Sk Pillai

The Attractive Female Body Weight and Female Body Dissatisfaction in 26 Countries Across 10 World Regions: Results of the International Body Project I

This study reports results from the first International Body Project (IBP-I), which surveyed 7,434 individuals in 10 major world regions about body weight ideals and body dissatisfaction. Participants completed the female Contour Drawing Figure Rating Scale (CDFRS) and self-reported their exposure to Western and local media. Results indicated there were significant cross-regional differences in the ideal female figure and body dissatisfaction, but effect sizes were small across high-socioeconomic-status (SES) sites. Within cultures, heavier bodies were preferred in low-SES sites compared to high-SES sites in Malaysia and South Africa (ds = 1.94-2.49) but not in Austria. Participant age, body mass index (BMI), and Western media exposure predicted body weight ideals. BMI and Western media exposure predicted body dissatisfaction among women. Our results show that body dissatisfaction and desire for thinness is commonplace in high-SES settings across world regions, highlighting the need for international attention to this problem.

Validity of the Malay version of the Internet Addiction Test: a study on a group of medical students in Malaysia.

The use of the Internet has been increasing dramatically over the decade in Malaysia. Excessive usage of the Internet has lead to a phenomenon called Internet addiction. There is a need for a reliable, valid, and simple-to-use scale to measure Internet addiction in the Malaysian population for clinical practice and research purposes. The aim of this study was to validate the Malay version of the Internet Addiction Test, using a sample of 162 medical students. The instrument displayed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .91), parallel reliability (intraclass coefficient = .88, P < .001), and concurrent validity with the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (Pearson’s correlation = .84, P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that 43 was the optimal cutoff score to discriminate students with and without Internet dependence. Principal component analysis with varimax rotation identified a 5-factor model. The Malay version of the Internet Addiction Test appeared to be a valid instrument for assessing Internet addiction in Malaysian university students.

An Exploration of the Indecisiveness Scale in Multiethnic Malaysia

This article examined the construct of indecisiveness, or the inability to make timely decisions, in a multiethnic sample from Malaysia. In all, 164 (84 women, 80 men) Malay participants and 150 (76 women, 74 men) Chinese participants completed a Malay version of Frost and Showss Indecisiveness Scale. Results showed that interitem reliabilities for both ethnic groups were high. Test-retest reliability with 21 participants after 10 days was also very high. The results of a confirmatory factor analysis testing the equivalency of a hypothesized single factorial structure for Malays and Chinese showed adequate fit for both ethnic groups. Based on single factorial structure, there were significant ethnic differences on overall indecisiveness scores (with Malays being more indecisive than Chinese) but no sex differences. These results are discussed in terms of previous cross-cultural work using the Indecisiveness Scale.

Stress among parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a Malaysian experience

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic debilitating illness with onset in early childhood. The objective of this study was to look at the impact of children with ADHD on their parents.

Factorial validity and reliability of the tamil version of multidimensional scale of perceived social support among a group of participants in University Malaya Medical Centre, Malaysia

Background and Objectives: This study was done to validate the Tamil version of Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-TV) among a group of Indian participants in University Malaya. Materials and Methods: Ninety-four people who took part in this study were given MSPSS-TV, Medical Outcome Study (MOS) social support survey, Malay version of Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Malay version of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and English version of MSPSS. After a week, these participants were again required to complete the MSPSS-TV, but with the item sequences shuffled. Results: Internal consistency of this scale was excellent (Cronbachs alpha = 0.924), and both test-retest reliability (0.71) and parallel form reliability (0.92) were high (Spearmans rho, P<0.01). MSPSS-TV was negatively correlated with GHQ and BDI. Interpretation and Conclusions: The MSPSS-TV demonstrated sound psychometric properties in gauging the social support among a group of participants. It could therefore be used as a simple screening tool among the young educated Malaysians.

The Beliefs in the Inheritance of Risk Factors for Suicide Scale (BIRFSS): Cross-Cultural Validation in Estonia, Malaysia, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States

The genetics of suicide is increasingly recognized and relevant for mental health literacy, but actual beliefs may lag behind current knowledge. We examined such beliefs in student samples (total N = 686) from Estonia, Malaysia, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States with the Beliefs in the Inheritance of Risk Factors for Suicide Scale. Cultural effects were small, those of key demographics nil. Several facets of construct validity were demonstrated. Marked differences in perceived plausibility of evidence about the genetics of suicide according to research design, observed in all samples, may be of general interest for investigating lay theories of abnormal behavior and communicating behavioral and psychiatric genetic research findings.

Reliability and validity of the Malay version of Attitudes toward Lesbians and Gay Men (MVATL/MVATG): a study on a group of medical students in Malaysia.

This study aims to examine the validity and reliability of the Malay version of Attitudes toward Lesbians and Gay Men (MVATL/MVATG) among a group of medical students in Malaysia.