Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 59 in total

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  1. Lim LS, Tang XH, Yang WY, Ong SH, Naumovski N, Jani R
    Pediatr Rep, 2021 May 18;13(2):245-256.
    PMID: 34069893 DOI: 10.3390/pediatric13020034
    The taste and food preferences in children can affect their food intake and body weight. Bitter and sweet taste sensitivities were identified as primary taste contributors to children's preference for consuming various foods. This pilot study aimed to determine the taste sensitivity and preference for bitter and sweet tastes in a sample of Malaysian children. A case-control study was conducted among 15 pairs of Malay children aged 7 to 12 years. Seven solutions at different concentrations of 6-n-propylthiouracil and sucrose were prepared for testing bitterness and sweet sensitivity, respectively. The intensity of both bitter and sweet sensitivity was measured using a 100 mm Labelled Magnitude Scale (LMS), while the taste preference was rated using a 5-point Likert scale. The participants were better at identifying bitter than sweet taste (median score 6/7 vs. 4/7). No significant differences were detected for both tastes between normal-weight and overweight groups (bitter: 350 vs. 413, p = 0.273; sweet: 154 vs. 263, p = 0.068), as well as in Likert readings (bitter 9 vs. 8: p = 0.490; sweet 22 vs. 22: p = 0.677). In this sample of Malay children, the participants were more sensitive to bitterness than sweetness, yet presented similar taste sensitivity and preference irrespective of their weight status. Future studies using whole food samples are warranted to better characterize potential taste sensitivity and preference in children.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
  2. Lipoeto NI, Geok Lin K, Angeles-Agdeppa I
    Public Health Nutr, 2013 Sep;16(9):1637-43.
    PMID: 23157893 DOI: 10.1017/S1368980012004569
    OBJECTIVE: The present study was done to confirm the relationship between changes in food patterns and nutrition transition in three South-East Asian countries, namely the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia.

    DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between August 2008 and August 2009 using three methods: interviews, focus group discussions and analyses of government reports.

    SETTING: The study was conducted in rural and urban areas in Manila and Calabanga (Philippines), Selangor and Kuala Selangor (Malaysia), and Padang, Pariaman Tanah Datar and Limapuluh Kota (West Sumatra, Indonesia).

    SUBJECTS: Adults aged 18 to 77 years.

    RESULTS: The results showed that Filipinos, Malaysians and Indonesians have retained many aspects of their traditional diets. In fact, most participants in the study considered Western-style and franchise fast foods as snack or recreational foods to be consumed once in a while only. However, a significant difference was noted between urban and rural areas in food varieties consumed. Participants in urban areas consumed more varieties of traditional foods owing to their availability and the participants’ food purchasing power. Although traditional food patterns were maintained by most of the participants, more sugar and vegetable oils were consumed and added to the traditional recipes.

    CONCLUSIONS: The rapid nutrition transition in this region may be due, instead, to increasing food availability and food purchasing power, rather than to a shift in food preferences towards modern Western foods.

