Classification of frontal alpha asymmetry using k-Nearest Neighbor

Frontal alpha asymmetry is used as the EEG feature in this study. Total number of 43 students participated in EEG data collections of relax and non-relax conditions. The spectral power of the alpha band for both left and right brain are extracted using data segmentations and then the Asymmetry Score (AS) is computed. Subtractive clustering is used to predetermine the number of cluster center that are presented in the data. While Fuzzy C-Means (FCM), is used to discriminate the EEG data into an appropriate cluster after the total number of cluster had been determined. The classification rate obtained from the k-Nearest Neighbor (k-NN) classifier is 84.62% which gives the highest classification rate

Eating behaviors among female adolescents in Kuantan District, Pahang, Malaysia.

This study examined eating behaviors among female adolescents. A total of 407 female students aged between 13-19 years were randomly selected from two secondary schools in Kuantan district, Pahang, Malaysia. All participants were required to complete a self-administered Eating Behaviors Questionnaire and their weight and height were measured by the researchers. A majority of the participants were Malays (65.3%), followed by Chinese (28.3%) and Indians (6.4%). There were 5.9% underweight participant, 75.4% were normal-weight and 18.7% were overweight. About one third (35.9%) never skipped any of the daily three meals, but another half (52.6%) skipped at least one meal a day and the remaining (11.5%) had even skipped all three meals in a day. The most frequently missed meals were breakfast (47.4%). Half (51.4%) snacked between meals daily and three in four (76.9%) had their meals with family members. No differences were found between the socio-demographic variables (age, household members, parent's total year of schooling, parental monthly income and living arrangement) and meal skipping behaviors. However, those who usually skipped meals were those who usually eat alone (Chi2= 16.933, p < 0.0001), overweight (Chi2= 15.943, p < 0.05) and were Malays (Chi2= 33.827, p < 0.05). In conclusion, meal skipping, snacking and practicing various weight loss behaviors were some of the unhealthy eating behavior depicted among adolescent girls. Focusing on promotion of healthy eating that stressed on the importance of regular intakes of main meals during adolescence is crucial for their current and future health and well-being

Determination of factors associated with physical activity levels among adolescents attending school in Kuantan, Malaysia.

Introduction: Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey III (MOH, 2008) indicate a 43.7% prevalence of physical inactivity among Malaysian adults. This sedentary lifestyle can also be observed among children and adolescents. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine factors associated with physical activity levels of four hundred, 13 year-old adolescents in Kuantan, Pahang. Data on socio-demographic, health-related, and psychosocial factors were collected using a self-administered questionnaire while physical activity level was assessed using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Results: About one-third of the respondents were in the low physical activity level category, 61.5% were in the moderate category and only 3.0% of the adolescents were in the high physical activity level category. Males were more physically active than females (χ 2=23.667, p=0.0001) with female adolescents (45.1%) twice as likely as male adolescents (22.1%) to be in the low physical activity level category. The associations between physical activity level with socio-demographic and health-related factors, perception of weight status and body parts satisfaction were not significant. However, physical activity was found to be positively correlated with physical activity self-efficacy (r=0.496, p=0.0001), peer influence (r=0.468, p=0.0001), family influence (r=0.298, p=0.0001) and beliefs in physical activity outcomes (r=0.207, p=0.0001). Negative relationships were found between physical activity with depression (r=-0.116, p=0.021) and body size discrepancy (r=-0.143, p<0.01). Respondents who had a better perception of their current health status were more physically active (χ 2=21.062, p=0.0001). Multivariate analyses for the prediction of physical activity showed that physical activity self-efficacy, sex and peer influence were the most significant contributors in explaining physical activity among adolescents. Conclusion: Physical activity interventions should include psychosocial components as mediator variables in interventions designed to promote regular physical activity in adolescence

Familial and socio-environmental predictors of overweight and obesity among primary school children in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

