1.Plain water and beverage consumption patterns among university students in Puncak Alam, Malaysia
Nur Islami Mohd Fahmi Teng ; Norsham Juliana Nordin ; Aisyah Suraya Muhammad Shah
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 2019;25(2):227-236
Introduction: Data on water and sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) intake among young adults in Malaysia is sparse. This study aimed at measuring the intake of plain water and SSB among undergraduate students in a Malaysian university and examine its association with body mass index (BMI).
Methods: A total of 376 undergraduate students aged 18-30 years were recruited. A selfadministered questionnaire was used to determine the SSB consumption pattern. The questionnaire consisted of five sections that included the background of the participants, knowledge about SSB, SSB preferences, frequency and portion size.
Results: 23.9% of subjects in this study were overweight. Almost all of the subjects took outside food (93.1%) and drink (74.2%). The highest daily consumption was plain water (92.3%), with a majority drinking more than two cups at each intake. Caffeinated drinks (coffee or tea) were the most popular SSB among the students (18.4%). Most students (79.7%) did not consume SSB on a daily basis. A significant association was found between the proportion of plain water consumption and BMI (p<0.05). Those who were overweight consumed a greater amount of plain water as compared to those underweight.
Conclusion: Our findings of low plain water intake among the underweight may be used to tailor intervention efforts to increase its intake and reduce that of SSB, especially among underweight young adults.
2.Development and Validation of Website on Nutrition for Premature Baby
Sharifah Izzatul Syahirah Syed Rahmad ; Nur Islami Mohd Fahmi Teng
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2020;16(No.4):218-225
Introduction: Proper nutrition for premature babies is vital for optimal growth. However, a lack of confidence and knowledge among parents causes them to search for online information which may sometimes be misleading or unreliable. The primary objective of this study is to develop a validated website as an educational tool for parents about nutrition for premature babies. Methods: This study was conducted by referring to the Waterfall Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) model, which consists of five main stages. Stages one to three are related to the development of the website, namely, the requirements stage, design stage and implementation stage. This is then followed by a testing stage where 11 expert panels evaluated the content and face validity of the website. The final stage is the maintenance stage. Results: The website was developed with nine topics. The value of Item Content Validity Index (I-CVI) for every item exceeded the minimum value of I-CVI (0.78), the value of the content validity index by scale, average (S-CVI/Ave) is 0.98, and the content validity index by scale, universal agreement (S-CVI/UA) is 0.83. Both S-CVIs have exceeded the minimum value, which is 0.90 and 0.80 respectively. The value of Krippendorff's Alpha (Kalpha) for the overall section of face validity is 0.53, which does not achieve the minimum acceptable value of Kalpha (0.67). Conclusion: The content validation has high agreement among the expert panels. However, the interphase, layout, and design of the website need to be improvised.
3.Picky Eating Behaviour and Nutritional Status of Preschool Children in Kuala Selangor, Malaysia
Hikmah Mohd Hanapi ; Nur Islami Mohd Fahmi Teng
Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences 2022;18(No.1):145-150
Introduction: Picky eating is defined by the reluctance of consuming familiar foods, trying new food and having
strong food preferences. It is common among children; however limited and inconsistent studies have being done to
investigate the incidence and its relationship among pre-schoolers in Malaysia. Aims: To investigate the prevalence
of picky eaters among pre-schoolers and its association with nutritional status. Methods: A cross-sectional study
was conducted involving 192 preschool children in Kuala Selangor district, Malaysia. A set of online questionnaires
consisted of Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) was administered online. Self-reported weight and height
were also collected. Results: 31.8% of the children were identified as picky eaters. Their weight, weight-for-age
z-score (WAZ), height, height-for-age z-score (HAZ), Body Mass Index (BMI) and BMI-for-age z-score (BAZ) were
significantly lower than non-picky eaters (p<0.05). A lower degree of food responsiveness, enjoyment of food and
emotional overeating combined with higher degree of food fussiness and slowness in eating were prevalent among
picky eaters (p<0.05). Picky eating behaviour was significantly associated with WAZ, HAZ, and BAZ (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study revealed that 1 in 3 children is a picky eater and they are more likely to be underweight. This
highlights more comprehensive studies in the future to investigate the long-term effect of such behaviour.
4.Eating behaviour and lifestyle changes among college students in Malaysia during the Movement Control Order (MCO)
Anis Suraya Muhamad Azmi ; Nur Islami Mohd Fahmi Teng ; Norsham Juliana
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 2024;30(No.1):31-41
Introduction: COVID-19 lockdown has been linked to alterations in eating
behaviour and a sedentary lifestyle. As human-to-human transmission rapidly
increased, the Movement Control Order (MCO) was put in place as an attempt to
minimise the risk of the virus spreading in the community. This study aimed to
determine whether eating behaviour was associated with sleep quality and physical
activity among college students in Malaysia during MCO. Methods: This was a
cross-sectional study among Malaysian students aged between 20 to 34 years old. A
simple random sampling method was applied and the participants had to complete
an online survey consisting of a validated Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire
(DEBQ), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and International Physical Activity
Questionnaire–Short Form (IPAQ-SF), distributed via an online platform. Results:
A total of 370 students participated, with 22.4% emotional eaters, 58.6% external
eaters, and 23.0% restrained eaters. In addition, 64.3% had poor sleep quality,
while 57.6% claimed to be physically active. However, no correlations were found
between all eating behaviour subscales with sleep quality and physical activity.
Conclusion: More than half of college students presented with external eating
behaviours. Early screening and further investigations should be done, especially
with the high rate of poor sleepers, to promote and sustain a healthy lifestyle during
and beyond COVID-19.