    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences*
  3. Lua PL, Wan Putri Elena WD, Mohd Razif S
    Malays J Med Sci, 2012 Oct;19(4):37-49.
    PMID: 23785251 MyJurnal
    BACKGROUND: University students generally tend to engage in problematic eating behaviours, including unhealthy dieting, skipping meals, and high intake of fast food, although they are aware of the negative consequences. Eating behaviours have been shown to be interestingly related to quality of life (QoL). Our study aimed to 1) assess general nutrition quality of life (NQoL) status and 2) compare NQoL status based on gender, financial resources, study courses, year of study, and body mass index (BMI) profiles.
    METHODS: This study was conducted among undergraduates of health sciences in a local public university in Terengganu. Students completed the Malay version of NQoL (6 domains; 50 items; Likert-type responses 1-5). Data analysis was carried out by using SPSS 16.0, utilising descriptive and parametric statistics.
    RESULTS: A total of 241 students were enrolled [age = 19.7 (0.1) years; female (83.0%); Malay (96.7%)]. Social/Interpersonal Factors [3.84 (0.43)] emerged as the best component, while Food Impact [3.10 (0.40)] was the worst. Across all variables, only gender and study courses showed significantly different NQoL. Females scored better than males in Self-Efficacy (confidence in food selection ability) (P < 0.05). Nursing students also experienced significantly greater NQoL (mean = 3.58, 95% CI = 3.47, 3.68) than radiography students in Self-Efficacy (p < 0.05). Medical laboratory technology students had a significantly more favourable NQoL rating (mean = 3.62, 95% CI = 3.47, 3.76) than nursing students in Self-Image (p < 0.05). Study courses significantly influenced the NQoL status of students with Good NQoL, while those with Poor NQoL were mostly influenced by gender and financial resources (p < 0.05).
    CONCLUSION: These outcomes indicate that specific demographic characteristics seemed to make a difference in the NQoL of undergraduate students.
    KEYWORDS: health sciences; nutrition; quality of life; undergraduates
    Study site: public university, Terengganu, Malaysia
    Scales & Questionnaires: Nutrition Quality of Life instrument (NQoL)
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
  4. Matsuda I, Clauss M, Tuuga A, Sugau J, Hanya G, Yumoto T, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2017 Feb 17;7:42774.
    PMID: 28211530 DOI: 10.1038/srep42774
    Free-living animals must make dietary choices in terms of chemical and physical properties, depending on their digestive physiology and availability of food resources. Here we comprehensively evaluated the dietary choices of proboscis monkeys (Nasalis larvatus) consuming young leaves. We analysed the data for leaf toughness and digestibility measured by an in vitro gas production method, in addition to previously reported data on nutrient composition. Leaf toughness, in general, negatively correlated with the crude protein content, one of the most important nutritional factors affecting food selection by leaf-eating primates. This result suggests that leaf toughness assessed by oral sensation might be a proximate cue for its protein content. We confirmed the importance of the leaf chemical properties in terms of preference shown by N. larvatus; leaves with high protein content and low neutral detergent fibre levels were preferred to those of the common plant species. We also found that these preferred leaves were less tough and more digestible than the alternatives. Our in vitro results also suggested that N. larvatus were little affected by secondary plant compounds. However, the spatial distribution pattern of plant species was the strongest factor explaining the selection of the preferred leaf species.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences*
  5. Mazlan N, Horgan G, Stubbs RJ
    Physiol Behav, 2006 Apr 15;87(4):679-86.
    PMID: 16545404
    The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of energy density and food weight (volume) on subsequent intake.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences/physiology
  6. Meyer-Rochow VB
    PMID: 19563636 DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-5-18
    Food taboos are known from virtually all human societies. Most religions declare certain food items fit and others unfit for human consumption. Dietary rules and regulations may govern particular phases of the human life cycle and may be associated with special events such as menstrual period, pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and -- in traditional societies -- preparation for the hunt, battle, wedding, funeral, etc. On a comparative basis many food taboos seem to make no sense at all, as to what may be declared unfit by one group may be perfectly acceptable to another. On the other hand, food taboos have a long history and one ought to expect a sound explanation for the existence (and persistence) of certain dietary customs in a given culture. Yet, this is a highly debated view and no single theory may explain why people employ special food taboos. This paper wants to revive interest in food taboo research and attempts a functionalist's explanation. However, to illustrate some of the complexity of possible reasons for food taboo five examples have been chosen, namely traditional food taboos in orthodox Jewish and Hindu societies as well as reports on aspects of dietary restrictions in communities with traditional lifestyles of Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and Nigeria. An ecological or medical background is apparent for many, including some that are seen as religious or spiritual in origin. On the one hand food taboos can help utilizing a resource more efficiently; on the other food taboos can lead to the protection of a resource. Food taboos, whether scientifically correct or not, are often meant to protect the human individual and the observation, for example, that certain allergies and depression are associated with each other could have led to declaring food items taboo that were identified as causal agents for the allergies. Moreover, any food taboo, acknowledged by a particular group of people as part of its ways, aids in the cohesion of this group, helps that particular group maintain its identity in the face of others, and therefore creates a feeling of "belonging".
