The increasing number of prevalence infertility cases is becoming a major public health problem in developing countries due to changes in diet and lifestyle. Melicope ptelefolia (M.ptelifolia) is known for its health benefit as a sex enhancing effect among the Malays folk however there is no clinical data to prove it until these days. The main aim of the present study is to identify the effects of Melicope ptelifolia Aqueous extract (MPAE) on Sperm Parameters and Testosterone Level . A total of 30 male Sprague Dawley rats were divided equally into five different groups. MPAE was given by orally gavage for 28 days at a dose of 100mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weight to the animals of group II (n=6), III (n=6) and IV (n=6), respectively. The animals of group I (control, n=6) had distilled water and group V had sildenafil citrate. Sperm Parameters were carried include sperm count, motility, mobility and morphology together with serum testosterone level for Testosterone level result. Results were analyzed using one way ANOVA test followed by Tukey test and the data were considered significant at p
Dietary intakes and lifestyle habits during adolescence may predict the occurrence of obesity and other diet-related chronic diseases later in life. The purpose of this study was to determine dietary intake of adolescents in a fishing community in Tuaran District, Sabah. A total of 199 apparently healthy adolescents comprising 94 male and 105 female subjects were purposively selected for the study. The mean age of the subjects was 15.2 f 2.2 years with female subjects having a higher mean age of 15.7 f 2.4 years compared to the males (14.6 k1.8 years). The mean BMI of the subjects was 18.4 f 2.9 kg/m2 with females having a significantly higher BMI (18.9 f 2.8 kg/m2) than the males (17.8 f 3.0 kg/m2). Based on the WHO classification (WHO, 1995), 19.6% of the subjects could be classified as thin while 4.5% were at risk of overweight. Overall for both sexes, intake of energy and most nutrients were below the Malaysian recommended nutrient intake (RNI) levels for adolescents, with the exception of vitamin C and niacin. The male subjects showed higher mean intake for vitamin A, thiamine, niacin and vitamin C than the females. Calcium and iron intake ranked among the lowest levels, at 33.4% and 47.2% respectively of the RNI values for both sexes. The main sources of energy were rice, flour products and tubers while fish and seafood were the chief sources of protein. Majority of the subjects (84%) reported taking breakfast daily, which often consisted of fried noodles, fried banana, doughnuts and coffee. Consumption of snacks was popular and commonly consumed snacks were bread, biscuits, and fried banana. The present study revealed that 25.5% and 14.3% of the male and female adolescents respectively were thin, with majority of them consuming inadequate levels of energy and several key nutrients. The results underscore the need for adolescents to be targeted for nutrition and health education as they go through a period of marked physical, physiological and psychological changes.
Lifestyle has been shown to exert a major impact on the quality of life and health in mid-life women coping with menopausal changes. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a lifestyle intervention package in improving nutritional knowledge and composition, dietary habits and related health status in mid-life women. Between Nov 1999 to Oct 2001, 360 disease free women, non users of HRT, aged 45 years and above with intact uterus were recruited into the study. The women were randomised into three groups - I (control), II (lifestyle intervention) and III (lifestyle intervention with HRT) respectively. After 12 months, 85.6% completed the study. The lifestyle intervention programme, well accepted by the participants, brought about an improved dietary composition, better eating habits, more exercise participation and increment in knowledge with concomitant improvement of the health status. The benefits observed were significant reduction in energy, fat and carbohydrate intake with increased intake of legumes; milk and cheese/yogurt; and reduction of tea and coffee. Body weight was reduced and more importantly preventing abdominal obesity in the intervention groups with HRT was more effective. Further adaptations of the dietary component with advice on obtaining micronutrients from local produce would contribute towards a more balanced diet in midlife women as dairy products were not popular and these women had low meat intake.
