Introduction: The Ministry of Health Malaysia over the last 20 years has initiated healthy lifestyle campaign to curb obesity but the issue has remained an escalating problem affecting Malaysians. Obesity among students in higher institute is a concern. Undergraduate student nurses as role-model advocating health, being overweight can be a problem. This study is to identify BMI status and determine associated lifestyle factors among undergraduate nurses in UMS. Methods: The study deployed a cross-sectional descriptive survey using a questionnaire to empirically asses BMI status and associated dietary and exercise practice among student nurses. Ethical clearance for the study was ob- tained from UMS`s REC and as well as respondents` consent. A total of 100(N) nursing students were selected through stratified sampling by year of study (year 1, n=35; year 2 n=35; and year 3 n=30). Random sampling for each year of study was done using full name list generated using Microsoft excel. The study tool consists of a validated instrument which captured the respondent’s demographics, BMI index, Healthy Eating Practice Index, and Exercise Practice Inventory. Results: Among the 100 student nurses in this study, 28 students had BMI index of more than 24.9 (either being overweight, obesity Type I or Type II). Students from finalYear 3are significantly overweight(p=0.03) compared to Year 1 or Year 2 students. Comparing respondents with optimum BMI and non-optimum BMI, students who are overweight had significantly poorer Healthy Eating Practice scores and poorer Exercise practice scores. Conclusion: Findings from this study imply that 1 in 4 nursing students are overweight mostly related to poor lifestyle habits. These findings raise the rhetoric and implication of overweight nurses as health care role -models and this paper will discuss some suggestions to address the issue.
Introduction: Promotion of internationalization of higher education is a strategic marketing in public and private Ma- laysia universities.University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) hosted the international nursing mobility programme involving 15 nursing students from Hunan and Yangtze University of China. Students from China obtained hands-on learn- ing experience and exposed to indigenous health practices in Sabah. After 12 weeks of the programme, although casual face-value audit of the mobility program was deemed adequate, there was a need to objectively gauge the Chinese student’s satisfaction and identify issue of contention that can be remedied. This study is to evaluate Chi- nese international nursing students’ satisfaction during their mobility posting tenure in UMS and identify issues of discontentment for improvement. Methods: the study entailed a cross sectional survey involving a convenient sam- ple of all 15 nursing students from China who had completed the 12-week UMS-nursing mobility programme. The study tool consisted of a 25-item questionnaire which used Likert-like statements to anchor level of satisfaction on 5 sub-domains itemsnamely; arrival orientation; logistic arrangements; learning opportunities; cultural experience and perceived worth-for-money. Results: Cumulative ratings counts from 15 Chinese international students who had participated in the UMS-nursing mobility program in this study rated the following sub-domains as satisfactory and highly satisfactory: (i) learning experience (88%), (ii) Sabah’s cultural experience (90%), (iii) worth for money (88
%). Sub-domains rated as dissatisfactory or strongly dissatisfactory by the China students were: (i) adequacy of 1st - day arrival orientation (72%), (ii) quality of logistic arrangement (72%). Conclusion: Findings imply that the China students were satisfied with the overall learning experience during the UMS-nursing mobility programme. However, areas of grievances such as the conduct of the 1st - day arrival orientation and logistics management of the UMS-mo- bility program needs to be addressed.
As general population of obese patients in Malaysia rapidly increases, more obese patients are requiring anaesthesia for various operative procedures. Obesity is associated with anatomical and physiological differences and co-morbidities that influence on the choices of anaesthesia care. A surgical case with general anaesthesia is used as a basis of discussion. A 37-year-old female, history of untreated hypertension and gastrooesophageal reflux disease (GORD), BMI of 41 admitted for laparoscopic cholecystectomy for symptomatic cholelithiasis under general anaesthesia. She presented with pain at the upper right abdomen and associated with bloated abdomen, nausea and vomiting after intake of meals. General anaesthesia and right ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block for abdominal wall blocks via subcostal approach was performed. Operation was removal gallstones in the common bile duct via laparoscopic approach. Post-operation patient was extubated successfully. She was prescribed paracetamol 1g 4 hourly and started on fentanyl patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) for next 2 days. In this case report, there is the description of the application of TAP block which when used in obese abdominal surgical procedure, can provide excellent postoperative pain relief, early mobilization and recovery.
Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between parental effort to control the child’s food intake among primary school children with parents’ ‘control’, ‘restriction’ and ‘reward’ on limiting children to eat unhealthy foods. Methods: Data were collected among 485 primary school children and their parents. Questionnaire for Obesity survey among primary school children was used to document on the child’s daily food intake for one week. Results: All predictor variables are significant at the p