Nutritional and physical activity status among adults living in low-cost housing area in Selangor

This study aimed to assess the nutritional and physical activity status among adults living in low-cost housing area. This cross-sectional study involved 115 adults aged from 18 to 59 years old (46 male and 69 female). Anthropometric and body composition measurements of height, weight, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference were taken. Biochemical measurements included blood glucose, blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Dietary intake was evaluated by interviewing subjects using Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ). Physical activity status was determined by interviewing subjects using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Most of the subjects were found to be mainly on low socioeconomic status and working as blue collar workers. The mean body mass index (BMI) for men and women were 27.3 ± 6.3 kg/m2 and 28.5 ± 5.3 kg/m2, respectively. The waist-hip ratio of men and women were 0.92 ± 0.07 and 0.86 ± 0.06, respectively. Mean blood pressure observed was 128.8 ± 18.8 mmHg (systolic) and 78.2 ± 12.1 mmHg (diastolic). Mean blood glucose was reported to be 6.6 ± 3.2 mmol/L while the mean blood cholesterol was 5.2 ± 1.0 mmol/L. Overall energy intake was 2705 ± 603 kcal with the contribution of 53.4% carbohydrate, 13.5% protein and 32.5% fat to overall energy intake. The nutrients that did not achieve Malaysia’s Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) were calcium (73.1%), thiamine (70.5%), folate (25.0%) and vitamin A (19.6%). The mean physical activity of subjects was 6739.8 ± 8135.6 MET-min/week (high physical activity). In conclusion, the adults living in low-cost housing have unsatisfactory nutritional status yet they have good physical activity level which might be contributed by their occupation

Pengehadan kalori, fungsi kognitif dan penuaan: peranan terhadap sistem biologi

Prevalens gangguan kognitif ringan (MCI) di Malaysia mencecah 68% pada tahun 2016. Pelbagai kaedah dijalankan bagi memastikan kelestarian tahap kesihatan warga tua termasuk melalui nutrisi, gaya hidup dan persekitaran. Pengehadan kalori dibuktikan mampu untuk menurunkan kadar mortaliti dan morbiditi warga tua serta memelihara tahap kesihatan warga tua supaya dapat membantu dalam meningkatkan kualiti hidup golongan tersebut. Pengehadan kalori juga merupakan salah satu kaedah yang lebih mudah dan berkesan dalam membantu meningkatkan ingatan dan memelihara kesihatan golongan tersebut. Ia juga membantu mengurangkan kadar inflamasi dan mencantas tindakan radikal bebas yang hadir di dalam sistem tubuh akibat daripada proses penuaan dan faktor persekitaran. Keadaan ini menyediakan tubuh badan yang lebih rentan terhadap kerosakan DNA dan serangan toksin daripada penyakit kronik, pemakanan dan persekitaran. Oleh itu, kajian ini memberikan konsep yang lebih jelas terhadap implikasi pengehadan kalori dalam memelihara fungsi kognitif

Health risk assessment of acrylamide in deep fried starchy foods among students of Kolej Tun Syed Nasir, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Studies found that deep fried starchy foods may contain potential compound to increase cancer risk known as acrylamide. Identification of acrylamide health risk assessment in deep fried starchy food among students in Kolej Tun Syed Nasir, Kuala Lumpur was investigated. A survey was conducted to obtain data on types of deep fried starchy food preferred by the subjects, the food source, intake frequency and also the serving size. Acrylamide in the food sample was quantified using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Based on this study, the estimated acrylamide intake are 0.042 μg/kg/day for fries, 0.012 μg/kg/day for fried banana, 0.129 μg/kg/day for fried sweet potato and 6.101 μg/kg/day for the coated fried chicken, while the acrylamide level in anchovies’ fritter cannot be detected (N/A). Based on the hazard quotient (HQ) calculated, the intake of french fries, fried banana and fried sweet potato do not give a significant health risk (HQ < 1). However, for the coated fried chicken, the HQ value is more than 1 which could possibly cause a health risk. Based on individual excess lifetime cancer risk (IELCR) calculated, the deep fried starchy food intake cancer risk of coated fried chicken is higher (3 × 10-2) compared to fried sweet potato (5.81 × 10-4), french fries (1.89 × 10-4) and anchovies fritter (5.4 × 10-5). The students’ intake of coated fried chicken can give a significant health risk compare to other tested food, however in term of cancer risk, all of the tested food give a high number of probability of increased risk of cancer

Hubungan antara puasa sunnah dan kerosakan DNA dalam kalangan warga emas yang mengalami gangguan kognitif ringan (MCI)

