Environmental Disclosure and Cost of Equity Capital of Public Listed Firms in Malaysia

Disclosure of environmental information in Malaysia is still at a minimal level due to no clear rules and regulations for sustainability reporting which lead to information asymmetry for investors. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between environmental disclosure and cost equity capital (COC) firms listed on Bursa Malaysia. The sample data were collected from the annual report and Eikon database. The regression result in this study showed environmental disclosure negative relationship with COC based on 171 firm observations in 2016. This study proved environmental disclosure reduces cost equity capital by reducing information asymmetry and firm risk. For control variables, firm size is a negative relationship with COC while leverage positive relationship with cost equity capital

Kajian pilihan raya negeri Sabah: isu dan cabaran

Dalam konteks perkembangan sistem demokrasi, pilihan raya telah diterima sebagai satu mekanisme utama sama ada kepada aktor politik bagi dipilih atau rakyat bagi yang memilih di dalam proses politik. 8agi aktor-aktor khususnya, pilihan raya merupakan suatu b entuk 'ujian p olitik' yang amat getir dan serius kerana melalui pilihan rayalah nasib mereka akan ditentukan sama ada terpilih ataupun tidak sebagai wakil rakyat. Telah banyak kajian akademik yang dilakukan mengenai pilihan raya. Secara umumnya, kajian-kajian yang dilakukan boleh dikelaskan kepada dua jenis. Pertama, kajian yang melihat proses pilihan raya dan isu-isu yang timbul sewaktu menjelang pilihan raya atau sewaktu kempen pilihan raya sedang berjalan. Kedua, kajian pilihan raya yang khusus ditumpukan kepada persoalan persediaan yang dibuat oleh aktor-aktor politik yang terlibat secara langsung dalam sesuatu pilihn raya. Perjalanan dan perkembangan pilihan raya di Malaysia dan di Sabah khususnya (semenjak Merdeka) juga tidak terlepas dari aspek yang dinyatakan di atas. Kajian-kajian pilihan raya di Malayisa boleh dikatakan tertumpu kepada aspek isu dan strategi. Gomez (1995) yang menjalankan kajian pilihan raya Malaysia tahun 1985, jelas memberikan tumpuan terhadap aspek terse but. Demikian juga kepada kajian-kajian yang dijalankan oleh Khai (1988), Rudner 2 (1970) Ratnam (1969) (sekadar menyatakan beberapa sarjana tertentu). kesemuanya menumpukan aspek isu dan strategi pilihan raya. Dengan meneliti dan memberi perhatian kepada aspek tersebut, suatu bentuk generalisasi umum telah dibuat oleh sarjana-sarjana tersebut bahawa pilihan raya di Malaysia dalam banyak hal (seperti mana juga dengan sifat budaya politiknya) lebih dipengaruhi oleh unsur etnik, perkauman dan juga elemen primordial dalam menentukan kejayaan seseorang calon ataupun parti yang bertanding. Dalam erti kata lain, pilihan raya di Malaysia 'dicengkam kukuh' oleh unsur-unsur perkauman yang menebal. Apakah benar kenyataan atau premis tersebut? Perkembangan terkini politik Malaysia dalam arus globalisasi dan pendemokrasian sekarang menunjukkan bahawa sifat dan tingkahlaku politik dan masyarakatnya telah banyak berubah dengan mengambil sikap yang seiring dengan perkembangan yang global. Hakikat itu nampak jelas wujud apabila masyarakat Malaysia (tanpa mengira kaum) mula mengambil berat terhadap hal-hal yang berhubung kait dengan persekitaran politik mereka, keadilan, keamanan, kesejahteraan awam, ketelusan dan pelbagai lagi isu yang berkait rapat dengan kesejagatan kehidupan bermasyarakat dan bernegara mula mengambil tempatnya dalam kepercayaan politik masyarakat Malaysia yang berbilang kaum itu. Dan ini diperkukuhkan dengan perkembangan masyarakat sivil yang semakin dominan dalam kerangka politik Malaysia. Perkembangan ini sebenarnya memperkukuhkan premis yang dikemukakan oleh Ohame (1996) yang menyatakan bahawa arus globalisasi membawa bersamanya perkembangan identiti politik yang sejagat sifatnya. Sebagai sebuah masyarakat yang diklasifikasikan sebagai masyarakat yang sedang berkembang (psikologi dan juga material), perubahan adalah merupakan antara aspek utama dalam perkembangan politik Malaysia han ini. Justeru, ramai pemerhati politik yang menyatakan bahawa pilihan raya umum kali ini bakal mewujudkan suatu bentuk pemisah atau watershed dalam sejarah perkembangan politik Malaysia dan Sabah khususnya. Berasaskan premis di atas, kajian ini bertujuan untuk meneliti aspek-aspek perubahan yang semakin wujud dalam pilihan raya negeri Sabah kali ini dalam konteks tingkah laku pengundi dan juga faktor-faktor parti politik yang bertanding

