Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 223 in total

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  1. Ishii H
    Nippon Rinsho, 2006 Jun;64(6):1017-9.
    PMID: 16768103
    In Japan, much attention has been paid to NASH and NAFLD for the past several years and the prevalence of this disease entity has been estimated, and NASH is thought to be present in 10% of those who have fatty liver diseases. Other points out the prevalence of NASH in Japan as 6 to 8 hundred thousand patients. The last two or three decades have seen the evolution of Western-style life of near complete inactivity, energy-dense food choices and liberal fiscal resources to obtain them and other means to avoid physical activity. Moreover, what is increasingly apparent is that NASH and NAFLD is not a Western disease and many population groups in the Asia-Pacific region are particularly prone to type 2 diabetes. Thus, it is not surprising that NASH has increasingly been diagnosed in several regions in Asia including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and India.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  2. Zuhdi AS, Mariapun J, Mohd Hairi NN, Wan Ahmad WA, Abidin IZ, Undok AW, et al.
    Ann Saudi Med, 2014 1 15;33(6):572-8.
    PMID: 24413861 DOI: 10.5144/0256-4947.2013.572
    BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Understanding the nature and pattern of young coronary artery disease (CAD) is important due to the tremendous impact on these patients' socio-economic and physical aspect. Data on young CAD in the southeast Asian region is rather patchy and limited. Hence we utilized our National Cardiovascular Disease Database (NCVD)-Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Registry to analyze young patients who underwent PCI in the year 2007 to 2009.

    DESIGN AND SETTINGS: This is a retrospective study of all patients who had undergone coronary angioplasty from 2007 to 2009 in 11 hospitals across Malaysia.

    METHODS: Data were obtained from the NCVD-PCI Registry, 2007 to 2009. Patients were categorized into 2 groups-young and old, where young was defined as less than 45 years for men and less than 55 years for women and old was defined as more than or equals to 45 years for men and more than or equals to 55 years for women. Patients' baseline characteristics, risk factor profile, extent of coronary disease and outcome on dis.charge, and 30-day and 1-year follow-up were compared between the 2 groups.

    RESULTS: We analyzed 10268 patients, and the prevalence of young CAD was 16% (1595 patients). There was a significantly low prevalence of Chinese patients compared to other major ethnic groups. Active smoking (30.2% vs 17.7%) and obesity (20.9% vs 17.3%) were the 2 risk factors more associated with young CAD. There is a preponderance toward single vessel disease in the young CAD group, and they had a favorable clinical outcome in terms of all-cause mortality at discharge (RR 0.49 [CI 0.26-0.94]) and 1-year follow-up (RR 0.47 [CI 0.19-1.15]).

    CONCLUSION: We observed distinctive features of young CAD that would serve as a framework in the primary and secondary prevention of the early onset CAD.

    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  3. Al-Sadat N, Majid HA, Sim PY, Su TT, Dahlui M, Abu Bakar MF, et al.
    BMJ Open, 2016 08 18;6(8):e010689.
    PMID: 27540095 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010689
    OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<37.5 nmol/L) among young adolescents in Malaysia and its association with demographic characteristics, anthropometric measures and physical activity.

    DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional study among Form 1 (year 7) students from 15 schools selected using a stratified random sampling design. Information regarding sociodemographic characteristics, clinical data and environmental factors was collected and blood samples were taken for total vitamin D. Descriptive and multivariable logistic regression was performed on the data.

    SETTING: National secondary schools in Peninsular Malaysia.

    PARTICIPANTS: 1361 students (mean age 12.9±0.3 years) (61.4% girls) completed the consent forms and participated in this study. Students with a chronic health condition and/or who could not understand the questionnaires due to lack of literacy were excluded.

    MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Vitamin D status was determined through measurement of sera 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Body mass index (BMI) was classified according to International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria. Self-reported physical activity levels were assessed using the validated Malay version of the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C).

