A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the public understanding of rips currents at Teluk Cempedak Recreational Beach of Pahang, Malaysia, from November 2020 to March 2021 via a questionnaire survey. Convenient sampling was used to collect data from 300 respondents. The questionnaire consisted of 24 questions, encompassing five sections, i.e., the demographic background, frequency of visiting the beach, swimming ability, their knowledge of rip currents, and understanding of beach safety. Associations between the study variables and the knowledge of both rip currents and beach safety were evaluated using the independent sample t-test, Chi-square test, and multiple logistic regressions at the confidence level of 0.05. In general, only 86% of the respondent knew about the rip currents. For beach safety knowledge, 83% of the respondents on the lifeguard facilities, 44% for the yellow red-flag and 93.7% for the red flag. Variables such as gender (knowledge of rip currents: Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.647, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.487 - 0.60, p = 0.003; beach safety: AOR = 0.665, 95% CI = 1.14 - 5.02, p = 0.021), locality (knowledge of rip currents: AOR = 2.482, 95% CI = 1.407 - 4.380, p = 0.002, beach safety: AOR = 1.821, 95% CI = 1.022 - 3.245, p = 0.042), and respondents’ experience of having problems in water activities (knowledge of rip currents: AOR = 0.170, 95% CI = 0.635 - 6.379, p = 0.000) were significantly associated with the knowledge of both rip currents and beach safety. Further studies are essential to enhance public understanding of rip currents and hence the beach safety in Malaysia.

Rip currents are known to be a global public health issue and have been extensively contributed to the coastguard rescues and drowning cases at recreational beaches. Most studies in Malaysia have focused on the physical control of rip currents, with little emphasis on social factors. This study aims to assess the public knowledge of rip currents and beach safety at Teluk Cempedak Recreational Beach (TRCB) in Pahang, Malaysia. A convenience sampling technique was used to conduct a cross-sectional study among 300 beachgoers in TCRB. All data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire.Bivariable and multivariable logistic analyses were computed to identify factors associated with satisfactory knowledge of rip current and beach safety. More than half of the respondents were females (51%) and residents of Kuantan (62%). Out of 300 respondents, 160 (53.3%) had a satisfactory knowledge of rip currents, while a higher number of respondents (n = 221, 73.7%) had an unsatisfactory knowledge of beach safety. Those aged 35 and up, females, and those who had never had difficulty with water activities at the beach were more likely to have satisfactory knowledge of rip currents. The only factor found to be significantly related to satisfactory beach safety knowledge was age (35 years old). In conclusion, the respondents were concerned about rip currents, but they had inadequate knowledge of beach safety. Therefore, the development of effective beach safety education programmes is needed in Malaysia.