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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.

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.

Background Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is defined as a cluster of risk factors for predicting type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. Objectives This cross-sectional study aimed to develop a cut-off value for fat versus lean mass ratio (FLMR) in predicting MetS and to investigate the association between this indicator with MetS and its components. Methods Subjects comprised 238 Malay adolescents (79% female) aged 18–19 years old. Anthropometric assessment comprised weight, height and waist circumference (WC). Body composition was measured using bioelectrical impedance analysis techniques while blood pressure was measured using a blood pressure monitor. Fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol , triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were determined from an overnight fasting blood sample. MetS was determined based on International Diabetes Federation (2007) definition for adolescents aged 16-year-old and above. Results The prevalence of MetS was 2.1%. Receiver Operating Characteristics curve analysis revealed that the optimal cut-off value for FLMR was 0.441 with an Area Under the Curve of 0.874 (95% CI: 0.825, 0.913); with sensitivity of 80.0% and specificity of 71.0%. FLMR cut-off of 0.441 was associated with high WC ( p < .001), low HDL-c ( p < .001) and MetS ( p < .05). Binary Logistic Regression analysis revealed that adolescents with high WC, low HDL-c and MetS had higher odds of developing increased FLMR than the cut-off value with an odds ratio (OR) of 43.4 (95% CI: 9.7,193.9), 4.7 (95% CI: 2.3,9.8) and 13.3 (95% CI: 1.5,121.2), respectively. Conclusion FLMR possesses fair discriminatory ability in identifying MetS among adolescents and significant association exists between FLMR and MetS and some of its components.

Objective: The aim of this study was to objectively measure physical activity and its association with sociodemographic factors among Malaysian primary school-age children. Methods: A total of 111 primary school children in Kuala Lumpur were selected through random sampling. Activity pattern was determined using pedometers and differences by sex, ethnicity and body mass index categories were analysed. The relationship between pedometer-determined physical activity and sociodemographic factors were also studied. Results: Overall, boys attained significantly higher daily step counts than girls (9573 ± 4145 vs 7313 ± 2697). Significant difference in daily step counts between boys and girls were observed during weekdays ( p

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]

Nowadays, mobile health (mHealth) intervention has become a popular and convenient strategy to support exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). However, the effectiveness of the mHealth intervention on this topic is still ambiguous. Thus, a scoping review was done to map the available evidence and identify the impact of mHealth interventions to support EBF. A scoping review of English academic journals was conducted using four electronic databases (Scopus, EBSCOHost, Google Scholar, and Science Direct) from 2016 to 2021. Only 23 articles were eligible. The sample size ranged from 50 to 1,568 participants, aged 18 and above. About 60% of the reviewed articles showed that mHealth interventions had a significant impact on EBF. The intervention group that received the mHealth tools had longer and higher EBF rates and duration compared to the control group. Other articles did not find a significant mHealth intervention impact towards EBF; however, it increased breastfeeding efficacy, mother's knowledge and the child's body weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body image is the picture of how our body is perceived and stored in our minds. During puberty, many changes occur in the body of adolescents. Often, a change in physical appearance has an impact on the levels of the body's satisfaction. Thus, it is crucial to assess the body image among adolescents to ensure the wellbeing of both physical and mental health is at the optimal stage. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the body fat percentage of female adolescents. Then, to evaluate the association between weight status and body image perception. Lastly, to assess whether the attitudes towards body image are predictive of female adolescents' weight status. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 198 female adolescents in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu. Anthropometric measurements included weight and height, and BMI was determined. Body composition was assessed by using Bio-electrical Impedance Analysis through Bodystat Quadscan 4000 instrument. Body image perception was measured using Stunkard's Figure Rating Scale and Attitudes towards Body Image that was adapted from the Multidimensional Body Self Relation Questionnaire (MBSRQ). A total of 27.8% of female adolescents were overweight and 1.0% were obese by body fat. Among the female adolescents, 62.5% were dissatisfied with their body image, although 57.5% of them were in the normal weight category. Pearson's Chi-Square test revealed there is an association between weight status and body image perception among female adolescents (p<0.045). Based on the Multiple Linear Regression Analysis, there is a significant linear relationship between attitudes towards body image, the domain of comparison of body shape, and BMI (p<0.005). Thus, for every 1 unit increase in the domain of comparison of body shape, there will be a 0.570 decrease in BMI. Comparison of body shape is a significant predicting factor for BMI. In conclusion, further study should be carried out to investigate the factors that can lead to the development of dissatisfaction with body image and the effects of getting negative body image in life of the adolescents during their adolescent's phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Body composition is defined as the proportion of fat (FM) and fat-free mass (FFM) in our body. It is an important aspect of both individual's and populations' health. The rising prevalence of obesity among adolescents has highlighted the significance of body fat measurement and the factors that influence it. Therefore, this study aims to measure the body fat percentage (BF%) by using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and to observe its association with pubertal status among Malay adolescents in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu. Adolescents from 10 to 16 years old were the subject of this crosssectional study. Weight, height, and waist circumference were measured anthropometrically, and body composition was determined using Bodystat Quadscan 4000 through BIA procedures. Questionnaires consist of socio-demographic characteristics and Tanner staging for the determination of pubertal status. A total of 310 students participated in this study (female, n=165, male n=145). The percentage of overweight and obese adolescents in Kuala Nerus was 12.9% and 10.6%, respectively. The difference in BF% between genders was significant (p<0.001), with pubertal girls having a greater BF% than boys (28.05±7.31% vs 17.20±8.43%). Between pubertal status and BF%, there was a significant difference (p<0.05). However, there was no significant association between BF% and pubertal status. Gender and pubertal status have an impact on the BF%. Thus, pubertal status should be considered when measuring BF% because it varies by individual and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This review aimed to identify the effect of physical activity in reducing depression symptoms during pregnancy through scoping review. Material and Methods: A scoping review of English academic journals was conducted using three electronic databases (Scopus, EBSCOHost and Science Direct) from 2015 to 2019. The research articles related to any type of physical activity or exercise during pregnancy for depression were included, while review and articles on pregnancy-related diseases such as gesta- tional diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and mental disorder were excluded. Results: Among 123 articles of the search results of electronic databases, only 14 articles were eligible. The sample size ranged from 36 to 18,040 participants, aged 18 to 45 years old. Most of the studies involving pregnant women in their second and third trimesters who practice physical activity regularly showed a reduction in depression and anxiety level. Conclusions: Physical activity during pregnancy reduces depressive symptoms and may prevent depression. Studies focusing on the effect of physical activity on depression during pregnancy and its impact on the mother's mental health are necessary for Malaysia and Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]