Final Assessment for Introduction to Research Methods (RMCR3101)

Section A: Read and answer ALL questions that follow (10 Marks)

Trends of Obesity and Overweight among College Students in Oman

Hashim Al-Kilani; Mostafa Waly; and Randa Yousef

Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J. 2012 Feb; 12(1): 69–76

The prevalence of obesity and overweight among adults has drastically increased during the past
decade. Anthropometric indices such as body mass index (BMI) and total body fat (TBF)
analyses are used widely for assessing the physical well-being of adults. Worldwide, obesity and
sedentary lifestyles have been involved in the etiology of many no communicable diseases
(NCDs) among adults. Recent reports suggested that there was a direct relationship between
adolescent fatness and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases.4,5 Health-related fitness
parameters were more dependent on the anthropometrical parameters in obese than in control
adolescents.5 Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality among adults, and a
systematic analysis of population health data revealed that, among the nine risk factors of heart
attacks and strokes, six risk factors are modifiable, while three are non-modifiable risk factors;
these include increasing age, male gender and family history of cardiovascular disease
(CVD).6,7 The six modifiable risk factors that are the focus of current research for primary
prevention are 1) increased blood cholesterol; 2) increased blood pressure (hypertension); 3)
cigarette smoking; 4) lack of regular physical exercise; 5) type 2 diabetes, and 6) obesity.

According to the World Health Organization and the American College of Sports Medicine, the
most important risk factors of NCDs in Arab countries are high blood pressure; high blood
cholesterol level; inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables; overweight or obesity; physical
inactivity, and smoking. Five of these risks are closely related to improper diet and physical
inactivity. Primary prevention of NCDs among adolescents can be achieved through early
screening for associated risk factors, and health education on the various risks of obesity and a
sedentary lifestyle. This study was conducted to: 1) determine the body mass index (BMI), TBF
and physical activity score (PAS) of a sample of college aged students and so assess the
prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity; 2) evaluate the physical activity of all study
participants, and 4) determine the relationship between the study participants’ body composition
(the relative amounts of various components in the body, such as percentage of body fat) and
their general nutritional knowledge.

A cross-sectional survey was conducted on the Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) campus during
the period August 2010 to June 2011. The sample of the study consisted of 202 students (101
male and 101 female) from five colleges at SQU. The sample was selected using purposive
sampling. The inclusion criteria were to be healthy subjects who were free of any endocrine
disorders or any chronic diseases. The research data were collected by means of a questionnaire.
The questionnaire form was composed of two sections: general and anthropometric information,
and nutrition knowledge questions. Ethics committee approval for conducting the study was
obtained from office of the Advisor for Academic Affairs at Sultan Qaboos University.

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The study questionnaire was designed to collect sociodemographic data and general nutritional
knowledge as determined by 10 multiple-choice questions, each with three possible answers. The
questionnaire was pre-tested in a pilot study on a sample of 20 students to assure its validity,
reliability and reproducibility before conducting the study. Examples of the questions asked to
assess the nutritional knowledge were: A) what type of dietary fibre is helpful in lowering blood
cholesterol level? B) What are good sources of vitamin B12? C) What are the nutrients that raise
low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels? D) What is the highest source of energy? For
all study participants, the study questionnaire was completed during a personal interview with
one of the researchers.

This study included 202 students (101 male and 101 female) from five colleges at Sultan Qaboos
University whose mean age was 21.22±1.37 years. The mean percentage scores of enrolled
students in nutrition knowledge were 56.46±13.50; ranging from a minimum of 25% to a
maximum of 85%. All students reported exercising weekly; 38.61% reported exercising 4 to 6
hours a week, and 30.69% reported exercising 7 to 9 hours a week. The PAS of 44.06% of the
students ranged from 7 to 9. Based on BMI, more than two thirds of enrolled students were of
normal weight (69.31%), 26.73% were overweight while obese students constituted only 1.49%
of the sample. In contrast, based on percentage of body fat only, one third was healthy (32.67 %)
with normal body fat scores (BFS), while almost half of them had high (26.73%) or very high
BFS (22.28%).

