Country Risk Analysis Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Country Risk Analysis Project - Assignment Example These statistics are favorable for foreign direct investment as the international community recognizes South Korea’s economic success. South Korea went from being one of the least developed states globally to the currently third biggest in Asia and 15th biggest globally (Foran 109). A high level of collaboration and coordination between South Korea and other states and private corporations should dictate the economy and provide a safe haven for businesses. South Korea’s global economic conditions favor globalization and global expansion more than its global political climate. Foreign direct investors should be able to take advantage of this facilitation by exploiting this characteristic of the country’s global economic condition. I think we should be one of those investors as the country’s political setting gained favor from the international community since the most recent elections. President Geun-Hye is keen on concentrating her economic policy on building an innovative economy facilitates worldwide technological innovation as the steppingstones for foreign direct investment. We should also certainly undertake investment in South Korea due to President Lee Myung-bak’s increasing activity in global political and economic establishments such as the UN, WTO, and OECD foreign development support and demonstrated aid. South Korean corporations are sure to globalize their operations and presence since the government is echoing globalization and global growth (Foran 82). Investing in South Korea is sure to continue to globalization efforts as economic conditions demand this sort of development. Even though investing in South Korea is commendable.

Book Report on The Immortal Life of Henretta Lacks Essay

Book Report on The Immortal Life of Henretta Lacks - Essay Example The cells that belong to Henrietta Lacks are known by the code name HeLa. When Henrietta died in 1951 because of the cervix cancer, cells from her cancerous tumor were cultured by George Otto Gey and create immortal cell line for medical research. HeLa were the first human cells vigorous enough to survive outside the human body, have been productive enough, increased and multiply in test tubes long after her death. Henrietta’s family had no idea that the said cells were used according to this purpose until during the year 1970’s where the medical companies merchandised the cells for profit purposes. Rebecca Skloot describes the HeLa cells as undergoing mitosis which defines in the normal cells as dividing into two. Currently, there are over 50 metric tons of the said cells that are still booming, and flourishing. This New York Times best sellers takes the readers to an extra ordinary journey from the John Hopkins Hospital in the 1950’s to winning several awards i ncluding 2010 Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for non fiction, 2010 Wellcome Trust Book Prize, 2011 Audie award, and has been featured on over 60 critics’ best of the year list. ... The Primary Characters of the Book Henrietta Lacks is the main characters of the book. The book tells her story from her being a tobacco farmer down to the bed of the hospital of John Hopkins, from her death to the immortality of her cancer cells. One of the main characters to be considered in the book is the family of Henrietta, they could hardly understand why despite the death of their loved ones, Henrietta’s cells still exists and live. However, the love for the family remains strong and the search for justice and to unravel the truth continues. Implications of the Ethical Leadership and Cultural Competence During the time wherein Henrietta Lacks hospitalized at John Hopkins hospital, there is no Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to govern and approve their research protocols during that time. Even the people who are discriminated and belong to the black race are illiterate about the procedures in relations to the rights of the patient while in the premise of the hospital . Giving the comparison in the evolution of the biomedical evolution during the 1940’s-1970’s between the dilemmas that facing us today, during the time of the HeLa cell dissemination, informed consent was the main point of debate, whereas at the present, two core elements of ethics in biomedical research: privacy and managing conflicts of interest. Recently, the HIPAA privacy rule was enacted. It is a security standards and safeguards for the use of electronic health care information as well as the creation of the privacy standards for protected health information. However, the rules claim equality among all members of the community regardless of the race. How Various Aspect of the Seven Revolution Woven into the Book In the

Critically assess how packaging, branding and design provide Essay

Critically assess how packaging, branding and design provide competitive advantage for the Brewdog portfolio - Essay Example Whatever it is that the Marketing group plans shall determine the organization’s success in the industry. The ability of the said in-charged group in making amends for the organization’s ability to make it within the industrial competition in the business world shall make it possible for the business to make a considerable reputation that could attract the clients who are being targeted by the said organization. This is particularly the reason why business organizations both large-scale and small-scale make it a point that the marketing procedures that they carry on for the sake of business progression is given careful attention and as well as an ample amount of investment. Particularly, marketing is a business branch that sets the path for the organization as to how they are supposed to trod the journey of success in the industry that they are dealing with. The intensity of the procedures taken by marketing experts particularly pertains to the quality of the advertising procedures that the organization ought to take into consideration for actual operational purposes. It is in this particular sector of the organization that the fast release or distribution of the services or the products offered by the organization towards the clients could be determined. In this particular case, BrewDog Beers marketing approach shall be examined as to how well the company is able to fit within the competing arena of huge brewery organizations around the world as they introduce their branded product to the target market that they are aiming to serve. How does the internet applications help in this particular goal of creating a feasible environment of marketing to the target consumers that they are aiming their products to be distributed to. With huge and well-known breweries already operating in the market, BrewDog is certain to have the need to get in the market with the use of effective marketing tools to make it in the said field of

