Gratitude has gained attention among health researchers for its benefits among chronic illness. However, most of the studies were focusing on the positive effects, neglecting the complex dimensions of gratitude that can contribute to both opportunities and challenges for chronic illness patients. This study aims to understand gratitude among cancer patients in Malaysia from a sociocultural perspective. This includes understanding how cancer patients view gratitude and the impacts of gratitude throughout their cancer-battling journey. This qualitative study involved 35 cancer patients. A thematic analysis was done to analyze the collected data. Among the themes discovered were searching for meaning, meaningful experience, gratitude through the enrichment activities, and gratitude as religious cultural expectations. This study suggests that gratitude is an important experience for chronic illness patients. The ability to understand this experience is vital to support and empower the patients throughout their daily lives.

BACKGROUND: Most African societies have no tradition of idealized celibacy or voluntary childlessness. Although the norms on parenthood are changing, adults are customarily expected to marry and bear children. AIM: This study examined the perceived value of children among infertile couples in Kwara South, Nigeria. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven infertile couples recruited through snowball sampling technique. Data were organized using ATLAS.ti 8 and analyzed by thematic analysis. RESULTS: The study revealed that perceptions of the value of children are embedded in sociocultural norms and are strongly linked to religion, patriarchy, and the need for family/marriage sustainability. Childbearing was perceived as the fulfillment of divine injunction; as such, children were regarded as divine. While women believed children are sources of fulfillment and balanced life, most men saw them as life itself. Boys are collectively thought to ensure lineage security and confer honor and prestige on men. A child is believed to give women a permanent seat in marriage. CONCLUSIONS: These insights on the values of children within the Nigerian cultural context can be inculcated in programs and services targeted at alleviating the effect of infertility on childless couples. Innovative cultural programs that will increase the worth of the girl child are also encouraged.

The present study aims to understand the impact of Covid-19 on the collective memory among Malaysian generational cohorts. Our research draws on a nationwide survey conducted from July-September 2020 during the second pandemic wave in Malaysia. Respondents were asked to report “the national or world events or changes over the past 60 years” that seemed to them especially important and explain the reasons for their choices. As expected, the result indicated Covid-19 as the most frequently mentioned event. Despite the primacy and recency of the event, we found significant cohort effects on the collective memory of Covid-19, with lower recall recorded among the older generation as compared to the younger generation, which provided stronger support to the Critical Years Hypothesis. Interesting cohort experiences emerge in the meaning attached to Covid-19 across different generational cohorts through open-ended follow-up questions.

Breastfeeding in public is a bodily issue that is associated with vulgarity and obscenity across cultures in the world. Literature on breastfeeding in public in Malaysia are scarce and this study wants to provide insight into understanding how the Malaysian youth, specifically Malay undergraduates respond towards breastfeeding in public. This qualitative study examines the attitudes and support (acceptance or rejection) among Malay undergraduate students towards breastfeeding in public using the Fredrickson & Robert's Self Objectification Theory. A sample of 40 Malay undergraduate students, both female and male undergraduates from a Malaysian public university, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) were interviewed face to face to determine their attitudes and support towards breastfeeding in public. Braun & Clarke's thematic analysis were used to develop themes from the data collected from the Malay undergraduates. Seven themes which are discretion, public perception, social taboo, emotions, and hypersexualization of breasts, male gazing and voice of change towards breastfeeding in public were identified. Both Malay female and male undergraduates partially accept breastfeeding in public with discretion. Malay male undergraduates are concerned with the Malaysian public perception towards breastfeeding in public and Malay female undergraduates perceive breasts are sexual objects in comparison to Malay male undergraduates who acknowledge the 'male gaze'. The support towards breastfeeding in public is more evident among Malay male undergraduates compared to Malay female undergraduates. Breastfeeding in public is perceived as social taboo but Malay undergraduates express the need for better education and exposure on breastfeeding in public.

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