This study aims to determine the relationship between calcium intake and lifestyle factors with bone health status among 56 postmenopausal women in the Evergreen Senior Citizens Club, Petaling Jaya. Purposive sampling technique was used for sample selection. Bone mineral density (BMD) of the femur proximal and lumbar L2-L4 was measured based on the Dual Energy X-ray Absorptionmetry (DEXA) technique at KVOTC Clinic, Subang Jaya. The interview sessions were conducted using a questionnaire followed by anthropometric measurements. The results revealed that the average age of the respondents was 64.0 years old. The average weight and height of the respondents were 53.68 kg and 1.55 meters, respectively. Overall, the average body mass index (BMI) of the respondents was quite satisfactory (22.4 kg/m²) with only 17.9% of them categorized as overweight (>25 kg/m²). The average total calcium intake was 807.31 mg and about 76.2% was contributed by food intake. About 83.9% of the respondents met the recommended calcium intake according to the Malaysian RDA. The average BMD of the lumbar, neck, wards and trochanter was 9.983 ± 0.178 g/cm², 0.745 ± 0.126 g/cm², 0.604 ± 0.150 g/cm² and 0.674 ± 0.127 g/cm², respectively. About 32.1% of the respondents were categorized as osteoporotic at the femoral wards, while 10.7% respectively was at the lumbar L2-L4 and femoral neck. Half of the respondents had osteopenia at the femoral neck (53.6%) and wards (50.0%) and at the lumbar L2-L4 (53.6%). Pearson correlation test showed significant negative correlations between age and BMD in the neck (r = -0.419, p
Introduction: The consumption of ready-to-eat cereals (RTECs) has been associated with lower anthropometric status as well as a lower risk of childhood obesity. This relationship has not been investigated among school children in Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the association between consumption of RTECs and anthropometric status among primary school children in Kuala Lumpur. Method: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 208 school children aged 10 and 11 years were recruited from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Information on socio-demographics, RTECs consumption and anthropometric measurements (height, weight and waist circumference) were obtained. Results: The overall median body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were 17.95(IqR 6.45) kg/m2 and 57.35 (IqR 13.00) cm, respectively. The majority of the children (73%) consumed RTECs. The prevalence of obesity was 23.1%, with more boys (31%) than girls (17.4%) being obese. Meanwhile, 16.8% of the children were overweight. BMI (U=3335.50, z=-2.278, p=0.023) and WC (U=3273.50, z=-2.440, p=0.015) of those who consumed RTECs were significantly lower than those who did not consume RTECs. Meanwhile, children who did not consume RTECs were significantly more likely to develop abdominal adiposity than those who consumed RTECS, X2(2, N=208) =7.61, p=0.022. Conclusion: Children who consumed RTECs have significantly lower BMI and WC, as well as a lower chance of developing abdominal adiposity. Consumption of RTECs indicates an overall healthy lifestyle with an excellent nutritional profile to promote healthy body weight in children and decreased risk of childhood obesity.
Introduction: Hypercholesterolemia is an important modifiable risk factor for coronary heart disease. Lifestyle changes in diet and physical activity can improve cholesterol levels. This study aimed to compare the fruits and vegetables (FV) intake and physical activity (PA) between hypercholesterolemic adults and non- hypercholesterolemic adults in Malaysia, and to investigate factors associated with meeting the recommended levels of FV intake and PA in a hyper- cholesterolemic population. Methods: This study was based on 17,988 participants (response rate 98.7%) aged 18 years and above who responded to the hypercholesterolemia questionnaire in the 2011 Malaysian National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), a cross-sectional study with two-stage stratified sampling design. Data were obtained by trained enumerators via face-to-face interviews and were analysed by descriptive analysis, chi-square test, and univariable and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Out of the total population assessed, 39.0% had hypercholesterolemia. The prevalence of consuming five or more servings of FV per day is low (7.8%) while 36.0% were physically inactive among the hypercholesterolemic adults. No significant differences were observed in FV intake and PA between hypercholesterolemic and non-hypercholesterolemic populations. Gender, age and educational levels were associated with FV intake and PA among hypercholesterolemic adults. Hypercholesterolemic adults who were underweight or obese were less likely to consume FV, while those who were former smokers and those who had diabetes and heart disease were less likely to be physically active. Conclusion: These findings are relevant for future health promotion strategies, suggesting that more intensive interventions are needed to increase FV intake and PA level in hypercholesterolemic population and in the general population.