Book Report on The Immortal Life of Henretta Lacks Essay

Book Report on The Immortal Life of Henretta Lacks - Essay Example The cells that belong to Henrietta Lacks are known by the code name HeLa. When Henrietta died in 1951 because of the cervix cancer, cells from her cancerous tumor were cultured by George Otto Gey and create immortal cell line for medical research. HeLa were the first human cells vigorous enough to survive outside the human body, have been productive enough, increased and multiply in test tubes long after her death. Henrietta’s family had no idea that the said cells were used according to this purpose until during the year 1970’s where the medical companies merchandised the cells for profit purposes. Rebecca Skloot describes the HeLa cells as undergoing mitosis which defines in the normal cells as dividing into two. Currently, there are over 50 metric tons of the said cells that are still booming, and flourishing. This New York Times best sellers takes the readers to an extra ordinary journey from the John Hopkins Hospital in the 1950’s to winning several awards i ncluding 2010 Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for non fiction, 2010 Wellcome Trust Book Prize, 2011 Audie award, and has been featured on over 60 critics’ best of the year list. ... The Primary Characters of the Book Henrietta Lacks is the main characters of the book. The book tells her story from her being a tobacco farmer down to the bed of the hospital of John Hopkins, from her death to the immortality of her cancer cells. One of the main characters to be considered in the book is the family of Henrietta, they could hardly understand why despite the death of their loved ones, Henrietta’s cells still exists and live. However, the love for the family remains strong and the search for justice and to unravel the truth continues. Implications of the Ethical Leadership and Cultural Competence During the time wherein Henrietta Lacks hospitalized at John Hopkins hospital, there is no Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) to govern and approve their research protocols during that time. Even the people who are discriminated and belong to the black race are illiterate about the procedures in relations to the rights of the patient while in the premise of the hospital . Giving the comparison in the evolution of the biomedical evolution during the 1940’s-1970’s between the dilemmas that facing us today, during the time of the HeLa cell dissemination, informed consent was the main point of debate, whereas at the present, two core elements of ethics in biomedical research: privacy and managing conflicts of interest. Recently, the HIPAA privacy rule was enacted. It is a security standards and safeguards for the use of electronic health care information as well as the creation of the privacy standards for protected health information. However, the rules claim equality among all members of the community regardless of the race. How Various Aspect of the Seven Revolution Woven into the Book In the

Intellectual Property Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Intellectual Property Law - Essay Example In a different perspective, intellectual property rights cover identification marks used by companies in order to protect malicious use of the same. Such protections are in place with an aim of encouraging new inventions, innovations, and technologies, which is vital for growth of both a nation or a society and the global economy. Examples of such intellectual rights include copyrights, patents, trade secrets, industrial designs, and trademarks. These rights depend on the form and type of invention or innovation that an individual attains. In the above scenario, Trevor discovered a drug that can cure common cold. In this case, Trevor’s discovery qualifies for a patent as one of the intellectual property rights. Millennium compound has been in existence for long yet no one used it to invent a drug for curing common cold. It is therefore wrong to assume that since Millennium compound has been in existence, someone was going to use in at some point to come up with a drug for curi ng common cold. ... Since they are not co-owners of the idea, Trevor has a right to obtain the patent right under his name. In a scenario where Trevor will allow the professor to have patent under his (professor) name, then Trevor should forget about such rights as provided for within intellectual rights. Therefore, it is important that Trevor fight for his name to be used for obtaining such patents rights since without that then he (Trevor) is unlikely to benefit from the same rights. After all, patent rights according to UK Patents Act 1977, Section 3 2the only person who enjoys patent rights of an invention is one whose name is used in success application and approval of the same rights. Patentability Requirements Under the United Kingdom’s Patent Rights law, there are specific requirements that an inventor must adhere to in order to apply successful for a patent right against his or her invention. Some of the conditions that should be in force include having an element of novelty, invention i nvolving an inventive step, invention having practical use, and the subject matter must be accepted as patentable within the United Kingdom’s laws. Novelty is the most vital prerequisite for any patent right to be successful completed under the UK law. Under the UK law, novelty requirement states that for an invention to acquire patent rights it must be new. According to the UK Patents Act 1997 Section 2(1)3, a new invention is one that does not take any part of the ‘state of the art’ within a reasonable time just before patent application date. In this regards, the ‘state of art’ refers to the entire information or matter made available to members of the public

Improving FCAT sScores of students Essay Example for Free

