Andrew K. G. Tan

Consumer Purchase Decisions of Organic Food Products: An Ethnic Analysis

ABSTRACT Logit analysis is used to examine the likelihood of Penang (Malaysia) consumers to purchase organic food products (OFP). Results suggest that OFP purchases by consumers of various ethnicities are affected by similar and dissimilar sociodemographical and attitudinal factors. Specifically, Malay purchase decisions are motivated by females, urbanites, and those with higher income levels. Additionally, attitudinal characteristics for Malays include those with food-safety concerns, sick friends/family, health-supplement expenditures, and those who consider price or availability to be important attributes. Meanwhile, the Chinese market consists of older female consumers with fewer children, who are concerned about food safety and who acquire health supplements regularly. Lastly, consumers of Indian/other ethnicity are solely motivated by being users of health supplements.

Sociodemographic and Health-Lifestyle Determinants of Obesity Risks in Malaysia

The purpose of this study was to examine the sociodemographic and health—lifestyle factors that affect the likelihood of obesity among Malaysians. Data were obtained from the Malaysian Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance-1. The cross-sectional population-based survey consisted of 2447 observations, with an obesity prevalence rate of 17.2%. Based on logit regression analysis, the results suggest that obesity risks in Malaysia are affected by gender, education level, family history, health conditions, smoking status, and ethnic backgrounds. Specifically, Malaysians more likely to be obese are females (5.3%), lower educated (0.9%), those with history of family illnesses (4.8%), and nonsmokers (6.4%). However, Chinese (9.3%) and other (5.5%) ethnic groups are less likely to be obese when compared with Malays. Based on these results, several policy implications are discussed vis-à-vis obesity risks in Malaysia.

Cervical cancer screening in Malaysia: Are targeted interventions necessary?

This study examines the determinants of Papanicolaou Smear Test (PST) screening for cervical cancer among women in Malaysia. Attention is focused on the reasons different population subgroups give for non-screening. We find that Indian women are the least likely to have had a PST and also the least likely to know the reasons why one is screened. Malay women are less likely than Chinese women to have received a PST and are more likely to report embarrassment as the reason for not being tested. Urban women are less likely than rural women to have been tested and more likely to state lack of time as the reason. These results suggest targeted interventions may be necessary to increase screening rates in Malaysia.

Determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption in Malaysia: an ordinal system approach*

We examine the socio-demographic determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption using household survey data from Malaysia. A bivariate ordered probability model is developed by the copula approach. Results for a system of fruit and vegetable servings per week indicate that education, age, ethnicity, income, location of residence, smoking status and health conditions are significant predictors of fruit and vegetable consumption in Malaysia. Policy implications are suggested.

Who are eating and not eating fruits and vegetables in Malaysia

ObjectiveTo investigate the roles of sociodemographic factors in fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in Malaysia.MethodsData are obtained from the Malaysia Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance-1. Logistic regressions are conducted using a multiracial (Malay, Chinese, Indian and other ethnic groups) sample of 2,447 observations to examine the factors affecting individual decisions to consume FV on a daily basis.ResultsBased on the binary outcomes of whether individuals consumed FV daily, results indicate that work hours, education, age ethnicity, income, gender, smoking status, and location of residence are significantly correlated with daily fruit consumption. Daily vegetable consumption is significantly correlated with income, gender, health condition, and location of residence.ConclusionsOur results imply the need for programs to educate and motivate consumers to make healthier dietary choices. Interventions to increase FV consumption by changing behaviors should be considered, as should those that increase public awareness of the dietary benefits of FV. These intervention programs should be targeted at and tailored toward individuals who are less educated, younger, less affluent, males, smokers, and metropolitan dwellers.

Utilization of Breast Cancer Screening Methods in a Developing Nation: Results from a Nationally Representative Sample of Malaysian Households

Abstract:  As is the case in many developing nations, previous studies of breast cancer screening behavior in Malaysia have used relatively small samples that are not nationally representative, thereby limiting the generalizability of results. Therefore, this study uses nationally representative data from the Malaysia Non‐Communicable Disease Surveillance‐1 to investigate the role of socio‐economic status on breast cancer screening behavior in Malaysia, particularly differences in screening behaviour between ethnic groups. The decisions of 816 women above age 40 in Malaysia to screen for breast cancer using mammography, clinical breast exams (CBE), and breast self‐exams (BSE) are modeled using logistic regression. Results indicate that after adjusting for differences in age, education, household income, marital status, and residential location, Malay women are less likely than Chinese and Indian women to utilize mammography, but more likely to perform BSE. Education level and urban residence are positively associated with utilization of each method, but these relationships vary across ethnicity. Higher education levels are strongly related to using each screening method among Chinese women, but have no statistically significant relationship to screening among Malays.