Study name: National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS-2011)
Studies profiling community and zonal malaria entomological risk indices are required to identify high risk areas where targeted control resources are most needed or likely to have the greatest impact on reducing risk of malaria infection. This study presents a first report on malaria vector risk indices in two vegetation zones within Adamawa state, Nigeria. Endophilic mosquitoes were collected for one year in selected communities in the Guinea and Sudan savanna zones within the State. Plasmodium falciparum Sporozoite and human blood meal ELISA assays were carried out on the female Anopheles mosquitoes collected. Sibling species composition of the An. gambiae complex were determined using PCR assays. Mean numbers of mosquitoes in the Guinea savanna communities were significantly (t = 7.73, DF = 11, p < 0.001) higher than the Sudan. Man-biting rates (F = 2.76, p = 0.13) of Anopheles mosquitoes were higher in the Guinea but not significantly different from Sudan savanna. Sporozoite rates of mosquitoes within the Guinea savanna were 2.7 times higher than the Sudan. The predominant Anopheles coluzzii species encountered in the state had higher overall human blood indices (0.63) and sporozoite rates (6.9%) compared to An. gambiae (0.39, 1.9%) and An. arabiensis (0.58, 2.3%) respectively. Overall annual human blood indices (0.59) of mosquitoes in Adamawa were lower compared to reports from other States. Prevalence and higher transmission risks indices of endophilic An. coluzzii mosquitoes reveal the need for LLIN and management of relatively permanent An. coluzzii breeding sites in the State. Widespread cattle rearing lifestyle and lower human blood indices of mosquitoes in the study area suggest the need to investigate cattle blood indices of the mosquitoes in the state. Higher entomological risk indices in the Guinea Savanna zone provide baseline information for prioritization of malaria vector control supplies within the State.
Obesity and overweight problems are serious global health issues today and despite many efforts, the prevalence has continued to rise for decades. Interestingly, hypnotherapy has been gaining recognition as an effective treatment for obesity and overweight problems. This review compiles contemporary scientific research on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for weight reduction. Scopus, PubMed and EBSCO Host databases were applied in the study. The search identified 119 articles, of which seven met the inclusion criteria. A total of 539 respondents (82.7% women and 17.3% men) between the ages of 17 and 67 years were represented in the seven studies. Most studies incorporated lifestyle changes, such as changes of dietary habit and behavioral recommendations in the hypnotic procedure. Their results suggested that the use of hypnotherapy not only promoted weight reduction during the treatment period but also after treatment cessation, and in some cases, one to ten kilograms were lost during follow-up periods. In addition, one study even showed increased physical activity among the hypnotised individuals. This use of hypnotherapy also improved respondents' eating behavior and quality of life. However, a definitive conclusion could not be drawn due to several methodological flaws and the limited number of published studies in this area. Therefore, further well-designed studies are needed to substantiate the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for this modern-day health problem.
The misuse of medicine is a serious public health issue worldwide. An important factor that contributes to the misuse of medicine is the lack of medication label viewing by consumers. The objective of the present study is to examine the socio-economic, demographic and lifestyle factors associated with medication label viewing among Malaysian adults. The empirical analysis is based on a nationally representative data set of 30,992 respondents. An ordered probit model is used to examine different types of medication label viewers. The results of this study suggest that socio-economic (i.e. age, income level, education level, location of residence), demographic (i.e. gender, ethnicity, marital status) and lifestyle factors (i.e. physical activity, smoking) have significant effects on medication label viewing. It is found that age, low-income and low-education level reduce the likelihood of viewing medication label. Based on these findings, several policy implications are suggested. The present study provides policy makers with baseline information regarding which cohorts of individuals to focus on in efforts to increase the frequency of medication label viewing.