Improving FCAT sScores of students Essay Since the first task is to find students who are willing to ask questions and seek help, it is imperative to build a working and trusting relation with the students. Knowing students and understanding their learning style should help them and the proponents of the study in meeting the collective obligation towards acquiring knowledge and preparing both parties for any challenge which include school testing or the state required Standard Testing. Further, it is expected to find cooperative teachers who are willing and able to work together to meet all of the student goals and the curriculum requirements. As mentioned before, if no cooperative work will take form among students, teachers, administrators and parents, the chances for students to be successful may diminish. There is an easy way for every teacher to help their students in preparing for the FCAT. In essence, teachers can include FCAT-like questions into the regular class lectures, activities as well as assessments. Primarily, teachers can use questions that necessitate students to elucidate their responses to the questions. Teachers can also have the students to relate their Reading and Mathematics skills utilizing challenging content from the various subject areas. The test questions included in the FCAT employ the content areas prescribed by the SSS which include the Arts, Language Arts and Mathematics, Science, Health and Physical Education, Social Studies as well as School-to-Work areas. Hence, every student must be handed the chances to apply their reading and mathematics skills in the content fields other than the plain customary mathematics as well as language arts. The majority of the text students after Grade 6 are needed to read and understand on FCAT is informational text which does not necessarily imply it as literature. Another way is for teachers to employ questions in which their formats are open-ended which are similar to the ones identified in the FCAT. AT least three distinct types of open-ended questions are used on the FCAT. These include the extended-response format, short-response type, and the gridded-response type. The first two formats (ER and SR) are applied only on the students of Grades 4, 8 and 10 Reading and Grades 5, 8, and 10 Math. The tests from Grades 5 to 10 in the Mathematics part of the FCAT apply the gridded-response format in the questions. The real amount of questions for every type differs a bit annually. Nevertheless, the percentage of the questions will fall just within the range illustrated in the table below: Percent of Questions for the FCAT Question Formats Subject and Grade Question Format Percent of Questions Read. — 4, 8, 10 Multiple Choice (MC) 85-90% ER and SR 10-15% Reading — 3, 5, 6, 7, 9 MC 100% Math — 3 4 MC 100% Math — 5 MC 60-70% GR 20-25%. ER SR 10-15% Math — 6, 7, 9 MC 60-70% GR 30-40% Math — 8 10 MC 50-60% GR 25-30% ER SR 10-15% In the Reading section of the ER questions in the FCAT, students are provided an answer space which consists of 14 lines. On the other hand, students are provided with a blank workspace for Mathematics where the students are required to illustrate their work and a few lines provided for their explanation part. Every student is required to write answers or illustrate their work in the spaces yet it is not a requirement to completely fill the spaces. Next, in the SR questions, students in reading are provided with another answer space which consists of eight lines. Students are provided with a blank workspace in Mathematics for their explanation or illustration of their work. Filling up the spaces completely is, again, not a requirement. In the GR format, every student is provided with an answer grid to fill. Students are required to fill the grid with the right answer with the use of one of the few right formats. Numerical answers resulting from specific questions can be solved by the use of a response grid and not mere questions of mathematics. In essence, the constant use of these formats of questions in every regular activities and appraisals within the classroom and will aid students become familiar to answering in the same manner they will be asked to answer in the actual FCAT. Teachers can also opt to grade and rate the work of the students using the rubrics based on the FCAT as well as the rubric from Florida Writes. By employing this approach, students can become more accustomed to what is expected from them on the actual test in FCAT. Aiding students comprehend what is expected of them on FCAT is perhaps one of the most effective approaches in helping these students to prepare for the actual FCAT. Most of the time, students ask â€Å"will I have to perform this one on the actual FCAT? † If the teacher considers using the FCAT rubrics in scoring the responses to the classroom test questions, subject papers, reports, projects among many others, students will harness a clearer comprehension of the degrees of performance expected of them during the FCAT. Last but not the least, teachers can opt to utilize and develop questions for classroom discussions and tests that are of similar cognitive firmness as the ones presented in the FCAT test rubrics. The SSS contains standards for the content as well as benchmarks that are challenging for every learner as it also includes the expectation that these learners become more creative as their critical thinking capabilities are likewise developed further. Every class has the size of approximately 32 students with a various degree of academic levels. Most students come from a lower socio-economic class and many of their parents speak another language apart from English and cannot provide enough help the proponents with any of the homework. With the help from other teachers, a â€Å"Mock FCAT Test† will be conducted which is going to be based on the materials the students have covered for the year. The test will consist of a multiple choice section, a true or false part, and several essay type questions. One of the co-teachers in the science classes will have to modify the test for the ESE students just as it has been practiced during regular test or quizzes. Some of the ESE students have a modification clause in their Individual Education Plan or IEP and the test questions have to be read to them so that they will be able to understand better the test questions and answer them to the best of their knowledge. Further, it will provide the students with the guidance for studying and preparing for the real FCAT test. Two periods per week can be used for the test preparation which serves as a review time and after four weeks the test will be given. The teachers should make themselves available