Malaysian University Students Research Articles

The relationship between leisure activities and mental health disorders among higher education students in Malaysia

This study investigates the association between leisure activities (recreation, sports, social contact, artistic, cultural, religious, and rest) and mental health disorders among Malaysian university students. There were 332 respondents enrolled in the public and private universities, polytechnics and other higher academic institutions in Malaysia were surveyed using a quantitative questionnaire. The study performed multiple regression and correlation analyses on the data using the statistical package for social science (SPSS). The findings indicated that six out of seven categories of leisure activities were significantly linked to mental health issues. The six types of leisure time activities were recreation, sports, social interaction, cultural, religious, and rest. Cultural activities have the highest impact on mental health, with the highest beta value. The universities and polytechnics should consider launching several types of leisure activities and tailor specific activities that may reduce mental health issues.

Caffeine Consumption, Sleep Quality and Mental Health Outcomes Among Malaysian University Students

Background: Recognizing the scarcity of data on caffeine consumption among university students in Malaysia, this study was designed to first characterize the habitual caffeine intake within this group. This study further investigated the potential association between these caffeine consumption patterns and sleep quality and mental health status. Methodology: The study employed an online self-administered questionnaire to assess habitual caffeine intake from various products. Sleep quality and mental health were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), respectively. Results: 78% of the respondents consumed caffeinated products daily within the safe level recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (£400mg/day). Only 2.6% of the students consumed caffeine exceeding the recommended limit. The median total daily caffeine intake was 100mg/day. Most students had poor sleep quality (77.3%), with 43.5%, 49.5%, and 33.0% reporting varying levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively. Odds ratio calculations revealed respondents consuming less than or more than 400 mg/day of caffeine did not show significantly different odds of poor sleep quality, depression, anxiety, or stress compared to non-consumers. Conclusions: This study highlights the need for further localized research on caffeine's effects among Malaysian university students regarding caffeine consumption, sleep, and mental health.

Validation of the Malay version of the recovery-stress questionnaire for athletes: Application of confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling

The Recovery-Stress Questionnaire for Athletes (RESTQ-Sport-52) is a tool developed to measure the frequency of stress associated through recovery activities with strong theoretical foundations. The study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the Malay version of RESTQ-Sport-52 using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). A cross-sectional study with purposive sampling method was employed. There were 617 undergraduate university students in Malaysia participated in the study with mean age of 20 years old (SD = 1.5). The majority of the participants were female (66.1 %), Malay (76 %) and participated in at least one sport or exercise. The RESTQ-Sport-52-M consisted of 52 items with two main sections; (1) general stress and recovery scales and (2) sport-specific stress and recovery scales. Mplus 8.3 was used to perform the CFA and ESEM analysis to examine the construct validity and reliability of RESTQ-Sport-52-M. For measurement model assessment using CFA, the final model of general-stress/recovery and sport-specific stress/recovery indicated a fit based on several fit indices. However, in the measurement model assessment using ESEM, the fit indices for model of general-stress/recovery (CFI = 0.935, SRMR = 0.037, RMSEA = 0.045) and sport-stress/recovery (CFI = 0.923, SRMR = 0.036, RMSEA = 0.044) were generally improved. The construct reliability for measurement models of RESTQ-Sport-52-M ranged from 0.76 to 0.89. The ESEM approach yielded a better fit indices compared to the CFA approach for both scales. The RESTQ-Sport-52-M (50 items) were considered a more valid and reliable questionnaire to measure recovery and stress in sports for Malaysian sample.

Interconnectedness between entrepreneurial self-efficacy, attitude, and business creation: A serial mediation of entrepreneurial intention and environmental factor

Entrepreneurial self-efficacy has been widely recognized as prominent in entrepreneurship, which can promote entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurial attitude, and business creation. This paper aims at investigating the extent and relationship of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurial attitude, and business creation among graduates in Malaysia, as well as examine the serial mediators of entrepreneurial intention and environmental factors in linking this relationship. This present study used a quantitative approach with a self-administered survey directed at university students in Malaysia. A total of 282 public university graduates in the Klang Valley completed this survey, and we further analysed the data undergoing covariance-based structural equation modelling (SEM). The findings indicate that entrepreneurial self-efficacy has a robust effect on entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneurial attitude, and business creation among university graduates in Malaysia. In addition, results indicated that entrepreneurial intention and environmental factors completely mediate the serial mediation of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and business creation, while these two mediators partially mediate the link between entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial attitude among graduates in Malaysia.

