A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted to determine the nutritional status among physically active groups in Kota Bharu. The study population comprised 83 adult male athletes from 8 different types of sports (athlete group), 80 active men who exercised a minimum of 30 min per day for at least 3 times per week (exercise group), and 80 inactive men (sedentary group). All the respondents were aged between 18 to 44 years. Measurements taken from the respondents were anthropometric measurements, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure, and serum total cholesterol (TC). The results showed that the combined prevalence of pre-obese (BMI 25.0-29.9) and obese (BMI ≥30.0) was 21.7% in athletes, 29.9% in exercise group, and 47.5% in sedentary group. The mean (± SD) percentage of body fat in athletes was 15.7 ± 5.4%, which was lower compared to the exercise (18.9 ± 5.5%) and sedentary (20.6 ± 5.8%) groups. The incidence of waist-to-hip ratio above 0.9 in athlete, exercise and sedentary groups was 9.6%, 18.7% and 31.3%, respectively. The incidence of hypertension (SBP ≥140 and/or DBP ≥90 mmHg) was 13.2% in athletes, 17.5% in exercise group and 42.5% in the sedentary group. The TC values showed that the prevalence of "high risk" individuals (TC ≥6.20 mmol/l) was also lower in athletes (20.5%), compared to the exercise (36.2%) and sedentary (47.5%) groups. The study revealed that individuals who are actively involved in physical activity, particularly in sport activities have better nutritional status compared to sedentary people. However, the nutritional status in the athlete and exercise groups was still unsatisfactory. The incidence of poor health status related to over nutrition in the active groups was rather high and needs attention from health professionals. Further studies are needed to determine nutritional practices among physically active groups.
In order to overcome the stability problems of oils and fats, synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and tert-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) have widespread use as food additives in many countries. Recent reports reveal that these compounds may be implicated in many health risks, including cancer and carcinogenesis. Hence, there is a move towards the use of natural antioxidants of plant origin to replace these synthetic antioxidants.
The aims of this study are to determine and compare the antioxidant levels and activities (i.e. primary and secondary) between selected seeds of Malaysian tropical fruits - guava (Psidium guajava), mango (Mangifera indica L.) and papaya (Carica papaya L.). Seeds are among byproducts from the processing of fruitsbased products. Instead of discarding seeds as waste, seeds with high potential as antioxidants could be utilised for commercial purposes. Accordingly, the selected seeds of Malaysian tropical fruits were tested in this study for total phenolic content (TPC), free radical scavenging activity by 1, 1- diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and metal ion chelating effect by ferrous ion chelating (FIC) assay. Extraction of antioxidant compounds from sample was done with 70% ethanol. TPCs of the seeds were expressed as gallic acid equivalents (GAE) in mg per 100 g fresh seed weight. TPC assay showed that mango seeds had the highest TPC (i.e. 32 ± 0.001 mg GAE) followed by guava seeds (i.e. 20 ± 0.001 mg GAE) and papaya seeds (8 ± 0.003 mg GAE). For DPPH assay, IC50 data showed that mango seed extract scavenged 50% DPPH radicals at the lowest concentration (0.11 ± 0.01 mg/mL) followed by the positive control BHA (0.13 ± 0.01 mg/mL), guava seed extract (0.26 ± 0.01 mg/mL) and papaya seed extract (0.34 ± 0.01 mg/mL). Interestingly, all seed extracts showed higher free radical scavenging activities than BHA after sample concentration of 0.60 mg/mL. However, FIC assay indicated that metal ion chelating effects of all seed extracts were weaker than BHA suggesting that the fruit seeds are not sources of good metal ion chelators. Overall, present results suggest that TPC of the seeds show strong negative correlation with their primary antioxidant activity (r= -0.985, R2= 0.970), and not all compounds in extracts which could scavenge DPPH radicals are good metal ion chelators. Mango seeds relatively showed the highest antioxidant level and primary antioxidant activity followed by guava seeds and papaya seeds.