    RESULTS: Deficiency in vitamin D was seen in 78.9% of the participants. The deficiency was significantly higher in girls (92.6%, p<0.001), Indian adolescents (88.6%, p<0.001) and urban-living adolescents (88.8%, p<0.001). Females (OR=8.98; 95% CI 6.48 to 12.45), adolescents with wider waist circumference (OR=2.64; 95% CI 1.65 to 4.25) and in urban areas had higher risks (OR=3.57; 95% CI 2.54 to 5.02) of being vitamin D deficient.

    CONCLUSIONS: The study shows a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among young adolescents. Main risk factors are gender, ethnicity, place of residence and obesity.

    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology*
  4. Sheu WHH, Chan SP, Matawaran BJ, Deerochanawong C, Mithal A, Chan J, et al.
    Diabetes Metab J, 2020 02;44(1):11-32.
    PMID: 32097996 DOI: 10.4093/dmj.2019.0208
    The prevalence of obesity in Asia is of epidemic proportions, with an estimated 1 billion overweight/obese individuals in the region. The majority of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are overweight/obese, which increases the risk of cardiorenal outcomes in these patients; hence, sustained reductions in body weight and visceral adiposity are important management goals. However, most of the glucose-lowering therapies such as insulin, sulfonylureas, glinides, and thiazolidinediones induce weight gain, which makes the management of overweight/obese T2DM patients challenging. Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are the only oral glucose-lowering agents that have been shown to reduce body weight and visceral adiposity. In addition, SGLT-2 inhibitors therapy reduces ectopic fat deposition and improves adipose tissue function and weight-related quality of life. In this article, we aim to consolidate the existing literature on the effects of SGLT-2 inhibitors in Asian patients with T2DM and to produce clinical recommendations on their use in overweight or obese patients with T2DM. Recommendations from international and regional guidelines, as well as published data from clinical trials in Asian populations and cardiovascular outcomes trials are reviewed. Based on the available data, SGLT-2 inhibitors represent an evidence-based therapeutic option for the management of overweight/obese patients with T2DM.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  5. Htet AS, Bjertness MB, Sherpa LY, Kjøllesdal MK, Oo WM, Meyer HE, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2016 12 05;16(1):1225.
    PMID: 27919240
    BACKGROUND: Recent societal and political reforms in Myanmar may upturn the socio-economy and, thus, contribute to the country's health transition. Baseline data on urban-rural disparities in non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors are not thoroughly described in this country which has been relatively closed for more than five decades. We aim to investigate urban-rural differences in mean values and the prevalence of selected behavioral and metabolic risk factors for non-communicable diseases and 10-years risk in development of coronary heart diseases (CHD).

    METHODS: Two cross-sectional studies were conducted in urban and rural areas of Yangon Region in 2013 and 2014 respectively, using the WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance of risk factors of NCDs. Through a multi-stage cluster sampling method, 1486 participants were recruited.

    RESULTS: Age-standardized prevalence of the behavioral risk factors tended to be higher in the rural than urban areas for all included factors and significantly higher for alcohol drinking (19.9% vs. 13.9%; p = 0.040) and low fruit & vegetable consumption (96.7% vs. 85.1%; p = 0.001). For the metabolic risk factors, the tendency was opposite, with higher age-standardized prevalence estimates in urban than rural areas, significantly for overweight and obesity combined (40.9% vs. 31.2%; p = 0.023), obesity (12.3% vs.7.7%; p = 0.019) and diabetes (17.2% vs. 9.2%; p = 0.024). In sub-group analysis by gender, the prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia were significantly higher in urban than rural areas among males, 61.8% vs. 40.4%; p = 0.002 and 31.4% vs. 20.7%; p = 0.009, respectively. Mean values of age-standardized metabolic parameters showed higher values in urban than rural areas for both male and female. Based on WHO age-standardized Framingham risk scores, 33.0% (95% CI = 31.7-34.4) of urban dwellers and 27.0% (95% CI = 23.5-30.8) of rural dwellers had a moderate to high risk of developing CHD in the next 10 years.