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences*
  7. Mohd Nor ND, Houston-Price C, Harvey K, Methven L
    Appetite, 2021 02 01;157:104991.
    PMID: 33049340 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104991
    Low consumption of vegetables in children is a concern around the world, hence approaches aimed at increasing intake are highly relevant. Previous studies have shown that repeated taste exposure is an effective strategy to increase vegetable acceptance. However, few studies have examined the effect of repeated taste exposure on children varying in bitter taste sensitivity. This study investigated the influence of taste genotypes and phenotypes on the effects of repeated taste exposure to a Brassica vegetable. 172 preschool children aged 3-5 years were recruited into this study. Turnip was selected as the target vegetable and parents completed a questionnaire to ensure unfamiliarity. During the intervention, children were exposed to steamed-pureed turnip for 10 days (once/day). Intake and liking were measured before, during and after the intervention, and a follow-up was done 3 months post-intervention. Taste genotypes (TAS2R38 and gustin (CA6) genotypes) and taste phenotypes (PROP taster status and fungiform papillae density) were determined. There was a significant effect of exposure shown by significant increases in intake (p 
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
  8. Mura Paroche M, Caton SJ, Vereijken CMJL, Weenen H, Houston-Price C
    Front Psychol, 2017;8:1046.
    PMID: 28790935 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01046
    Early childhood is a critical time for establishing food preferences and dietary habits. In order for appropriate advice to be available to parents and healthcare professionals it is essential for researchers to understand the ways in which children learn about foods. This review summarizes the literature relating to the role played by known developmental learning processes in the establishment of early eating behavior, food preferences and general knowledge about food, and identifies gaps in our knowledge that remain to be explored. A systematic literature search identified 48 papers exploring how young children learn about food from the start of complementary feeding to 36 months of age. The majority of the papers focus on evaluative components of children's learning about food, such as their food preferences, liking and acceptance. A smaller number of papers focus on other aspects of what and how children learn about food, such as a food's origins or appropriate eating contexts. The review identified papers relating to four developmental learning processes: (1) Familiarization to a food through repeated exposure to its taste, texture or appearance. This was found to be an effective technique for learning about foods, especially for children at the younger end of our age range. (2) Observational learning of food choice. Imitation of others' eating behavior was also found to play an important role in the first years of life. (3) Associative learning through flavor-nutrient and flavor-flavor learning (FFL). Although the subject of much investigation, conditioning techniques were not found to play a major role in shaping the food preferences of infants in the post-weaning and toddler periods. (4) Categorization of foods. The direct effects of the ability to categorize foods have been little studied in this age group. However, the literature suggests that what infants are willing to consume depends on their ability to recognize items on their plate as familiar exemplars of that food type.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
  9. Mwungu CM, Shikuku KM, Atibo C, Mwongera C
    Data Brief, 2019 Apr;23:103818.
    PMID: 31372462 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.103818
    Climate change, degradation of natural resources, conflict or civil war, diseases and poverty are among the key threats that impact agriculture, human nutrition, food security and food safety among rural households in developing countries. Sustainability of food systems and livelihoods will thus crucially depend on not only the ability to accommodate or recover from these threats but also to tap into opportunities for strengthening long-term capabilities. One approach to enhancing resilience to enhance food security and nutrition is building an evidence base to better understand the various types of smallholders, threats to agriculture production and the associated risks to food security and nutrition and household food preferences. Unfortunately, such data in many African countries is still unavailable or has not been shared publicly. In this paper, we describe data that were collected in Nwoya district, Northern Uganda in December 2017. These data can be used to assess the relationship between resilience of farm households to climatic risks and their food and nutrition security.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
  10. Ng SH, Kelly B, Se CH, Sahathevan S, Chinna K, Ismail MN, et al.
    BMC Public Health, 2015;15:1047.
    PMID: 26459341 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-2392-z