before and after school for students who feel they need some help. Also, letters must be sent to the parents of the students which will serve as letters asking for their help, if possible, with students’ practice work. In addition to the help that is to be obtained from both the teachers and the parents, the students themselves will also participate and cooperate in order to further advance the help they can receive. That is, students will be paired, carefully selecting their pairs according to their academic level. All of these activities will be conducted in the regular classroom during the third quarter of the school year. A journal will be maintained which will serve as the record for all of the observations obtained as well as the progress of the students throughout the course of the scheme. Dates will be analyzed in order to predict any changes in the students’ progress so that it will be easier to identify where help is most needed for the students. The journal will also include information gathered from parents on the progress of the time spent with their children who are studying at home. Moreover, the journal will contain a comparison column to see the results from all of the quizzes and serve as a guide for intervention when needed. The information that will be obtained will be thoroughly shared with the students so that they ca follow their progress and pinpoint any deficiencies in which they have to work on. Lastly, the journal will provide information on what and where the needs are to be reviewed, revisited, or reinforced. This is to keep a sustained check on the progress of the project. With the cooperation of the other teachers, information will be shared and concerns will be exchanged concerning the progress of the students. The members of the project will be involved in monitoring, discussing, and helping students to stay on track. There will be daily discussions with the students about the difficulties of the study material or to share the successes and ideas about the methods of studying. Student’s input is most important as their suggestions will be shared with every student in both class periods. Also, students who have already taken the FCAT and have successfully passes the test will be introduced into the group of students in order for the former to be able to relate to the students their previous experience with FCAT. The techniques used by these previous students who have already successfully passed the FCAT will be shared to the current students so that the latter will be able to obtain any important information or insights into the FCAT. The data will be interpreted in terms of an analysis of all the information obtained before, during, and after the project has culminated. Input from the teachers involved will be greatly considered inasmuch as the conference with the parents and the participating students will provide the data that will be analyzed. Students will be given a self-survey to assess their own progress from their personal viewpoint and provide guide for reviewing the material for the test. Also, with the cooperation of the other teachers, notes will be compared and pinpoint the relation of time, the involvement of the parents and the scores obtained from the test. All obtainable manpower will be used in completing the project. The findings of the study or project will be shared with the entire staff of the school, specifically the administrators and the teachers, as well as with the parents and the students. The success of the project will be shared with other schools as it will be important and useful information in preparing their students for testing via the regular curriculum. The goal presented is to make the students aware of the possibilities of learning through organized effort and the learning intelligence that most befits each student. Also, the information obtained from the project will be shared with other teachers in order to reinforce the methods and styles and teaching practices that will be used. The parents will realize that their involvement with their children in learning is of great significance as they keep in contact with the teachers and monitor the progress of their children. The next phase is to work on continuous cooperation with the parents and other teachers and to provide the maximum help to the students. An open relationship with students will also be developed through an action plan where everybody is involved in the educational process working together for a common goal. This will help and encourage students in their future study as they will be able to comprehend the positive outcome of their efforts and the cooperation they maintain with their fellow students and with their parents and teachers. The bulk of the critical colleagues in the entirety of the project will be comprised of fellow teachers as well as the assistant principal of the school who will provide the support and approval for the implementation of the project. Permission will be sought after the school principal as well as from the parents of the students as both parties will have to invest time and a few other resources for the initiation and completion of the project. The permission of the other teachers will also be obtained primarily because classes will be conducted in their respective classrooms and class sections that they handle. CONCLUSION By monitoring the test results obtained from the FCAT and comparing these results with the previous years, the knowledge of the students can be relatively increased specifically in the domain of science. By guiding the teachers find the specific areas where the students needs some room for improvement especially their weaknesses as well as their strengths that need reinforcement, teachers can correspondingly adjust their lesson plans. Further, since the work aims at expanding the skills and knowledge of students based on FCAT results, the work also shares a relevant contribution to the overall academic and holistic development of the student as relationships are established and strengthened between students, parents, teachers, and the school administrators. References FCAT Fact Sheet. (2005, August 24, 2005). Retrieved August 5, 2007, from http://fcat. fldoe. org/pdf/fcatfact. pdf. FCAT Myths vs. Facts. (2005, August 24, 2005). Retrieved August 6, 2007, from http://fcat. fldoe. org/pdf/myths-facts. pdf. What every teacher should know about FCAT. (2005, August 24, 2005). Retrieved August 6, 2007, from http://fcat. fldoe. org/pdf/fcatguid. pdf.

