Introduction: Personality traits are divided into five basic dimensions: extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness. These influence our attitudes and behaviours. Studies show that differences in personality traits may influence the dietary intake.
Methods: A cross-sectional study aimed at determining the association between personality traits and body weight status with energy intake was conducted among adolescents in Hulu Langat district of Selangor. Height, weight and waist circumference were measured and respondents completed a pre-tested self-administered questionnaire. Personality traits were assessed using the Malay version of USM Personality (USMaP-i). A single 24-h dietary recall was used to assess dietary intake.
Results: A total of 430 adolescents aged 13-16 years (46% male and 54% female) was recruited. Female respondents tended to be more neurotic and agreeable compared to male respondents. A majority of the respondents (67%) were in the normal weight category, 26.7% were overweight and obese, while 19.0% had a high risk of developing abdominal obesity with a mean waist circumference of 72.65 ± 10.93cm. Males significantly had a higher intake of energy (1425±583 kcal), compared to females (1232±462 kcal). Conscientiousness trait (r=-0.158, p
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: This study aimed to ascertain the effects of a Facebook-based physical activity intervention on improvements in step counts and metabolic syndrome. Methods: Government employees with metabolic syndrome were randomly assigned by cluster to the Facebook group (n = 44) or the control group (n = 103). All participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires at baseline, after the first and second phases. Data from anthropometric (weight, body mass index, fat mass, body fat percentage, waist circumference, hip circumference and waist-to-hip ratio), biochemical (total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and fasting glucose) and clinical examinations (systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure) were collected. The number of steps per day was determined by a Lifecorder e- STEP accelerometer. Results: A significant difference in the number of steps per day between the baseline and the first phase (p
Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the overall diet quality of husbands and wives in a selected urban area in Selangor.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was carried out in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor among 150 married couples aged 20 and above, who voluntarily agreed to participate and were not practicing any special diet. Data were collected using a 2-day 24-Hour Dietary Recall and a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to evaluate the quality of diet among husbands and wives using the Diet Quality Index Revised (DQI-R).
Result: Majority of husbands and wives in this study were in the middle-age group, had received tertiary education, had household monthly income of more than RM3, 500 and encompass household size of 3 to 5 persons. The mean DQI-R score for husbands (mean age= 43.33 + 11.16 years) and wives (mean age= 41.28 + 10.93 years) were 67.8 + 9.1 and 64.4 + 9.3 respectively and there was a significant different in scores between the husbands and wives (p < 0.001). In general, the diet quality of this study population was not satisfactory and that the diet quality of husbands was better compared to their wives.
Conclusion: This study gives an insight picture of husbands and wives’ quality of diet. It can be used as a guideline to improve health intervention programs in the future.
Introduction: The home environment plays an influential role in affecting dietary and physical activity practices of children. This study aimed to determine the association between the home environment, dietary practice and physical activity among primary school children in Selangor. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in five primary schools selected using multistage stratified sampling. A total of 293 children (32.8% males and 67.2% females) (mean age of 11.0±0.9 years) and their parents (10.7% fathers and 89.3% mothers) completed the study. Dietary practice of the children was assessed using a two-day dietary recall. Energy expenditure and physical activity of the children were assessed using a two-day physical activity recall. Parents of the children completed the Home Environment Survey (HES). Results: The mean energy intake of the children was 1765±416 kcal/day with 75.0% not achieving the Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for energy. Almost all children (96.5%) were physically inactive, with a mean energy expenditure of 1269±342 kcal/day. High availability of fruit/vegetable at home was associated with high vegetable intake (r=0.128, p
Introduction: Otanges in children's food habits are largely attributed to changes in the family and social environment. 1bis cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the association of socio-demographic factors with food habits among preschool children in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods: A total of 1,933 preschool children aged 4-6 years old participated in the study. Parents or guardians were interviewed on the socio-demographic characteristics and food habits of their children. Height and weight of the preschoolers were measured; BMI-for-age, weight-for-age and height-for-age were determined. Results: The mean monthly household income was RM3,610 with 59.6% of parents having attained secondary education. The prevalence of possible risk of overweight, being overweight and obesity were 3.9%, 7.9% and 8.1%, respectively while the prevalence of underweight and stunting was 8.0% and 8.4%. A majority of the preschoolers consumed breakfast, lunch and dinner every day, with the proportion of children skipping their main meals at about 15.0%. Parents' education level and household income were significantly associated with intakes of fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products, as well as fast food. However, there was no significant association between children's body weight status and frequency of main meals intake, fruits, vegetables, milk and dairy products, and fast food intake. Conclusion: The preschoolers demonstrated moderately healthy food habits; nevertheless even at this young age, they were inclined towards fried foods, snacking and fast foods intake. Parents and guardians should play a more significant role in educating and promoting good nutrition and food habits among preschoolers.