Introduction: In Malaysia, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have been the leading cause of death for the past 40 years. Hypertension is the leading treatable risk factor for CVD mortality.
Objectives: to determine the prevalence and factors associated with hypertension among University Putra Malaysia staff.
Methods: A Cross sectional study design was used in this study. The sample was selected using table of random numbers. Two blood pressure measurements were taken from respondents aged 30 years and above. Data on socio-demographic variables and lifestyle-related risk factors were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Weight and height measurements were also taken.
Results: Out of 517 respondents selected, 454 subjects agreed to participate, giving a response rate of 87.8%. The overall mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) for 454 respondents was 126.2 mmHg and 80.17 mmHg respectively. The mean SBP was significantly higher in males (129.68 mmHg) as compared to the females (122.65 mmHg). The mean SBP and DBP significantly increased with age in both males and females (p<0.05). There was a significant relationship between SBP and BMI (r = 0.55, r2 = 0.30 p <0.001) and diastolic blood pressure and BMI (r = 0.53, r2 = 0.28, p <0.001). The overall prevalence of hypertension was 34.4% and 33.9% had pre hypertension. Hypertension was significantly associated with age, gender, family history of hypertension, BMI and alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension is high. There is an urgent need for implementation of a comprehensive CVD prevention program. Routine blood pressure measurements should be taken to improve the detection, prevention and treatment of hypertension.
Keywords: Hypertension, Prevalence, Risk Factors, University Staff, Prevalence
Stress is a common problem among university students and studies showed that involvement in exercise could help in reducing stress. However, information regarding the effect of high intensity progressive resistance training (PRT) using a resistant tube on stress among inactive and moderate active young male university students is limited. Hence, the aim of this study is to examine the effect of high intensity PRT using a resistant tube on psychological stress level, cortisol, DHEA and physical fitness in this population. A total of 30 male university students were participated in this quasi-experiment study. Intervention group (n = 14, age: 21.50 ± 1.37 yr) was participaned to carry out high intensity PRT by using resistant tube 3 times per week for 10 weeks; control group (n = 16, age: 21.29 ± 1.86 yr) was asked to continue their current lifestyle as usual. Before and after 10 weeks of intervention, psychological stress was measured by using PSS and SLSI questionnaires; cortisol and DHEA level were measured by using ELISA method. Timed up-and-go (TUG) used to examine dynamic balance and handgrip strength test used to measure muscle strength. Findings showed that the increased of DHEA level after 10 weeks of intervention was significantly difference between control and intervention groups (p < 0.05). There was no significant group difference in changes over time in anthropometric and body composition measurements, stress scores, cortisol level and physical fitness. High intensity PRT using resistant tube may be beneficial in increasing DHEA level among young male adults, which can act as a stress biochemical indicator.
Non-communicable diseases are raising much concern in Malaysia due to changing lifestyles which is parallel to the economic development. Intervention program like community health screening (CHS) allows early detection, prevention and reduction of chronic diseases and its risk factors. This study aimed to assess the obesity level, risk factors for chronic diseases and blood cholesterol level among the Malaysian public. A health screening program was conducted on April 2012 at Sungai Pinang township, in the state of Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. A convenient sample of the general public was recruited. Screening tests consisted of measurements of blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage, visceral fat accumulation (VFA) and blood cholesterol. Chi-square analysis was used to determine the difference between prevalence of obesity among subjects with different age groups and gender. Out of 76 recruited subjects, 23.7% had systolic blood pressure of 140 mmHg or greater and 7.9% had diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg or greater. Approximately 51% of the subjects were obese (BMI ≥ 27.5 kg/m2). Body fat percentage was high in 63.6% and 63.0% of male and female subjects, respectively. High VFA (≥15) was found in 19.8% of subjects. There were three newly discovered hypercholesterolemia cases (total cholesterol ≥ 5.2 mmol/L). Counselling was given during the health screening program to help the public to take necessary measures to reduce risk factors while preventing complication resulting from these chronic diseases. In conclusion, prevalence of obesity found to be high in the present screened population.
