HEALTH RISK BEHAVIOUR AMONG UNDERGRADUATES IN A MALAYSIAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:Health-risky behaviours among undergraduates are a course of concern both due to its tendency to be carried towards later adulthood and the emergence of non-communicable diseases at younger age group.METHODS AND MATERIAL:A cross-sectional study involving 1622 respondents comprising of students undertaking tertiary education was carried out using self-administered questionnaires. (adapted and translated into Bahasa Malaysia from the CDC Health Risk Behaviour Survey)RESULTS:It is found that 6.9% of the respondents have had sexual intercourse with the mean age of the first intercourse at 18.6 years. Of those who have had intercourse, 25.9% did not practice safe sex. The study showed that 7.2% of the undergraduates who drives have driven after taking alcohol and 19.3% of the respondents have travelled in a car driven by drunk driver. It is also found that 10.8% of the respondents tried smoking at a young age of 15 years. One point two percent (1.2%) of the studied population has also taken recreational drugs previously.CONCLUSION:Health risk behaviours among undergraduates in Malaysia are presently existing issues which poses serious concerns.