    Television food advertising (TVFA) is the most dominant medium in the obesogenic environment promoting unhealthy food choices in children.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences/psychology*
  11. Ng TK, Low CX, Kong JP, Cho YL
    Malays J Nutr, 2012 Dec;18(3):393-7.
    PMID: 24568080 MyJurnal
    Carotenoid-rich red palm oil (RPO)-based snacks have been provided to children in impoverished communities to improve their vitamin A status. The non-availabilty of information on the acceptability of RPO-based snacks by Malaysian aborigines (Orang Asli) children forms the basis of this study.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
  12. Nor Azlin, M.I., Zalilah, M.S., Farhanah, A.S., Barakatun Nisak, M.Y.
    MyJurnal
    This study examines the effect of a low glycaemic index (LGI) intervention to improve dietary intake among women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). Women with GDM were randomised to receive either a low GI intervention (LGI; n = 20) or standard nutrition therapy (SNT; n = 20) for a 4-week period. Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and Three-Day Diet Record assessed the dietary intake and food choices. Dietary intake and food choices of the participants were comparable at baseline. At the end of the study, energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate were reduced in both groups (p < 0.05). In the LGI group, fibre and calcium intake was higher compared with SNT group. More participants in
    the LGI group consumed rice from the low GI varieties, the whole grain breads and the low GI biscuits (p<0.05) compared with participants in the SNT group. The diet GI reduced significantly in the LGI group (50 ± 9 units) compared with the SNT group (57 ± 6) (p < 0.05). Findings showed low GI dietary intervention improved the dietary intake of women with GDM.
    Keywords: Carbohydrate, dietary intake, Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, low glycaemic index
    Study site: Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
  13. Noradilah MJ, Zahara AM
    Malays J Nutr, 2012 Apr;18(1):67-75.
    PMID: 23713231 MyJurnal
    Low vegetable consumption in children is always a matter of concern. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of multiple exposures on acceptance of a test vegetable among preschoolers aged 6 years.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences/psychology*
  14. Norasmah B, Abu Hassan A, Che Salmah MR, Nurita AT, Nur Aida H
    Trop Biomed, 2006 Dec;23(2):134-9.
    PMID: 17322814
    A field study on foraging activity and proteinacous food preference was performed on the tropical fire ant (Solenopsis geminata) (Fabricius) at the School of Biological Sciences and Desasiswa Bakti Permai, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang. Foraging activity studies of 4 colonies of S. geminata were conducted in the field for 24 hours. Foraging activity significantly increased 4 hours before sunset and maximum foraging occurred at midnight until early morning. Three types of proteinacous food; anchovy, meat and egg yolk were tested among the five colonies of S. geminata in the field. The egg yolk was the most preferred food (100%) followed by meat (31%) and anchovy (15%).
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences*
  15. Ooi SX, Lee PL, Law HY, Say YH
    Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2010;19(4):491-8.
    PMID: 21147709
    Recently, the bitter receptor gene (TAS2R38) was identified to be responsible for phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) bitter sensitivity. Its two predominant haplotypes at three Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are found to be definitive for the PTC status, which the ProAlaVal and AlaValIle haplotypes are associated with tasters and non-tasters, respectively. TAS2R38 haplotypes have been reported to influence food preferences (like cruciferous vegetables and fat foods) and cardiovascular disease risk factors. We examined, in 215 Malaysian subjects (100 males, 115 females), the association of the P49A SNP of TAS2R38 with anthropometric measurements and aversion to a list of 36 vegetables, 4 soy products, green tea and 37 sweet/fat foods. The subjects were successfully genotyped as 110 PA, 81 PP and 24 AA (with the A49 allelic frequency of 0.37), by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Ethnicity (Malay, Chinese or Indian), but not gender, was associated with the P49A TAS2R38 genotypes (p<0.001). However, no significant differences in terms of Body Mass Index, Total Body Fat, waist circumference and Waist-Hip Ratio were found between the genotypes (p<0.05). Only aversions to green tea, mayonnaise and whipped cream, but not soy products, vegetables, and other sweet/fat foods, were associated with the P49A genotypes (p<0.05). Therefore, the P49A SNP of the bitter receptor gene TAS2R38 could not serve as a predictor of anthropometric measurements and aversion to vegetables or sweet/fat foods in the sampled Malaysian subjects, and this suggests the existence of other possible factors influencing food selection among Malaysians.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences*
  16. Petit O, Merunka D, Anton JL, Nazarian B, Spence C, Cheok AD, et al.
    PLoS One, 2016;11(7):e0156333.
    PMID: 27428267 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156333
