1.Association between Polymorphisms of Insulin and Insulin Receptor Gene with Childhood Obesity in Malay Population
Teh Christinal Pey wen ; Nurul Adibah Nizam ; Chong Pei Nee ; Rahman Jamal ; Poh Bee Koon ; Wan Zurinah Wan Ngah
Malaysian Journal of Health Sciences 2016;14(1):5-9
Childhood obesity is a global epidemic, which leads to the increasing number of studies on genetic locations associated
with obesity-related traits. Polymorphisms of insulin (INS) gene have been shown to be associated with obesity-related
phenotypes in Europeans; while insulin receptor (INSR) gene has been associated with energy regulation. Therefore, this
study was conducted to investigate the association between the INS (rs689) and INSR (rs3745551) gene polymorphisms
with childhood obesity risk in a Malay childhood population. Normal weight (538) and overweight or obese (557)
children aged 6-12 years old were genotyped using semi-automated Sequenom iPLEX® Gold. Body mass index (BMI) was
calculated from measured body weight and height. The rs689 (T/T: 0.006, A/T: 0.159 and A/A: 0.835) and rs3745551
(G/G: 0.054, A/G: 0.378 and A/A: 0.568) genotype distributions were consistent with Hardy Weinberg equilibrium.
The T-minor allele frequency for rs689 was 8.6% and G-minor allele frequency for rs3745551 was 24.3%. Minor
allele of INS gene polymorphisms significantly increased risk of obesity among Malay children (sex- and age-adjusted
OR=1.580; 95%CI: 1.134-2.201). However, INSR gene polymorphisms were not significantly associated with childhood
obesity. In conclusion, the polymorphisms of INS gene, rather than INSR gene, were associated with childhood obesity
in the Malay population.
Pediatric Obesity
;
Receptor, Insulin
2.Fluid intake, hydration status and its association with cognitive function among adolescents in Petaling Perdana, Selangor, Malaysia
Serene En Hui TUNG ; Yi Zhang CH'NG ; Thaneswary V KARNAN ; Pei Nee CHONG ; Jamil Osman ZUBAIDAH ; Yit Siew CHIN
Nutrition Research and Practice 2020;14(5):490-500
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:
A cross-sectional study was undertaken to evaluate fluid intake and hydration status in association with cognitive function among 230 adolescents (10–14 years of age) in Petaling Perdana, Selangor, Malaysia.
SUBJECTS/METHODS:
Urine color was used to measure hydration status, while fluid intake was assessed using the 15-item beverage intake questionnaire. Cognitive function was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition.
RESULTS:
More than half of the adolescents were mildly or moderately dehydrated (59.6%) and only one-third (33.0%) were well hydrated. Among the daily fluid types, intakes of soft drinks (r = −0.180; P = 0.006), sweetened tea (r = −0.184; P= 0.005) and total sugarsweetened beverages (SSBs) (r = −0.199; P= 0.002) were negatively correlated with cognitive function. In terms of hydration status, cognitive function score was significantly higher (F-ratio = 4.102; P= 0.018) among hydrated adolescents (100.38 ± 12.01) than in dehydrated (92.00 ± 13.63) counterparts. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis, after adjusting for socio-demographic factors, showed that soft drinks (β = −0.009; P< 0.05) and sweetened tea (β = −0.019; P< 0.05) negatively predicted cognitive function (ΔR 2 = 0.044). When further control for sources of fluid, hydration status (β = −2.839; P< 0.05) was shown to negatively predict cognitive function (ΔR2 = 0.021). The above variables contributed 20.1% of the variance in cognitive function.
CONCLUSIONS
The results highlight the links between fluid intake (soft drinks, sweetened tea, total SSBs) and hydration status with cognitive function in adolescents. Interventions aimed at decreasing the consumption of SSBs and increasing hydration status through healthy fluid choices, such as water, could improve cognitive performance in adolescents.