Konsumenters synsätt på ekologiska livsmedel avseende frukt, grönsaker & rotfrukter : - En tvärsnittsundersökning ur ett konsumentperspektiv

Background: Pesticides in conventional food may be related to morbidity and mortality. Furthermore pesticides have a negative impact on the whole ecosystem. Organic food can presume better health as they contain less chemicals and toxins and contribute to sustainable development efforts. Objective: The aim was to examine what attitudes consumers have regarding to purchase organic fruit, vegetables and root vegetables. Methods: The association between consumers’ views on conventional food and organic food was investigated using questionnaire given to a population sample of men and women aged by 23-65 (N=60) in grocery stores and in a fitness center. The study was based on a cross-sectional study in a municipality in central Sweden. Results: Consumers were interested to buy organic food. Environmental factors had a significant association to buy more organic food compared to health reasons. Price was not associated with purchasing organic food. Conclusion: Consumers indicated that they would buy more organic food if the number of products and brands would increase and if organic products were more noticeable in the grocery store. This emphasizes more information about organic food is needed so that consumers will be able to make wise choices

Konsumenters synsätt på ekologiska livsmedel avseende frukt, grönsaker & rotfrukter : - En tvärsnittsundersökning ur ett konsumentperspektiv

Background: Pesticides in conventional food may be related to morbidity and mortality. Furthermore pesticides have a negative impact on the whole ecosystem. Organic food can presume better health as they contain less chemicals and toxins and contribute to sustainable development efforts. Objective: The aim was to examine what attitudes consumers have regarding to purchase organic fruit, vegetables and root vegetables. Methods: The association between consumers’ views on conventional food and organic food was investigated using questionnaire given to a population sample of men and women aged by 23-65 (N=60) in grocery stores and in a fitness center. The study was based on a cross-sectional study in a municipality in central Sweden. Results: Consumers were interested to buy organic food. Environmental factors had a significant association to buy more organic food compared to health reasons. Price was not associated with purchasing organic food. Conclusion: Consumers indicated that they would buy more organic food if the number of products and brands would increase and if organic products were more noticeable in the grocery store. This emphasizes more information about organic food is needed so that consumers will be able to make wise choices

Associations between emotional support and cardiovascular risk factors and subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-age

Objective: To test the hypothesis of low emotional support being associated with lifestyle and biomedical cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, estimated risk of CVD morbidity and mortality, and subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged healthy adults. Methods and measures: Cross-sectional data were obtained from participants aged 40–60 years who had one or more conventional CVD risk factor. They underwent assessment based on questionnaires, clinical examination, blood sampling, and carotid ultrasound of plaque formation and carotid intima-media wall thickness (cIMT). Based on the Interview Schedule for Social Interaction, the participants were categorised as either low in emotional support (n = 884) or as a referent (n = 2570). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to study the associations. Results: Logistic regression analyses showed that low emotional support was significantly associated with smoking, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity (OR = 1.53 − 1.94), estimated risk of CVD morbidity and mortality (OR = 1.56 − 1.68), and plaque formation (OR = 1.39). No significant associations were found regarding biomedical CVD risk factors or cIMT. Conclusion: The findings suggest that low social support is associated with lifestyle CVD risk factors, estimated risk of CVD morbidity and mortality, and subclinical atherosclerosis in middle-aged healthy adults, encouraging causal evaluation with longitudinal data investigating an impact of emotional support on mechanisms underlying CVD

