Food insecurity is interrelated with low food supply consumption which have high disposition to poor diet quality. However, less study has been done in assessing the relationship between food insecurity and diet quality of children in Malaysia. Therefore, this study objectives are to determine food insecurity level and diet quality of children from B40 families in Kedah. This cross-sectional study was carried out among 106 children aged 7 – 12 years old from one selected district in Pendang, Kedah. Radimer/Cornell Hunger was used to determine food insecurity level of the children, while diet quality of the children was assessed by applying modified Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2005. Based on the result, 43.4% of the household were categorized as food secure while 56.6% were food insecure. Those food insecure were classified into three levels and the study found that 61.0% were household food insecure, 28.0% were individual food insecure and 11.0% of the household were child hunger. About 28.3% of them had poor diet quality, 69.8% of them had diet that needs improvements and only 1.9% of them had good diet quality. However, there was no significant relationship found between food insecurity and diet quality of these children (p = 0.436). This is somehow indicated that food insecurity does not reflect the diet quality of children from the B40 families in this study.
Homeless children are prone to inadequate energy and nutrient intake which may highly influence their cognitive performance. However, few studies have been done in assessing diet adequacy and cognitive performance among homeless children in Malaysia. Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study aims to assess the dietary adequacy and cognitive performance of 120 homeless children age 7-12 years living in Klang Valley. The dietary adequacy of these homeless children was assessed through two days of 24 hours of dietary recall. Dietary adequacy achievement was determined by fulfilling at least 50% of Recommended Nutrients Intake (RNI). Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (RCPM) test was used to assess their cognitive performance. Results:The homeless children had an adequate intake of energy, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. Seventy percent of homeless children had a poor cognitive performance. This study shows that there was no association between energy, iron, and vitamin B12 adequacy with cognitive performance, whereas there was a significant (p=0.028) association between zinc adequacy and children’s cognitive performance. Conclusion:These findings provide solid evidence-based for dietary adequacy and cognitive performance of the homeless children in Klang Valley. It is clear from the findings that both dietary intake and cognitive of these children require improvement for a better quality of life in the future. This study suggests that dietary adequacy does not relatively reflect the cognitive performance of these homeless children in Malaysia.
Introduction: There is an emergent increase of ultra-processed food consumption in developing countries including Malaysia which carries a likelihood towards the increase of obesity. However, few studies have been done in relating between ultra-processed consumption and obesity, especially in Malaysia. Therefore, this study aims to determine the consumption of ultra-processed foods and its relationship with BMI and body fat percentage among university committee in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among 167 individuals aged 18 to 59 years old in Kuala Nerus. Data were collected using a researcher-administered questionnaire which consisted of three different sections: socio-demographic profile, two days 24-hour dietary recall, and nutritional status assessment on BMI and body fat percentage. Consumption of ultra-processed foods were determined by classifying two days 24-hour dietary recall based on ultra-processed food classification. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0 with p
Food insecurity is normally associated with lower socioeconomic status and improper feeding practices which may consequently affect growth and development of young children. This study aims to assess household food security status and its association with child feeding practices and children’s weight status among low income mothers in Terengganu. A cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted at four public maternal and child health clinics (MCH) located in Terengganu. A total of 107 of low-income mothers between ages of 18 to 45 years with net household income less than RM 3000 who has at least one child aged two years and above were recruited. The instruments used were Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ) and weight-for-age child growth chart for children’ weight status at aged one year. Descriptive statistic and non-parametric tests were employed (SPSS 20). Majority of the households were food secure (85.0%). Yet, it is also important to note that about 15% of the household had experienced some degree of food insecurity. There was no significant correlation between household food security and all child feeding practice domains. Most of the mothers had children with normal weight (mean Z-score =-0.72+0.99). There was statistically significant association between household food security status and weight of children at one year of age (p=0.01). In conclusion, majority of the households experienced food secure. Household food security were associated with children’s weight status at early age but not correlated with parent’s child feeding practice.
Introduction: In Malaysia, private office workers tend to be more physically inactive due to work burden. This study aimed to determine physical activity level, motivation factors and barrier towards physical activity among private office workers. Methods: A cross sectional study using convenience sampling was conducted at nine private com- panies in Selangor involving 106 office workers aged 21 to 55 years old. Self-administered questionnaires includ- ing Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), Physical Activity and Leisure Motivation Scale (PALMS) and Physical Activity Barrier (PAB) were administered. Results: Over half of the respondents (58.5%) were having low physical activity level. The main motivation factors include physical condition, psychological condition and mastery. Meanwhile, tired after work, laziness, lack of discipline, family commitment and adverse weather were the main perceived barriers. A weak positive correlation was found between total motivation score and total physical activity (r=0.296; p=0.002). In contrast, there was a weak negative correlation between barriers and total physical activity (r=-0.237; p=0.015). Conclusion: The current physical activity level, its main motivation factors and barriers among private office workers were identified, providing an opportunity to create effective setting-based health promotion and intervention. It is also recommended that policy suggestions are made to influence and prepare essential partners (e.g. companies and employees) to promote ways of incorporating physical activity into one’s daily routine.