Research Publications
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Publication Open Access Exploring the Determinants of Medical Insurance Expenses: A Quantile Regression Approach(Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2025-10-10) Rathnayake, K; Somasiri, D; Abeygunawardana, T; Nugegoda, K; Fernando, N; Guruge, M. L.; Peiris, T. S. G.Healthcare insurance costs are influenced by a combination of biological and socioeconomic factors. This study investigates how age, body mass index (BMI), gender, and discount eligibility affect medical insurance expenses in the United States, using data from 1,338 individuals. Due to the right-skewed distribution of expenses, quantile regression was applied at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles, providing insights across low-, medium-, and high-cost groups. Results show that age and BMI consistently increase insurance expenses, with stronger effects among high-cost patients. Genderdifferences also emerged, with females incurring higher costs than males at certain expenditure levels. Discount eligibility significantly reduced expenses across all quantiles. In contrast, the number of children was not a significant predictor and was excluded from the final model. Compared to ordinary least squares regression, quantile regression provided a more accurate assessment of cost determinants in skewed data. These findings highlight the importance of adopting advanced modeling approachesin insurance pricing and suggest that targeted policies addressing individuals having high BMI and equitable discount programs could improve healthcare affordability and risk management.Publication Open Access The Moderating Effect of Gender on the Predictive Role of Self-Esteem in Problematic Facebook Usage: A Quantitative Exploration among Undergraduates from Universities in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2024-12-04) Navodya,N.A.K.A.H.; Fernando,TThe advancement of technology has transformed face-to-face communicati on by transferring interacti ons to virtual spaces such as Facebook, which are heavily used by undergraduates and might be negati ve to their mental health. The present quanti tati ve study examined the predicti ve role of self-esteem in the problemati c use of Facebook among undergraduates from universiti es in the Colombo District, Sri Lanka, and how gender moderates the connecti on. The study was conducted using a cross-secti onal design, and an online survey with 372 undergraduates. Bergen’s Facebook addicti on scale was used to measure the outcome variable, problemati c usage of Facebook, while the Rosenberg self-esteem scale was used to test the predictor variable, self-esteem. In the analysis, gender was evaluated as a moderator variable. Data was analyzed using Simple linear regression and logisti c regression analysis via SPSS and the Process Macro tool. Every phase of the research process included a careful integrati on of ethical considerati ons. Results show that higher self-esteem is associated with higher problemati c Facebook uti lizati on; however, this relati onship is stati sti cally signifi cant (F (1, 370) = 26.230, p<.05), and it only accounts for a small percentage of the variance (R² =.066) in problemati c use of Facebook among young individuals in Sri Lanka with no gender-based moderati on. A variety of psychosocial factors signifi cantly infl uence the selfesteem and problemati c usage of Facebook of young individuals in Sri Lanka, and this effect is consistent for both gender categories, male and female. More research on the psychological and environmental problems linked to youth utilization of social media is desperately needed in Sri Lanka.Publication Open Access Relationship Between Resilience and Optimism Among Young Adult Undergraduates: A Cross-Sectional Study in Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology.(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Jayaweera, T.A; Aththidiye, RYoung adulthood is an important developmental stage in which individuals must go through a positive trajectory for a healthy and successful life. Young adult undergraduates in Sri Lanka face many stressors and adversities which affect their lives negatively. Therefore, it is important to determine the factors contributing to their resilience. Optimism is a factor that significantly enhances resilience. Moreover, there is a paucity of positive psychological and gender-sensitive research in the Sri Lankan context. In this sense, the present study aims to determine the relationship between psychological resilience and dispositional optimism among young adult undergraduates in Sri Lanka, the gender differences in resilience, and the gender differences in optimism. The instruments used were the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) to measure resilience and the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) to measure dispositional optimism. A total of 124 participants were involved in the study. The findings suggest that (a) there is a statistically significant moderately positive relationship between resilience and optimism (b) there are no gender differences in resilience between males and females (c) there are no gender differences in optimism among males and females. Importantly, the research provides practical implications for mental health practitioners, researchers, and positive psychologists to develop gendersensitive interventions to cope with stressors and adversities.Publication Open Access Predicting Factors Towards the Attitudes of Family Involvement in Nursing Care among Second-Year Nursing Students in a Selected School of Nursing in Sri Lanka(Faculty of Humanities and Sciences, SLIIT, 2023-11-01) Dilrukshi, K. T.; Amarasekara., T. D.Family involvement is a vital component of patientcentered care. This study aimed to examine the predicting factors towards the attitudes of family involvement in care among second-year Nursing students in a selected School of Nursing in Sri Lanka. