title: Relationship between coping styles and lipid profile among public university staff.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The scarcity of data about coping styles with a biochemical marker namely lipid profile, potentially associated with cardiovascular risk factors is most striking among professionals working in public university. Hence, this research aimed to investigate the relationship between coping styles and lipid profile comprising total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), HDL-cholesterol (high density lipoprotein-cholesterol) and LDL-cholesterol (Low density lipoprotein-cholesterol) among this group of professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional survey was conducted among staff from a tertiary education centre. Subjects were contacted to ascertain their medical history. A total of 320 subjects were interviewed and 195 subjects were eligible and subsequently recruited on a suitable date for taking blood and administration of the questionnaires. The subjects completed questionnaires pertaining to demographic details and coping styles. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to measure the strength of association between lipid profile and coping styles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Majority of the subjects were non-academic staff (60.0%), female (67.2%), Malay (91.8%), married (52.3%) and educated until Diploma level (34.9%). Academic staff scored significantly higher mean scores in task-oriented coping styles (Mean = 64.12). Non-academic staff scored significantly higher mean scores in emotion (Mean = 48.05) and avoidance-oriented coping styles (Mean = 57.61). Malay subjects had significantly higher mean scores in emotion (Mean = 47.14) and avoidance-oriented coping styles (Mean = 55.23). Non-malay subjects (Mean = 66.00) attained significantly higher mean scores in task-oriented coping styles. Single/divorced/widowed individuals scored significantly higher mean scores in emotion (Mean = 48.13) and avoidance-oriented coping styles (Mean = 56.86). There was a significant negative correlation between TC (r = -0.162) and LDL (r = -0.168) with avoidance-oriented coping styles (p = 0.023, p = 0.019 respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Avoidance-oriented coping style was more likely to engender favourable lipid profile. Hence, assessment of coping styles would certainly assist health care practitioners in predicting subjects who would be at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Psychological and Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Selayang, Jalan Prima Selayang 7, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia. suthaharariaratnam@yahoo.com.au.|MusTReWell, Brain and Neuroscience Communities of Research, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. suthaharariaratnam@yahoo.com.au.
authors.forename: Suthahar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8524-6576
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ariaratnam
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg Besi, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ambigga Devi
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Krishnapillai
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg Besi, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Aqil Mohammad
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Daher
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Sungai Buloh, Jalan Hospital, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mohd Ariff
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fadzil
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Psychological and Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Sungai Buloh, Jalan Hospital, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Salmi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Razali
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Psychological and Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Sungai Buloh, Jalan Hospital, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Siti Aminah
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Omar
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg Besi, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Ng Kien
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Keat
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Selayang, Jalan Prima Selayang 7, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nafiza
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mat Nasir
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Defence Health, National Defence University of Malaysia, Sg Besi, 57000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Maizatullifah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miskan
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Selayang, Jalan Prima Selayang 7, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Mazapuspavina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Md Yasin
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Psychological and Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Selayang, Jalan Prima Selayang 7, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Jo Anne
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Saw
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Sungai Buloh, Jalan Hospital, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Damayanthi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Durairajanayagam
authors.affiliation: Secretariat of National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, c/o Institut Pengurusan Kesihatan, Jalan Rumah Sakit Bangsar, 59000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Gurpreet
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Psychological and Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Sungai Buloh, Jalan Hospital, 47000, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Osman
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Che Bakar
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Psychological and Behavioural Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kampus Selayang, Jalan Prima Selayang 7, 68100, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Nurul Azreen
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hashim
mesh_terms: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*; D014495:Universities
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Biochemical marker; Cardiovascular disease; Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations; Coping styles; Lipid profile