METHODS: A population-based study of 454 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years was included. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to assess dietary patterns and three dietary patterns were identified based on the principal component analysis method.
RESULTS: Malay adolescents had significantly higher scores for the Western-based food pattern and local-based food pattern, whereas Chinese adolescents showed higher scores for the healthy-based food pattern. Multivariate analyses show that age and physical activity (PA) levels were positively associated with healthy-based food pattern in Malay (All, p < 0.001), whereas higher consumption of eating-out from home (EatOut) (p = 0.014) and fast food (p = 0.041) were negatively associated. High weekly breakfast skipping (p < 0.001) and EatOut (p = 0.003) were positively associated with a Western-based pattern, whereas age (p < 0.001) and household income (p = 0.005) were negatively associated. Higher frequency of daily snacking (p = 0.013) was positively associated with local-based food pattern. For Chinese adolescents, age (p < 0.001), PA levels (p < 0.001) and maternal education level (p = 0.035) showed positive associations with the healthy-based pattern, whereas high EatOut (p = 0.001) and fast food intakes (p = 0.001) were negatively associated. Higher weekly consumption of EatOut (p = 0.007), fast food (p = 0.023) and carbonated beverages (p = 0.023), and daily snacking practice (p = 0.004) were positively associated with higher Western-based food pattern, whereas age (p = 0.004) was inversely associated.
CONCLUSION: This study showed that there were significant differences in dietary patterns and its association factors between Malay and Chinese adolescents. More importantly, these findings suggest that unhealthy dietary and lifestyle practices could increase the risk of adherence to unhealthy Western-based food pattern that is high in fat, sugar and salt contents, and, consequently, increase the risk of developing obesity and metabolic-related disorders during these critical years of growth.
METHODS: A total of 590 preschoolers, comprising 317 boys and 273 girls were included. Pre-pilot parental questionnaires were used to assess diet, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour practices and anthropometry was assessed in preschoolers and their parents.
RESULTS: Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that preschoolers with more frequent weekly intake of snacks [OR 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6-4.4; p
METHOD: A total of 88 newly diagnosed women with BC were randomly assigned into four groups: (i) Omega-3 fatty acid (ω3) group; (ii) Vitamin D (VitD) group; (iii) ω3+VitD group; and (iv) the controls. The patients took two daily 300 mg ω3 capsules and/or one weekly 50,000 IU VitD tablet for nine weeks. Nutritional status of the participants was assessed by several measurement tools, namely, the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA)-derived scores, anthropometric measurements, blood albumin status and dietary intakes between the baseline and after 9 weeks post-intervention. The procedures of the present study were registered on ClinicalTrial.gov with the identifier NCT05331807.
RESULTS: At the end of trial, there was a significant increase in the PG-SGA-derived nutritional risk scores (p < 0.01), body weight and body mass index (BMI) (both p < 0.05) among participants in ω3+VitD group compared to other groups. Additionally, there was a significant rise in blood albumin levels (p < 0.05), daily energy and protein intake in the ω3+VitD group (p < 0.05) compared to baseline.
CONCLUSION: Participants with supplementation of daily ω3 and weekly VitD had improved nutritional status, assessed by the PG-SGA scores and anthropometric measures, blood albumin and dietary energy and protein intake among women with BC who were undergoing active treatment.
METHODS: A total of 88 BC women were randomly assigned into one of four groups: i) omega-3 fatty acid (ω3) group; ii) vitamin D (VitD) group; iii) ω3+VitD group, and iv) the control. Participants were received either two 300 mg ω3 capsules daily, or one 50,000IU VitD tablet weekly, or both supplementation for 9-weeks. The QoL status was assessed by the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) instruments of QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 tools, while blood inflammatory markers of TNF-α hsCRP were used. All measurements were taken from baseline to the end of the intervention period. The detailed procedures of the present study were registered on ClinicalTrial.gov with the identifier NCT05331807.
RESULTS: At the end of the trial, participants in the ω3+VitD group showed a significant increase in overall global health status (p
METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 May to 30 June, 2013, in three rural divisions of Sabah (the Interior, the West Coast, and Kudat). Data regarding domestic iodised salt use and iodine-containing supplement consumption were obtained from respondents through face-to-face interviews; goitre enlargement was examined through palpation and graded according to the World Health Organization classification. Spot urine samples were also obtained to assess urinary iodine levels by using an in-house modified micromethod.
RESULTS: In total, 534 pregnant women participated. The prevalence of goitre was 1.0% (n=5), noted only in the West Coast and Kudat divisions. Although all pregnant women consumed iodised salt, overall median urinary iodine concentration was only 106 μg/L, indicating insufficient iodine intake, with nearly two-thirds of the women (60%) having a median urinary iodine concentrations of <150 μg/L.
CONCLUSIONS: Pregnant women from the rural divisions in Sabah still exhibit iodine deficiency disorder despite the mandatory universal salt iodisation programme. Iodine supplementation programmes targeting pregnant women are warranted.