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among nursing students (N=237) at the School of Nursing Kalutara. Convenience sampling method was used. A Families’ Importance in Nursing Care – Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC-NA) scale, which includes four dimensions: family as a conversational partner, a coping resource, a resource in nursing care, and a burden, was used to collect data. The scale’s internal consistency was compared and assessed through Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of more than 0.7. Both, descriptive and inferential statistics was used. The student nurses have positive attitudes toward family as a resource in nursing care (M= 37.69, SD = 4.62), and as a conversational partner (M=30.96, SD = 3.78). Family as a conversational partner significantly differs for males and females (t = -2.06, p=0.04). Female nursing students have a higher positive attitude toward family as a conversational partner (M=31.06, SD =3.76) than that of male nursing students (M= 29.77, SD = 3.77). According to the individual significance values of the linear regression model, gender (β = 3.67, t = 2.22, p < 0.03) presented a significant effect on the attitude of nursing students towards family involvement in nursing care. Cultural and regional influences on attitudes towards family involvement is still researchable. Further research is needed on this phenomenon.Publication Open Access The Effect of Para Social Interaction on Impulse Buying in the Field of Marketing(Emerald Publishing, 2022-12-01) Gunasekara, A; Udunuwarage, M; Senevirathne, R. E; Gregory, V; Jayasuriya, NMost marketers and salespeople focus on inciting impulsive purchases to increase sales volume using marketing principles. To advertise their offerings, marketers employ a variety of personalities and sometimes, fictional characters who can influence consumers' decisions. According to marketers, these two principles complement one another well and are successful at boosting overall sales. This study's primary objective is to determine how "Para social Interaction" influences the "Impulse Buying Behavior" of customers in Sri Lanka, with comparison to Generation Y and Generation Z. This study quantitatively investigated the actual role that PSI plays in customer decision making process by gathering data cross sectionally through a survey and analyzing data through regression analysis techniques by using SPSS software. This is one of the earliest research projects to examine the relationship between Para social influence and impulse buying in the Sri Lankan context by comparing consumers of generations Y and Z. The research is important to marketers since it identifies the strengths and shortcomings when combining PSI and impulse buying to enhance sales. The findings of this study revealed a linear link between PSI and impulse purchases, with PSI having a favorable impact on impulse purchases. Remarkably, gender does not moderate the association between PSI and impulse purchases, and there is no difference between generation Y and generation Z when it comes to purchasing impulsively under the influence of PSI.Publication Embargo Gender differences of young drivers on injury severity outcome of highway crashes(Pergamon, 2014-06-01) Amarasingha, N; Dissanayake, SProblem: Gender differences of young drivers involved in crashes and the associated differences in risk factors have not been fully explored in the United States (U.S.). Accordingly, this study investigated the topic, where the odds ratios (ORs) were used to identify differences in crash involvements between male and female young drivers. Method: Logistic regression models for injury severity of young male drivers and young female drivers were developed. Different driver, environmental, vehicle, and road related factors that have affected young fe- male drivers' and young male drivers' crash involvements were identified using the models. Results: Results in- dicated that some variables are significantly related to female drivers' injury risk but not male drivers' injury risk and vice versa. Variables such as driving with valid licenses, driving on weekends, avoidance or slow maneu- vers at time of crash, non-collision and overturn crashes, and collision with a pedestrian were significant vari- ables in female driver injury severity model but not in young male driver severity model. Travel on graded roadways, concrete surfaces, and wet road surfaces, collision with another vehicle, and rear-end collisions were variables that were significant in male-driver severity model but not in female-driver severity model. Summary: Factors which increase young female drivers' injury severity and young male drivers' injury severity were identified. This study adds detailed information about gender differences and similarities in injury severity risk of young drivers. Practical applications: It is important to note that the findings of this study show that gender differences do exists among young drivers. This sends a message to the industry that the transportation profes- sionals and researchers, who are developing countermeasures to increase the traffic safety, may need to pay attention to the differences. This might be particularly true when developing education materials for driver train- ing for young/inexperienced driversPublication Open Access Construction waste management from a gender perspective(2008-09) Manowong, E; Perera, RConstruction industry generates high volume of waste. The availability of dump sites for construction waste is decreasing and becoming a serious problem. Common waste management strategies such as Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3Rs) can be provided for construction waste management (CWM). However, in order to be extensively implemented in construction industry, such practices need to be recognized by construction operatives and the general public whose behavior may be influenced by their attitudes and perception. A survey was carried out to investigate current situation of CWM in various regions of Thailand. Attitudes, perceptions, and roles of men and women in the construction-related sectors were analyzed. Recommendations are planners and decision-makers to improve the relevant parties’ perception and attitudes towards CWM policy planning and implementation in the GMS countries.