BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: High levels of total cholesterol, according to the Food and Nutrition Research Institute, are among the top significant contributing factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The awareness of cholesterol at the community level is critical in potential prevention and preparedness. This paper aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of adults on cholesterol management to determine their risk to CVD. METHODS: The study targeted employed populations (20 to 55 years old) who were undiagnosed with hyper- cholesterolemia and other severe chronic diseases. The participants were categorized based on their work mobility: (a) sedentary; and (b) active. KAP scores were predefined as high, moderate, low, and very low risk. RESULTS: Results showed that 52% of the participants had excellent overall knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) scores, thus had the lowest risk of developing hypercholesterolemia. However, 28% resulted in having the highest risk among the population. CONCLUSION The results of this study showed the level of good KAP among employed adults to be relatively high. Despite the gaps in KAP measurement, respondents showed interest in cholesterol-lowering interventions. Further studies are therefore necessary to fill the findings with a more concrete resolution.

Background: Filipino farmers recorded the highest incidence of poverty in the last decade. In addition, a heightened awareness was observed within agriculture and different government agencies to better understand the link between agriculture and nutrition. However, limited studies have been conducted in the Philippines integrating nutritionsensitive agriculture into the Municipal Agricultural Development Plan (MADP). Objectives: This study aims to determine the effect of capacity building on the knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy of municipal agriculturists on Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) in CALABARZON. Methods: This study utilized a non-randomized controlled trial design to measure the change in knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy of the municipal agriculturists on NSA and nutrition sensitivity of the MADP. A total of 57 municipal agriculturists from CALABARZON participated in the capacity building. Results: Local agriculture planners' knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy significantly improved after capacity building. In addition, membership of municipal agriculturists to local nutrition committee was significantly associated with higher scores difference in knowledge and self-efficacy after the training. Meanwhile, the score difference in their attitude was significantly related to the tenure of employment in local agriculture planners. Conclusion Capacity building on the NSA can significantly improve local agriculture planners' knowledge, attitude, and self-efficacy. Thus, the government must support programs and initiatives concerning the NSA, like increasing the capacity of local agriculture planners. This will allow them to integrate nutrition-sensitive agriculture concepts positively into their agriculture development plan.
agriculture ; food security ; capacity building

Introduction: There is a dearth of public health and nutrition information available pertaining to the indigenous groups in the Philippines. Hence, this study described the prevalences of stunting and zinc deficiency, as well as factors associated with zinc status of 3-5 years old children among the Kankana-ey people, an indigenous group living in Kibungan, Benguet, Philippines. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used in the conduct of the study where 63 study participants were randomly selected from a chronological list of names of eligible Kankana-ey children by drawing lots. The mothers/primary caregivers of these children were interviewed to collect their socio-economic and demographic data, and dietary intake was assessed through three non-consecutive days 24-hour food recall. Height and weight of the children were also measured to determine their nutritional status. Lastly, blood samples were collected to determine the zinc status of the children based on serum zinc concentration, analysed through atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: Results showed that 54.0% and 50.8% of the Kankana-ey children had stunting and zinc deficiency, respectively. There was significant positive association between being exclusively breastfed and current zinc status (p=0.001). On the other hand, a statistically significant negative correlation was observed between zinc intake and zinc serum concentration (r=-0.291, p=0.021). Conclusion: Undernutrition among Kankana-ey children is a major public health concern in Kibungan, Benguet. Preventive actions must be taken to alleviate the severity of both stunting and zinc deficiency, and to mitigate possible consequences by strengthening the current nutrition and health programmes for indigenous groups, especially among young children.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the motivating and hindering factors affecting the Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices of Muslim mothers in select municipalities of Maguindanao. Methods: A pretested questionnaire was administered through face-to-face interviews conducted among 320 randomly selected Muslim mothers with a child aged 6-23 months. Results : Results revealed that prelacteal feeding was practiced by 16.6% of the Muslim mothers, giving mostly plain water. Solid/semi-solid foods were introduced at a mean age of 6.1 ± 1.4 months, with home-cooked lugao (porridge) (55.0%) and commercial baby food (31.3%) as the top foods introduced. The majority of Muslim mothers (82.5%) fed processed foods as complementary food to their children, including instant noodles (85.2%) and canned goods (51.5%). Conclusion The results revealed suboptimal practices in prelacteal feeding and the reliance on processed foods among Muslim mothers, with economic factors, availability, and convenience as motivating factors in complementary feeding practices. Challenges such as household duties, low milk output, and financial constraints hinder breastfeeding and nutritious food provision for infants and young children. The study reinforced the necessity for holistic strategies in IYCF promotion among Muslim mothers.
breast feeding, Islam, malnutrition