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Fulltext Nutritional status of Rohingya children in Kuala Lumpur

Sok Teng, T., Zalilah, M. S.

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2011;7(1):41-49.
MyJurnal

The Rohingya is a group of refugees from Myanmar who have been residing in Malaysia since the 1980s. At present, there is no published information on health and nutritional status of refugee children
in Malaysia. This study was conducted to assess nutritional status of the Rohingya children aged
6 months to 12 years old (N=87) and to determine the associations between nutritional status with
socio-demographic, dietary diversity and health (birth weight, immunization and childhood illness)
variables. Children were measured for weight and height while their guardians were interviewed for
socio-demographic, dietary diversity and health information. About 27.5% of the Rohingya children
were underweight, 11.5% stunted, 16.1% thin and 12.6% at risk of overweight and overweight. The
percentage of children with low birth weight (< 2.5 kg) and no immunization was 17.8% and 11.5%,
respectively. Fever (67.8%) and flu (62.1%) were the most common childhood illnesses reported in
previous month with 44-75% of the children with these illnesses did not receive any medical treatment.
The mean dietary diversity score was 8.9+3.2 out of a possible 14, with a higher score indicating a
more diverse diet. There were significant correlations between frequency of immunization received
by the children with weight-for-age-z score (rs=0.27, p

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Fulltext The role of plasma microseminoprotein-beta in prostate cancer: an observational nested case-control and Mendelian randomization study in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition

Smith Byrne K, Appleby PN, Key TJ, Holmes MV, Fensom GK, Agudo A, et al.

Ann Oncol, 2019 Jun 01;30(6):983-989.
PMID: 31089709 DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdz121

BACKGROUND: Microseminoprotein-beta (MSP), a protein secreted by the prostate epithelium, may have a protective role in the development of prostate cancer. The only previous prospective study found a 2% reduced prostate cancer risk per unit increase in MSP. This work investigates the association of MSP with prostate cancer risk using observational and Mendelian randomization (MR) methods.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: A nested case-control study was conducted with the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) with 1871 cases and 1871 matched controls. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association of pre-diagnostic circulating MSP with risk of incident prostate cancer overall and by tumour subtype. EPIC-derived estimates were combined with published data to calculate an MR estimate using two-sample inverse-variance method.
RESULTS: Plasma MSP concentrations were inversely associated with prostate cancer risk after adjusting for total prostate-specific antigen concentration [odds ratio (OR) highest versus lowest fourth of MSP = 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-0.84, Ptrend = 0.001]. No heterogeneity in this association was observed by tumour stage or histological grade. Plasma MSP concentrations were 66% lower in rs10993994 TT compared with CC homozygotes (per allele difference in MSP: 6.09 ng/ml, 95% CI 5.56-6.61, r2=0.42). MR analyses supported a potentially causal protective association of MSP with prostate cancer risk (OR per 1 ng/ml increase in MSP for MR: 0.96, 95% CI 0.95-0.97 versus EPIC observational: 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99). Limitations include lack of complete tumour subtype information and more complete information on the biological function of MSP.
CONCLUSIONS: In this large prospective European study and using MR analyses, men with high circulating MSP concentration have a lower risk of prostate cancer. MSP may play a causally protective role in prostate cancer.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Fulltext Laparoscopic T-tube feeding jejunostomy as an adjunct to staging laparoscopy for upper gastrointestinal malignancies: the technique and review of outcomes