The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between nutritional status, physical activity and quality of life among gastrointestinal cancer survivors.
The purpose of this study was to assess the dietary intake of University Putra Malaysia students using the weighed record method and the 24 hour-dietary recall method. The validity of the 24-hour recall method was studied by comparing it with the weighed record method. A total of 40 male and 25 female students age between 18-29 years volunteered to participate in this study. All the subjects were required to weigh and record the foods they ate for 1 day. Without prior knowledge of the purpose of the visit , the 24-hour recall was carried out the following day. The nutrients analysed were calorie, carbohydrates, protein, fat, calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C. Comparisons of the nutrient intake between these two methods were determined. The paired t-test indicated no significant difference in group's mean nutrient intake between the weighed record method for all nutrients. The differences in group mean intake for all nutrients between weighed record and 24-hour recall method ranged from -3% to 3.6%. A total of 4 nutrients were underestimated, namely energy, protein, vitamin C and iron. The correlation coefficients showed a strong positive relationships between the two methods (ranged from r = 0.88-0.98, p < 0.01) for all of the nutrients analysed. In conclusion, the agreement between nutrient values from two different methods indicated that the 24 hour recall is a suitable method for the dietary assessment of university students.
This study was conducted on 215 working women from four private corporate companies in a suburb in Malaysia to determine the factors related to their physical activity levels.
Introduction: This study was conducted on 215 working women from four private corporate companies in a suburb in Malaysia to determine the factors related to their physical activity levels. Methods: Data were collected using a questionnaire which included socio-demographic characteristics, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), perceived barriers and benefits to physical activity, self-efficacy to physical activity and an 8-item questionnaire on current
behavioral stage of physical activity. Results: The majority of the respondents were Malay (81.9%) with 10.2% being Chinese and 7.9% Indian. Most of the respondents were executives (64.2%), while the rest were non-executives (24.7%) and managers (11.2%). The mean weight, height, BMI and waist circumference were 59.4±13.1 kg, 1.6±0.6 m, 23.7±4.8 kg/m² and 77.0±12.1cm respectively. In this sample, 24.7% and 7.9% were overweight and obese respectively, while 34%
were at risk of abdominal obesity. A total of 28.8% of the respondents had low physical activity level, while 48.8% and 22.3% were in the moderate and high physical activity categories respectively. An association was found between monthly income (χ2=110.17; p
Introduction: Sensitivity of red palm oil (RPO) towards oxidation is known to result
in degradation of nutritional value and organoleptic properties. This study aimed
to determine the stability of microencapsulated RPO during accelerated storage at
65˚C for 24 days. Methods: Microencapsulated was undertaken by co-extrusion
technology using sodium alginate with high methoxyl pectin, and calcium chloride
solution enhanced with chitosan as cross-linking agent in the presence of Tween® 80
as surfactant. The encapsulated beads were freeze dried and the physical properties,
antioxidant activities and total carotenoid content of dried powder were determined.
Microencapsulated red palm oil (MRPO) was then subjected to accelerated storage at
65°C for 24 days. Results: Antioxidant activity of both RPO and MRPO measured by
DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity was significantly
decreased, with higher percentage loss in MRPO during accelerated storage.
RPO and MRPO also experienced decreases in percentage inhibition with higher
percentage of loss as measured by Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulpohnic
acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity. Both RPO and MRPO showed decreasing
trends in total carotenoid content, with higher content in MRPO than RPO at end
of storage period. Antioxidant activities of RPO and MRPO correlated well with the
carotenoid content, with best correlation coefficient in RPO between the ABTS assay
and total carotenoid content measured by high performance liquid chromatography
(r=0.952). Very strong association between DPPH and ABTS values (r=0.871) for
the MRPO, and between DPPH and total carotenoid content (r=0.856) were noted.
Conclusion: The study showed that microencapsulation effectively protected the
carotenoid content in MRPO, but not its other natural antioxidants.