Introduction: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the familial and socio-environmental predictors of overweight and obesity among 1430, 9-12 year-old primary school children and their parents in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Methodology: Body weight and height were measured and body mass index was calculated. Modified Child Feeding (CFQ) and Determinants of Adolescent Social Well-being and Health (DASH) questionnaires were used to measure familial and socio-environmental factors. Results: A total of 17.9% of the children were overweight while 16.0% were obese. Positive relationships were found between child’s BMI and parent’s BMI (r = 0.129, p < 0.01), concern about child’s weight (r = 0.125, p < 0.01) and restriction (r = 0.057, p < 0.05) to unhealthy foods. However, negative relationships were found between child’s BMI with pressure to eat (r = -0.135, p < 0.01) and neighbourhood safety perception (r = -0.053, p < 0.05). The logistic regression analysis showed that being male (Exp(β) = 0.538; 95% CI = 0.421-0.687), higher parent’s BMI (Exp (β) = 1.055; 95% CI = 1.028-1.082), higher concern about child’s weight (Exp (β) = 1.082; 95% CI = 1.030-1.127), low pressure to eat (Exp (β) = 0.857; 95% CI = 0.801-0.916) and low perception of neighbourhood safety (Exp (β) = 0.951; 95% CI = 0.913-0.990) were significantly associated with increased risk of overweight. Conclusion: Parents should be the main target for education to modify children’s weight status. Further research should be carried out to understand the mechanism of influence of parents and the socio-environment on child’s health

Associations between home environment, behavioral factors and body-mass-index among primary school children in Selangor, Malaysia

This study aimed to determine the associations between home environment, behavioral factors, and BMI-for-age among children in Selangor. A total of 568 children aged 10.6 ± 0.6 years and their parents participated in this study. Parents self-reported their body weight and height and completed a questionnaire that assesses the home environment and their weight management knowledge. Body weight and height of the children were measured. Questions that assessed eating behaviors were answered by the children. A two-day dietary and physical activity recalls were used to assess the energy intake and energy expenditure of the children. The prevalence of overweight and obesity (28.3%) was three times higher than underweight (9.0%)among the children. More boys (37.7%) than girls (23.8%) were overweight and obese (t = 3.791, p < 0.05). Similarly, there were more overweight and obese parents (52.7% fathers; 46.1% mothers) than underweight parents (4.4% fathers; 6.2% mothers). Father's BMI (r = 0.178, p < 0.05), mother's BMI (r = 0.223, p < 0.05), availability of physical activity at home (r = −0.105, p < 0.05), availability of fat/sweet at home (r = 0.088, p < 0.05), energy intake(r = −0.618, p < 0.05), and energy expenditure (r = −0.639, p < 0.05) were associated with BMI-for-age, respectively. The multiple linear regression analysis showed that being male (β = 0.526), with low energy expenditure (β = −0.071), low energy intake (β = −0.026), high BMI of father (β = 0.019), and high BMI of mother (β = 0.047) contributed towards high BMI-for-age of the children (R2: 58.3%; F = 163.825, p < 0.05). The prevalence of overweight and obesity was high in both parents and their children. Family-based interventions that promote healthy eating and active lifestyle is recommended in preventing and managing childhood obesity

Differences in eating behaviors, dietary intake and body weight status between male and fermale Malaysian University students.

University students are potentially important targets for the promotion of healthy lifestyles as this may reduce the risks of lifestyle-related disorders later in life. This cross-sectional study examined differences in eating behaviours, dietary intake, weight status, and body composition between male and female university students. A total of 584 students (59.4% females and 40.6% males) aged 20.6 +/- 1.4 years from four Malaysian universities in the Klang Valley participated in this study. Participants completed the Eating Behaviours Questionnaire and two-day 24-hour dietary recall. Body weight, height, waist circumference and percentage of body fat were measured. About 14.3% of males and 22.4% of females were underweight, while 14.0% of males and 12.3% of females were overweight and obese. A majority of the participants (73.8% males and 74.6% females) skipped at least one meal daily in the past seven days. Breakfast was the most frequently skipped meal. Both males and females frequently snacked during morning tea time. Fruits and biscuits were the most frequently consumed snack items. More than half of the participants did not meet the Malaysian Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) for energy, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron (females only), and calcium. Significantly more males than females achieved the RNI levels for energy, protein and iron intakes. This study highlights the presence of unhealthy eating behaviours, inadequate nutrient intake, and a high prevalence of underweight among university students. Energy and nutrient intakes differed between the sexes. Therefore, promoting healthy eating among young adults is crucial to achieve a healthy nutritional status

Disordered eating behaviors, depression, anxiety and stress among Malaysian University students.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between depression, anxiety and stress with disordered eating among university students. The Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were administered on 584 Malaysian university students (59.4% females and 40.6% males). About one in five participants (18.2%) were at risk of eating disorders. Females had significantly higher proportion of at risk of eating disorders (21.3%) compared to males (13.5%). There was no sex difference in mean EAT-26 scores. The prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress of moderate severity or above were 29.3%, 55.0% and 21.6% respectively. No sex differences in depression and anxiety scores were found but females had significantly higher stress score compared to males. There was significant relationship between EAT-26 and DASS-21 subscales. Further, no significant interaction effect was found for sex and ethnicity with EAT-26 and DASS-21 subscales. The prevalence of at risk of eating disorders, depression, anxiety and stress among university students were high. There were positive correlations between depression, nxiety, and stress with disordered eating. Further studies on their associated risks are warranted

Comparison of food choice motives between malay husbands and wives in an urban community.