Siow SL, Mahendran HA, Wong CM, Milaksh NK, Nyunt M

BMC Surg, 2017 Mar 20;17(1):25.
PMID: 28320382 DOI: 10.1186/s12893-017-0221-2

BACKGROUND: In recent years, staging laparoscopy has gained acceptance as part of the assessment of resectability of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) malignancies. Not infrequently, we encounter tumours that are either locally advanced; requiring neoadjuvant therapy or occult peritoneal disease that requires palliation. In all these cases, the establishment of enteral feeding during staging laparoscopy is important for patients' nutrition. This review describes our technique of performing laparoscopic feeding jejunostomy and the clinical outcomes.
METHODS: The medical records of all patients who underwent laparoscopic feeding jejunostomy following staging laparoscopy for UGI malignancies between January 2010 and July 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. The data included patient demographics, operative technique and clinical outcomes.
RESULTS: Fifteen patients (11 males) had feeding jejunostomy done when staging laparoscopy showed unresectable UGI maligancy. Eight (53.3%) had gastric carcinoma, four (26.7%) had oesophageal carcinoma and three (20%) had cardio-oesophageal junction carcinoma. The mean age was 63.3 ± 7.3 years. Mean operative time was 66.0 ± 7.4 min. Mean postoperative stay was 5.6 ± 2.2 days. Laparoscopic feeding jejunostomy was performed without intra-operative complications. There were no major complications requiring reoperation but four patients had excoriation at the T-tube site and three patients had tube dislodgement which required bedside replacement of the feeding tube. The mean duration of feeding tube was 127.3 ± 99.6 days.
CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic feeding jejunostomy is an important adjunct to staging laparoscopy that can be performed safely with low morbidity. Meticulous attention to surgical techniques is the cornerstone of success.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Fulltext Correlation between nutritional status and comprehensive physical performance measures among older adults with undernourishment in residential institutions

Singh DK, Manaf ZA, Yusoff NA, Muhammad NA, Phan MF, Shahar S

Clin Interv Aging, 2014;9:1415-23.
PMID: 25187701 DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S64997

The consequences of combined undernourishment and decreased physical performance in older adults are debilitating and increases cost of care. To date, the information regarding the association between nutritional status and physical performance does not provide a complete picture. Most studies used limited or self-reported measures to evaluate physical performance. The objective of this study was to examine the correlation between nutritional status and comprehensive physical performance measures among undernourished older adults who reside in residential institutions.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status*
Fulltext Nutritional composition and amino acid profile of a sub-tropical red seaweed Gelidium pusillum collected from St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh

Siddique, M.A.M., Khan, M.S.K., Bhuiyan, M.K.A.

International Food Research Journal, 2013;20(5):2287-2292.
MyJurnal

Nutritional fact study has prime importance to make the species edible and commercially viable to the food consumers. The proximate chemical composition and amino acid profile of Gelidium pusillum were studied to understand the nutritional status. The red seaweed Gelidium pusillum was rich in dietary fibre (24.74 ± 1.05%), lipid (2.16 ± 0.61%) and ash content (21.15 ± 0.74%). The mean protein content (11.31 ± 1.02% DW) was within the range of 10-47% for green and red seaweeds and this range was higher than Gracilaria cornea (5.47% DW), Gracilaria changgi (6.90% DW) and Eucheuma cottonii (9.76% DW). Gelidium pusillum was found to contained all the essential amino acids, which accounted for 52.08% of the total amino acids. Tyrosine (26.2 mg g-1 protein), methionine (15.8 mg g-1 protein) and Lysine (48.3 mg g-1 protein) were the limiting amino acid of Gelidium pusillum. However, the levels of other essential amino acids were above the FAO/WHO requirement pattern (EAA score ranged from 1.14 to 1.62). Aspartic and glutamic acids constituted a substantial amount of the total amino acids (24.68% of total amino acid). The result from this study suggested that Gelidium pusillum could be utilized as a healthy food item for human consumption.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Nutritional evaluation of working Malay women in Kuala Lumpur as studied by total food duplicate method

Shimbo S, Moon CS, Zhang ZW, Watanabe T, Ismail NH, Ali RM, et al.

Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1996 Oct;180(2):99-114.
PMID: 9111760