This study was conducted to determine the effects of increased edible palm oil consumption on community health status in the aboriginal communities in Tual Post (treatment group) and Sinderut Post (control group), Kuala Lipis, Pahang. Nutritional status, blood pressure, lipid profiles, fasting blood glucose (FBG), vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) levels and lipid peroxidation product (malonaldehyde) levels were taken as indicators of health status. This is a pre-and post-controlled community trial in which similar variables were measured in each group. Every family of 2–6 household members was given 2–5 kg cooking palm oil per month for a period of 18 months. All subjects were measured for height (cm), weight (kg) and waist-hip ratio (WHR). For calorie intake measurement, house-to-house interviews were conducted using 24-hour dietary recall method. Blood pressure, percent body fat, lipid profiles, namely total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglyceride and fasting blood glucose (FBG) were also measured. Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) levels and lipid peroxidation products (MDA) were also determined. There was a significant increase (p
There has been a change in the lifestyles of populations, including reduced physical activity and consumption of foods high in calories. Overweight and obesity are now replacing the more traditional public health concerns such as under-nutrition and infectious diseases as some of the most significant contributors to ill health. Determination of the body mass index (BMI) profile and nutritional status of adults of two rural coastal villages in Northern Malaysia was part of a community diagnosis in a community survey. Height and weight were measured and BMI calculated. Blood pressure was measured using a manual sphygmomanometer according to WHO guidelines. A standardised questionnaire was used to interview the villagers concerning their health. Out of the total population, 504 were above 20 years of age. Data was available for 441 persons for analysis. There were 210 (47.6%) males and 231 (52.4%) females. The prevalence of underweight was 9.8% (n=43), overweight 25.9% (n=114) and obesity 17% (n=75). The problem of over-nutrition was significantly higher among females, especially housewives. (p< 0.05). Those in ages 41-70 years were the majority with problems of over-nutrition (p=<0.05). More than half (52.9%; n=39) of those who were obese had hypertension (p=<0.05). Results show that a higher number of women especially housewives were obese and more than half of those obese subjects had hypertension. A more thorough nutritional profile using waist, hip and body fat measurement as well as an assessment of the dietary intake and activity regime of these villagers is needed. Interventions need to be carried out before more serious complications of obesity become rooted in this community.
Introduction: A vegetarian diet is generally considered as healthy for preventing metabolic-related diseases. There is lack of studies in Malaysia comparing the nutritional status of vegetarians and non-vegetarians. This cross-sectional study aims to compare body weight status, dietary intake and blood pressure level between these two groups. Methods: A total of 131 vegetarians and 135 non-vegetarians were recruited using convenience sampling from a Buddhist organisation in Kuala Lumpur. Body weight, height, waist circumference, percentage of body fat, and blood pressure measurements were taken, while dietary intake was assessed using a 2-day 24-hour dietary recall. Results: More vegetarians were underweight than non-vegetarians (31.3% vs 15.6%), while prevalence of overweight and obesity was higher among the non-vegetarians (23.7% vs 9.9%). A higher proportion of nonvegetarians (34.1%) had an unhealthy range of body fat percentage and significantly higher risk of abdominal obesity (24.4%) than the vegetarians (19.1% body fat; 13.7% abdominal obesity). Mean intakes for protein and fat were significantly lower among the vegetarians, while no significant differences were observed in the mean intake for energy and carbohydrate. Vegetarians had significantly higher intakes of vitamins C, D and E, calcium, potassium and folate, while vitamin B12 intake was significantly higher in the non-vegetarians. More non-vegetarians presented with unhealthy blood pressure status. Conclusion: Vegetarians in this study generally showed healthier dietary intake and lower body fatness than the non-vegetarians. Studies are suggested to be undertaken on a bigger sample size of vegetarians to confirm these findings.
Nutrition and HIV are closely related. Any immune impairment as a result of HIV leads to malnutrition, which in turn, can also lead to reduced immunity, thus contributing to a more rapid progression to AIDS.
