Knowledge, attitude and practice on carbonated drinks consumption among young adults in Pekan, Pahang

Consumption of carbonated drinks among young adults increases due to a variety of carbonated drinks available in the markets. This situation can put health condition of young adults at risk which may expose them to non-communicable disease such as diabetes. This study aimed at assessing knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on carbonated drinks consumption among young adults in Pekan, Pahang. A comparison between young adults males and females on knowledge, attitude and practice of carbonated drinks intake was studied. A total of 94 respondents consisting of 47 males and 47 females aged 18 to 35 years old participated in this study. The KAP questionnaires were distributed to various housing area around Pekan, Pahang. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Independent T-test (parametric test) and Mann-Whitney U test (non-parametric test). P-value was set at p<0.05 as statistically significant. Result obtained for knowledge showed that there was no significant difference in knowledge score in percentage between males and females (p=0.831). It indicated that there was no difference among males and females regarding knowledge and understanding level on carbonated drinks. Meanwhile, there were significant differences for both attitude (p=0.049) and practice (p=0.032) score in percentage between males and females. This study demonstrated that males have negative attitude and high practice on consumption of carbonated drinks compared to females. In conclusion, an awareness program is required to be implemented in this population in order to reduce the consumption of carbonated drinks as it can lead to adverse health effects. Besides, involvement from various agencies which include health professionals and media are important in order to make the community aware of the importance of good nutritional status and health

Assessment of fruit and vegetable consumption among female university students

The low intake of fruits and vegetables is a global issue. This research aimed to determine the association of fruit and vegetable intake with waist circumference and barriers of intake. A total of 279 female students from the International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuantan, were recruited through convenience sampling and provided with a set of questionnaires to identify their fruits and vegetable intake. The waist circumference of respondents was measured. The majority of students consumed only one serving of fruit and vegetable per day, which is less than the levels recommended by the Malaysian Dietary Guideline. Only 9.0% of students had a fruits intake of two servings/day, while 6.5% had a vegetable intake of three servings/day which meets the recommendation. There was no significant association of fruits and vegetable intake with waist circumference among female students. Non-availability and not delicious were identified as major barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption respectively. In conclusion, the fruit and vegetable intake among the majority of female university students is inadequate. Thus, there is a need to increase awareness and develop strategies to promote adequate fruit and vegetable intake among this specific target group

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Kuantan students

Introduction: Malaysian is one of the highest sugar consumers in the Asia Pacific region. There has been no available report quantifying sugar intake among Malaysian until Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (MANS) 2003 study was done. However, data concerning sugar consumption among university students is scarce. Objective/aim: This study was conducted to assess sugar sweetened beverages intake among International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Kuantan students. Methodology: A total of 42 of IIUM Kuantan students was recruited by convenience sampling method. A questionnaire consisting of 3 days food record was distributed to all participants as a tool for data collection. Food record was analyzed using the Nutritionist Pro software prior to statistical analysis with SPSS version 12.0. P value was set as p<0.05 as statistically significant level. Results: The mean energy intake of the students is 1631 + 466 kcal/day, which is lower than the Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNI) for Malaysian. The mean energy intake for male is 2197 ± 300 kcal/day and; while 1405 ± 295 kcal/day for female. The mean percentage of sugar intake from sugar-sweetened beverages in this population is 7.18%. A higher sugar-sweetened beverages consumption is found at breakfast, lunch and dinner compared to other meals. Conclusion and implication: Sugar intake from sugar sweetened beverages among the IIUM Kuantan students did not exceed the standard guidelines. Hence, this population is not at risk of adverse effects from excessive sugar intake which lead to lower risk of developing non-communicable disease

The research methodology for malnutrition risk identification and dietary practices among community living elderly

Introduction: Nutrition screening is an initial procedure to identify malnutrition, whilst subsequent nutrition intervention is warranted for at risk individuals. However, none of nutrition screening studies conducted among Malaysian elderly accompanied by individualized nutrition intervention. The objective here is to describe the methodology to determine malnutrition risk and nutritional status of elderly in community at baseline and after 3 months of nutrition intervention; and to assess perception of elderly on their dietary practices. Materials and Methods: Elderly aged ≥60 years will be recruited as participants at several FELDA in Terengganu and Pahang with the calculated sample size of 416. Nutrition screening will be performed to identify malnutrition risk using a validated nutrition screening tool for elderly in community; the Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form. Dietary intake will be assessed using diet history method and individualized nutrition intervention will be provided to improve nutritional status. Nutrition screening and assessment will be repeated after three months for malnourished and at risk elderly. In-depth individual interview will be conducted to assess perception on dietary practices particularly prophetic food intake. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analysed using IBM SPSS software and NVivo software, respectively. Results: Nutritional status of the elderly is anticipated to improve after 3 months of nutrition intervention and the elderly will perceive that their dietary practices are good. Conclusion: This research is at the forefront to provide individualized nutrition intervention following nutrition screening among Malaysian community elderly. It can potentially prevent further health complications associated with malnutrition through timely malnutrition identification and nutrition intervention