Nutrient intake was surveyed by the total food duplicate method in 49 adult ethnically Malay women (at the ages of 18 to 47 years and mostly at 30-39 years) working in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Simultaneously, hematological examinations, serum biochemistry, anthropometry and clinical examination were conducted. Nutrient intakes were estimated in reference to the weight of each food item and the standard food composition tables. Lunch was the most substantial meal of the day with rice as a staple food. Compared with the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) values, daily intakes of energy (1,917 kcal as an arithmetic mean), protein (62.2 g), vitamin B1 (0.83 mg) and vitamin B2 (1.18 mg) were sufficient, but intakes of minerals [i.e., calcium (347.8 mg) and iron (12.5 mg)] and some vitamins [i.e., vitamin A (equivalent to 627 micrograms retinol) and niacin (7.84 mg)] were less than RDA. When evaluated on an individual basis, the prevalence of those who took less than 80% RDA was highest for iron (92%), followed by niacin (80%), calcium (57%) and vitamin A (57%). The presence of 7 hypohemoglobinemia cases may be related to the insufficient iron intake. Overweight cases (14 women) were also detected, the prevalence of which increased at advanced ages. Lipid intake was rather high (28% of total food on energy basis), for which the major source was plants with limited contribution from fish/shellfish.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status*
Fulltext The effects of socio-demographic characteristics, nutritional status, physical activity and physical function on cognitive function of community-dwelling older adults in the Klang Valley, Malaysia

Shiang Cheng Lim, Wan Ying Gan, Yoke Mun Chan

Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2020;16(106):163-169.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Cognitive decline and cognitive impairment among older adults is a rising public health concern because of its association with increased risk of dementia, disability and mortality. In Malaysia, early identification of cognitive impairment is uncommon due to lack of understanding of risk profile of the elderly population. The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with cognitive impairment among community-dwell- ing older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 698 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 years old and above in Klang Valley, Malaysia by using multi-stage sampling to determine the risk factors and predictors of cognitive impairment from a multidimensional approach. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship between socio-demographic characteristics, physical activity, physical functional status and cognitive impairment. Results: Increased of age (OR = 1.056), being female (OR = 2.219) and Indian (OR = 2.722) were the risk factors for cognitive impairment, while years of education (OR = 0.765), physically active (OR = 0.823) and better physical function (OR = 0.843) were significantly associated with decreased risk of cognitive impairment. Marital and nutritional status failed to predict the risk of cognitive impairment. Conclusion: Given the protective effects of physical activity and physical function on the cognitive decline at later age, relevant policymakers should formulate appropriate health education programmes to promote regular physical activity to improve physical and cognitive function among Malaysians across all ages.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Higher dietary energy density is associated with stunting but not overweight and obesity in a sample of urban Malaysian children

Shariff ZM, Lin KG, Sariman S, Siew CY, Yusof BN, Mun CY, et al.

Ecol Food Nutr, 2016 Jul-Aug;55(4):378-89.
PMID: 27231732 DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2016.1181065

Although diets with high energy density are associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity, it is not known whether such diets are associated with undernutrition. This study assessed the relationship between dietary energy density (ED) and nutritional status of 745 urban 1- to 10-year-old children. Dietary intakes were obtained using food recall and record for two days. Dietary energy density was based on food and caloric beverages. Higher dietary ED was associated with lower intakes of carbohydrate, sugar, vitamins C and D, and calcium but higher fat, fiber, iron, and folate intakes. While intakes of fruits and milk/dairy products decreased, meat, fish, and legume intakes increased with higher dietary ED. Stunting, but not other growth problems, was associated with higher dietary ED. Future studies should confirm the cause-and-effect relationship between higher dietary ED and stunting.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Fulltext Nutritional status of primary school children from low income households in Kuala Lumpur

Shariff ZM, Bond J, Johson N

Malays J Nutr, 2000 Mar;6(1):17-32.
PMID: 22692389 MyJurnal

Growth status was examined in relation to gender and age factors in urban primary school children (6-10 years old) from low income households in Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan. The sample consisted of 4212 boys (53%) and 3793 girls (47%). Data on weight and height data were obtained from two sources - investigator's and teachers' measurements of the school children. This study defined mildly and significantly underweight, stunted or wasted as z-score below minus one and below minus two of the NCHS/CDC reference median, respectively. Approximately 52% (n = 4149), 50% (n = 3893) and 30% (n = 2568) of the school children were underweight, stunted and wasted, respectively. However, the majority of these undernourished children were in the mild category. Prevalence of overweight (> 2 SD of NCHS/WHO reference median) was found in 5.8% of the sample. For both, prevalence of undernutrition and overnutrition, more boys than girls were found to be underweight stunted wasted and overweight. Compared to girls, boys had lower mean z-scores for the variables height-for-age (p<0.05) and weight-for-height (p<0.01). Older children had significantly lower mean z-scores for height-for-age (p<0.001) but higher mean z-scores for weight-for-height (P<0.001) than younger children. This finding indicates that with increasing age, stunting is associated with improved weight-for-height or that the children's weights have been adapted to their short statures. In conclusion, results demonstrate a high prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting and an increasing prevalence of overweight among these low-income school children. Efforts recommended to address health and nutrition problems among school children should include health and nutrition monitoring (e.g. growth monitoring using the existing growth data collected by schools) and interventions.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status*
Fulltext Nutrition and educational achievement of urban primary schoolchildren in Malaysia