The objective of this study was to assess the nutritional status of children in FELDA Sungai Koyan, Pahang. Anthropometric measurements were taken from 105 children comprising of 62 boys and 43 girls aged 12 to 72 months. Food intake records from 84 of these children aged 4-6.9 years were obtained. Socio-economic factors which may influence nutritional status were also studied. The anthropometric assessment showed that 14.3% (n=15) of the children were underweight, 10.5% (n=11) stunted and 2.9% (n=3) wasted when compared with the NCHS Reference. It was also found that 28.6% (n=30) of the children had low mid arm circumference for age according to the Frisancho reference, indicating a low protein calorie reserve. The result of the dietary study showed that the intake of calories, calcium, niacin and thiamine were below the recommended daily allowances (RDA) for Malaysia. However, the intake of protein, iron, vitamin A, riboflavin and vitamin C were above the RDA levels. Foods most frequently taken were rice, fish, milk and meat. Vegetables and fruits were also often consumed by the children. Based on the Pearson correlation test, a significant relationship was shown between the nutritional status of the children (weight for age and height for age) with the mother’s educational level, and the number of children in the family. There was also a significant relationship between mother’s nutrition knowledge and the nutritional status of the children (weight for age). Inadequate calorie intake is one of the important factors involved in the causation of protein energy malnutrition. This problem is influenced by socio-economic factor such as low educational level and nutrition knowledge of mothers and large family size. Parents should be encouraged to participate in activities that enhance nutrition knowledge and promote good nutritional practices. FELDA is encouraged to organize more such activities.
The determination of serum vitamins having antioxidant properties has gained in importance in recent years. This is mainly due to the observation that an inverse correlation exists between blood levels of these vitamins, including retinol, carotenoids and tocopherol, and diet-related chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease and cancers. This laboratory has been carrying out a series of studies into the nutritional and analytical aspects of retinol and carotenoids. A simple reversed-phase HPLC method has been developed in an effort to improve methodologies for the separation and quantitation of carotenoids and retinol in foods and biological specimens, especially blood serum. As an extension to these studies, trials were carried out to determine the feasibility of analysing tocopherols using the same chromatographic procedure. With the addition of another detector wavelength, the same procedure detected and quantitated 3 major tocopherols simultaneously with retinol and five carotenoids. Within-day and between-day precision of the procedure was satisfactory. Trials carried out were able to improve recovery of the vitamins. Experiments conducted also showed that the addition of ascorbic acid to the extracting ethanol was beneficial for the analytical procedure. The presence of peroxide in ethyl acetate used in the chromatography mobile phase caused drastic destruction to the vitamins analysed. The addition of ascorbic acid during sample preparation was able to inhibit this destruction. The method was used for the analysis of sera from 65 apparently healthy Malaysians with a mean age of 52.8 years (range 24-76 years). Mean retinol concentration of the group was 69.8 ± 18.8 mg/dl. The mean β-carotene concentration of the subjects studied was 33.8 ± 24.3 mg/dl, while the mean total carotenoid concentration was 180.2 ± 3.0 mg/dl. The most abundant carotenoid in the serum samples studied was lutein, comprising about one-third of all carotenoids quantitated. The concentrations of δ- and γ-tocopherols in the serum samples studied were too low to be identified with certainty and quantitated accurately. The mean α-tocopherol level was 1840 ± 528 μg/dl. For retinol, α-tocopherol and most of the carotenoids determined, there was no statistically significant difference in the mean levels between male and female subjects as well as among the three different ethnic groups. Results obtained in this study were very similar to those previously reported by this laboratory. It is hoped that more data on the serum concentrations of these vitamins can become available for various population groups, including during various disease conditions.