Health Supplements: An analysis

Health Supplements: An analysis CHAPTER 1 The prevalence used of health supplements especially multivitamins and minerals in many developed counteries are widened eventhough their effectiveness is unclearly determined (Rock , 2007). Based on the data collected by National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999-2000, 52 percent of US adults reported taking a dietary supplement in the past month and 35 percent is reported on regular use of a multivitamin-multimineral product. Marketing data from Nutrition Business Journal of year 1997 till 2001 show a dramatic increase in supplement sales and estimated total approximately $ 18.8 billion in 2003. In Malaysia, according to the data published by Icon Health Publication from R D Committee at INSTEAD, the latent demand for vitamin and dietary supplement has growing increasing from year to year. Since the use of health supplements continues to expand in future, thus investigating of preliminary reason behind this trend is important. Supplement consumption usually occurs in the context of achieving or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Several studies have been suggested that individuals might tend to use health supplements in order to compensate for unhealthy behaviours (Hilliam, 1996; Kirk et al., 1999; Radimer et al., 2000). One of the important reason that contribute to the increased use of health supplement is widely availability of these agents, in part because of the minimal regulatory requirements for safety and efficacy compared with regulatory requirements for drugs. Despite the fact that health supplements are not classified as drugs by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act allows manufacturers to make claims intended to attract public opinion regarding the benefits on the use of these supplement products. Under DSHEA, product labels cannot claim to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease but it only claims to support the structure and function of the body.  [1]  Basically, consumption of health supplements can also be categorized as one of the type of c omplementary or alternative medicine (CAM). 1.2 Significance of the study Anecdotally, there is an increasing use of health supplements among Malaysian. However, relatively little is known about the patterns of use of health supplements among them. Therefore, there is a need for continued research in order to provide more knowledge related to the benefit of supplement use. To our knowledge, only one study conducted by International Medical University, has focused specifically on the usage and opinion among health sciences students on the dietary supplements. Eventhough usage of health supplement is prevalent but there are only a few published reports (Mazlan, 1990; Safiah, 2002). In parallel with the implementation of National Plan of Action for Nutrition II of Malaysia (NPANM), there is a need for continued research in order to investigate the use, attitudes and knowledge of health supplements among urban adults in Klang Valley which still represents the area with the highest prevalence of health supplements user in Malaysia. 1.3 Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess the use of health supplements among Malaysians urban adults . This study not only focused on herbal supplements but it also include functional foods, nutrient and botanical products available in the market. Besides, we like to determine whether attitudes are better predictor of adults intentions to use health supplements than are subjective norms. Last but not least is to assess knowledge concerning the safety of health supplements among urban adults. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Health supplement 2.1.1 Definition of health supplement Health supplement is a term that also commonly known as dietary supplement, nutraceutical supplement or nutritional supplement. Eventhough this term has been used interchangeably, but the meaning of them is still same. In early 1990s, a nutraceutical term was coined by Dr. Stephen DeFelice and it was defined concisely as any substance either food or a part of food. It has a wider range from specific diet, isolated nutrients, processed foods, dietary supplements to genetically modified foods and also include herbal products. It was intended to be use to provides health benefits to the end user (Barnett et al., 1996). Before year 1994, the health supplement was subjected to the same regulatory requirement as other food. However, in October 1994, the President Clinton was assigned a new act under FDA regulations that known as Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. According to the DSHEA, dietary supplement is defined as a product that intended to be taken orally in order to supple ment the diet in which it contains a dietary ingredient. The dietary ingredients in these products may include vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, and substances such as enzymes, organ tissues, glandulars and metabolites. It can also be extracts or concentrates, and may be found in many forms such as tablets, capsules, softgels, gelcaps, liquids or powders (U.S Food and Drug Administration, 1995). Whatever dosage form it is, this dietary ingredient is not considered as a drug. In case of a drug, it was subjected to undergo some procedures in order to be clinically proven safe to be used. However, dietary supplement was treated reverse to this way since that it was considered safe until proven unsafe. In addition, dietary ingredient could be used in dietary supplement without a need to get approval from FDA as food additive and generally recognised as safe (GRAS) ingredients (Susan Onel, 2005). Due to the minimal regulatory requirements of safety and its efficacy, therefore the health supplement become more widely available and this contributed to increase of its used (Bardia et al., 2007). However, in case of a new dietary ingredient present in the product then the manufacturers of dietary supplement must have to provide FDA with evidence by submission of the products safety data of at least 75 days prior to its release to the public. This dietary ingredient was considered as a new ones if it was not marketed in U.S before October 15, 1994 (Cohen, 2000). 