Shariff ZM, Bond JT, Johnson NE

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2000 Dec;9(4):264-73.
PMID: 24394502

The relationship between nutrition, health and educational achievement of school-age population in less developed countries has been of interest to many researchers due to the frequent observation that many children did not complete primary school and those who completed, did not do as well as children in the developed countries. Nevertheless, nutritional and health status by itself is not the only variable affecting educational achievement, since biological, psychological, socioeconomic and cultural factors could directly or indirectly affect both nutrition, health status and educational achievement. The mechanism by which health and nutrition influence educational achievement is not well established, but poor health and malnutrition in early childhood may affect cognitive abilities, necessary for learning process and consequently educational achievement. A study was conducted in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to investigate the relationship between nutritional status and educational achievement among primary schoolchildren from low income households (n = 399). A high percentage of them were mild-significantly underweight (52%), stunted (47%) and wasted (36%) and increasingly overweight (6%). In general, more boys than girls were found to experience some form of malnutrition. While weight-for-height did not differ significantly according to family, child and school factors, weight-for-age and height-for-age differed significantly by gender. Also, height-for-age was significantly related to household income. This indicates that stunting may be a consequence of prolonged socioeconomic deprivation. Educational achievement was measured based on test scores for Malay language (ML), English language (EL) and mathematics (MT). While a majority of the schoolchildren obtained optimum scores (>75) for ML and MT, the majority of them had insufficient scores (<50) for EL. Children's total score (TS) for the three subjects was significantly associated with household socioeconomic status, gender, birth order and heightfor- age. Even after controlling for household socioeconomic status, significant association between TS and height-for-age persisted. In this sample of schoolchildren, household income, gender, birth order and height-forage were significant predictors of TS. The finding that height-for-age is related to educational achievement agrees with other studies, which have reported that height-for-age, compared to weight-for-height or weight-forage is linked to educational achievement. Height-for-age reflects the accumulation of nutritional deprivation throughout the years, which may consequently affect the cognitive development of the children.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Fulltext Assessment of food insecurity among low income households in kuala lumpur using the radimer/cornell food insecurity instrument - a validation study

Sharif ZM, Ang M

Malays J Nutr, 2001 Mar;7(1):15-32.
PMID: 22692426

Food insecurity exists whenever people are not able to access sufficient food at all times for an active and healthy life. This study used the Radimer/Cornell hunger and food insecurity instrument to assess food insecurity and to determine the risk factors and consequences of food insecurity among low-income households in Kuala Lumpur. One hundred and thirty-seven Malay pre-school children (4-6 years old) from Taman Sang Kancil were measured for their weights and heights. Questionnaires were used to collect food security and socioeconomic information on the households. The findings indicated that 34.3% of the households were food secure, while 65.7% experienced some kind of food insecurity, (27.7% households were food insecure, 10.9% individuals were food insecure and 27.0% fell into the child hunger category). The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting were 44.5%, 36.5% and 30.7% respectively. The prevalence of high weight-for-height (overweight) was 13.1%. Based on multinomial logistic regression, larger household size (OR=1.418; p<0.01) and lower educational level of mothers (OR=0.749; p<0.01) and fathers (OR=0.802; p<0.05) were found to be significant risk factors for food insecurity. The study, however, did not find any significant difference in children's nutritional status according to household food security levels. It is recommended that for the Malaysian population, the Radimer/Cornell hunger and food insecurity instrument should be modified and further validated with various ethnic groups in a variety of settings. The validation should include the appropriateness of the statements to the target grounds and their different risk factors and outcomes of food insecurity.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Impact of nutritional status on the quality of life of advanced cancer patients in hospice home care