Prevalence and intervention of malnutrition risk of Malaysian elderly living in the community: A literature review

Introduction: Malnutrition among the elderly is a concern around the globe, including in Malaysia due to its negative effects to health. The aims of this review are to identify prevalence of malnutrition risk in Malaysian elderly living in the community; and to identify the types of nutrition intervention provided to the elderly following malnutrition risk identification. Methods: Literature searches were undertaken using online databases and a manual search. Main keywords used for literature search strategy were malnutrition, elderly and Malaysia. Inclusion criteria for the literature searches are studies performed in Malaysian community, using either nutrition screening or assessment tool and elderly aged ≥60 years old. Exclusion criteria are studied among hospitalized elderly, conducted in nursing homes, validation and development studies of nutrition screening tool. Results: Four published studies were eligible to be included in the review. The studies showed that prevalence of malnutrition in the Malaysian elderly living in the community is approximately 1.3% - 36.3%. A range of 25.3% to 48.5% elderly was reported to be at malnutrition risk. All of the identified studies were cross-sectional studies; whilst none of the studies provided nutrition intervention to the elderly. Conclusions: Alarming rates of malnutrition risk of Malaysian elderly living in the community has been identified. Appropriate nutrition intervention for malnourished and at risk elderly should be targeted to improve nutritional status and prevent health deterioration. Further evaluation of effectiveness of nutrition intervention following malnutrition risk identification is warranted in future studies

Malnutrition risk and perception on dietary practices among elderly living in agricultural settlements: A mixed-methods research

Purpose – This research aims to identify malnutrition risk and perception of malnourished and at-risk elderly individuals on their dietary practices. Design/methodology/approach – In Phase 1, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 413 elderly individuals aged 60 years and above in agricultural settlements in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Malnutrition risk was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Short-Form (MNA-SF). In Phase 2, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted among 21 elderly individuals identified in Phase 1. The interviews ceased when data saturation was achieved. Findings – 25.7 per cent (n = 106) of elderly individuals were identified as malnourished and at-risk (MNA-SF score = <12). Age, smoking, income and living status were significantly associated with malnutrition risk (p < 0.05). Thematic analysis revealed four themes that represent elderly individuals’ perception on their dietary practices: the impact of aging on dietary intake; food restriction according to health condition; poor dietary intake due to feeling of loneliness; and perceived benefits of foods for health. Research limitations/implications – Strategies from multidisciplinary healthcare professionals to eliminate improper dietary practice are required for the maintenance of health, functional independence and quality of life among the elderly. Originality/value – This research is at the forefront in reporting the elderly individuals’ perception on dietary practice in agricultural settlement. Attention to individual’s health issues and the associated factors that may influence their dietary practices is essential to provide appropriate interventions to achieve optimum nutritional status and healthy aging

Dietary intake is compromised among elderly living in agricultural settlements

Purpose – This study aims to investigate dietary intake among elderly living in agricultural settlements in comparison with a recent nutritional recommendation. Design/methodology/approach – This cross-sectional study was carried out among elderly living in five agricultural settlements in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Participants were interviewed on sociodemographic information such as age, gender, marital status, smoking status, household income, education level and living status. Data on individual dietary intake were obtained through diet history method. Dietary intake data were analyzed using Nutritionist Pro software and compared to the recommended nutrient intakes (RNI) for Malaysia version 2017. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software version 21. Findings – A total of 413 participants (male 32.4 per cent and female 67.6 per cent) with the mean age of 69.4 ± 7.9 years participated in this study. Dietary intake results demonstrated that participants did not meet the Malaysian RNI for energy and most nutrients (p<0.05). This study also found that energy, carbohydrate, protein, fat, folate and iron intake were significantly higher in male than female (p<0.05). Meanwhile, calcium and vitamin A intake were significantly higher in female than male (p<0.05). Research limitations/implications – Integrated nutrition education and health promotion programme with a multidisciplinary approach are essential to be designed and executed to improve dietary intake of the elderly, which can further lead to appropriate dietary practices and knowledge improvement related to healthy food choices. Factors associated with inadequate dietary intake and awareness on the importance of adequate nutrients intake among the elderly warrant further investigation. Originality/value – This research is at the forefront, which indicated that the dietary intake of elderly individuals living in the agricultural settlement was inadequate in comparison to the latest recommendation. Strategies to improve their intakes need to be developed and implemented accordingly to improve nutritional status and prevent adverse effects to health

