17 research outputs found
iDietScoreTM: Meal recommender system for athletes and active individuals
Individualized meal planning is a nutrition counseling strategy that focuses on improving food behavior changes. In the sports setting, the number of experts who are sports dietitians or nutritionists (SD/SN) is small in number, and yet the demand for creating meal planning for a vast number of athletes often cannot be met. Although some food recommender system had been proposed to provide healthy menu planning for the general population, no similar solution focused on the
athlete's needs. In this study, the iDietScoreTM architecture was
proposed to give athletes and active individuals virtual
individualized meal planning based on their profile, includes
energy and macronutrients requirement, sports category, age
group, training cycles, training time and individual food
preferences. Knowledge acquisition on the expert domain (the
SN) was conducted prior to the system design through a semistructured interview to understand meal planning activities' workflow. The architecture comprises: (1) iDietScoreTM web for SN/SD, (2) mobile application for athletes and active individuals and (3) expert system. SN/SD used the iDietScoreTM web to develop a meal plan and initiate the compilation meal plan database for further use in the expert system. The user used iDietScoreTM mobile app to receive the virtual individualized meal plan. An inference-based expert system was applied in the current study to generate the meal plan recommendation and meal reconstruction for the user. Further research is necessary to evaluate the prototype
Teachers’ and Parents’ Perspectives on the Feasibility of a Preschool-Based Behavioral Intervention to Prevent Obesity: An Embedded Qualitative Study within ToyBox Study Malaysia
The aim of this qualitative study, an embedded component of ToyBox Study Malaysia (TSM), was to elicit the perspectives of
teachers and parents regarding the implementation of TSM. TSM is a preschool-based behavioral intervention program aimed
at improving healthy energy balance-related behaviors among young children attending preschools. The qualitative study
adopted a descriptive-interpretive methodology, and triangulated data collected through semi-structured focus groups with
artifacts collected. The setting involved rural and metropolitan preschools in Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, respectively.
In Sarawak, 11 teachers and 20 parents from six intervention preschools participated in this study. In Peninsular Malaysia,
14 preschool teachers and seven assistant teachers representing all 15 intervention preschools participated in the study.
Data were analyzed thematically and four overarching themes were identifed: impact of TSM on the children’s knowledge
and practices of healthy energy balance-related behaviors; spheres of infuence upon the children’s energy balance-related
behaviors; constraints and afordances related to the implementation of TSM; and prospective sustainability of TSM. The
triangulation of data from teachers, parents, and the artifacts related to TSM enabled the corroboration of evidence to support the themes identifed. This study provides evidence on the reciprocal interactions between the teachers and parents
who played key roles in facilitating behavioral change in the children, and the children who, in turn, served as change agents
beyond the preschool. Furthermore, the mediational tools such as the TSM crockery and availability of healthy food and
water led to the reported behavioral changes at both rural and metropolitan settings
From ToyBox Study to eToyBox : Advancing Childhood Obesity Reduction in Malaysian Kindergartens
Prevention and treatment of childhood obesity is a global concern, and in Malaysia, it is considered a national public health priority. Determinants of childhood obesity are multifactorial and include factors that directly and indirectly influence energy balance-related behaviours, including energy intake and energy expenditure. Interventions to address childhood obesity that have multiple components at different levels have been shown to be the most influential. The ToyBox-study is a childhood obesity intervention aimed at preschool-aged children and their families that had been shown to be effective in several European countries and so was chosen for adaption for the Malaysian setting. Materials were translated and adjusted for the Malaysian context and audience and
implemented in kindergartens in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, teaching transitioned to being online. This brought an opportunity to reach a wider audience and consider the long-term sustainability of the intervention, and thus eToybox was born. eToybox aims to bring support for healthy energy balance behaviours directly to the teachers, into kindergartens and homes, to encourage families to be active and eat healthily, and prevent or reduce obesity. Through online innovation, the Toybox Study Malaysia programme has been expanded to enhance its potential to impact the promotion of healthy lifestyles among preschoolers and their families, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to preventing and treating childhood obesity in Malaysia
Validity and Reliability of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to Assess Dietary Intake of Preschool Children
As there are few food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) to assess the dietary intake of preschool children, this study examined the validity and reliability of an FFQ for this purpose. A total of 210 preschoolers aged 4 to 6 years participated in the validation study, while a subsample of 66 participants joined the reliability study. The FFQ is modified from the ToyBox-study and South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS), and comprised 108 food items from 13 food groups. A three-day