The main objective of this study was to determine the motives underlying the selection of foods between husbands and wives in an urban community. This cross-sectional study was carried out in Bandar Baru Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia among 150 married couples aged 20 and above, who voluntarily agreed to participate and were not on any special diet. Data were collected using the Food Choice Questionnaire (FCQ) which measured the health-related and non healthrelated factor that influence people's food choices. It consisted of 36 items designed to assess the reported importance of nine factors: health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price, weight control, familiarity, and ethical concern. In this study, the FCQ was adapted and a new factor, religion (religious guidelines), was included. Demographic characteristics including age, occupation, education, household income and household size were also collected. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16. Results showed that 40.7% of husbands (mean age= 43.33 + 11.16 years) and 55.3% of wives (mean age= 41.28 + 10.93 years) perceived themselves as the main food shopper while 12.0% of the husbands and 85.3% of the wives perceived themselves as the main meal planner. Husbands rated religion as the most prominent factor in food choice motives with a mean average rating of 4.56 + 0.59 on a 5-point rating scale, followed by health and convenience factor. Meanwhile, the wives rated health as the most essential factor with mean average rating of 4.49 + 0.58, followed by religion and convenience factor. Sensory appeal, ethical concerns and familiarity were rated as the bottom three factors of food choice motives among these two groups. Price of foods was not considered as an important factor in making food choices for the subjects in this study. In conclusion, the husbands and wives of this urban community rated religion, health and convenience as the three most important food choice motives in food selection

Dietary patterns as a predictive factor for overweight and obesity among secondary school children in Mashhad, Iran

This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among secondary school children in the city of Mashhad, Iran and its association with dietary patterns. A total of 1189 secondary school children (579 males and 610 females) aged 12- 14 years old were selected through a stratified multistage random sampling. All adolescents were measured for weight and height. Household socio-demographic information were self-reported by parents. Adolescents were classified as overweight or obese based on BMI-for age Z-score. Dietary patterns were assessed using a validated Iranian food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) included 121 food items. The principal component factor analysis (PCA) was applied to derive dietary patterns, and Logistic Regression (LR) was applied to examine the association between dietary pattern and adolescents BMI. The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity among the study population was 17.2% and 11.9%, respectively. The PCA analysis revealed the presence of two dietary patterns that were labeled as ‘Healthy dietary pattern’ (HP), and ‘Unhealthy dietary pattern’ (UP). LR analysis showed that HP was significantly associated with BMI (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.124-1.47). Similarly, UP was significantly associated with BMI (OR: 0.861, 95% CI: .725-.968). In Iran, nutritional transition has taken place in the context of urbanization and has changed lifestyle, and dietary patterns. Policies must be formulated and circulated in the society to reach every family in the form of healthy dietary pattern

Direct and indirect effects of sociocultural influences on disordered eating among Malaysian male and female university students : a mediation analysis of psychological distress.

This study aimed to examine the role of psychological distress in the relationships between sociocultural influences (social pressure to be thin and weight teasing) and disordered eating. Data were collected from 584 university students (59.4% females and 40.6% males), aged 18–24 years old (M = 20.6, SD = 1.4), selected from four universities in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Participants completed four standardized questionnaires which measured social pressure to be thin, weight-related teasing, psychological distress and disordered eating. A good fit structural equation modeling (SEM) model was developed for both sexes. For males, the SEM model revealed that sociocultural influences showed an indirect effect on disordered eating through psychological distress. For females, the model showed an indirect effect of sociocultural influences on disordered eating through psychological distress, as well as a direct effect of sociocultural influences on disordered eating. In conclusion, psychological distress mediated the relationships between sociocultural influences and disordered eating in both males and females. Our results suggest that disordered eating intervention programs on reducing psychological distress in university students may be beneficial