1. What type of research design was used in this study? (1 Mark)

2. Discuss in detail the best method for measuring reliability for this study? (2Marks)
3. What is the significance of the study? (1 Mark)
4. What type of sampling methods was used in the study? Describe the main steps in
devising it (2 Marks)
5. What are the main findings of this study? (1 Marks)
6. Formulate two hypotheses within this research topic? (1 Mark)
7. List two previous studies that may use for this research project by using the APA
citation style. Do not ignore preferable type of literature for your selection. (2 Marks)

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Section B Read and answer ALL questions that follow (10 Marks)

Perceptions of Malaysian corporate customers towards Islamic banking products and

services

Norafifah Ahmad & Sudin Haron

International Journal of Islamic Financial Services, Volume 3, Number 4, 2003

Islamic banking system was established in Malaysia since 1983. To date, Islamic banking
products are available at two full pledged Islamic banks and at all commercial and merchant
banks in Malaysia. However, these products are still not fully accepted by customers. At the end
of 2000, total deposit at conventional banks was RM381 billion while total deposit in Islamic
system was RM31 billion. In the case of loans, RM416 billion was extended by conventional
system, and RM21 billion was given by Islamic system. Since corporate customers are the key
players in the economy, it is imperative that the reasons for them to choose or not to choose
Islamic system be studied.

This study highlights the perceptions of corporate customers towards Islamic banking system in
Malaysia. Aspects studied were the existing usage of Islamic banking facilities, level of
understanding of Islamic banking features among corporate financial controllers, their roles in
switching and using banking products, and their personal opinions towards Islamic banking
products. While the government can use these findings in formulating additional strategies and
policies, where appropriate, the Islamic bankers will be able to understand the needs of corporate
customers, by providing the necessary services to fulfill these needs.

The respondents participating in this exploratory study were the persons responsible for the
financial affairs of the companies listed in the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. A total of 100
respondents were identified and willing to participate in this study. These respondents were
financial directors, financial managers, general managers of finance, and accountants. Out of the
100 questionnaires sent to all agreed participants, 45 were returned. No further attempt was made
to increase the samples.

The study shows that all respondents used current account for their daily transactions, while 75
per cent had fixed deposit facility in the conventional system. Overdraft, followed by bank
guarantee, was the most used facility for financing and trade facilities. Bond and note insurance
facilities were unpopular among the respondents. Based on the findings it seems that Islamic
banking products were not popular among Malaysian corporate customers. Only 11 respondents
maintained banking relationship under the Islamic banking system. Despite of the Islamic
banking having been established in Malaysia more than 15 years ago, most of the respondents
started patronizing Islamic banks less than five years ago.

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Additionally, the respondents indicated that they had knowledge in Islamic banking system.
However, more than 65 per cent indicated that their knowledge in this system was limited.
Although the majority of the respondents were non-Muslims, they knew that Muslims were not
allowed from patronizing conventional banks due to the interest that was prohibited in Islam.
The study indicated that there was misconception among the respondents about the objective and
philosophy of the establishment of Islamic banks. About 65 per cent of the respondents believed
that Islamic banks must adopt profit maximization principle in order to survive in the
competitive business environment. This perception however is contradictory with the objective
of Islamic banks, i.e. combination of moral and profit motives. The lack of knowledge among the
respondents in Islamic banking system was further confirmed when questions about the
principles used in Islamic banking system were posed. While 38.1 per cent of the respondents
were unsure of the nature of profit-sharing principle in Islamic banking system, about 50 per cent
believed that this principle was the only principle used by Islamic banks in replacement of
interest. The general inadequate knowledge among the respondents is to be expected since 80
percent of them were non-Muslims.

The study shows that few respondents believed that religious were the only reason for customers
selecting Islamic banks. More than 55 per cent perceived that both religion and economics were
the patronage factors in this system. About 50 percent of the respondents believed that Islamic
banking products and services had a good potential to be accepted by customers. About 75 per
cent of the respondents indicated that Islamic banks in Malaysia however have not done enough
marketing in promoting their products and services to corporate customers. The study uncovers
the factors perceived as important in selection of bank. The most important one was cost and
benefit to the company, followed by service delivery (fast and efficient), size and reputation of
the bank, convenience (location and ample parking), and friendliness of bank personnel. This
finding was inconsistent with previous research whereby size of bank is considered the most
important criterion perceived by corporate customers in bank selection.

1. Explain briefly in a diagram the stages that are involved in identifying the research
questions for this study (2 Marks) (do not ignore research focus above)
2. What are the dependent and independent variables for this study (1 Mark)
3. How did the researchers manage ethical issues in this study? (2 Marks)
4. The researchers used qualitative research to achieve the objectives of the study, but they
employed a questionnaire as a data collection tool, why? (3 Marks)
5. The researchers indicated that: "Out of the 100 questionnaires sent to all agreed
participants, 45 were returned" Discuss this situation. (2 Marks)