    CONCLUSION: The metabolic risk factors, as well as a moderate or high ten-year risk of CHD were more common among urban residents whereas behavioral risk factors levels were higher in among the rural people of Yangon Region. The high prevalences of NCD risk factors in both urban and rural areas call for preventive measures to reduce the future risk of NCDs in Myanmar.

    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  6. Khor GL
    Nepal Med Coll J, 2003 Dec;5(2):113-22.
    PMID: 15024783
    Approximately 70.0% of the world's malnourished children live in Asia, resulting in the region having the highest concentration of childhood malnutrition. About half of the preschool children are malnourished ranging from 16.0% in the People's Republic of China to 64.0% in Bangladesh. Prevalence of stunting and underweight are high especially in South Asia where one in every two preschool children is stunted. Besides protein-energy malnutrition, Asian children also suffer from micronutrient deficiency. Iron deficiency anaemia affects 40.0-50.0% of preschool and primary school children. Nearly half of all vitamin A deficiency and xeropthalmia in the world occurs in South and Southeast Asia, with large numbers of cases in India (35.3 million), Indonesia (12.6 million) and China (11.4 million). Another major micronutrient problem in the region is iodine deficiency disorders, which result in high goiter rates as manifested in India, Pakistan and parts of Indonesia. While under-nutrition problem persists, overweight problem in children has emerged in Asia, including Taiwan, Singapore and urban China and Malaysia. The etiology of childhood malnutrition is complex involving interactions of multiple determinants that include biological, cultural and socio-economic influences. Protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiency leading to early growth failure often can be traced to poor maternal nutritional and health care before and during pregnancy, resulting in intrauterine growth retardation and children born with low birth weight. While significant progress has been achieved over the past 30 years in reducing the proportion of malnourished children in developing countries, nonetheless, malnutrition persists affecting large numbers of children. The socio-economic cost of the malnutrition burden to the individual, family and country is high resulting in lower cognitive outcomes in children and lower adult productivity. Interventions that are cost-effective and culturally appropriate for the elimination of childhood malnutrition deserve the support of all.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  7. Tee ES, Yap RWK
    Eur J Clin Nutr, 2017 07;71(7):844-849.
    PMID: 28513624 DOI: 10.1038/ejcn.2017.44
    This review discussed the prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in Malaysia and the associated major risk factors, namely overweight/obesity, dietary practices and physical activity in both adults and school children. Detailed analyses of such information will provide crucial information for the formulation and implementation of programmes for the control and prevention of T2DM in the country. National studies from 1996-2015, and other recent nation-wide studies were referred to. The current prevalence of DM in 2015 is 17.5%, over double since 1996. Females, older age group, Indians, and urban residents had the highest risk of DM. The combined prevalence of overweight/obesity in 2015 is 47.7% for adults. Adults did not achieve the recommended intakes for majority of the foods groups in the Malaysian Food Pyramid especially fruits and vegetables. Adults also had moderate physical activity level. Three nation-wide studies showed a prevalence ranging from 27 to 31% for combined overweight/obesity in school children. The prevalence was higher among boys, primary school age, Indian ethnicity, and even rural children are not spared. Physical activity level was also low among school children. There must be serious systematic implementation of action plans to combat the high prevalence of diabetes and associated risk factors.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology*
  8. Dean SJ, Rhodes A
    Malays J Pathol, 2014 Dec;36(3):155-62.
    PMID: 25500513 MyJurnal