estimated dietary record (3DR) was used as reference and reliability was assessed through a second administration of the FFQ (FFQ2), four weeks after the first administration (FFQ1). For the validation study, Spearman’s correlation coefficients showed moderate to high correlations (p < 0.001) between FFQ and 3DR. Cross-classification of quartile analysis showed moderate agreement between the two methods. As for reliability, Spearman’s correlation coefficients showed moderate to high correlations (p < 0.001) between FFQ1 and FFQ2. Cronbach’s alpha values (0.708 to 0.824) and intraclass correlation coefficients (0.710 to 0.826) showed good agreement between repeated FFQs. The results suggest that
the FFQ has acceptable validity and good reliability. Hence, the FFQ can be used to assess preschool
children’s food intake
Kajian Rintis Penilaian Literasi Digital : Kesediaan Guru Prasekolah Menggunakan Platform Pembelajaran dalam Talian untuk Pendidikan Pemakanan = (A Pilot Study Assessing Digital Literacy: Preschool Teachers’ Readiness to Use Online Learning Platforms in Nutrition Education)
eToyBox is a learning management system for preschool teachers to improve their health literacy, which ultimately aims to improve children’s obesity-related behaviour. As part of the development process of eToyBox, assessment on digital literacy, acceptance of digitization of education materials, and perceived barriers in adopting online learning is needed. Fifty-four preschool teachers under the Community Development Department (KEMAS) in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Sarawak, who participated in ToyBox Study Malaysia intervention in 2018, took part in this cross-sectional study. An online self-administered questionnaire was used to assess sociodemographic background, use of communication tools and media, and teacher’s views on adapting the ToyBox modules to digital education materials. Respondents were contacted, and questionnaire link was shared through WhatsApp messages. Most participants (74.0%) were Malay females aged 31 to 40 years old. Most participants had internet access (94.4%) and owned at least a smart phone, laptop or tablet (94.4%). Participants perceived their computer skills to be average (75.0%). Majority of respondents (65.0%) reported advanced and higher abilities in word processing and email, but only 22.0% in spreadsheet skills. The main barrier to accessing online material was unstable internet connection (74.1%). Most respondents (90.0%) agree that adapting effective modules to online learning will be beneficial for professional development and teaching practices. In conclusion, most participants supported digitizing Toybox Study Malaysia educational content and were comfortable
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with its implementation via an online learning platform. The findings from this study can advise future development of online learning materials for preschool teachers in Malaysia
Panduan Aktiviti Kelas : Jom Minum!
Minuman sangat penting untuk kanak-kanak dan
kita semua. Kanak-kanak yang berumur 3 hingga 6
tahun harus minum 800 ml hingga 1 liter air setiap
hari. Bagaimanapun, ramai kanak-kanak gemar
minum minuman bersoda dan jus dalam kotak/botol
(contohnya Cola dan Cola Light, kordial, jus oren
manis atau tanpa gula dan lain-lain). Kebanyakan
minuman ini mengandungi gula dan kalori yang tinggi,
dan kebiasaannya diambil dengan makanan utama
harian. Dalam jangka masa panjang, penggunaan
biasa minuman berkarbonat dan jus dalam kotak/
botol boleh membawa kepada peningkatan lebih
berat badan dan obesiti
Panduan Aktiviti Kelas : Jom Aktif!
Aktiviti fizikal – cara untuk membina personaliti
Kehidupan harian kanak-kanak kita semakin banyak
dipengaruhi oleh aktiviti yang tidak aktif. Aktiviti
sedentari adalah kelakuan atau aktiviti yang terdiri
daripada duduk dan baring. Contohnya, menonton televisyen dan/atau DVD, menggunakan komputer, mewarna, dan membaca buku. Oleh itu, bukan sahaja penting kepada keluarga, tetapi juga kepada pihak prasekolah dan sekolah, untuk memberi perhatian kepada jumlah masa kanak-kanak menjadi aktif setiap hari. Kanak-kanak prasekolah harus aktif setiap hari selama 3 jam, tidak kira berapa kali bersenam. Selain itu, kanak-kanak perlu diberi peluang 2-3 kali seminggu untuk menyertai sesi pendidikan jasmani yang berstruktur
Validity and Reliability of a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to Assess Dietary Intake of Preschool Children
As there are few food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) to assess the dietary intake of preschool children, this study examined the validity and reliability of an FFQ for this purpose. A total of 210 preschoolers aged 4 to 6 years participated in the validation study, while a subsample of 66 participants joined the reliability study. The FFQ is modified from the ToyBox-study and South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS), and comprised 108 food items from 13 food groups. A three-day estimated dietary record (3DR) was used as reference and reliability was assessed through a second administration of the FFQ (FFQ2), four weeks after the first administration (FFQ1). For the validation study, Spearman’s correlation coefficients showed moderate to high correlations (p < 0.001) between FFQ and 3DR. Cross-classification of quartile analysis showed moderate agreement between the two methods. As for reliability, Spearman’s correlation coefficients showed moderate to high correlations (p < 0.001) between FFQ1 and FFQ2. Cronbach’s alpha values (0.708 to 0.824) and intraclass correlation coefficients (0.710 to 0.826) showed good agreement between repeated FFQs. The results suggest that the FFQ has acceptable validity and good reliability. Hence, the FFQ can be used to assess preschool children’s food intake