Diet pemakanan memainkan peranan penting dalam menentukan kesihatan individu. Salah satu pendekatan yang paling mudah dan sesuai diikuti oleh individu tertentu terutamanya warga emas adalah puasa Sunnah. Puasa sunnah dilaporkan mempunyai kesan positif dalam kesihatan umum dan turut membantu dalam memanjangkan jangka hayat warga emas. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji hubungan puasa Sunnah dalam membaiki kerosakan DNA pada warga emas yang mengalami gangguan kognitif ringan (MCI). Reka bentuk kajian adalah kajian hirisan lintang perbandingan yang membandingkan dua fasa (dasar dan 36 bulan). Seramai 99 orang subjek MCI berumur ≥ 60 tahun keatas dan tidak mempunyai sebarang penyakit yang kritikal terlibat di dalam kajian ini. Sebanyak 10 ml darah penuh, data sosio-demografi dan penilaian kognitif juga turut diambil. MMSE, IADL, ADL dan GDS telah dijalankan untuk menentukan fungsi kognitif. Kajian mendapati bahawa peratusan ekor DNA (TD) bagi subjek yang mengamalkan puasa Sunnah untuk kedua-dua fasa adalah jauh lebih rendah berbanding subjek yang tidak mengamalkan puasa Sunnah (Dasar, TD: 12.49 ± 0.24% vs 17.40 ± 0.43%; 36 bulan, TD: 8.21 ± 0.43% vs 15.23 ± 1.16%). Peratusan momen ekor (TM) bagi subjek yang mengamalkan puasa Sunnah untuk kedua-dua fasa adalah jauh lebih rendah berbanding subjek yang tidak mengamalkan puasa Sunnah (Dasar, TM: 0.92 ± 0.05% vs 1.46 ± 0.08%; 36 bulan, TM: 0.4 ± 0.03% vs 1.32 ± 0.13%). Tuntasnya, ini menunjukkan bahawa puasa Sunnah boleh mengurangkan kerosakan DNA dalam kalangan warga emas MCI. Oleh itu, penyelidikan lanjut diperlukan untuk menentukan metabolit dalam kalangan subjek MCI yang berkaitan dengan puasa Sunnah untuk menghasilkan model ramalan diet sihat untuk digunakan pada masa hadapan

Juara Sihat™: study design of a school-based childhood obesity nutrition education programme in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The global prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has increased rapidly in the recent decades, including in Malaysia. Thus, development of effective interventions to prevent childhood obesity in Malaysia is urgently needed. This paper describes the study design of a 12-week multi-component, school-based nutrition education programme aimed at managing childhood obesity. The objective of Juara Sihat™ is to determine the effectiveness of a nutrition education programme in improving anthropometric status, knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of nutrition, eating habits and physical activity level among overweight and obese children. This quasi-experimental study involves two primary schools in Kuala Lumpur with similar demographic characteristics. Eligibility criteria of research participants are overweight and obese children aged 9 to 11 years. The main components of the Juara Sihat™ intervention are nutrition education classes on healthy eating and active lifestyle; physical activity sessions; and active involvements of parents and teachers. The control school does not receive any interventions. The primary outcome is BMI-for-age z-score, while other outcomes include waist circumference, body fat percentage, KAP of nutrition score, dietary intake, physical activity level, sedentary behaviour and biochemical profile. Outcome measures will be assessed at three intervals: baseline, post-intervention 1 (3-month follow-up), and post-intervention 2 (6-month follow-up). The Juara Sihat™ programme represents a promising approach to examining the effectiveness of a school-based childhood obesity intervention with strong empowerment of Parents’ and Teachers’ Association (PTA). We anticipate that this study may provide insights towards the development of more effective strategies in formulating childhood obesity interventions

Intermittent fasting enhanced the cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment by inducing biochemical and metabolic changes: a 3-year progressive study

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to various dietary regimens that cycle between a period of non-fasting and a period of total fasting. This study aimed to determine the effects of IF on cognitive function among elderly individuals who practice IF who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A total of 99 elderly subjects with MCI of Malay ethnicity without any terminal illness were recruited from a larger cohort study, LRGS TUA. The subjects were divided into three groups, comprising those who were regularly practicing IF (r-IF), irregularly practicing IF (i-IF), and non-fasters (n-IF). Upon 36 months of follow-up, more MCI subjects in the r-IF group reverted to successful aging with no cognitive impairment and diseases (24.3%) compared to those in i-IF (14.2%) and n-IF groups (3.7%). The r-IF group’s subjects exhibited significant increment in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduction in body weight, levels of insulin, fasting blood glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and DNA damage. Moreover, metabolomics analysis showed that IF may modulate cognitive function via various metabolite pathways, including the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, butanoate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways. Overall, the MCI-afflicted older adults who practiced IF regularly had better cognitive scores and reverted to better cognitive function at 36 months follow-up

Intermittent Fasting Enhanced the Cognitive Function in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment by Inducing Biochemical and Metabolic changes : A 3-Year Progressive Study

Intermittent fasting (IF) refers to various dietary regimens that cycle between a period of non-fasting and a period of total fasting. This study aimed to determine the effects of IF on cognitive function among elderly individuals who practice IF who have mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A total of 99 elderly subjects with MCI of Malay ethnicity without any terminal illness were recruited from a larger cohort study, LRGS TUA. The subjects were divided into three groups, comprising those who were regularly practicing IF (r-IF), irregularly practicing IF (i-IF), and non-fasters (n-IF). Upon 36 months of follow-up, more MCI subjects in the r-IF group reverted to successful aging with no cognitive impairment and diseases (24.3%) compared to those in i-IF (14.2%) and n-IF groups (3.7%). The r-IF group’s subjects exhibited significant increment in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduction in body weight, levels of insulin, fasting blood glucose, malondialdehyde (MDA), C-reactive protein (CRP), and DNA damage. Moreover, metabolomics analysis showed that IF may modulate cognitive function via various metabolite pathways, including the synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies, butanoate metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and glycolysis and gluconeogenesis pathways. Overall, the MCI-afflicted older adults who practiced IF regularly had better cognitive scores and reverted to better cognitive function at 36 months follow-up