Ethnic Disparities in Metabolic Syndrome in Malaysia: An Analysis by Risk Factors

BACKGROUND This study investigates ethnic disparities in metabolic syndrome in Malaysia. METHODS Data were obtained from the Malaysia Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance-1 (2005/2006). Logistic regressions of metabolic syndrome health risks on sociodemographic and health-lifestyle factors were conducted using a multiracial (Malay, Chinese, and Indian and other ethnic groups) sample of 2,366 individuals. RESULTS Among both males and females, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome amongst Indians was larger compared to both Malays and Chinese because Indians are more likely to exhibit central obesity, elevated fasting blood glucose, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. We also found that Indians tend to engage in less physical activity and consume fewer fruits and vegetables than Malays and Chinese. Although education and family history of chronic disease are associated with metabolic syndrome status, differences in socioeconomic attributes do not explain ethnic disparities in metabolic syndrome incidence. The difference in metabolic syndrome prevalence between Chinese and Malays was not statistically significant. Whereas both groups exhibited similar obesity rates, ethnic Chinese were less likely to suffer from high fasting blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS Metabolic syndrome disproportionately affects Indians in Malaysia. Additionally, fasting blood glucose rates differ dramatically amongst ethnic groups. Attempts to decrease health disparities among ethnic groups in Malaysia will require greater attention to improving the metabolic health of Malays, especially Indians, by encouraging healthful lifestyle changes.

DETERMINANTS OF LEISURE-TIME PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: EVIDENCE FROM MALAYSIA

This paper examines how socio-demographic and health-lifestyle factors determine participation and duration of leisure-time physical activity in Malaysia. Based on the Malaysia Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance-1 data, Heckmans sample selection model is employed to estimate the probability to participate and duration on physical activity. Results indicate that gender, age, years of education and family illness history are significant in explaining participation probability in leisure-time physical activity. Gender, income level, smoking-status and years of education are significant in explaining the weekly duration conditional on participation, whereas smoking-status and years of education are significant in determining the unconditional level of leisure-time physical activity.

Determinants of participation and expenditure patterns of private tuition received by primary school students in Penang, Malaysia: an exploratory study

In this exploratory study, the censored Tobit model is applied on primary data collected amongst parents of primary school students in Penang, Malaysia to examine the determinants of participation and expenditures on private tuition (PT). Results of the marginal effects indicate that socio-demographic characteristics – ethnicity, household income, level of schooling, and marital status – affect the probability of participation and its corresponding conditional (amongst those whose spending is positive) and unconditional (overall) expenditures. Specifically, compared to ethnic Malays, households of Chinese and Indian descent are more likely to send their children to PT, whilst spending more on conditional and unconditional expenditures, ceteris paribus. Low-income households have a lower likelihood to enrol their children in PT classes and spend less on conditional and unconditional expenditures than higher income households. Upper primary students are more likely to attend PT and spend more on conditional and unconditional expenditures than lower primary students. Single-parent households spend more on conditional and unconditional expenditures than households where both parents are together, all else equal. Based on these findings, several observations in terms of comparisons to other studies and policy implications are noted vis-à-vis the demand for PT amongst primary school students.

Credit card holders, convenience users and revolvers: A tobit model with binary selection and ordinal treatment

This paper studies the characteristics of credit card holders in Malaysia and distinguishes between convenience users and revolvers. A Tobit model with binary selection and ordinal treatment is developed to accommodate the data feature that debts are incurred only among card holders and the endogeneity of card holding in card debt. Results from a stratified sample in Malaysia indicate that age, household size, income, education, loan commitments, and current-account ownership play a role in card holding. Age, loan commitments, previous card holdings, current-account ownership, and bad debt history affect the probability and level of card debt. Multi-card holders are more likely to be credit revolvers than convenience users.