    Taking into account how people value the healthiness and tastiness of food at both the behavioral and brain levels may help to better understand and address overweight and obesity-related issues. Here, we investigate whether brain activity in those areas involved in self-control may increase significantly when individuals with a high body-mass index (BMI) focus their attention on the taste rather than on the health benefits related to healthy food choices. Under such conditions, BMI is positively correlated with both the neural responses to healthy food choices in those brain areas associated with gustation (insula), reward value (orbitofrontal cortex), and self-control (inferior frontal gyrus), and with the percent of healthy food choices. By contrast, when attention is directed towards health benefits, BMI is negatively correlated with neural activity in gustatory and reward-related brain areas (insula, inferior frontal operculum). Taken together, these findings suggest that those individuals with a high BMI do not necessarily have reduced capacities for self-control but that they may be facilitated by external cues that direct their attention toward the tastiness of healthy food. Thus, promoting the taste of healthy food in communication campaigns and/or food packaging may lead to more successful self-control and healthy food behaviors for consumers with a higher BMI, an issue which needs to be further researched.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences*
  17. Pondor I, Gan WY, Appannah G
    Nutrients, 2017 Sep 16;9(9).
    PMID: 28926947 DOI: 10.3390/nu9091028
    Food price is a determining factor of food choices; however its relationship with diet quality is unclear in Malaysia. This study aimed to examine socio-economic characteristics and daily dietary cost (DDC) in relation to diet quality in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Dietary intake was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and diet quality was estimated using a Malaysian Healthy Eating Index (M-HEI). DDC in Malaysian Ringgit (RM) was calculated from dietary intake and national food prices. Linear regression models were fitted to determine associations between DDC and M-HEI scores and predictors of diet quality. The mean M-HEI score of respondents was 61.31 ± 10.88 and energy adjusted DDC was RM10.71/2000 kcal (USD 2.49). The highest quintile of adjusted DDC had higher M-HEI scores for all respondents (Q1: 57.14 ± 10.07 versus Q5: 63.26 ± 11.54, p = 0.001). There were also positive associations between DDC and M-HEI scores for fruits (p < 0.001) and vegetables (p = 0.017) for all respondents. Predictors of diet quality included carbohydrate (β = 0290; p < 0.001) and fat intakes (β = -0.242; p < 0.001) and energy adjusted DDC (β = 0.196; p < 0.001). Higher dietary cost is associated with healthy eating among Malaysian adults.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
  18. Rahman NA, Fadzly N, Dzakwan NM, Zulkifli NH
    Trop Life Sci Res, 2014 Aug;25(1):95-103.
    PMID: 25210590 MyJurnal
    We conducted a series of experiments to test the numerical competency of two species of birds, Corvus splendens (House Crow) and Acridotheres tristis (Common Myna). Both species were allowed to choose from seven different groups of mealworms with varying proportions. We considered the birds to have made a correct choice when it selected the food group with the highest number of mealworms. Our overall results indicated that the Common Myna is able to count numbers (161 successful choices out of 247 trials) better than House Crows (133 successful choices out of 241 trials). We suspect that House Crows do not rely on a numerical sense when selecting food. Although House Crows mostly chose the cup with more mealworms (from seven food item proportions), only one proportion was chosen at rate above random chance. The Common Myna, however, were slow performers at the beginning but became increasingly more capable of numerical sense during the remainder of the experiment (four out of seven food proportion groups were chosen at a rate above random chance).
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
  19. Rathmawati Ahmad, Normastura Abd Rahman, Ruhaya Hasan, Azizah Yusoff
    Malays J Nutr, 2017;23(2):239-252.
    MyJurnal
    Introduction: Appropriate oral health knowledge is essential to enable parents to be responsible for the oral health care of their children especially those with special needs. This study aimed to determine the oral health knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of parents and cariogenic food intake of their non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate children (NSCLP) compared to non-cleft children.

    Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on randomly selected parents with children aged 1 to 6 years at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and Kota Bharu Dental Clinic. A face-to-face interview using a validated questionnaire on oral health KAP and cariogenic food intake of their children was done. Data were analysed by using IBM SPSS version 22.0.

    Results: Sixty-four Malay parents with NSCLP (n=33) and non-cleft (n=31) children were recruited. The mean (SD) percentage score of oral health knowledge of parents in both groups (NSCLP and non-cleft) was fair, 59.5%(11.85) and 62.0%(15.00), P=0.4722; oral health attitude was good, 78.0% (9.30) and 80.2% (15.40), P=0.504; but oral health practice was poor 33.8% (5.94) and 36.1 (8.44), P=0.220. The cariogenic food frequency score was significantly higher in noncleft children; 40.2(10.32) compared to NSCLP children, 34.8(9.46), P=0.032.

    Conclusions: Parents of both groups had fair knowledge and good attitude but poor oral health practice. Cariogenic foods were consumed more by the non-cleft children. Oral health awareness among the parents needs to be strengthened towards good oral health attitude and practice and non-cariogenic food choices for the betterment of oral health status of their children.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Preferences
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