    The incidence of breast cancer in Malaysia and other Asian countries is on the increase, reflecting lifestyle changes some of which are known risk factors for the development of breast cancer. Most breast cancers are amenable to adjuvant therapies that target hormone receptors or HER2 receptors on the surface of the cancer cells and bring about significant improvement in survival. However, approximately 17% of Malaysian women with breast cancer, present with tumours that are devoid of these receptors and are consequently termed 'triple negative' breast cancers. These triple negative breast cancers typically occur in women of a younger age than receptor positive cancers, are predominantly of high grade tumours and the prognosis is usually poor. There is therefore a pressing need to understand the biological pathways that drive these tumours, in order that effective strategies are developed to treat these aggressive tumours. With the increasing affluence of developing countries, obesity and Type II Diabetes are also on the rise. These diseases are associated with an increased risk of developing a range of cancers including those of the breast. In particular, the metabolic syndrome has been shown to be associated with triple negative breast cancer. This article reviews some of the metabolic pathways and biomarkers which have been shown to be aberrantly expressed in triple negative breast cancer and highlights some of the ongoing work in this area.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  9. Khambalia AZ, Seen LS
    Obes Rev, 2010 Jun;11(6):403-12.
    PMID: 20233309 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-789X.2010.00728.x
    Like other nations experiencing rapid industrialization, urbanization and a nutrition transition, there is concern in Malaysia of a possible escalation in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. In 1996, the National Health and Morbidity Survey reported a 16.6% and 4.4% prevalence of overweight and obesity, respectively. In the following decade, there have been several national and community surveys on overweight and obesity in Malaysia. The objective of this systematic review is to describe the trend from 1996 to 2009 in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adults in Malaysia nationally and by gender, age and race. Results indicate that there has been a small rise in overweight adults in the years 1996, 2003 and 2006 (20.7%, 26.7% and 29.1%) and a much more dramatic increase in obesity in 1996, 2003, 2004 and 2006 (5.5%, 12.2%, 12.3% and 14.0%). Evidence showed a greater risk for overweight and obesity among women compared with men. Based on the highest-quality studies, overweight and obesity levels were highest among adults 40-59 years old. Overweight levels were highest among Indians, followed by Malays, Chinese and Aboriginals, with less consistency across studies on the order of risk or obesity by ethnicity.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology*
  10. Lee C, Wu KH, Habil H, Dyachkova Y, Lee P
    Aust N Z J Psychiatry, 2006 May;40(5):437-45.
    PMID: 16683970
    To examine clinical outcomes in Asian patients with schizophrenia receiving monotherapy with olanzapine, risperidone or typical antipsychotics in naturalistic settings.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  11. Hazmi H, Ishak WR, Jalil RA, Hua GS, Hamid NF, Haron R, et al.
    PMID: 26521525
    We conducted a cross sectional study of cardiovascular risk factors among healthcare workers at four government hospitals in Kelantan, Malaysia. We randomly selected 330 subjects fulfilling the following study criteria: those who had been working for at least one year at that health facility, Malaysians citizens and those with some form of direct contact with patients. We conducted an interview, obtained physical measurements, a fasting blood sugar and fasting lipid profiles among 308 subjects. The mean age of the subjects was 43.5 years, 82% were female; 30.8%, 14.3%, 10.4%, 1.3% and 1.6% of the subjects had dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, a history of stroke and a history of ischemic heart disease, respectively. Forty-two percent of subjects had at least one medical condition. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 27.0 kg/M2 (SD=4.8) and 24.3% had a BMI > or =30 kg/M2. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 121.5 mmHg (SD=14.0) and 76.5 mmHg (SD=9.7), respectively and the mean waist-hip ratio was 0.84 (SD=0.1). The mean fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, triglyceride, high density lipoprotein and low density lipoprotein were 5.8 mmol/l (SD=2.4), 5.5 mmol/l (SD=1.0), 1.4 mmol/l (SD=0.9), 1.5 mmol/l (SD=0.3) and 3.5 mmol/l (SD=0.9), respectively. Our study population had a smaller proportion of hypertension than that of the general Malaysian population. They had higher fasting total cholesterol, slightly lower fasting blood sugar, with a large proportion of them, obese and had diabetes. Immediate intervention is needed to reduce the traditional cardiovascular risk factors in this population. Keywords: cardiovascular risk factors, health care workers, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology*
  12. Tse LA, Wang C, Rangarajan S, Liu Z, Teo K, Yusufali A, et al.
    JAMA Netw Open, 2021 06 01;4(6):e2113775.
    PMID: 34190997 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13775
    Importance: Obesity is a growing public health threat leading to serious health consequences. Late bedtime and sleep loss are common in modern society, but their associations with specific obesity types are not well characterized.

