Food labeling regulation has been implemented to enable consumers, including those with chronic diseases to make healthy informed choices before purchasing pre-packaged foods. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of obese adults in Malaysia who practice reading food labels. It explored types of labels read and understanding of the information. Findings presented in this study were captured from the secondary analysis of National Health and Morbidity Survey’s (NHMS, 2006) food label study which focused only on obese adults (BMI > 30 kg/m2) aged 18 and above. This nation-wide cross sectional study was conducted from April to August 2006 using an interview-based questionnaire. Complex data analysis was done using Stata version 12.0. There were 4565 obese respondents with the mean age of 33 ± 9.7 (18 – 60 years old). About 54.7% completed high-school and 9.9% were higher degree holders. Prevalence of obese adults who claimed to read label was 80.5% (95%CI: 79.3, 81.6). Findings showed significant results in reading and understanding labels among all age group categories, Malay, Indian and other Bumiputras, all education categories and married respondents. Expiry date was the highest percentage being read (74.5%), followed by fat content (15.3%), vitamin (11.8%) and carbohydrate (10.9%). The obese population in Malaysia claimed to read and understand the food label but did not focus on specific macronutrients related to their health condition. Findings can be used to implement effective education programmes targeting the relevant groups to instill an awareness to read, understand and use the label information as one of the means in combating obesity.
Obesity ; Adult ; Food Labeling ; Malaysia

Chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is associated with adverse effects. However, NSAIDs are among the most popular pain killers and easily available over the counter. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of NSAIDs use in Malaysian adults and among those with chronic diseases such as arthritis, kidney disease, hypertension, heart disease and asthma. It also examined the factors associated with NSAIDs use. Data from the National Health Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2011, a nation-wide survey was analysed. A total of 18231 respondents aged 18 years and above responded to this module. Multivariate logistic regression was used to investigate the association between NSAIDs use and associated factors. The overall prevalence of NSAIDs use among Malaysian adults was 14.2% (95%CI 13.3-15.1). Of the respondents, 4.2% (95%CI 3.8-4.7) took NSAIDs once daily. NSAIDs use was highly associated with those who were ever-told to have arthritis (aOR: 3.03; 95%CI 2.60-3.52) and have difficulty of performing daily activities or work (aOR: 2.06; 95%CI 1.86-2.28). Those who were ever-told to have kidney disease (aOR: 2.36; 95%CI 1.74-3.20), ever-told to have asthma (aOR: 1.36; 95%CI 1.17-1.58), ever-told to have heart disease (aOR: 1.34; 95%CI 1.08-1.65), known hypertension (aOR: 1.22; 95%CI 1.08-1.37) also were associated with NSAIDs use. By socio-demographic profiles, NSAIDs use was positively associated with those who have government benefit scheme or private health insurance (aOR: 1.44; 95%CI 1.31-1.58), higher education level (aOR: 1.35; 95%CI 1.20-1.51), higher household income (aOR: 1.26; 95%CI 1.11-1.44, aOR: 1.12; 95%CI 1.02-1.24), currently working (aOR: 1.25; 95%CI 1.13-1.39) and female (aOR: 1.17; 95%CI 1.07-1.28). NSAIDs use was less likely among those aged 60 years and above (aOR: 0.83; 95% CI 0.72-0.97), Chinese (aOR: 0.41; 95% CI 0.36-0.47) and ‘Others’ ethnicity (aOR: 0.82; 95% CI 0.67-0.99) compared to Malay ethnicity. NSAIDs use is prevalent in Malaysian adults and associated with co-morbidities and higher socio-demographic status, thus appropriate awareness should be promoted and highlighted in the community.
non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs ; NSAIDs use ; NHMS ; prevalence ; Malaysia.

Introduction: Changes in dietary habits are known to be associated with changes in health outcomes. This study determined food choices among Malaysian adults using secondary data of the Malaysian Adults Nutrition Survey (MANS) in 2003 and MANS in 2014. Methods: A total of 6,742 and 3,000 adults aged 18 to 59 years participated in MANS 2003 and MANS 2014, respectively. Both studies used a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to assess habitual food intake. Results: Overall, the prevalence of adults consuming rice twice daily were 97.3% and 86.9% in 2003 and 2014, respectively. While the percentage of urban dwellers who consumed rice daily differed significantly between 2003 (96.7%) and 2014 (86.9%), the percentage remained quite similar among rural adults in 2003 (97.8%) and 2014 (96.3%). Other top ten food items consumed daily were sugar (2003, 58.5% vs 2014, 55.9%), marine fish (40.8% vs 29.4%), green leafy vegetables (39.9% vs 43.2%) and sweetened condensed milk (35.2% vs 29.3%). In both surveys, a higher percentage of men consumed rice, sugar and sweetened condensed milk on a daily basis compared to women, a higher proportion of whom daily consumed green leafy vegetables and marine fish. Majority of the adults reported drinking plain water daily. Other beverages taken daily were tea, coffee and chocolate-malt drinks. Conclusion: Rice, sugar and sweetened condensed milk were among the top food items consumed daily in 2003 and 2014. Educational efforts to improve dietary intake of Malaysian adults is recommended.