A nutritional status study was carried out among Chinese preschoolers (4- 6 years old) residing in Subang Jaya, Selangor. 91 preschoolers (48 boys and 43 girls) of Chinese descent participated in the study. Anthropometric measurements such as weight and height were taken and compared with the NCHS reference. Food habits and demographic background were also evaluated. The results indicated that the prevalence of underweight, wasting and stunting was 2% respectively, while the prevalence of overweight was 3%. Food habits data showed that most preschoolers consumed the daily main meals and snack once a day. Fruits were consumed between three to four times per week. Food items preferred by these preschoolers were milk, fish and fruits. In general, preschoolers in this study favoured foods, which were deep fried rather than steamed or roasted. Correlation analysis showed that there was no significant relationship between income, education of parents and anthropometric index (weight for age, height for age and weight for height). The nutritional status of these preschool children in Subang Jaya was satisfactory.
The relationship between dietary habits and bone health status was evaluated in 61 pairs of premenopausal mothers and their biological daughters aged 10-19 years. Subjects were volunteers living in Kuala Lumpur. Bone status of the calcaneus was assessed using Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS) which measured the Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA; in units of dB/MHz) of the bone. Daily nutrient intake of all subjects was evaluated using a 3-day dietary record. Reproductive history, food intake habits, and physical activity level were assessed using questionnaires. Bone health status of mothers (mean BUA of 98.0 ± 15.8 dB/MHz) was significantly higher (p<0.001) compared to their daughters (mean BUA of 86.4 ± 17.0 dB/MHz). BUA (r=0.30, p<0.05), weight (r=0.30, p<0.05) and BMI (r=0.32, p<0.05) were significantly correlated within mother-daughter pairs. Lifestyle characteristics such as calcium intake and physical activity were not correlated. However, other dietary habits (energy intake, milk intake and frequency of skipping meals) in daughters were significantly correlated with their mothers. This study suggests that mothers play an important role in influencing the dietary habits of their daughters, which in turn may affect their bone health status.
INTRDUCTION: Obesity and chronic diseases have been increasing since the last few decades alongside rapid economic development in developed and developing countries. The alarming increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity had been shown by many epidemiological studies worldwide. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese school children in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, and to map the association between dietary practices and their nutritional status.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 278 school children aged 10 to 12 years old (144 boys and 134 girls) studying in a Chinese primary school in Kota Bharu.
RESULTS: The survey revealed that while only 1.4% (n=4) were overweight, 23.4% (n=65) of the children were obese. A total of 67.7% (n=44) of the obese children were boys. The overweight and obese children (n=70) were compared with a randomly selected group of normal weight children (n=70). Dietary assessment showed that protein, fat and total calorie intake were significantly higher among the overweight group (p<0.05). A significantly higher proportion of the normal weight children (85.7%) took breakfast daily or at least 4 days per week compared to the overweight groups (59.4%) (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of obesity among school children in the study is a matter of concern. These findings may be useful in targeting programmes and strategies for prevention and intervention of childhood obesity.
The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has become a major public health problem in Malaysia. Parents play an important role in child feeding especially among younger children.
Introduction: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and factors influencing malnutrition among children aged five years and below in Serian District of Sarawak, a district where the majority of people are indigenous. Methods: Using a cross-sectional method, a total of 177 children were randomly selected and assessed, and their mothers or caregivers were interviewed. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire; anthropometric measurements were also taken. Data were analysed using SPSS version 17.0. Results: The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting in children aged five years and below was 20.9%, 11.9% and 10.2% respectively. The results suggest that the significant factors contributing to underweight are birth weight, frequency of child visit to the clinic, and individual insecurity. Only age, when complementary diet was introduced, was found to be significantly associated with stunting. For wasting, individual insecurity, duration of family planning and met recommended protein intake per day were found to be significant factors. Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition in children 5 years and below in Serian District of Sarawak is high compared to state figures. The major contributing factors were found to be manifested at the individual and family level. There is a need for appropriate public health promotion and socio- economic improvement interventions towards improving the nutritional status and health of children in Serian District.
Despite the many benefits of family meals, data on association between family meals away from home (FMAFH) and nutritional status of adolescents is limited. This study determined the association between FMAFH with dietary intake and body mass index of adolescents (N = 408).