Predictors of health awareness regarding the consumption of tuak amongst the people of longhouses in Malaysia

Tuak is the ubiquitous alcoholic beverage associated with the natives of Sarawak. The present study determined the level of knowledge regarding the practices of the traditional alcoholic beverage in Sarawak known as tuak, as well as the production and consumption of it among indigenous people from selected longhouses. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted between January and June 2022 to collect relevant information, including demographic characteristics and responses to structured questions (in English and included with a Malay translation) on knowledge regarding the health effects of tuak consumption. A total of 90 respondents comprising mainly females (n = 62; 68.9%), aged below 30 years (n = 46; 51.1%), and primarily comprising people of Kayan (n = 42; 46.7%) ethnicity participated. The results of univariable logistic regression showed that participants’ age group, localities, education, and marital status were associated with good knowledge of the health effects of tuak. Multivariable logistic regression analysis further showed that those aged above 50 years were more knowledgeable than those 30-50 years old (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 6.06, 95% CI: 1.01-36.47, P = 0.049). The respondents from Bare (AOR = 10.26, 95% CI: 1.91-55.05, P = 0.007) and Belor (AOR = 24.13, 95% CI: 3.90-149.41, P = 0.001) were also more knowledgeable than those from Kelap. Furthermore, respondents with a tertiary education were more knowledgeable than those with a secondary education (AOR = 13.07, 95 %CI: 3.12-54.72, p≤0.001). Those with household incomes below Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 2500 were more knowledgeable than those with household incomes above RM2500 (AOR = 4.99, 95% CI: 1.09-22.89, p = 0.039). The age, locality, education level and household income of the respondents were the main predictors of good knowledge of health awareness of tuak consumption among the indigenous people of Borneo, Sarawak.

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