2.1.2 Definition of health supplement user Generally, health supplement users are those healthy people who are seeking for supplements as a one of several alternatives for improving health (Sheldon Pelletier, 2003). In U.S, it has been estimated that approximately half of their adult population considered as users of health supplements (Robson et al., 2008 ; Radimer et al., 2004). A study done by Knudsen et al. in year 1997 to 1998 at two Danish cities was defined a health supplement user as a person who consumed at least one type of supplements within a period of time of the survey. Basically, Knudsen and his colleagues determined those supplement users based on their frequency intake. Result indicated that from 2758 of supplement users about 27 percent of them took more than one health supplement per day and twelve percent took three or more per day (Knudsen et al., 2002). In the present study persons who consumed any health supplement at least once in a year has been considered as dietary or health supplement users. In this study, they defined health supplement users into three groups which are daily user, weekly user and seldom user. The daily users are those who reported use of any health supplement once a day or more for the past 12 months whereas weekly users are those who reported use once a week or more but must be less than once a day for the past 12 months and seldom users are those people who reported use once a year or more but less than once a week for the past 12 months (Imai et al., 2006). 2.1.3 Types of health supplements With the increased in health awareness regarding the use of health supplements, the public is flooded by numerous health supplement products which are frequently advertised through the various media. Thus, there are many types of health supplements that have been practically used by the supplement user. 2.1.3.1 Vitamin Vitamin is a group of complex organic compounds that present in small amounts in natural foodstuffs which are play an essential role for the body to regulate normal metabolism and lack of which in the diet causes deficiency diseases (McDowell, 2000). Since vitamin can be found in daily food consumption thus for a normal healthy people intake of vitamin supplement is unnecessary. This is because overconsumption of certain vitamin such as vitamin A may lead to reversible Acute hypervitaminosis that occur after ingestion of more than or equal to 500,000 IU (over 100 times the RDA) by adults (Bendich Langseth, 1989). According to the survey done among 129 doctors working at hospitals in Kota Bharu, the results showed that the health supplements commonly used were multivitamins and minerals (92.3 percent) whereas prevalence used of vitamin C is 26.9 percent (Rohana Zulkifli, 2007). The types and usage patterns of health supplements used as shown in Table 2.1 Table 2.1 : Types and used patterns of health supplements among doctors Rank Supplement/s Regular users Sporadic users Total (%) 1 MVT plus minerals 14 1 15 (17.9) 2 Vitamin Bco 12 3 15 (17.9) 3 Vitamin C 10 1 11 (13.1) 4 Garlic 7 0 7 (8.3) 5 MVT only 5 1 6 (7.1) 6 Traditional 4 1 5 (6.0) 7 Lecithin 4 0 4 (4.8) 8 Prenatal vitamins 3 0 3 (3.6) 9 Vitamin E 3 0 3 (3.6) 10 Fish oil 2 1 3 (3.6) 11 Ginseng 2 1 3 (3.6) 12 Iron/Folic acid 2 0 2 (2.4) 13 Bee Pollen 1 1 2 (2.4) 14 Others 5 0 5 (6.0) TOTAL 74 10 84 (100.0) Source : Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine 2007, Vol. 7(1):60-63 2.1.3.2 Mineral Minerals are nonorganic substances found in all body tissues and fluids such as bones, teeth, brain, liver, muscle, blood and nerve cells. They are required in modest amounts for the maintenance of structural integrity of essential molecules and development of optimal physiological function (Lukaski, 1995). Since minerals cannot be synthesized by the body therefore they must be consumed through a healthy diet. Based on the data from the NILS-LSA done in Japan, about 55 percent of males and 61 percent of females were consumed some type of health supplements and revealed that calcium was the most popular mineral consumed by both sexes ( Imai et al., 2006). In addition the study done by Chandra and his colleagues were investigated the respondents regarding to their reasons for consuming mineral supplements and their knowledge on mineral supplements. Thus, the finding of this study revealed that the most prevelent reason for consuming mineral supplements is to feel better and their lev el of knowledge on types and benefits of mineral supplements is moderate (Chandra, Miller and Willis, 2005). 2.1.3.4 Herb and other botanicals There are many different herbal and botanical supplements available on the market. Thus, approximately one third of U.S adults reported using botanical supplements (Harris Polls, 1998). In addition, in year 1999 the Chemical Market Reporter revealed that the botanical and herbal market generated approximately $3.9 billion in sales (Anonymous, 1999). A survey shown that about 57.3 percent of adults favourably used herbs in order to treat a specific illnesses (Bardia et al., 2007). According to the survey done by Newberry et al. in 2001 found that 71 of 132 respondents reported they took NVNM health supplements in order to promote good health, prevent disease and to enhance immune system. Most commonly reported used of these NVNM are includes Echinacea, ginseng, St Johns Wort, gingko biloba, ephedra, saw palmetto, chamomile and garlic. From 71 respondents who reported taken NVNM to promote good health about 77.5 percent claimed them to be effective. In addition, 50 respondents reported taken NVNM such as chamomile, gingko biloba, kava kava and St Johns wort in order to relieve depression and anxiety. Fortunately, survey indicated that 43 of 50 respondents perceived them to be effective (Newberry et al., 2001). 2.1.3.5 Amino acid Our cell is made up from different kind of the building blocks of proteins. This body protein that is called amino acid. Some of the amino acid is been synthesized within the body is called an non-essential amino acid whereas other half cannot be synthesized and must be absorbed and preformed from the gastro-intestinal tracts. This is called essential amino acid which is can be obtained from the food and amino acid supplements. A survey done among college student revealed that 17 out of 272 college students took the putative ergogenic which is commonly considered as amino acid sub-category. The prevalent reason claimed by college students regarding the used of these supplements is to enhance their athletic performance (Newberry et al., 2001). 