    Objective: To assess whether sleep timing and napping behavior are associated with increased obesity, independent of nocturnal sleep length.

    Design, Setting, and Participants: This large, multinational, population-based cross-sectional study used data of participants from 60 study centers in 26 countries with varying income levels as part of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology study. Participants were aged 35 to 70 years and were mainly recruited during 2005 and 2009. Data analysis occurred from October 2020 through March 2021.

    Exposures: Sleep timing (ie, bedtime and wake-up time), nocturnal sleep duration, daytime napping.

    Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcomes were prevalence of obesity, specified as general obesity, defined as body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) of 30 or greater, and abdominal obesity, defined as waist circumference greater than 102 cm for men or greater than 88 cm for women. Multilevel logistic regression models with random effects for study centers were performed to calculate adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% CIs.

    Results: Overall, 136 652 participants (81 652 [59.8%] women; mean [SD] age, 51.0 [9.8] years) were included in analysis. A total of 27 195 participants (19.9%) had general obesity, and 37 024 participants (27.1%) had abdominal obesity. The mean (SD) nocturnal sleep duration was 7.8 (1.4) hours, and the median (interquartile range) midsleep time was 2:15 am (1:30 am-3:00 am). A total of 19 660 participants (14.4%) had late bedtime behavior (ie, midnight or later). Compared with bedtime between 8 pm and 10 pm, late bedtime was associated with general obesity (AOR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.12-1.29) and abdominal obesity (AOR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.12-1.28), particularly among participants who went to bed between 2 am and 6 am (general obesity: AOR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.18-1.54; abdominal obesity: AOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.21-1.58). Short nocturnal sleep of less than 6 hours was associated with general obesity (eg, <5 hours: AOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.13-1.43), but longer napping was associated with higher abdominal obesity prevalence (eg, ≥1 hours: AOR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.31-1.47). Neither going to bed during the day (ie, before 8pm) nor wake-up time was associated with obesity.

    Conclusions and Relevance: This cross-sectional study found that late nocturnal bedtime and short nocturnal sleep were associated with increased risk of obesity prevalence, while longer daytime napping did not reduce the risk but was associated with higher risk of abdominal obesity. Strategic weight control programs should also encourage earlier bedtime and avoid short nocturnal sleep to mitigate obesity epidemic.