Background: Metabolic Syndrome is a major concern for the general population but more so for depressed patients. While it is well established that it is highly prevalent among patients who are depressed, none of the local studies identified the factors contributing to the syndrome.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the rate of metabolic syndrome and its associated factors (socio-demographic, clinical features and lifestyle risk factors) in depressed patients.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted on patients with major depressive disorders (MDD) attending psychiatric outpatient clinic in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC), a teaching hospital in Kuala Lumpur. A total of 72 outpatients who fulfilled the selection criteria were informed to fast prior to blood taking. The diagnosis of MDD was made based on Diagnostic Statistical Manual Version IV (DSM-IV) while the metabolic syndrome diagnosis was made using the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria based on the patients’ waist circumference, blood pressure, serum glucose level and lipid profile.
Results: The rates of metabolic syndrome was 37.5% (n = 27). The results showed significant associations between metabolic syndrome and race (p = 0.043), illness duration (p = 0.043) and pre-existing hyperlipidaemia (p = 0.032). Interestingly, lifestyle factors like physical activity (p = 0.762), dietary intake (p = 0.671), severity of depression (p = 0.161) and the different types of medications (p = 0.242 to 1.000) were not found to significantly associated with metabolic syndrome among the study sample.
Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome was found to be disproportionately high among depressed patients. Two significant factors associated with this syndrome were race and long duration of depression (ten years or more). This study suggests that early screening and identification can be beneficial to be incorporated in the management of depression in anticipation of future complications.
Study site: Psychiatric clinic, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM)
This study was conducted to determine the proportion and factors associated with periodontal disease among younger adult attended Al Fatah Dental Faculty in Libya. A cross sectional study with universal sampling methods was carried out from July 2010 until September 2010 among 70 Libyan subjects aged between 20-35 years. The data in this study was collected using self administrated questionnaire, followed by oral examination done by trained dentists. The results of this study showed that, the prevalence of periodontal disease in Libyan subjects was 75.7%. Gender, oral care habits, smoking were found significantly associated with presence of periodontal disease. Gingivitis has been found the most common types of periodontal disease (94%). High percentage of periodontal disease in this study was among men (87.9%) compared to women (69.9%). In conclusion, modifiable factors like changing lifestyle such as avoiding smoking and practicing oral care can be promoted to prevent periodontitis.
The population with normal body mass index (BMI) but with abdominal obesity are most of the time the ‘neglected’ population in terms of health interventions. The aim of this study is to study the prevalence of abdominal obesity and to explore the factors causing abdominal obesity by using waist circumference (WC) measurement. A cross sectional study was conducted among a group of respondents in Tanjung Karang, Selangor, Malaysia from January until June 2010, among those aged 18 years old and above, to explore the demographic (gender and ethnics), lifestyle factors (physical activity, carbohydrate intake and smoking status) and measurement of body weight, height and waist circumference. A total of 629 subjects with normal BMI were studied. The prevalence of abdominal obesity was 36.1% based on WC (40.0% males and 70.0% females). The predictor model revealed that being non-Malay (aOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1.35-3.20) and being female (aOR = 3.6; 95% CI: 2.51-5.06) were the associated factors of having abdominal obesity in normal BMI population. In conclusion, females and non-Malay were factors that were found to be associated with abdominal obesity in normal BMI population. This is important in targeting this vulnerable population with risk factors that can develop non communicable diseases for early interventions.