HIRE ME!: Interactive Gaming Simulation as a Teaching Aid to Enhance English Speaking Skills Among UTHM Students

English is the dominant language in many nations throughout the world. Nonetheless, despite the government’s efforts, Malaysian university students still see speaking English as a daunting endeavour. This article discusses how interactive simulation games may be used as a teaching tool to help Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) students improve their English-speaking abilities. Furthermore, the purpose of this research is to study the fundamentals of English-speaking skills, to design an informative and appealing interactive simulation gaming as a teaching aid, and to verify the effectiveness of interactive simulation gaming in enhancing English-speaking abilities. A mixed method design combining qualitative and quantitative data collection approaches was employed. A semi-structured interview was conducted with a professor from the Centre for Language Studies at UTHM, and the collected data were carefully verified with content analysis. Additionally, a questionnaire was distributed among 69 UTHM students from different faculties to gather insights on how to design an interactive and engaging gaming simulator for English speaking learning. Once the data have been collected, it will be thoroughly analysed and validate with descriptive analysis. The findings of this study offer valuable insights into the fundamental aspects of English language learning and provide opportunities for further improvement and refinement of the game. Future studies could focus on refining the game’s aesthetics and overall visual appeal, creating a more immersive and captivating gaming experience, and incorporating elements of gamification to further enhance motivation and drive sustained engagement. The game can be created by making it into Virtual reality, the players are able to immerse the gameplay of feeling in a real situation of being interview while answer the questions that has been given out by the game has provided.

Exploring Academic Intentions for ChatGPT: A Perspective from the Theory of Planned Behavior

Advancements such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT are part of cutting-edge megatrends in artificial intelligence (AI). ChatGPT has the potential to reshape education. This article applies the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to investigate the correlation between attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and the inclination to utilize ChatGPT for academic purposes. Our methodology involved conducting an online cross-sectional survey of 311 university students in Malaysia, a majority Malaysian (82.3%) and female (61.1%) aged 21-23 (66%). We develop three hypotheses and test them with SmartPLS 4. The results suggest that attitude, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms exert a positive influence on the intention to embrace ChatGPT. From a pragmatic standpoint, it is advisable for universities to actively incorporate AI technologies like ChatGPT into the academic setting, addressing attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control to prepare students effectively.

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION AND SELF-ESTEEM AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

Self-esteem can greatly influence one's emotional well-being, behavior, and interactions with others. It can range from high self-esteem, where individuals have a positive and healthy view of themselves, to low self-esteem, where individuals may have feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and a negative self-perception. Social media usage can have a negative impact on one's self-esteem, however, it can also potentially have a positive effect. This research is conducted to identify the level of social media addiction among university students and the relationship between social media addiction and self-esteem among university students. There are 384 respondents who were selected using simple random sampling techniques among university students in Malaysia. The findings show that the level of social media addiction among university students in Malaysia is high and it shows that there is a significant relationship between social media addiction and self-esteem among university students.

Predictor of academic performance: personality traits and catechol-O-methyltransferase polymorphisms

Personality traits and genetics are important factors in determining academic performance. Although there have been studies on the association between genetics and academic performance, there is limited data on the effect of personality traits and the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 polymorphism on academic performance, particularly among university students in Malaysia. The objective of this study was to correlate the relationship between personality traits, COMT rs4680 polymorphism, and academic performance among health sciences undergraduate students at a Malaysian university. The research design was a correlational study where 221 students were recruited based on the convenient sampling approach. The demographic and international personality item pool (IPIP) questionnaires were administered online, whereas the COMT rs4680 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was determined using a tetra-primer allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). From the IPIP results, the conscientiousness trait was positively and significantly correlated with academic performance (r=0.141, p=0.036). Participants with homozygous Met/Met allele of the COMT rs4680 polymorphism tended to perform better in academics (p=0.009) as compared to participants with homozygous Val/Val and heterozygous Val/Met alleles. As a conclusion, students with a higher conscientiousness score and carriers of the homozygous Met/Met allele of COMT rs4680 showed better academic performance.