    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  13. Moy F, Sallam AA, Wong M
    Health Promot Int, 2006 Dec;21(4):301-10.
    PMID: 16963785
    The worksite is one of the key channels for the delivery of interventions to reduce chronic diseases among adult populations. It provides easy and regular access to a relatively stable population and it encourages sustained peer support. This paper reports a 2-year follow-up of the impact of a worksite health promotion programme on serum cholesterol and dietary changes among employees in a city in Malaysia. A quasi-experimental study was conducted among Malay-Muslim male security guards, with those working in a public university in Kuala Lumpur comprising the intervention group, and those working in the teaching hospital of the same university as the comparison group. They were comparable in socio-demographic characteristics. The intervention group received intensive individual and group counselling on diet, physical activity and quitting smoking. The comparison group was given minimal education on the same lifestyle changes through mail and group counselling. The intervention group showed a statistically significant reduction in their mean total cholesterol levels as compared with the comparison group, with an intervention effect of -0.38 (95% CI = -0.63, -0.14) mmol/l. The intervention group also reported a reduction in the amount of cigarettes smoked. The worksite was shown to be an effective channel for health promotion. The adoption of the new lifestyle behaviours should be supported and sustained through modification of work policies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  14. Boo NY, Chia GJ, Wong LC, Chew RM, Chong W, Loo RC
    Singapore Med J, 2010 Feb;51(2):126-32.
    PMID: 20358151
    INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of obesity among medical students and its relationship with their dietary intake and physical activities.
    METHODS:This observational study was carried out on 240 medical students during the clinical phase of their medical course in a private medical school. Their body weight and height were measured, and a standardised questionnaire was used to collect information on their physical activities and dietary intake.
    RESULTS: The median body weight of the participants was 59.0 kg (interquartile range: 51.3-66.8), the mean body height was 166.1 cm (standard deviation [SD] 8.5 cm), and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 21.8 kg/m2 (SD 3.4 kg/m2). Based on the World Health Organization BMI cut-offs for the Asian population, 30.1 percent (n is equal to 72) of the students were overweight or obese, with a BMI that was equal to or greater than 23.0 kg/m2. Logistic regression analysis showed that, after controlling for various potential confounders, the only significant risk factors associated with overweight/obesity among these students were: male gender (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.1; 95 percent confidence intervals [CI] of 1.1 and 4.1; p is equal to 0.03), Malay ethnic group (adjusted OR 2.4; 95 percent CI 1.0 and 5.7; p is equal to 0.04), Indian ethnic group (adjusted OR 3.6; 95 percent CI 1.5 and 8.9; p is equal to 0.005), and the number of soft drinks consumed per week (adjusted OR 1.3; 95 percent CI 1.0 and 1.5; p is equal to 0.02). Skipping breakfast, the frequency of physical exercise per week, the number of hours of sleep per day, and eating noodles or roti canai (a type of Malaysian pancake) for breakfast were not significant risk factors.
    CONCLUSION: Obesity remains a common problem among medical students in their clinical years.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology*
  15. Khor GL
    PMID: 1342754
    Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia with an estimated population of 1.55 million. Approximately 12% of the population live in squatter settlements occupying about 7% of the city total area. The squatter settlements generally are provided with basic amenities such as piped water, toilet facilities and electricity. Health indicators for the overall population of Kuala Lumpur are better off than for the rest of the country; however, intra-city differentials prevail along ethnic and socio-economic lines. Malays and Indians have higher rates for stillbirths, and neonatal, infant and toddler mortality than the Chinese. The wide disparity in the socio-economic status between the advantaged and the poor groups in the city is reflected in the dietary practices and nutritional status of young children from these communities. The percentage of preschool children from urban poor households with inadequate intakes of calories and nutrients is two to three times higher than those from the advantaged group. Compared to rural infants, a lower percentage of urban infants are breastfed. A lower percentage of Malays from the urban advantaged group breastfed, compared with the urban poor group. The reversed trend is found for the Chinese community. Growth attainment of young children from the urban poor is worse than the urban advantaged, though better than the rural poor. Health and nutritional practices implications related to both undernutrition and overnutrition are discussed, to illustrate the twin challenges of malnutrition in the city.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  16. Noor MI
    Public Health Nutr, 2002 Feb;5(1A):191-5.
    PMID: 12027284
