Methods: Analyses were performed on 243 women (mean body mass index 31.27 ± 4.14 kg/m2) who completed a 12-month lifestyle intervention in low socioeconomic communities in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare changes of cardiometabolic risk factors across weight change categories (2% gain, ±2% maintain, >2 to <5% loss, and 5 to 20% loss) within intervention and control group.
Results: A graded association for changes in waist circumference, fasting insulin, and total cholesterol (p=0.002, for all variables) across the weight change categories were observed within the intervention group at six months postintervention. Participants who lost 5 to 20% of weight had the greatest improvements in those risk markers (-5.67 cm CI: -7.98 to -3.36, -4.27 μU/mL CI: -7.35, -1.19, and -0.59 mmol/L CI: -.99, -0.19, respectively) compared to those who did not. Those who lost >2% to <5% weight reduced more waist circumference (-4.24 cm CI: -5.44 to -3.04) and fasting insulin (-0.36 μU/mL CI: -1.95 to 1.24) than those who maintained or gained weight. No significant association was detected in changes of risk markers across the weight change categories within the control group except for waist circumference and adiponectin.
Conclusion: Weight loss of >2 to <5% obtained through lifestyle intervention may represent a reasonable initial weight loss target for women in the low socioeconomic community as it led to improvements in selected risk markers, particularly of diabetes risk.
OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aimed to explore the literature on molecular genetics of obesity in Malaysia. Specifically, we sought to characterize existing studies, identify the genetic determinants of obesity, and assess their association with obesity predisposition in the population.
METHODS: This scoping review followed the methodology of the Joanna Briggs Institute and used the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist as its guiding framework. Searches were conducted using electronic databases such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, filtering for human studies published until March 2024. Eligible studies included peer-reviewed articles on the Malaysian population irrespective of age or sex. This review excluded review articles, book chapters, non-peer-reviewed conference proceedings, gray literature, and preclinical studies, and the reference lists of the retrieved studies were manually examined to ensure thorough inclusion. The articles were subjected to a 2-stage screening process (title/abstract and full text) conducted by 2 reviewers to assess eligibility. Eligible articles were then extracted following a data extraction framework and organized into a charting table. Only studies investigating the genetics of obesity in Malaysian populations were included.
RESULTS: As of March 2024, our extensive search strategy has yielded 572 records. After removing 153 duplicates, 419 records were screened by title and abstract, resulting in 47 selected for full-text review. Of these, 34 were chosen for data extraction and detailed analysis. These studies predominantly involved participants from major ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese, and Indian) recruited from local health centers and university communities. The articles primarily explored the relationship between specific gene variants and obesity or obesity-related health parameters. This ongoing research is expected to be completed with a comprehensive scoping review by April 2025.
CONCLUSIONS: This review provides valuable insights into the genetic determinants of obesity in Malaysia, despite limitations such as no quality appraisal being conducted for the included studies and the search strategy being restricted to selected databases, potentially omitting relevant studies. However, this review ensured reliability and reproducibility by adhering to the Joanna Briggs Institute and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Ultimately, this study advances the understanding of local research and sets the foundation for future molecular genetic studies to improve obesity risk prediction and management in Malaysia's multiethnic population.
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/60838.