Shahmoradi N, Kandiah M, Peng LS

Asian Pac J Cancer Prev, 2009;10(6):1003-09.
PMID: 20192573

BACKGROUND: Cancer patients frequently experience malnutrition and this is an important factor in impaired quality of life.
OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study examined the association between global quality of life and its various subscales with nutritional status among 61 (33 females and 28 males) advanced cancer patients cared for by selected hospices in peninsular Malaysia.
METHODS: The Patient Generated-Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and the Hospice Quality of Life Index (HQLI) were used to assess nutritional status and quality of life, respectively.
RESULTS: Nine (14.7%) patients were well-nourished, 32 (52.5%) were moderately or suspected of being malnourished while 20 (32.8%) of them were severely malnourished. The total HQLI mean score for these patients was 189.9-/+51.7, with possible scores ranging from 0 to 280. The most problem areas in these patients were in the domain of functional well-being and the least problems were found in the social/spiritual domain. PG-SGA scores significantly correlated with total quality of life scores (r2= 0.38, p<0.05), psychophysiological well-being (r2= 0.37, p<0.05), functional well-being (r2= 0.42, p<0.05) and social/ spiritual well-being (r2= 0.07, p<0.05). Thus, patients with a higher PG-SGA score or poorer nutritional status exhibited a lower quality of life.
CONCLUSION: Advanced cancer patients with poor nutritional status have a diminished quality of life. These findings suggest that there is a need for a comprehensive nutritional intervention for improving nutritional status and quality of life in terminally ill cancer patients under hospice care.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status*
Fulltext A multidimensional assessment of nutritional and health status of rural elderly Malays

Shahar S, Ibrahim Z, Fatah AR, Rahman SA, Yusoff NA, Arshad F, et al.

Asia Pac J Clin Nutr, 2007;16(2):346-53.
PMID: 17468093

A multidimensional assessment of nutritional and health status comprised of subjective global assessment (SGA), anthropometry function, biochemistry, dietary intake, social and health aspects was carried out on 820 older people (52.8% men and 47.2% women) from four rural areas of Peninsular Malaysia. A proportion of the subjects had been classified as either overweight (25.7%) or chronic energy deficient (20.3%). Although 49% of subjects had normal body weight, 68.4% have been classified as having mild to moderate malnutrition according to the SGA. Only 1.1% and 2.3% had low serum albumin and ferritin, respectively. Almost 80% of subjects, especially men, were at high risk of cardiovascular diseases on the basis of the assessment of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol. The majority of the subjects (87.2%) were fully independent in performing daily tasks, with men having a significantly higher score compared to women (p<0.001). However, men were less likely to be able to perform a flexibility test (50.7%) than were women (27.0%) (p<0.05). The mean energy intake for men (1412 +/- 461 kcal/d) and women (1201 +/- 392 kcal/d) were below the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for Malaysia, although this is a difficult assertion to make in an age-group which generally experiences declining energy expenditure. Moreover, 52.5% of men and 47.5% of women might have underreported their food intake. Dietary micronutrients most likely to be deficient were thiamin, riboflavin and calcium. It is concluded that a substantial proportion of rural elderly Malays had problems related to both undernutrition and overnutrition. An appropriate nutrition intervention program is needed to improve the nutritional status of rural elderly Malays.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status*
A nutrition education intervention for anthropometric and biochemical profiles of rural older Malays with metabolic syndrome

Shahar S, Adznam SN, Lee LK, Yusof NA, Salleh M, Mohamed Sakian NI

Public Health Nurs, 2013 Mar;30(2):140-9.
PMID: 23452108 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-1446.2012.01051.x

This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a nutrition education intervention package in improving anthropometric, clinical and biochemical indicators of rural older Malays with metabolic syndrome (MS).

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Association between vitamin A, vitamin E and apolipoprotein E status with mild cognitive impairment among elderly people in low-cost residential areas

Shahar S, Lee LK, Rajab N, Lim CL, Harun NA, Noh MF, et al.