Eating behaviour and lifestyle changes among college students in Malaysia during the Movement Control Order (MCO)

Introduction: COVID-19 lockdown has been linked to alterations in eating behaviour and a sedentary lifestyle. As human-to-human transmission rapidly increased, the Movement Control Order (MCO) was put in place as an attempt to minimise the risk of the virus spreading in the community. This study aimed to determine whether eating behaviour was associated with sleep quality and physical activity among college students in Malaysia during MCO. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among Malaysian students aged between 20 to 34 years old. A simple random sampling method was applied and the participants had to complete an online survey consisting of a validated Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire–Short Form (IPAQ-SF), distributed via an online platform. Results: A total of 370 students participated, with 22.4% emotional eaters, 58.6% external eaters, and 23.0% restrained eaters. In addition, 64.3% had poor sleep quality, while 57.6% claimed to be physically active. However, no correlations were found between all eating behaviour subscales with sleep quality and physical activity. Conclusion: More than half of college students presented with external eating behaviours. Early screening and further investigations should be done, especially with the high rate of poor sleepers, to promote and sustain a healthy lifestyle during and beyond COVID-19.

Factors Affecting Green Entrepreneurial Intention in Malaysian University Students After the Covid-19 Pandemic

The business world has witnessed a shift towards green entrepreneurship, driven by the need to address environmental issues and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditional businesses have embraced technology and adapted their strategies to align with environmental preservation goals. The level of pollution, including water and air pollution, caused by large corporations has become a significant concern globally. Green entrepreneurship involves selling environmentally friendly products and working towards economic stability while safeguarding the environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted global economies and caused uncertainties in economic growth, leading to virtual communication and limited supply and demand. Moreover, the pandemic has highlighted the vulnerability of businesses, emphasising the importance of adopting a green business model to prevent future health-related crises. Efforts to protect the environment have been increasing since the early 1970s, with universities playing a crucial role in promoting entrepreneurial education and practical training. However, aspiring entrepreneurs, especially students, face challenges in accessing information, funding, and government support for their green business ideas. Future entrepreneurs and the younger generation hold the key to creating a greener business environment and need support from universities and businesses. A total of 169 useful responses were received to be analysed for this study. The results confirms the positive significance of self-efficacy, attitude, and the need for achievement on green entrepreneurial intention. However, educational support did not show a significant influence. These findings confirm essential factors for green entrepreneurship, also highlighting the practical implications and potential roles of educational institutions and policymakers in fostering sustainable entrepreneurship among university students.

Prevalence and Associated Factors Related to Tobacco Consumption Among University Students in Malaysia.

Tobacco consumption is one of the major public health concerns worldwide. Moreover, alternative tobacco and nicotine products (ATNPs) are growing in popularity, especially among young adults in the past decade. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated sociodemographic factors of tobacco consumption among university students. A cross-sectional study was carried out among 338 university students of a private Malaysian university from March to April 2021. Data was collected using a self-administered online questionnaire with items including sociodemographic information, user status of tobacco consumption and types of tobacco product used. Descriptive statistics, Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test and simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed using the IBM SPSS version 26.0 to analyse the data. The prevalence of tobacco consumption in this study was 8.6% and the main tobacco product used was manufactured cigarettes. In Pearson's chi square test and Fisher's exact test, current use of tobacco was significantly associated with nationality, ethnicity, religion, school, current level of education and parents, siblings and friends use of tobacco (p<0.05). In simple and multiple logistic regression analysis, being non-Malaysian, Indian, Muslim, year 4 student and having parents or siblings who used tobacco, all had statistically significant associations with the current use of tobacco (p<0.05). Findings of this study showed that the use of tobacco among university students is concerning and warrants the need to develop and implement a strategic anti-tobacco program to limit this behaviour among university students.

