Table 1.
Healthcare providers’ characteristics
| Variable | All trainees | Nurses | Medical assistant | Doctors | Pharmacists |
| n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | n (%) | |
| Total trainees | 218 (100) | 34 (15.60) | 44 (20.2) | 98 (44.9) | 42 (19.3) |
| Age (years old) Mean (SD) |
32.59 (6.69) | 32.64 (8.03) | 29.47 (4.58) | 35.21 (7.09) | 29.67 (2.91) |
| Working experience Mean (SD) |
7.26 (5.80) | 8.56 (7.57) | 5.25 (3.90) | 8.83 96.29) | 4.64 (1.95) |
| Gender | |||||
| Male | 77 (35.3) | 2 (5.9) | 40 (90.9) | 27 (27.6) | 8 (19.0) |
| Female | 141 (64.7) | 32 (94.1) | 4 (9.1) | 71 (72.4) | 34 (81.0) |
| Ethnicity | |||||
| Malay | 181 (83.0) | 33 (97.1) | 43 (97.7) | 77 (78.6) | 28 (66.7) |
| Chinese | 16 (7.3) | 0 | 0 | 7 (7.1) | 9 (21.4) |
| Indian | 21 (9.6) | 1 (2.9) | 1 (2.3) | 14 (14.3) | 5 (11.9) |
| Religion | |||||
| Muslim | 179 (82.1) | 33 (97.1) | 43 (97.7) | 76 (77.6) | 27 (64.3) |
| Buddhist | 8 (3.7) | 0 | 0 | 2 (2.0) | 6 (14.3) |
| Christian | 12 (5.5) | 0 | 0 | 7 (7.1) | 5 (11.9) |
| Hindu | 19 (8.7) | 1 (2.9) | 1 (2.3) | 13 (13.3) | 4 (9.5) |
| Education | |||||
| Diploma | 73 (33.5) | 32 (94.1) | 40 (90.9) | 1 (1.0) | 0 |
| Bachelor | 100 (45.9) | 2 (5.9) | 4 (9.1) | 60 (61.2) | 34 (81.0) |
| Master | 45 (20.6) | 0 | 0 | 37 (37.8) | 8 (19.0) |
| Smoking status* | |||||
| Current smokers | 6 (2.8) | 0 | 6 (13.6) | 0 | 0 |
| Former smokers | 18 (8.4) | 1 (3.1) | 12 (27.3) | 5 (5.2) | 0 |
| Non-smokers | 191 (88.8) | 31 (96.9) | 26 (59.1) | 92 (94.8) | 42 (100.0) |
Diploma: In the Malaysian context, diploma is a qualification obtained during tertiary education and minimum qualification to be employed as nurse or medical assistants in the government sector. It is of a level below the bachelor’s degree qualification.
*n, 215.
%, percentage; n, frequency.