Nutr Neurosci, 2013 Jan;16(1):6-12.
PMID: 23321337 DOI: 10.1179/1476830512Y.0000000013

The influence of nutritional parameters and genetic susceptibility on poor cognitive impairment has been documented; however, the association between lipid-soluble vitamins with genetic susceptibility on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has not yet been studied extensively.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status*
Development of a screening tool for detecting undernutrition and dietary inadequacy among rural elderly in Malaysia: simple indices to identify individuals at high risk

Shahar S, Dixon RA, Earland J

Int J Food Sci Nutr, 1999 Nov;50(6):435-44.
PMID: 10719584

Undernutrition and the consumption of poor diets are prevalent among elderly people in developing countries. Recognising the importance of the early identification of individuals at high nutritional risk, this study aimed to develop a simple tool for screening. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 11 randomly selected villages among the 62 in Mersing District, Malaysia. Undernutrition was assessed using body mass index, plasma albumin and haemoglobin on 285 subjects. Dietary inadequacy (a count of nutrients falling below two-thirds of the Recommended Dietary Allowances) was examined for 337 subjects. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant predictors of undernutrition and dietary inadequacy from social and health factors, and to derive appropriate indices based on these predictions. The multivariate predictors of undernutrition were 'no joint disease', 'smoker', 'no hypertension', 'depended on others for economic resource', 'respiratory disease', 'perceived weight loss' and 'chewing difficulty', with a joint sensitivity of 56% and specificity of 84%. The equivalent predictors of dietary inadequacy were 'unable to take public transport', 'loss of appetite', 'chewing difficulty', 'no regular fruit intake' and 'regularly taking less than three meals per day', with a joint sensitivity of 77% and specificity of 47%. These predictions, with minor modification to simplify operational use, led to the production of a simple screening tool. The tool can be used by public health professionals or community workers or leaders as a simple and rapid instrument to screen individual at high risk of undernutrition and/or dietary inadequacy.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Fulltext Adherence of Malaysian Adults' Energy and Macronutrient Intakes to National Recommendations: A Review and Meta-Analysis

Shahar S, Jan Bin Jan Mohamed H, de Los Reyes F, Amarra MS

Nutrients, 2018 Oct 28;10(11).
PMID: 30373303 DOI: 10.3390/nu10111584

The present study examined the best available evidence regarding energy and macronutrient intake during adulthood (age 19 to 59 years) in Malaysia and assessed whether intakes adhere to national recommendations, in order to develop recommendations for dietary improvement based on population consumption patterns. A literature review and meta-analysis evaluated intake based on the following characteristics, using information from food balance sheets, national surveys, and individual studies: (1) levels of intake, (2) proportion of the population whose diets adhere to/exceed/fail to meet Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) levels, and (3) sources of macronutrients observed in these studies. Food balance data suggested high levels of available energy, animal source protein, vegetable fat, and refined carbohydrates. Twenty studies (five nationwide, 15 individual) indicated that Malaysian adults generally met or exceeded recommendations for fat and protein, but were inconsistent with respect to energy and carbohydrates. Information on dietary sources was limited. Due to methodological limitations, insufficient evidence exists regarding energy and macronutrient intakes of Malaysian adults. Improved dietary assessment methods (including use of biomarkers), better data analysis, and updated food composition data, will provide more reliable information on which to base policy decisions and recommendations for improvement.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status*
Fulltext Factors associated with poor socioeconomic status among Malaysian older adults: an analysis according to urban and rural settings

Shahar S, Vanoh D, Mat Ludin AF, Singh DKA, Hamid TA

BMC Public Health, 2019 Jun 13;19(Suppl 4):549.
PMID: 31196023 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6866-2