2.3 Pattern of health supplements used From NHANES surveys discovered that the most common pattern of supplement use among US population appeared to be the use of single product which is 55 percent. Whereas 66 percent of supplement users took more than one product and only 13 percent took five or more (Sandler et al., 2001). A survey of 21 923 adults residing in the metropolitan boroughs of Bolton and Wigan, UK revealed 35.4 percent took at least one dietary supplement, 72.2 percent were taking one product whereas 27.8 percent taking two or more products. About 12.6 percent reported eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day and 43.5 percent eating at least one portion of oil-rich fish per week. The use of health supplements was positively correlated with the pattern of eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables per day (adjusted OR 1.41). Correspondingly, consumption of fish-oil supplements was higher among those eating one portion or more of oil-rich fish per week (adjusted OR 1.50) (Harr ison et al., 2004). Besides, a result of the survey also indicated that among women who were reported as regular supplement user, the most usually reported health supplements used were calcium with 60.3 percent user and 20.3 percent for glucosamine. In contrast, most commonly reported health supplements used by men were vitamin C (37.4 percent) and garlic (18.9 percent) (Robson et al., 2008). 2.4 Prevalence use of health supplements Comparison studies between NHANES 1999-2000 and previous NHANES survey which used same methodology suggested that supplement use has increased (Radimer et al., 2004). A previous study has indicated that most of the supplements have been used in order to promote general health, treat or prevent symptomatic conditions and chronic ailments (Bardia et al., 2007). In 2003 Satia-Abouta et al. study had found that supplements tend to be taken by the people that have been diagnosed with certain medical conditions than others and commented that, although some people take supplements based on efficacy but many do not. A survey result was indicated that supplement use was common among Whites, women, persons with age of 50 years and older and college educated with degree or more (Sheldon Pelletier, 2003 ; Shi et al., 2005). 2.4.1 Sociodemographic In research article by Block and Subar (1990) based on 1987 National Health Interview Survey, they investigate about the used of vitamin and mineral supplements in relation to demographics and amounts of nutrients consumed. This NHIS is a national probability survey among US population. It is the first national studies to address specifically supplement use among Hispanic population. The sample consisted of 22,080 adults of all races aged 18-99 years. A result of the survey revealed that user of vitamin and mineral supplements were slightly more women than were men of the same age and race. Survey shows that among white women within the age ranges 55-64 years, their daily usage are 39.9 percent and 38.4 percent among age ranges 65-74 years. However, among age 75 years and more it is slightly declined (34.9 percent). This indicated that usage pattern tended to increase with age which happened similarly within other sex-age categories. Based on sex-race categories, non-Hispanic whites women show the highest rates of use compared with all other races and Hispanic women show rate intermediate between those of whites and blacks (Blocks Subar, 1990 ; Jasti, Siega-Riz Bentley, 2003). Demographic data regarding income, education, and occupation show that strong socioeconomic influences upon whether individuals take supplements. From the study done by Jong et.al in 2002 revealed that the consumption behaviour towards variety of foods and supplements were associated with demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Result showed that participants in the middle and high education groups were more likely to use supplements containing Echinacea or multivitamin and minerals than individuals with lower education groups. Shi et.al in year 2005 also indicated that the intake of vitamin either in the form of tablets or capsules was significantly common among women and highly educated subjects. 2.4.4 Cultural Factors A study done by Williams et al. in 1996 indicated that cultural factor also influence in supplement use behavior. Based on ethnographic study of iron and folic acid supplementation among women of reproductive age in developing counteries, they found that cultural factors is plays role in supplement use behaviors (Williams et al., 1996). In addition to demographic determinants of supplement use, understanding of cultural factors also considered as crucial for the success of efforts to encourage supplement use in vulnerable population groups (Jasti, Siega-Riz Bentley, 2003). 2.5 Attitude and Behaviour Toward Supplementation Supplement users have been characterized as tend to be healthy people by having a positive attitude towards their health (Dickinson, 2002). In a study done on two-group design of 113 adults in the U.S, the researchers found that participants who have been diagnosed with health problems and experienced on negative effects of their illness showed likeliness to change their attitude towards supplements (McDonald Nicholson, 2006). However, in a study done by Junko Ishihara and his colleagues revealed something interesting about users attitude toward supplementation. Female supplement users who have been influenced by urban lifestyle showed negative lifestyle factors such as frequent eating out and stressful life which later contributed to moderate drinking among them. Those users might be aware of their unhealthy behaviour, hence they intentionally seek to compensate for it with health supplements (Ishihara et al., 2003). Generally, consumers considered health supplements as a safe product to be taken. However, they might not be aware about a few adverse event that have been reported regarding the unsafe use of these natural products (Ashar Rowland-Seymour, 2008 ; Palmer et al., 2003). Researchers have indicated that overdoses of Vitamin E consumption may result a prolonged bleeding time due to its effect on intrinsic coagulation pathway (McDonald Nicholson, 2006 ; Marsh Coombes, 2006). 2.5.1 Consumer dietary knowledge Knowledge regarding health supplements also influence the usage of supplements among the consumer. Based on health care professional surveyed revealed that supplement use are varied by profession with the highest frequency among nurses (88 percent), physician assistants and nurse practitioners (84 percent) and lowest among trainees (72 percent) and pharmacists (66 percent) (Jasti et al., 2003). This result indicated that health care professionals personal habit may affected whether they will recommend a use of health supplement or not (Frank et al., 2000). Futher indication of the supplement use is strongly associated with increased knowledge about nutrition and health (Dickinson, 2002). From the survey done on 4501 female physicians who participating in the Women Physicians Health Study revealed that half of them took a multivitamin-mineral supplement and most of them are those at high risk of getting disease. For example, those who susceptible in getting heart disease tend to consume antioxidant and those with a history of osteoporosis were nearly three times more likely to consume calcium supplement then those with no history of osteoporosis (Dickinson, 