be effective in lowering the risk of suffering from the currently unknown long-term negative effect of e-cigarettes.

Introduction: The use of e-cigarettes has increased rapidly around the world including in Malaysia. However, a significant proportion of people who started using e-cigarettes later discontinued using them. The aim of this study is to identify prevalence of former e-cigarette use and factors associated with quitting, among Malaysian adults. Methods: This study is a part of a national household survey examining the use of e-cigarettes among Malaysian adults aged 18 years and above in 2016. A multistage stratified cluster sampling method was used in the survey. A bilingual (Malay and English) structured questionnaire was used and data was collected via face-to-face interview. Prevalence of current e-cigarette use and former e-cigarette use were determined. A multiple logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with quitting e-cigarettes. Results: A total of 4,288 adults participated in the survey, where 110 (3.2%) and 289 (8.6%) were identified as current and former e-cigarette users respectively. The following factors were significantly associated with quitting e-cigarette use: e-cigarette users who had no exposure to e-cigarettes at the workplace (aOR = 2.70; 95% CI: 1.39, 5.24); the perception that e-cigarette is more harmful to others compared to tobacco smoke (aOR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.22, 4.97); and the perception that e-cigarettes do not help people to maintain cigarette abstinence (aOR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.23, 3.92). Conclusions This study contributes to a better understanding of the factors associated with cessation of e-cigarettes. Findings from this study can assist any e-cigarette cessation intervention measures.

Introduction The information of prevalence and associated factor(s) with smoking cessation among the elderly will assist in formulating the suitable policies and reducing the mortality among Malaysian elderly due to smoking-related diseases. This paper aims to describe the prevalence and factors associated with smoking cessation among Malaysian elderly. Methods We carried out the population-based study using the cross-sectional study design and a sample size of 2,674 respondents obtained via a multistage sampling method. Validated questionnaire and face-to-face interviews approach were the methodologies employed to collect data from the selected respondents. The interview was conducted by trained enumerator using a standardized and validated questionnaire. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression were used in data analysis. Results The present findings demonstrated that almost 1 out of 10 of Malaysian elderly are current smokers. The prevalence of smoking was significantly higher among men (28.1%) compared to women (2.9%). Multivariable analysis showed that females (AOR 2.33, 95 CI 1.66-4.55) and those with advancing age were more likely to stop smoking compared to the younger-aged elderly (70-74 year, AOR 2.38(95 CI 1.24-4.53), 75 year and above, AOR 2.82, (95CI, 1.57-5.05. 60-64 years as reference), whiles other ethnicities (AOR 0.11, 95 CI 0.02-0.61) were less likely to cease smoking compared to elderly from Chinese descent. Based on multivariate analysis, diabetes, hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were not significant factors associated with smoking cessation. Conclusions The study has shown a low proportion of Malaysian elderly is ex- smoker. Suitable measures and programmes should be formulated and implemented to focus on the elderly groups identified in this study, to increase the quit smoking rate among them and subsequently to increase the quality of life by reducing the burden of smoking-related disease among the Malaysian elderly. Keywords Malaysian elderly - smoking cessation - chronic diseases.

The present study examines age and education determinants of consumption of medical care using Malaysian data. The present study offers a better understanding of the effects of age and education on medical care and assists policy makers in developing more effective intervention measures to improve population health. A nationally representative data with a large sample size (n = 14838) was used for analyses. Several important findings are noteworthy. First, age and education are positively associated with consumption of medical care. Second, the impact of education on medical care varies across age. Third, there is no diminishing marginal effect of education on medical care. Findings of the present study suggest that age and education play an important role in determining consumption of medical care. When designing policies to improve population health, consideration should be given to the effects of age and education factors on consumption of medical care. It is important for policy makers to understand which age group and education level of people are more or less likely to use medical care.

Identification of the stages of smoking cessation among smokers is essential to improve the rate of smoking cessation. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence and factors associated with stages of smoking cessation across the demographic distribution of adult smokers in Malaysia. Data were derived from a population-based study among Malaysian adults aged 18 years and above. Face-to-face interviews were carried out by trained staff using a validated questionnaire to obtain data related to smoking from 4,288 selected respondents. Of 4,288, 438 respondents are current smokers. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with stage of smoking cessation. Approximately 60% (n=269/438) of the current smokers were in the pre-contemplation stage and 40% (n=169/438) were in the contemplation and preparation stages of smoking cessation. The proportion of pre-contemplators was higher among smokers with higher levels of nicotine addiction (71.3%), lower education attainment (71.4%), and those who were single/widowed/divorced (66.9%). Multivariable analysis showed that males, and those who reported low to high level of nicotine addiction were more likely to be in the pre-contemplation stage whilst those in the older age groups were more likely to be in the advanced stage of smoking cessation. The study revealed that the majority of current smokers in Malaysia had no intention to quit smoking within 6 months. Specific interventions targeting males, young adults and smokers with low to high nicotine addiction should be introduced to ensure the smokers proceed to the advanced stage of smoking cessation.

