Methods: The study was completed in 2016 and the baseline data were gathered from four groups in a school-based randomized community trial among Year Five students from primary schools in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia. Participants completed anthropometry assessment, three-day dietary record, and Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C).
Results: The prevalence of obesity was higher among the boys (52.5%). Mean energy intake was significantly higher among boys as compared to the girls (P=0.003). Twenty-five percent of the participants had exceeded the recommended nutrient intakes (RNI) of energy recommended. The calcium, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin were also significantly higher among boys as compared to the girls (P<0.05). Boys also exhibited a significantly higher score on performance of physical activity (mean=2.68; SD=0.60) as compared to the girls (mean=2.38; SD=0.51) however it is still in the category of moderately active. Approximately 14.4% of children had a very low physical activity level.
Conclusion: Overweight and obese boys had higher energy and fat intakes but were more physically active as compared to the girls. These findings might be useful in planning appropriate intervention strategies to be designed and delivered especially for this cohort.
METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study in 13 international ICUs involving mechanically ventilated cardiac surgery patients with an ICU stay of at least 72 h. Collected data included the energy and protein prescription, type of and time to the initiation of nutrition, and actual quantity of energy and protein delivered (maximum: 12 days).
RESULTS: Among 237 enrolled patients, enteral nutrition (EN) was started, on average, 45 h after ICU admission (range, 0-277 h; site average, 53 [range, 10-79 h]). EN was prescribed for 187 (79%) patients and combined EN and parenteral nutrition in 33 (14%). Overall, patients received 44.2% (0.0%-117.2%) of the prescribed energy and 39.7% (0.0%-122.8%) of the prescribed protein. At a site level, the average nutrition adequacy was 47.5% (30.5%-78.6%) for energy and 43.6% (21.7%-76.6%) for protein received from all nutrition sources.
CONCLUSION: Critically ill cardiac surgery patients with prolonged ICU stay experience significant delays in starting EN and receive low levels of energy and protein. There exists tremendous variability in site performance, whereas achieving optimal nutrition performance is doable.
METHODS: MyCoSS was a cross-sectional household survey involving 1440 adults age 18 years and above. This study utilized stratified cluster sampling to obtain a nationally representative sample. Data was collected between October 2017 and March 2018. Socio-demographic information, dietary assessment using food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and away from home meal consumption were assessed through a face-to-face interview by trained health personnel. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression were applied to identify the association of socioeconomic status and away from home meal consumption with dietary sodium intake.
RESULTS: A total of 1032 participants completed the FFQ, with a mean age of 48.8 + 15.6 years. Based on the FFQ, slightly over half of the participants (52.1%) had high sodium intake. Results showed that 43.6% of participants consumed at least one to two away from home meals per day, while 20.8% of them had their three main meals away from home. Participants aged less than 30 years old were the strongest predictor to consume more sodium (adjusted OR: 3.83; 95%CI: 2.23, 6.58) while those of Indian ethnicity had significantly lower sodium intake. Surprisingly, having three away from home meals per day was not associated with high dietary sodium intake, although a significant association (crude OR; 1.67, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.35) was found in the simple logistic regression. Obese participants were less likely to have high dietary sodium intake compared with the normal BMI participants in the final model.
CONCLUSION: Over half of the participants consumed sodium more than the recommended daily intake, especially those who consumed three away from home meals. However, there was no significant association between high sodium intake and having three away from home meals per day. The promotion of healthy cooking methods among the public must continue to be emphasized to reduce the dietary sodium intake among Malaysian adults.
METHODS: The cross-sectional Family Diet Study (n = 236) was conducted at five primary schools in central of Peninsular Malaysia. Each family consisted of a Malay child, aged 8-12 years, and their main caregiver(s). Information on socio-demographics, dietary intake and anthropometry were collected. Correlations and regression analyses were used to assess dietary relationships within family dyads.
RESULTS: Approximately 29.6% of the children and 75.0% parents were categorised as being overweight or obese. Intakes of nutrients and food groups were below the national recommended targets for majority of children and adults. A large proportion of energy intake mis-reporters were identified: mothers (55.5%), fathers (40.2%) and children (40.2%). Children's body mass index (BMI) was positively associated with parental BMI (fathers, r = 0.37; mothers, r = 0.34; P < 0.01). For dietary intakes, moderate-to-strong (0.35-0.72) and weak-to-moderate (0.16-0.35) correlations were found between mother-father and child-parent dyads, respectively. Multiple regression revealed that maternal percentage energy from fat (β = 0.09, P < 0.01) explained 81% of the variation in children's fat intake.
CONCLUSIONS: Clear parental dietary relationships, especially child-mother dyads, were found. Despite a significant proportion of families with members who were overweight or obese, the majority reported dietary intakes below recommended levels, distorted by energy mis-reporting. The findings of the present study can inform interventions targeting parent-child relationships to improve family dietary patterns in Malaysia.
METHODS: Scoping review methodology was used to select relevant studies, as well as extract and collate the data. Four databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) were searched from the earliest available time up to December 2020. Observational studies, experimental studies and reviews that were conducted among children aged 5-12 years old and published from 2010 to 2020 were retrieved. Studies extracted involved children in hands-on healthy meal preparation activities and explored the associated nutrition outcomes.
RESULTS: In total, 28 studies (5 observational studies, 21 experimental studies, 2 reviews) were included in the final review. Studies conducted demonstrated improvement in children's psychosocial outcomes and actual nutrition behaviour/food consumption after participating in hands-on meal preparation activities, despite differences in methodology, programme content and settings (countries/cultural origins). Limited studies assessed children's nutrients intake and weight status.
CONCLUSIONS: The current review suggests that hands-on meal preparation comprises approach for instilling positive perceptions towards nutrition/healthy foods, potentially improving children's diet. Future studies should include the assessment of nutrient intake and weight status. The long-term sustainability of these nutrition outcomes should be explored.
METHODS: An à posteriori approach examined 3-day dietary recalls of 382 multiethnic Malaysian patients on HD, leading to short-listing of 31 food groups. Dietary patterns were derived through principal component analysis. Sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics together with nutritional parameters were examined for associations with specific dietary patterns.
RESULTS: Four dietary patterns emerged, namely, "Home Food," "Eating Out (EO)-Rice," "EO-Sugar sweetened beverages," and "EO-Noodle." Younger patients, male gender, Malay, and patients with working status were more likely to follow "EO-Rice" and "EO-Sugar sweetened beverages" patterns, while Chinese patients were more likely to consume "EO-Noodle" pattern (all P values