Objective: This study is an attempt to produce an abbreviated Malay version of Weight and Lifestyle Inventory (MWALI), as well as to examine the psychometric properties of the eating behavior which formed part of MWALI. Methods: The MWALI was translated ‘forward–backward’ from English to Malay and then administered to 135 adolescents. The factor construct of the 24-item eating behavior and the relationships between factor scores and demographic profile, dysphoria, global self-esteem and body mass index (BMI) were examined. Results: The exploratory factor analysis yielded five factors: Negative Emotion, Poor Impulse Control, Social Cues, Snacking and Early Meals in relation to over-eating. All the factors were significantly and positively correlated with BMI. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the eating behavior were satisfactory. Conclusion: MWALI is appropriate for assessing eating behavior among overweight and obese adolescents in the primary care setting in Malaysia.
Context: Community-based medical education (CBME) has become widely accepted as an important innovation in undergraduate medical education. In curriculum featuring CBME, students are acquainted with the community early in their studies however; the impact of this training can be judged best to see them practice the required aspects of CBME. Malaysia is a multiracial country with a very strong community dependant life style. Main national health problems have called for a change in health profession education from traditional hospital based health care to community-based delivery system. Three major university's medical schools that either practice community oriented or community based medical education in undergraduate medical curriculum are evaluated. Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has a community based medical education (CBME) curriculum as Community and Family Case Study (CFCS) compared to a community oriented education curriculum (COE) adopted by Universiti Malaya (UM) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). However, UM at the time of undertaking this study back in 2005 was though practicing COE has also later opted CBME as CFCS.
Objective: To determine whether medical graduates from USM with a community-based medical education in its curriculum for more than 25 years are inspired to have stronger commitment towards community health as shown in their on-job practice of medicine compared to other graduates from UM and UKM, who have adopted community-oriented medical education program.
Method: A questionnaire-based pilot study with 12 items (variables) was designed to obtain supervisor's opinion on commitment of interns towards the health of community they serve. The questionnaire was administered to a randomized group of 85 specialists supervising the internship training program in five major disciplines including internal medicine, surgery, orthopaedic, gynaecology and obstetrics and paediatric medicine. The data received from 62 respondents from five major disciplines was analyzed utilizing SPSS version 12.0.1.
Result: The responses received from 62 supervisors on an inventory in which 9 out of 12 variables were directly related to community commitments of interns. It was shown that the USM graduates who were taught through a CBME curriculum have performed better than the graduates from UM and UKM who followed a COE curriculum. P-value (< 0.001) was highly significant and consistent with higher mean score in those variables.
Conclusion: The graduates taught through a CBME curriculum performed better in community commitments towards patients care compared to graduates from COE curriculum.
INTRODUCTION: In most Asian countries, stroke is one of the major causes of mortality. A stroke event is life-changing for stroke survivors, which results in either mortality or disability. Therefore, this study comprehensively focuses on prevalence, risk factors, and secondary prevention for stroke recurrence identified in South, East, and Southeast Asian countries.
METHODS: This scoping review uses the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley. A comprehensive search of academic journals (English) on this topic published from 2007 to 2017 was conducted. A total of 22 studies were selected from 585 studies screened from the electronic databases.
RESULTS: First-year stroke recurrence rates are in the range of 2.2% to 25.4%. Besides that, modifiable risk factors are significantly associated with pathophysiological factors (hypertension, ankle-brachial pressure index, atherogenic dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and atrial fibrillation) and lifestyle factors (obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, and high salt intake). Furthermore, age, previous history of cerebrovascular events, and stroke subtype are also significant influence risk factors for recurrence. A strategic secondary prevention method for recurrent stroke is health education along with managing risk factors through a combination of appropriate lifestyle intervention and pharmacological therapy.
CONCLUSION: To prevent recurrent stroke, health intervention should be geared towards changing lifestyle to embody a healthier approach to life. This is of great importance to public health and stroke survivors' quality of life.