Higher Lead and Lower Calcium Levels Are Associated with Increased Risk of Mortality in Malaysian Older Population : Findings from the LRGS-TUA Longitudinal Study

The main objective of this study is to determine the association of various trace elements’ status with the 5-year mortality rate among community-dwelling older adults in Malaysia. This study was part of the Long-term Research Grant Scheme—Towards Useful Ageing (LRGS-TUA). The participants were followed up for five years, and their mortality status was identified through the Mortality Data Matching Service provided by the National Registration Department, Malaysia. Of the 303 participants included in this study, 34 (11.2%) participants had died within five years after baseline data collection. As compared t o the survivors, participants who died earlier were more likely (p < 0.05) to be men, smokers, have a lower intake of total dietary fiber and molybdenum, higher intake of manganese, lower zinc levels in toenail samples, lower calcium and higher lead levels in hair samples during baseline. Following the multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis, lower total dietary fiber intake (HR: 0.681; 0.532–0.871), lower calcium (HR: 0.999; 95% CI: 0.999–1.000) and higher lead (HR: 1.309; 95% CI: 1.061–1.616) levels in hair samples appeared as the predictors of mortality. In conclusion, higher lead and lower calcium levels are associated with higher risk of mortality among community-dwelling older adults in Malaysia. Our current findings provide a better understanding of how the trace elements’ status may affect older populations’ well-being and mortality rate

Methodology approaches and challenges in population‐based longitudinal study of a neuroprotective model for healthy longevity

Aim: The 36‐month Long‐Term Research Grant Scheme project: Towards Usual Aging – Neuroprotective Model for Healthy Longevity among Malaysian Elderly was designed to address multidimensional aspects including psychosocial, biophysical health, nutrition and dietary pattern, and auditory and visual function to highlight the magnitude of these associations in a single study. Methods: A total of 2322 respondents aged ≥60 years were recruited at baseline using the multistage sampling method, followed up at 18 months and 36 months. Results: Response rates at baseline, 18 months and 36 months were 87.8%, 77.3% and 67.1%, respectively. At baseline, the prevalence of successful aging, usual aging and mild cognitive impairment was 11%, 73% and 16%, respectively. The prevalence of single and multimorbidity at baseline were 25.9% and 50.3%, respectively. The incidence rates of mild cognitive impairment at 18 months and 36 months were 6.5 and 5.6 per 100 person‐years. The incidence rates of multimorbidity at 18 months and 36 months were 23.7 and 21.5 per 100 person‐years, respectively. Conclusions: The Long‐Term Research Grant Scheme project: Towards Usual Aging study provides an opportunity to investigate the interactions between wide ranges of aspects of the older population in a nationally representative sample of the older population

Global matrix 2.0:Report card grades on the physical activity of children and youth comparing 38 countries

The Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance organized the concurrent preparation of Report Cards on the physical activity of children and youth in 38 countries from 6 continents (representing 60% of the world's population). Nine common indicators were used (Overall Physical Activity, Organized Sport Participation, Active Play, Active Transportation, Sedentary Behavior, Family and Peers, School, Community and the Built Environment, and Government Strategies and Investments), and all Report Cards were generated through a harmonized development process and a standardized grading framework (from A = excellent, to F = failing). The 38 Report Cards were presented at the International Congress on Physical Activity and Public Health in Bangkok, Thailand on November 16, 2016. The consolidated findings are summarized in the form of a Global Matrix demonstrating substantial variation in grades both within and across countries. Countries that lead in certain indicators often lag in others. Average grades for both Overall Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior around the world are D (low/poor). In contrast, the average grade for indicators related to supports for physical activity was C. Lower-income countries generally had better grades on Overall Physical Activity, Active Transportation, and Sedentary Behaviors compared with higher-income countries, yet worse grades for supports from Family and Peers, Community and the Built Environment, and Government Strategies and Investments. Average grades for all indicators combined were highest (best) in Denmark, Slovenia, and the Netherlands. Many surveillance and research gaps were apparent, especially for the Active Play and Family and Peers indicators. International cooperation and cross-fertilization is encouraged to address existing challenges, understand underlying determinants, conceive innovative solutions, and mitigate the global childhood inactivity crisis. The paradox of higher physical activity and lower sedentary behavior in countries reporting poorer infrastructure, and lower physical activity and higher sedentary behavior in countries reporting better infrastructure, suggests that autonomy to play, travel, or chore requirements and/or fewer attractive sedentary pursuits, rather than infrastructure and structured activities, may facilitate higher levels of physical activity.</p