There is increasing evidence to suggest that work-family conflict is implicated in poor eating patterns. Yet, the underlying mechanism remains unexplored. The objectives of the present study were to demonstrate the interplay between work-family conflict, eating style, and unhealthy eating, and to test whether body mass index (BMI) and its interactions further explicate the relationships. In this study, 586 Malaysian adults (normal weight n = 437, overweight n = 149) completed a questionnaire, which included demographic variables, work-family scales, eating style measures, namely, restrained, emotional or external eating and reported food intake. As hypothesized, results showed that family-to-work conflict (FWC), emotional eating and external eating were positively related to unhealthy food consumption. In addition, emotional eating was found to moderate the impact of FCW on eating. These findings are consistent with research that has revealed emotional eating can indeed increase the positive association between stress such as conflict and unhealthy food choices. However, we found no clear support for the interactive effects of BMI. Our research builds on the findings of existing research as it demonstrates the role of eating style in explaining the association between work-family conflict and unhealthy eating. This conclusion has potential implications for appropriate interventions and calls for the enhancement of various policies to tackle obesity and other health problems.

The present study examined the roles of work factors (i.e. job demands, job resources), workfamily conflicts and culture on predictors of healthy intentions (fruit and vegetable consumption, low-fat diet, physical activity) within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB).Employees from the UK (N = 278) and Malaysia (N = 325) participated in the study. Results indicated that higher job demands were significantly related to lower intentions to eat a low-fat diet. Females reported higher intentions to eat a low-fat diet than males did, while participants from the UK had lower intentions to engage in physical activity compared to those from Malaysia. The efficacy of TPB variables in explaining intentions was verified, with perceived behavioural control (i.e. self-efficacy), attitudes and descriptive norms combined with past behaviour predictive across the samples. The results also suggest the roles of culture and work interference with family variables in moderating TPB-intention relationships and confirm that TPB variables mediate the effects of job demands and job resources on intentions. Practically, to promote health, identifying strategies to reduce stress factors; specifying important cognitive factors affecting work factors and thus, healthy intentions; and acknowledging cultural-specific determinants of healthy intentions are recommended.

The study aims to identify the differences of mental health among orphan and non-orphan adolescents in Malaysia. This study used a quantitative method. The sample comprised of 240 orphans and 240 non-orphan adolescents, aged 13 to 17 years old selected through multistage sampling. The validated Malay version of Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale 21 Item (DASS21) used in this study to measure mental health among the orphan and non-orphan adolescents. The findings showed that there have differences of mental health among orphan and non-orphan adolescents which is orphans had significantly higher level of mental health problem than non-orphan respectively; depression, anxiety and stress. Result revealed that all parties including government organization, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), orphanage centers and guardians need to regulate actions such as program implementation and intervention to ensure the continuity of mental health especially among orphan adolescents in Malaysia.

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine how burden and quality of life predict anxiety and depressive symptoms among caregivers of hemodialysis patients. Social support was included in the model as a proposed moderator in the above relationships. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 340 caregivers of chronic kidney patients undergoing hemodialysis. The setting was in Terengganu, Malaysia. The caregivers completed the measures of caregiving burden, quality of life, social support, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Results About 28.8% and 52.4% of caregivers showed clinically moderate levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Furthermore, 35.9% and 3.8% of them showed clinically high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. Analyses showed that general quality of life was a significant predictor of both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Burden and psychological domains of quality of life significantly predicted anxiety. In addition, a lack of social support was a determinant of depressive symptoms. Evidence suggested that social support moderated the burden–anxiety relationship. Specifically, caregivers with low levels of social support showed more elevated levels of anxiety symptoms when their burden was higher. Conclusion There is an urgent need for early detection to initiate prompt treatment in this population. The study provides some important insights into offering comprehensive intervention to help caregivers cope more effectively through the provision of sufficient social support to buffer the effects of caregiving burden and improve mental health.

Many government policies contain recommendations how to improve financial literacy, particularly through programmes of financial education and personal finance. However, personal financial management is not solely related to knowledge and financial literacy; individual confidence level in own financial abilities and household differences need to be considered in this regard. This paper investigates household financial efficacy through application of psychometric instruments, financial literacy, risk preference and demographic characteristics towards saving decision behaviour. The sample covers 404 households in Peninsular Malaysia and utilises the logistic and probit empirical model. The results show that household's financial efficacy is essential for household's saving decision behaviour and choice of saving instrument. Financial literacy, race, education and dependence ratio and location (rural or urban) of the household also play a role in saving instruments selection. More specifically, households with higher levels of financial efficacy are more likely to use bank-based or other lower risk saving instruments as compared to nonbanking-based instruments.