Trend in dietary calcium intake among elderly in Kuantan, Pahang

Introduction: Dietary calcium intake is important in body system regulation. Inadequate intake among elderly may lead to various health issues such as osteoporosis and hip fracture. In order to counter the problem, this study was carried out to identify dietary calcium intake among elderly in Kuantan, Pahang. Methods: A face to face interviewer-administered session was done individually with seventy-nine (n=79) subjects aged ≥60 years to collect data on sociodemographic background, health status and dietary intake. Diet history method was used to obtain information related to dietary intake and analyzed using Nutritionist Pro Software. P-value was set at p<0.05 as statistically significant. Results: Almost all elderly subjects had dietary calcium intake lower than recommendation, which was 92.4%, and only 7.6% of total elderly met the recommended intake. This study found that the mean dietary calcium intake was 421.7 + 344.3 mg/day which is lower than Recommended Nutrient Intakes (RNI) for Malaysian. Mean calcium intake was significantly lower than RNI in both gender (p<0.001). The difference of calcium intake between male and female elderly was not significant; with mean dietary calcium intake for male and female were 414.2 + 344.3 mg/day and 426.0 + 347.8 mg/day, respectively. From the analysis, dietary calcium intake in elderly from non-dairy sources (228.4 + 149.3 mg) is higher than dairy sources (median (IQR)= 0.0 (326.0) 5mg). Conclusions: In conclusion, inadequate dietary calcium is an issue among elderly people in Kuantan which may lead to several health problems. Hence, appropriate strategies need to be taken in order to ensure optimum nutritional status among this at risk population

The influence of blood glucose level on tear break up time among young adults with diabetes

Background: It has been reported that diabetics are more likely to develop tear film dysfunction compared to non-diabetics. Even so, there has been very little research reported on the correlation between blood glucose level and quality of tears. Objective: The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of blood glucose level on TBUT among young adults with diabetes in Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study consisting of 37 diabetic patients within the age range of 19-39 years was carried out at IIUM Optometry Clinic, IIUM Kuantan. The subjects were tested for random blood glucose level (RBS) and undergone tear break up time (TBUT) test. Nonparametric test was used namely Spearman correlation to determine the association between RBS and TBUT. Results: TBUT median (interquartile range) value was 7.5 (11.55) seconds. Meanwhile, correlation analysis revealed negative correlation between random blood glucose (RBS) and TBUT in diabetics (r = -0.126). However, this correlation is not statistically significant (p>0.05). Conclusion: Tear film break up time were not significantly associated with the random blood glucose level. Tear film break up time seems to not be affected by blood glucose level

Nutritional risk according to Mini Nutritional Assessment– whort form among community dwelling elderly in Kuantan, Pahang: a pilot study

Introduction: The risk of developing malnutrition increases with advancing age. It has the potential to place significant burdens on healthcare and other support services. However, studies with regards to malnutrition among community-dwelling elderly population in Malaysia is scarce specifically in Kuantan. The objective of this study was to determine malnutrition risk using the Mini Nutritional Assessment- Short Form (MNA-SF) among community-dwelling elderly people in Kuantan and to investigate its associated factors. Methods: A pilot study was conducted among 73 community-dwelling elderly in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia aged 60 years and above. Malnutrition risk of the elderly was evaluated by using Mini Nutritional Assessment– Short Form (MNA-SF). A standardized questionnaire was used to record the factors associated with malnutrition: demographic characteristics, income level, percentage of food expenditure per month, body mass index, physical activity level and disease status. Chi Square test was performed for statistical analysis. Results: The subjects comprised of 39 (53.4%) males and 34 (46.6%) females. Mean age of the subjects was 65.4 ± 5.4 years old. Among 73 subjects, 36.0% were well nourished and 64.0% were at malnutrition risk. Low income (p= 0.045) and physically inactive among elderly subjects (p= 0.039) appeared to be significantly associated with malnutrition risk. Other results were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The findings provide preliminary evidence that malnutrition risk was high among elderly living in Kuantan. Therefore, nutrition screening in a full-scale study is recommended for elderly in order to further identify those at risk of malnutrition in a timely manner. Hence, intervention can be implemented to improve the health status of this population