MJM, Vol 70 Supplement 1 September 2015
Quality of Life associated with the use of non-prescription
substances among university students in Malaysia
*Pharmaceutical Services Division, Johor State Health Department, Ministry of Health, Malaysia, Johor Bahru, **Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine UKM, Kuala Lumpur
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Use of non-prescription substances may affect the quality of life of the users. However, little is known about the impact of use of non-prescription substances on quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to determine quality of life associated with the use of non-prescription substances for weight-loss management among university students.
Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from August until October 2013 among 358 postgraduate students aged 22-45 years in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). A validated self-administered Malay version of WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was distributed by multistage sampling to the students. The questionnaire was classified into four domains with 26 items: Physical health domain (seven items), psychological domain (six items), social relationship domain (three items) and environment domain (eight items). Another two questions were asked to assess Health Related Quality of Life (HRQOL).
Results: This study indicated that there were significantly higher mean among non-users compared to user of non-prescription substances for physical activity domain (p=0.018), psychological domain (p<0.001) and environment domain (p=0.031).
Conclusion: In conclusion, non-users have better quality of life compared to users of non-prescription substances.
Keywords: Non-prescription substances, quality of life, WHOQOL-BREF