2002 ; Frank, Bendich Denniston, 2000). A study done by Gardiner and her colleagues between September, 2004 and May, 2005 found that nurses were more preferably to use a multivitamin than other professionals whereas students were more likely to use calcium (Gardiner et al., 2006). Basically, the types of health supplements used by HCP in such no differences compare to those used by the general public (Millen et al., 1987 ; Patterson et al., 1999).This result is consistent with previous surveys of HCPs which indicate a positive correlation between higher use, greater knowledge and increased communications with patients about benefit regarding the use of health supplement (Corbin Shapiro, 2002 ; Lindquist, Tracy Savik, 2003 ; Tracy et al., 2005). In case of ordinary users, their knowledge about health supplement also influence the usage of the product. A study done by Peters and his colleagues found that supplements user are those people who seek for self-educated approach by consulting a medical doctor and gathering infor mation from credible media sources such as the Internet (Peters et al., 2003). 2.5.2 Lifestyle As one of the developed countries, Malaysians were experienced a nutritional and lifestyle transition due to urbanization, industrialization and globalization. Thus, these rapid alarming trends have lead to the prevalence case of obesity among Malaysians. A study done by National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS III) in 2006 was revealed that 14 percents of the adults were obese with the BMI is more than 30 kg/m2. Therefore, this will increased the consumption intake of certain health supplement product that common use in weight loss management program such as Bitter orange (Ashar Rowland-Seymour, 2008). In the NHANES 1999-2000, data indicated that those with higher body mass index and current smokers shown as a less likelihood of reporting use of health supplements (Dwyer, Garceau Evans, 2001 ; Rock et al., 1997). Nonsmokers were more likely to take supplements than were current smokers (Lyle et al., 1998 ; Patterson et al., 1998 ; Subar Block, 1990). Supplement use also associated with healthy lifestyle, which was similar to the earlier-reported tendency for smoking. For BMI, there was a significant linear decrease of dietary supplement users for higher BMI groups in both sexes (Lyle et al., 1998 ; Newman et al., 1998 ; Subar Block, 1990). Regarding exercise, there was a significant linear increase in those groups who exercise more frequently. Prior studies had reported alcohol consumption in health supplement users as either having no association or as showing more users among moderate drinkers. Women who drank moderately (once a month to 6 times a week) were most likely to be users (Ishihara et al., 2003). Study done on a population-based sample of urban Japanese revealed that subjects who experienced more daily stressors (95% CI) are at more higher level of the consumption of vitamin supplements and vitamin enriched drinks compare to those with fewer daily stressors. OR from this study indicated that intake of vitamin supplements by healthy lifestyles subjects was related with acts to solve problems whereas in subjects with unhealthy lifestyle, reason of intake was associated with daily stressors (Shi et al., 2005). CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY 3.1 Study design This was a descriptive and cross sectional study Sample size was determined by using a statistical method 3.2 Participants By using a multistage random strategy,400 subjects aged between 20 to 69 years were selected from large population of adults in Klang Valley. Klang Valley is urban areas that consists of Gombak, Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang areas. The ethnicity of the participants were unlimited to specific ethnic group only. Participants were identified at area clinics, shopping complex and park. 3.3 Questionnaires A questionnaires was designed to collect information among urban adults regarding their use of health supplements and their attitudes and knowledge toward supplementation of these popular substances. This validated questionnaire was developed from other previous survey and some based on literature review, but we take into account health supplements commonly used in the local setting. This survey questions consisted of four sections. The first section consisted of general demographics information such as gender, race and education. In addition, the participants also will be assessed on their current health status. The second section assessed on the usage of health supplement among those subjects. This part going to find out who took supplements and which ones they took, thus participants will be asked Do you usually take any of these supplements? then subsequent to previous question can be asked. Some products were listed in the questionnaire were the most popular health supplement p roducts in the Malaysia. For completeness, they could add any other health supplement to the list. In the analysis, health supplements were classified into few separate categories such as vitamins, minerals, herbal and other supplements. Question on how they find out about their supplement and how much their are taking each day also possible to be asked. The third session focused on attitudes of participants toward health supplements and the fourth section examined their perception of knowledge concerning the safety of these products. In this questionnaire, the participants will read the questions and statements that have been asked, most of which provided with a true/ false/ dont know or yes/ no/ dont know answer. This questionnaire are provided in the Appendix. 3.4 Statistical Analysis All statistical analyses were conducted by using SPSS version 17 for Window XP. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means, standard deviations (SD), percentage were used to describe all the variables. One-way ANOVA was used to determine differences in continuous variables such as gender, age, education and income. Adjusted odd ratios (OR) of each preditors were calculated using multiple logistic regression in order to examine the effects of demographic and lifestyle on use or non-use of health supplements. Multiple logistic regression analysis also been used to identify the independent contribution of attitudes and knowledge toward the probability of use of health supplements. Futhermore, chi-square test also was used in order to find the correlation between qualitative variables at the 5% significance level. A p-value which less than 0.05 represents a significant difference. 3.5 Ethical approval Ethical approval for this survey was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of Research Management Institute, Universiti Teknologi MARA.