Examining the Drivers of Cryptocurrency Investment Intentions among Undergraduates in Malaysian Universities

This study aimed to examine the variables that affect Malaysian university students' intentions to invest in cryptocurrencies. Few studies have been conducted on the factors influencing Malaysian university students' intention to invest in cryptocurrencies, despite a wealth of research on the desire to do so. The researcher used a self-administered questionnaire to collect data for this quantitative study, which was grounded in a positivist philosophy. The target population was students who intend to invest or have invested previously in cryptocurrencies. A total of 106 respondents were obtained. The results of this study were empirically analyzed using a deductive approach and the positivist philosophy. The Statistical Product and Service Solution (SPSS) was used to process and analyze the data. The study's findings demonstrated that among the students surveyed, financial literacy, perceived trust, and social norms all had a significant impact on their intention to invest in cryptocurrencies. It was discovered, nevertheless, that their intention to purchase cryptocurrency is not significantly impacted by their perception of behavioral control. This study's value and implications stem from the insights it provides to various stakeholders in the cryptocurrency space, such as marketers, educators, and businesses engaged in the development, exchange, and creation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). To draw in and keep the interest of potential investors, the study's findings indicate that these parties should concentrate on raising financial literacy and spreading knowledge about cryptocurrencies. The study's conclusions add to our knowledge of undergraduates' investing behavior and have applications for those involved in the cryptocurrency space.

Navigating Cultural and Academic Tides: A Systematic Literature Review On The Supervision Experiences Of International Chinese Doctoral Students In Malaysian Universities

This article embarks on a comprehensive literature review to explore the unique experiences of international Chinese doctoral students under the supervision of faculties in Malaysian universities. The study aims to identify the challenges, coping strategies, and academic dynamics encountered by these students, considering the cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds that influence their doctoral journey. It also seeks to understand the role of supervisors in facilitating a supportive and effective learning environment for these international students. The review synthesizes findings from existing academic papers, doctoral theses, and institutional reports, providing a multi-dimensional analysis of the supervisory relationship, adaptation processes, and academic achievements. This article contributes to the broader discourse on international education, cross-cultural supervision, and the specific needs of Chinese doctoral students abroad, offering valuable insights for academic institutions, educators, and policymakers aiming to enhance the doctoral experience for international students.

The relationship between personality, self-esteem, and career decision making among university students in Malaysia

The relationship between personality, self-esteem, and career decision making among university students in Malaysia

ASSOCIATION OF SYMPTOMATOLOGIC DEPRESSION WITH SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

Introduction: Depression is a mental disorder that affects almost 2.3% of Malaysians and is more prevalent among Malaysian students. "Websites and applications that are utilized for interacting with others and their increasing prevalence have suggestive that people are obsessed to it" is the definition of social media. A strong correlation has been made between depression and social media addiction but there was a lack of such specific studies in Malaysia. This study is aimed at identifying the association of social media addiction with depression among university students in Malaysia. Methods:This research was conducted on Malaysian undergraduate and postgraduate students using an online questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic characteristics and two validated questionnaires of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD-10) and Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS). Results:A total of 381 responses were analyzed and the Pearson Correlation was found to be (r = 0.671) with a p-value of &lt; 0.001 which suggests a strong positive and statistically significant correlation between social media addiction and depression. Conclusion:In summary, an increase in addiction to social media causes depression.