    The accelerated phase of industrialisation and urbanisation in recent decades has inevitably brought about changes in the lifestyle of Malaysians. Changes in dietary habits and sedentary lifestyles are known to be associated with changes in health and increased prevalence of chronic diseases in the population. The objective of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the link between demographic variables and food consumption patterns related to the nutrition transition in Malaysia. This review uses various reports and publications from several ministries and selected local studies. The statistics compiled over the last two decades have shown that as the population achieves affluence, intakes of calories, fats and sugars increase, which may account for the substantial increase in food importation bills over the same period. Similarly, the rapid growth of the fast food industry during the last decade has added another dimension to the change in food consumption patterns of Malaysians. With the exception of a study on adolescents, the prevalences of overweight and obesity in children and adults are not strictly comparable due to the difference in body mass index (BMI) cut-off points in children and the study protocol in adults, and hence should not be misinterpreted as trends. The recent recommendation to lower the BMI cut-off points for Asians would only increase the magnitude of the existing prevalence among adults. The need to promote healthy nutrition for the population must be pursued vigorously, as the escalation of nutrition-related chronic degenerative diseases - once an urban phenomenon--has now spread to the rural population at an alarming rate. This paper indicates that the problem is real and needs urgent attention because it may be just the tip of the iceberg.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  17. Ke-You G, Da-Wei F
    Biomed Environ Sci, 2001 Jun;14(1-2):53-60.
    PMID: 11594480
    In order to understand the magnitude and trends of both under- and over-nutrition problems in Asian countries, we reviewed data available in a number of selected countries. In general, the prevalence of under-nutrition is declining in this region but is still heavy in many countries. The trends varied with complexity of individual countries. In China, the prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting was 21.6%, 30.5% and 2.6% in children of 0-4 years old (90,662 subjects, 1987) . Another large-scale survey in 1992 (176,976 subjects) presented a prevalence of 17.1% , 33.5% and 4.5%, respectively. Recent studies showed a remarkable improvement in both underweight and stunting. The National Student Survey in 1995, however, showed that the prevalence of under-nutrition was 26.9% for schoolboys and 38.3% for schoolgirls (7-18 yr). There was an increase of 4.7% and 3 .5%, respectively, compared with the results of a similar survey conducted in 1985. The proportion of malnutrition in Chinese adults (BMI < 18.5) was 11.6% in 1982 and 9.0% in 1992 for urban areas, and 12.9% and 8.0% for rural areas, indicating a descending trend over the 10 years. The prevalence of underweight was the highest, over 50% among children below 6 years old, in both Bangladesh and India, between 50% and 20% in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, and below 20% in Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Fiji. It showed a declining trend from the 1970s to the 1990s with an average annual reduction of 0.8 to 1.9 percentage points in these countries. The problem of over-nutrition is emerging quickly in this region, not only in some better-off countries but also in countries in economy transition. In China, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in young adults (BMI > 25) was increased from 9.7% to 14.9% for urban areas and from 6.15% to 8.4% for rural areas in a 10-year period (1982 - 1992), and the prevalence of overweight jumped from 3.38% and 2.75% in 1985 to 7.18% and 8.65% in 1995 for schoolboys and schoolgirls. In India, the increase of overweight and obesity in female adults was 5.0 percentage points from 1989 to 1994. The prevalence of overweight was 24.5% for male and 21.4% for female in Japan (1995), and 28.7% and 26.0% in Malaysia (1990). These results indicate that over-nutrition is a growing problem in this region. Many Asian countries are facing double challenges. They have to deal with both under-nutrition and over-nutrition problems. Among many possible interventions, the further strengthening mass education on healthy diet practice should be emphasized.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  18. Li Y, Babazono A, Jamal A, Liu N, Fujita T, Zhao R, et al.
    Soc Sci Med, 2022 Dec;314:115468.
    PMID: 36327638 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115468
    Metabolic syndrome (MetS) prevalence has increased globally with considerable morbidity and economic burden at both individual and national levels. Japan is the first and only country that has introduced a nationwide lifestyle guidance intervention program to manage and control MetS. We conducted a quasi-experiment approach-regression discontinuity design-to evaluate the impact of this intervention on health outcomes at the population level. We retrospectively collected data of adults aged ≥35 years who participated in health checkups in 2015. Age in 2015 was used as the assignment variable, and an age of 40 years old was the threshold because those with MetS aged ≥40 were required to receive lifestyle guidance intervention. Among 26,772 MetS adults, those who received the intervention had significant reductions in obesity measurements (bodyweight, waist circumference, and body mass index [BMI]) after 1 year of this intervention. Blood pressure was also significantly reduced in men after 1 year of undertaking the intervention. The results were similar when including demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral covariates and using alternative functional forms to estimate the impact, or when bandwidths around intervention thresholds were changed. Our results showed that lifestyle guidance intervention for MetS has an important impact on weight loss and blood pressure reduction at the population level. This intervention could address the high burden of obesity and cardiovascular diseases in Japan and other countries with an unmet need for MetS prevention and management.
    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
  19. Ibrahim N, Moy FM, Awalludin IA, Ali Z, Ismail IS
    BMC Public Health, 2014 Apr 01;14:298.
    PMID: 24684809 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-14-298
    BACKGROUND: People with pre-diabetes are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Measurements of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among pre-diabetics enable the health care providers to understand their overall health status and planning of interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes. Therefore we aimed to determine the HRQOL and physical activity level; and its association with Body Mass Index (BMI) among pre-diabetics.