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are new devices that have been accepted widely by both smokers and non-smokers. However, the evidence on EC used in Malaysia is scarce. The objective of thisstudy was to determine the prevalence of EC use and the socio-demographic and smoking characteristicsassociated with current EC use among Malaysian current and ex-smokers. Methods: This was a sub-analysis of data from a cross-sectional, national-population- based EC study conducted from May to June in 2016 in Malaysia. A detailed description of the sampling methods can be found in the National E-cigarette Survey (NECS) 2016 report. Briefly, data were obtained from 1396 individuals who had ever been smokers, i.e., 957 (68.6%) current smokers and 439 (31.4%) ex-smokers. Results: Current EC use was found predominantly among current smokers (8.0%) as compared with ex-smokers (4.3%). Among current smokers, the main reasons given for smoking ECs were wanting to try it (44.7%), followed by intention to quit tobacco smoking (15.8%) and to reduce tobacco smoking (10.5%). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we found that among current smokers, current EC users were more likely to be younger, i.e., 18-44 years (aOR= 4.83, 95% CI= 1.97-11.86, p=0.001), urban residents (aOR= 1.89, 95% CI= 1.15-3.11, p=0.012), single/ divorced/ widowed (aOR= 2.11, 95% CI= 1.24-3.61, p=0.006) and students (aOR= 2.25, 95% CI= 1.01-5.01, p=0.048). Among exsmokers, only younger respondents (18-44 years old) was reported as being more likely to be current EC users (aOR= 3.81, 95% CI= 1.14-12.76, p=0.030). Conclusion: This study showed that currently using and ever having used ECs were more prevalent among current smokers. The reasons given for initiating EC use among current smokers were mainly wanting to try it, followed by intention to quit and to reduce tobacco smoking. Current EC use appears to be common among current smokers who are younger, urban residents, single/divorced/widowed and students. Therefore, EC cessation intervention strategies and policies should target these high-prevalence groups

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are new devices that have been accepted widely by both smokers and non-smokers. However, the evidence on EC used in Malaysia is scarce. The objective of thisstudy was to determine the prevalence of EC use and the socio-demographic and smoking characteristicsassociated with current EC use among Malaysian current and ex-smokers. Methods: This was a sub-analysis of data from a cross-sectional, national-population- based EC study conducted from May to June in 2016 in Malaysia. A detailed description of the sampling methods can be found in the National E-cigarette Survey (NECS) 2016 report. Briefly, data were obtained from 1396 individuals who had ever been smokers, i.e., 957 (68.6%) current smokers and 439 (31.4%) ex-smokers. Results: Current EC use was found predominantly among current smokers (8.0%) as compared with ex-smokers (4.3%). Among current smokers, the main reasons given for smoking ECs were wanting to try it (44.7%), followed by intention to quit tobacco smoking (15.8%) and to reduce tobacco smoking (10.5%). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, we found that among current smokers, current EC users were more likely to be younger, i.e., 18-44 years (aOR= 4.83, 95% CI= 1.97-11.86, p=0.001), urban residents (aOR= 1.89, 95% CI= 1.15-3.11, p=0.012), single/ divorced/ widowed (aOR= 2.11, 95% CI= 1.24-3.61, p=0.006) and students (aOR= 2.25, 95% CI= 1.01-5.01, p=0.048). Among exsmokers, only younger respondents (18-44 years old) was reported as being more likely to be current EC users (aOR= 3.81, 95% CI= 1.14-12.76, p=0.030). Conclusion: This study showed that currently using and ever having used ECs were more prevalent among current smokers. The reasons given for initiating EC use among current smokers were mainly wanting to try it, followed by intention to quit and to reduce tobacco smoking. Current EC use appears to be common among current smokers who are younger, urban residents, single/divorced/widowed and students. Therefore, EC cessation intervention strategies and policies should target these high-prevalence groups