Second Language Arabic Knowledge Useful for Learning Hebrew Vocabulary

Arabic and Hebrew belong to the Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family, and thus, they are semantically and phonetically similar in many lexical aspects. This study examined the benefits of Malaysian university students having prior knowledge of Arabic while learning Hebrew. A two-page questionnaire was administered to two groups of 30 and 40 students at advanced and fundamental Arabic proficiency levels, respectively. Page 1 contained a checklist with Yes/No columns about 30 Hebrew words to examine the participants’ prior knowledge. If participants answered yes, they were asked to write the meaning of the word in English or Malay. They then answered multiple-choice questions about the 30 Hebrew words on Page 2. Arabic counterparts were not shown on the questionnaire to prevent cuing the participants. The first group of participants, 30 Malaysian students with advanced Arabic proficiency, learned an average of 23.07 Hebrew words. The vocabulary items most correctly identified by Group 1 were ‘olam “world” (30 correct answers), katavti “I wrote” (28), mavet “death” (28), melekh “king” (27), moakh “brain” (27), shabat “Saturday” (27), shen “tooth” (27), shamayim “sky” (26), shana “year” (26), ahavti “I loved” (26), and ozen “ear” (26). The second group, 40 Malaysian students with basic Arabic knowledge, acquired 12.83 words on average. The scores of the two groups differed with statistical significance at the 5% level (p &lt; 0.001, df = 68, t = 14.26). From these results, it appears that Arabic lexical knowledge significantly facilitates Malaysian students’ acquisition of Hebrew vocabulary.

Compulsive Internet usage and social isolation among university students in Malaysia: Internet abuse

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between Internet usage, social isolation, and Internet addiction among university students. The study used a quantitative method and questionnaires to measure the ‘problems of using the Internet’, ‘patterns of Internet usage’, ‘social isolation’, and ‘Internet addiction’. The study included 440 students from the University Putra Malaysia, chosen using a stratified random sampling method. The majority of the respondents were single (93.20%) and aged between 23 to 40 years old. The study found a significant relationship between ‘problems of using the Internet, social isolation, and Internet addiction’. However, there was no statistically significant relationship between the patterns of using the Internet and social isolation. The t-test result showed that no significant mean differences were found among marital status, field of study, social isolation, and Internet addiction. Implication of the study discussed.

Born this way or formed this way? Distal personality traits and proximal self-efficacy of Malaysian students and their academic performance

It has been acknowledged that academic performance has important consequences in one’s career, thus, a better understanding of both distal and proximal predictors deserves consideration. Based on social cognitive theory, this study contributes to the limited research investigating the academic performance of university students in Malaysia using the trait model which considers the mediation of self-efficacy (proximal characteristic) in the relationship between student personality (distal trait) and academic performance (outcomes). In a sample of 264 participants, self-efficacy positively relates to academic performance and positively mediated effects of all traits (except neuroticism) on academic performance. Contrary to past research, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness do not exert direct effects on academic achievement but instead through self-efficacy. Openness to experience turned out to be the strongest predictor pointing to a need for in-depth investigations into this dimension and for more complex model incorporating other proximal attributes in predicting academic performance in future research.

The psychometric properties of students’ attitudes, coping strategies, and psychological symptoms

&lt;span lang="EN-US"&gt;This study examined the psychometric elements of psychological symptoms, attitudes and coping strategies and the impact of COVID-19 on learning among the university students in Malaysia. The design employed in this study was survey method, that centered on convenience sampling method. A total of 489 students from eight undergraduate program of year 1 to year 4 participated in the study. They enrolled in various disciplines ranging from chemical and food science, medicine, engineering, psychology, communication to religious studies program. Data was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with all items being grouped within the study’s constructs, which subsequently, were tested using the establishment of measurement model of confirmatory factor analysis. The instrumentation for this study was adapted from Weiner’s Attribution Theory, Expectations and Values Theory. Comparatively, in measuring the students’ coping strategic approach, items were adopted from Greenaway. Additionally, the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms (CCAPS-62) scale was adapted to measure the eight constructs namely anxiety, social anxiety, academic distress, eating anxiety distress, family distress, hostility, and smoking abuse. The Cronbach’s alpha values for all three constructs have indicated the accepted values. Findings revealed that the loading factors for the attitude, coping strategies and psychological constructs are at the accepted values and acceptable composite reliability values. Findings also indicate that the measurement model for the construct attitude, coping strategies and psychological have loading estimates that are statistically significant.&lt;/span&gt;

Coping Strategies with COVID-19 and Prolonged Movement Control Order (MCO) among Malaysian University Students

Coping Strategies with COVID-19 and Prolonged Movement Control Order (MCO) among Malaysian University Students