    METHODS: This was a cross sectional study carried out in two primary care clinics in a semi-urban locality of Ampangan, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires assessing the demographic characteristics, medical history, lifestyle and physical activity. The Short Form 36-items health survey was used to measure HRQOL among the pre-diabetics. Data entry and analysis were performed using the SPSS version 19.

    RESULTS: A total of 268 eligible pre-diabetics participated in this study. The prevalence of normal weight, overweight and obesity were 7.1%, 21.6% and 71.3% respectively. Their mean (SD) age was 52.5 (8.3) years and 64.2% were females. Among the obese pre-diabetics, 42.2% had both IFG and IGT, 47.0% had isolated IFG and 10.8% had isolated IGT, 36.2% had combination of hypertension, dyslipidemia and musculoskeletal diseases. More than 53.4% of the obese pre-diabetics had family history of diabetes, 15.7% were smokers and 60.8% were physically inactive with mean PA of <600 MET-minutes/week. After adjusted for co-variants, Physical Component Summary (PCS) was significantly associated with BMI categories [F (2,262)=11.73, p<0.001] where pre-diabetics with normal weight and overweight had significantly higher PCS than those obese; normal vs obese [Mdiff=9.84, p=0.006, 95% CIdiff=2.28, 17.40] and between overweight vs obese [Mdiff=8.14, p<0.001, 95% CIdiff=3.46, 12.80].

    CONCLUSION: Pre-diabetics who were of normal weight reported higher HRQOL compared to those overweight and obese. These results suggest a potentially greater risk of poor HRQOL among pre-diabetics who were overweight and obese especially with regard to the physical health component. Promoting recommended amount of physical activity and weight control are particularly important interventions for pre-diabetics at the primary care level.

    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology*
  20. Salari N, Hasheminezhad R, Sedighi T, Zarei H, Shohaimi S, Mohammadi M
    BMC Womens Health, 2023 Jul 15;23(1):375.
    PMID: 37454073 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02544-4
    BACKGROUND: Obesity is a pressing public health risk issue worldwide. Women, in particular, face a higher risk of obesity. Recent research has highlighted the association between obesity and female sexual dysfunction. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the global prevalence of sexual dysfunction in obese and overweight women through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    METHODS: In this study, a systematic search was conducted across electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. The search aimed to identify studies published between December 2000 and August 2022 that reported metabolic syndrome's impact on female sexual dysfunction.

    RESULTS: The review included nine studies with a sample size of 1508 obese women. The I2 heterogeneity index indicated high heterogeneity (I2: 97.5). As a result, the random effects method was used to analyze the data. Based on this meta-analysis, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women with obesity was reported as 49.7% (95%CI: 35.8-63.5). Furthermore, the review comprised five studies involving 1411 overweight women. The I2 heterogeneity test demonstrated high heterogeneity (I2: 96.6). Consequently, the random effects model was used to analyze the results. According to the meta-analysis, the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in overweight women was 26.9% (95% CI: 13.5-46.5).

    CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, it has been reported that being overweight and particularly obese is an important factor affecting women's sexual dysfunction. Therefore, health policymakers must acknowledge the significance of this issue in order to raise awareness in society about its detrimental effect on the female population.

    Matched MeSH terms: Obesity/epidemiology
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