Community and stakeholders' engagement in the prevention and management of Type 2 diabetes : a qualitative study in socioeconomically disadvantaged suburbs in region Stockholm

Background: Community-based approaches have been identified as an effective strategy to address the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide. However, little is known about community as a concept among people living in socioeconomically disadvantaged settings and stakeholders’ interactions and engagement in NCDs prevention and management. Objective: The aim of this study was to understand; (1) the meaning of community among people living in socioeconomically disadvantaged suburbs in Region Stockholm and (2) how communities interact and engage with stakeholders at local and regional levels for the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in three municipalities in Region Stockholm with a high proportion of migrants. Multiple data collection methods were used, including observations of community activities; interviews with community members, representatives of public authorities and NGOs; and group interviews with healthcare providers. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: Community was perceived as living in close proximity with shared beliefs, values and resources. Although they recognized its social and cultural diversity, community members focused more on the commonalities of living in their neighborhood and less on their differences in country of birth and languages spoken. Several mismatches between awareness of community needs and the available skills and resources among stakeholders for T2D prevention were identified. Stakeholders expressed awareness of T2D risk and interest in addressing it in a culturally appropriate manner. Conclusion: Interaction between the communities and stakeholders was limited, as was engagement in T2D prevention and management. This highlights barriers in the collaboration between community, healthcare institutions and other stakeholders which consequently affect the implementation of preventive interventions. Innovative ways to link the community to the healthcare sector and other local government institutions are needed to build the capacity of health systems for T2D prevention in socioeconomically disadvantaged communities.De 2 sista författarna delar sistaförfattarskapet.</p

Understanding the quality of life (QOL) issues in survivors of cancer: towards the development of an EORTC QOL cancer survivorship questionnaire

BACKROUND: The number of cancer survivors is growing steadily and increasingly, clinical trials are being designed to include long-term follow-up to assess not only survival, but also late effects and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Therefore it is is essential to develop patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) that capture the full range of issues relevant to disease-free cancer survivors. The objectives of this project are: 1) to develop a European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaire that captures the full range of physical, mental and social HRQOL issues relevant to disease-free cancer survivors; and 2) to determine at which minimal time since completion of treatment the questionnaire should be used.METHODS: We reviewed 134 publications on cancer survivorship and interviewed 117 disease-free cancer survivors with 11 different types of cancer across 14 countries in Europe to generate an exhaustive, provisional list of HRQOL issues relevant to cancer survivors. The resulting issue list, the EORTC core questionnaire (QLQ-C30), and site-specific questionnaire modules were completed by a second group of 458 survivors.RESULTS: We identified 116 generic survivorship issues. These issues covered body image, cognitive functioning, health behaviors, negative and positive outlook, health distress, mental health, fatigue, sleep problems, physical functioning, pain, several physical symptoms, social functioning, and sexual problems. Patients rated most of the acute symptoms of cancer and its treatment (e.g. nausea) as no longer relevant approximately one year after completion of treatment.CONCLUSIONS: Compared to existing cancer survivorship questionnaires, our findings underscore the relevance of assessing issues related to chronic physical side effects of treatment such as neuropathy and joint pain. We will further develop a core survivorship questionnaire and three site-specific modules for disease-free adult cancer survivors who are at least one year post-treatment.</p

Additional file 1: of Understanding the quality of life (QOL) issues in survivors of cancer: towards the development of an EORTC QOL cancer survivorship questionnaire

The list of 134 articles included in the review. (PDF 118 kb