1.E-cigarettes: Facts and legal status
Davendralingam Sinniah ; Erwin Jiayuan Khoo
International e-Journal of Science, Medicine and Education 2015;9(3):10-19
The sale of tobacco-based cigarettes has
declined in western countries, and ‘Big Tobacco’ is trying
to make up the deficit in profits from the developing
world. The recent introduction of e-cigarette, in
which they have invested both their hopes and their
finances, has been a boon to them as it serves to
confuse smokers and non-smokers about the real issues
relating to the toxicity, dangers, and the promotion of
nicotine addiction especially among youths who have
not previously smoked cigarettes. E-cigarettes cause
inflammation and damage to epithelial cells in human
airways and increased risk of infection. E-cigarette
vapour contains more carcinogens like formaldehyde
and acetaldehyde compared to a regular cigarette. Longterm
vaping is associated with an incremental lifetime
cancer risk. E-cigarettes are neither safe nor effective
in helping smokers quit; there is enough evidence to
caution children, adolescents, pregnant women, and
women of reproductive age about e-cigarette’s potential
for long term consequences to foetal and adolescent
brain development that sub-serve emotional and
cognitive functions. The nicotine effects that cause
modification of late CNS development constitute a
hazard of adolescent nicotine use. The American Heart
Association (AHA), Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), World Health Organisation (WHO) and twothirds
of the major nations in the world discourage the
promotion of e-cigarettes as an alternative to proven
nicotine-addiction treatments. Doctors, health care
workers, and medical students should be armed with the
facts about e-cigarettes, its dangers, and the legal status
concerning its use, in order to be able to offer proper
counselling to patients and adolescents, in particular,
with special reference to the Malaysian context.
Electronic Cigarettes
2.Characteristics of dietary intakes including NOVA foods among pre-adolescents living in urban Kuala Lumpur – Findings from the PREBONE-Kids study
Wai Yew Yang ; Soon Yee Wong ; Shu Hwa Ong ; Kanimolli Arasu ; Chung Yuan Chang ; Megan Hueh Zan Chong ; Meenal Mavinkurve ; Erwin Jiayuan Khoo ; Karuthan Chinna ; Connie M. Weaver ; Winnie Siew Swee Chee
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 2023;29(No.3):401-414
Introduction: Evidence showed considerable variability of health risk factors within different socioeconomic groups. This study aimed to characterise dietary intakes by total household income among a sample of Malaysian pre-adolescents in urban Kuala Lumpur. Methods: Baseline data of 243 healthy, pre-adolescent children between 9 and 11 years old including socio-demographic background (gender, ethnicity, and total household monthly income), anthropometry (body weight and height), and
7-day diet histories were collected. Secondary analysis was performed on dietary intakes to quantify food groups based on the Malaysian Dietary Guidelines and NOVA classification systems besides nutrients. Differences and associations between total monthly household income categories with anthropometry and dietary intakes were tested using independent t-test/Mann-Whitney U (depending on normality) and chi-square tests, respectively. Results: Most children in this study population
had dietary intakes below the recommended serving sizes for five food groups, except meat/poultry (195.2±107.2%) and fish (110.1±106.3%) and consumed about 32% of energy from ultra-processed foods (NOVA food group 4). While there was no difference in dietary intake between the bottom 40% with the middle 40% and high 20% household income groups, the percentage of energy contributed by NOVA food group 4 (processed fats/oils, condiments, and sauces) was higher in the bottom 40% households (p=0.024). Conclusion: Most pre-adolescent children in this study, regardless of household income, did not meet dietary recommendations and ate diets comprised of less nutritious foods. Comprehensive approaches that aim to improve dietary patterns and reduce the risk of diet-related chronic diseases are warranted.