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Executive Summary MELAKA GSHS 2012

Executive Summary

The 2012 Melaka GSHS was conducted from 23 February to 26 April 2012 involving Form 1 to 5
students from 14 schools throughout Melaka. 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 Melaka. The survey was
administered using self-administered questionnaire. The response rates at school and student levels
were 100%, with a students a response rates a 88.2% (1,778 of 2,016 students responded).

Key Findings

About 64.3% of ever drinkers had their _rst drink of alcohol before the age of 14 years.The prevalence
of current alcohol use was 8.4% and one third of them got their alcoholic drink from their own families.
Drunkenness was reported in 5.4% of the students. In relation to dietary behaviour, 8.4% of the
students were at risk of becoming underweight, while 10.5% at risk of becoming obese. In the past
30 days, only 29.8% of the students consumed fruits and vegetables at least _ve times daily and almost
one third of them drank carbonated drinks at least once daily. As for drug use, 2.2% of the students
reported ever used drug with 73.0% of them _rst used drug before the age of 14 years.

Overall, 98.5% of the students reported never use drug in their lifetime. Overall, 2.3% of the students
reported brushed their teeth less than once daily and 82.9% brushed at least twice daily. Only 63.4%
of students reported using `uoridated toothpaste. In the past 30 days, 5.8% never or rarely wash their
hands after using the toilet and 11.0% never or rarely used soap when washing their hands. Suicidal
ideation, suicidal plan and attempted suicide were noted among 8.0%, 6.8% and 7.9% of the students.
The unability, to sleep at night due to worry was noted among 5.2% of the students, while loneliness
was found in 9.2% and 4.5% reported having no close friend. With regards to physical activity, 24.1%
of the students were found to be active in the past seven days while almost half were engaged in
sedentary activities. Parental or guardian supervision was reported in 13.7% of the students, while one
third or them claimed had parental or guardian connectedness and less than half had reported
parental or guardian bonding. Truancy was reported in 28.3% of the students.

This study found that 8.6% of students ever had sex with more than half of them having had sex for
the _rst time before the age of 14 years. About 11.9% of the students were current cigarette smokers.
Among those who ever smoked, three quarters _rst tried a cigarette before the age of 14 years. Almost
half of the students reported exposure to secondhand smoke from people smoking in their presence,
while more than one third claimed had parents or guardians who used any form of tobacco. Notably
28.4% and 26.3% of the students were physically attacked and involved in a physical _ght respectively,
with 36.9% who had serious injury. Having been bullied was reported in 20.7% of the students, while
12.3% had been physically abused at home.

Recommendations

Taking into cognizance the _ndings of this study and the current available programmes, there is a
need for recommendations to be speci_cally targeted at students and their environment.
Empowerment of students needs to be enhanced through increasing appropriate knowledge and
skills against risky behaviours.There is also a need to strengthen the support for students concerned
through multiagency collaborative approaches. In this context, the following recommendations are
made:

i. There is a need to increase health awareness among students on the detrimental e]ects of
tobacco consumption.

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