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Background: With the high prevalence of hypertension, it is important to determine its predictors early. The aim of this study was to determine the association between blood pressure with anthropometric indices and birth weight among a population of Malay adolescents in Kuala Lumpur. Design and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 254 primary and secondary school adolescents aged 10 to 16 years. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were determined through standardized protocols, while participants' birth weight was obtained from birth certificate. Body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and a body shape index (ABSI) were calculated. Results: Boys had significantly higher weight, height, WC, WHtR and systolic blood pressure (SBP) than girls (p +1SD had higher odds of being prehypertensive or hypertensive (aOR 8.97; 95% CI 3.16, 25.48), followed by participants with WC ≥ 90th percentile (aOR 6.31; 95% CI 2.48, 16.01) and participants with WHtR > 0.5 (aOR 5.10; 95% CI 2.05, 12.69). Multiple linear regression showed BMI was positively associated with both SBP and DBP. No significant association was found between birth weight and BP. Conclusion: BMI had the best predictive ability for SBP and DBP. These findings strongly emphasize the importance of primary prevention of hypertension in adolescents, especially among those with high BMI.

The importance of the first 1000 days of life for children has been acknowledged as a crucial phase for malnutrition prevention, where understanding the underlying causes of the problem should be done accordingly. Thus, the study's objective was to find the factors associated with malnutrition in children under 2 years old. A crosssectional study was conducted involving mothers and children under 2 years old dyads (n = 244). A structured and validated socio-demographic and nutrition KAP questionnaire was used whilst weight and height were measured. In this study, 19.3%, 11.8%, and 10.2% of children were stunted, underweight, and wasted, respectively, according to the WHO Growth Reference cut-off. By using multiple logistic regression, this study found that children who have low birth weight and whose mothers have poor nutrition knowledge have higher odds of malnutrition. In conclusion, proper prevention planning considering these associated factors should be done to ensure the effectiveness of the malnutrition prevention program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]