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Executive Summary PULAU PINANG GSHS 2012

Executive Summary

The 2012 Pulau Pinang GSHS was conducted from 23 February to 26 April 2012 involving Form 1 to
5 students from 17 schools throughout Pulau Pinang. The survey used a two-stage cluster sampling
design. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of health-related behaviours,
risky behaviours and protective factors among secondary school students in Pulau Pinang.The survey
was administered using a self-administered questionnaires. The response rate at school level was
100%, response rate a 88.0% (1,755 of 1,995 students responded).

Key Findings

About 63.1% of ever drinkers had their _rst drink of alcohol before the age of 14 years.The prevalence
of current alcohol use was 10.6% and more than half of them got their alcoholic drink from their own
families. Drunkenness was reported in 5.5% of the students. In relation to dietary behaviour, 9.0% of
the students were at risk of becoming underweight, while 9.9% of the students were at risk of
becoming underweight and obese. In the past 30 days, only 23.0% of the students consumed fruits
and vegetables at least _ve times daily and almost one _fth of them drank carbonated drinks at least
once daily. As for drug use, 99.3% of the students reported that they never use drugs with only 13
students reported ever used drug.

Only 2.4% of the students brushed their teeth less than once daily in the past 30 days and 84.3%
brushed at least twice daily. Only 58.1% of students reported using `uoridated toothpaste. In the past
30 days, 3.1% never or rarely wash their hands after using the toilet and 11.6% never or rarely used
soap when washing their hands. Suicidal ideation, suicide plan and attempted suicide were noted
among 8.2%, 5.5%, and 5.7% of the students respectively. With regards to physical activity, 22.4% of
the students were found to be active in the past seven days, while almost half of them were engaged
in sedentary activities. Parental or guardian supervision was reported in 13.1% of the students, while
one-third of them claimed had parental or guardian connectedness and almost half had reported
parental or guardian bonding. Truancy was reported in 22.5% of the students.

This study found that 6.3% of students ever had sex, with half of them had sex for the _rst time before
the age of 14 years. About 6.1% of the students were current cigarette smokers. Among those who
ever smoked, almost three quaters _rst tried a cigarette before the age of 14 years. One third of the
students reported of both exposure to secondhand smoke from people smoking in their presence,
and parents or guardians who used any form of tobacco. Notably, 21.6% and 23.2% of the students
were physically attacked and involved in a physical _ght respectively, with 28.7% who had serious
injury. Having been bullied was reported in 14.4% of the students, while 8.1% had been physically
abused at home.

Recommendations

Taking into cognizance the _ndings of this study, the following recommendations are made;

i. There is a need to increase health awareness among students on the detrimental e]ects of
alcohol consumption and the higher probability of alcohol addiction in later life if they start
drinking during their adolescent years.
ii. Further strengthening, regulation and enforcement of the Malaysia Food Act Regulation 1985
which prohibits the sales of alcoholic beverages to those below 18 years, is called for. There
is a need for minimum legal age (MLA) of alcohol consumption to be enacted.

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