BACKGROUND: Poverty at old age is associated with poor dietary habit, nutritional status and higher rates of chronic diseases and psychosocial problems. However, there is limited information about this matter according to urban and rural settings. The aim of this study was to identify dietary, nutritional, physical and cognitive factors associated with poor socioeconomic status (SES) among older adults according to urban and rural settings in Malaysia.
METHODS: An analysis was conducted among 2237 older adults who participated in a longitudinal study on aging (LRGS TUA). This study involved four states in Malaysia, with 49.4% from urban areas. Respondents were divided into three categories of SES based on percentile, stratified according to urban and rural settings. SES was measured using household income.
RESULTS: The prevalence of low SES was higher among older adults in the rural area (50.6%) as compared to the urban area (49.4%). Factors associated with low SES among older adults in an urban setting were low dietary fibre intake (Adj OR:0.91),longer time for the Timed up and Go Test (Adj OR:1.09), greater disability (Adj OR:1.02), less frequent practice of caloric restriction (Adj OR:1.65), lower cognitive processing speed score (Adj OR:0.94) and lower protein intake (Adj OR:0.94). Whilst, among respondents from rural area, the factors associated with low SES were lack of dietary fibre intake (Adj OR:0.79), lower calf circumference (Adj OR: 0.91), lesser fresh fruits intake (Adj OR:0.91), greater disability (Adj OR:1.02) and having lower score in instrumental activities of daily living (Adj OR: 0.92).
CONCLUSION: Lower SES ismore prevalent in rural areas. Poor dietary intake, lower fitness and disability were common factors associated with low in SES, regardless of settings. Factors associated with low SES identifiedin both the urban and rural areas in our study may be useful inplanning strategies to combat low SES and its related problems among older adults.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status
Nutritional status of rural elderly Malays: dietary and biochemical findings

Shahar S, Earland J, Powers HJ, Rahman SA

Int J Vitam Nutr Res, 1999 Jul;69(4):277-84.
PMID: 10450534 DOI: 10.1024/0300-9831.69.4.277

A cross-sectional nutritional survey was carried out on 350 elderly Malays aged 60 and above from 11 randomly selected villages in a rural area on the East Coast of Malaysia. The findings indicated that the mean intakes of energy and all of the nutrients investigated were below the Malaysian Recommended Dietary Allowances, excepts for protein and vitamin C. Nutrients most likely to be inadequate were vitamin A, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and calcium, with more than 50% of the subjects having estimated intakes of below 2/3 of the recommendations. However, vitamin A status was adequate, with only 2 subjects being biochemically deficient (plasma retinol < or = 0.7 mmol/l). Approximately a third of the subjects had hypoalbuminaemia (plasma albumin < 3.3 g/dl) and anaemia (Haemoglobin < 12 g/dl for men; < 13 g/dl for women). Riboflavin deficiency, as assessed by an erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient (EGRAC) of more than 1.35 was identified in 77% of the subjects. The prevalence of vitamin E deficiency (plasma a-tocopherol < or = 12 mmol/l) was 27%, with men being at a greater risk. In conclusion, the dietary intakes of these rural elderly Malays was inadequate. Over three quarters of the sample were biochemically deficient in riboflavin, the functional consequences of which need to be further investigated.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status*
Nutritional status of refugee children entering DeKalb County, Georgia

Shah AY, Suchdev PS, Mitchell T, Shetty S, Warner C, Oladele A, et al.

J Immigr Minor Health, 2014 Oct;16(5):959-67.
PMID: 23828627 DOI: 10.1007/s10903-013-9867-8

This study determines the nutritional status among refugee children entering one of the largest resettlement counties in the United States and identifies differences between incoming populations. Medical records of all newly arriving pediatric refugees (0-18 years) entering DeKalb County, Georgia between October 2010 and July 2011 were reviewed. Refugee children were grouped as African, Bhutanese, or Burmese (resettling from either Thailand or Malaysia) for comparative analysis. Approximately one in five refugees were anemic or malnourished, while a quarter had stool parasites, and nearly half had dental caries. African refugees had the highest anemia but the lowest underweight prevalence (p < 0.05). Compared to Burmese resettling from Malaysia, Burmese children from Thailand had a higher prevalence of anemia, underweight, and stool parasites (p < 0.05). Clinicians should use CDC medical screening guidelines for newly arriving pediatric refugees, as well as ensure proper nutritional support and follow-up care.

Matched MeSH terms: Nutritional Status*

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