This study aimed to assess the nutritional and physical activity status among adults living in low-cost housing area. This cross-sectional study involved 115 adults aged from 18 to 59 years old (46 male and 69 female). Anthropometric and body composition measurements of height, weight, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference were taken. Biochemical measurements included blood glucose, blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Dietary intake was evaluated by interviewing subjects using Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ). Physical activity status was determined by interviewing subjects using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Most of the subjects were found to be mainly on low socioeconomic status and working as blue collar workers. The mean body mass index (BMI) for men and women were 27.3 ± 6.3 kg/m2 and 28.5 ± 5.3 kg/m2, respectively. The waist-hip ratio of men and women were 0.92 ± 0.07 and 0.86 ± 0.06, respectively. Mean blood pressure observed was 128.8 ± 18.8 mmHg (systolic) and 78.2 ± 12.1 mmHg (diastolic). Mean blood glucose was reported to be 6.6 ± 3.2 mmol/L while the mean blood cholesterol was 5.2 ± 1.0 mmol/L. Overall energy intake was 2705 ± 603 kcal with the contribution of 53.4% carbohydrate, 13.5% protein and 32.5% fat to overall energy intake. The nutrients that did not achieve Malaysia’s Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) were calcium (73.1%), thiamine (70.5%), folate (25.0%) and vitamin A (19.6%). The mean physical activity of subjects was 6739.8 ± 8135.6 MET-min/week (high physical activity). In conclusion, the adults living in low-cost housing have unsatisfactory nutritional status yet they have good physical activity level which might be contributed by their occupation.
Nutritional Status

The global prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has increased rapidly in the recent decades, includingin Malaysia. Thus, development of effective interventions to prevent childhood obesity in Malaysia is urgently needed.This paper describes the study design of a 12-week multi-component, school-based nutrition education programme aimedat managing childhood obesity. The objective of Juara Sihat™ is to determine the effectiveness of a nutrition educationprogramme in improving anthropometric status, knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of nutrition, eating habits andphysical activity level among overweight and obese children. This quasi-experimental study involves two primary schoolsin Kuala Lumpur with similar demographic characteristics. Eligibility criteria of research participants are overweightand obese children aged 9 to 11 years. The main components of the Juara Sihat™ intervention are nutrition educationclasses on healthy eating and active lifestyle; physical activity sessions; and active involvements of parents and teachers.The control school does not receive any interventions. The primary outcome is BMI-for-age z-score, while other outcomesinclude waist circumference, body fat percentage, KAP of nutrition score, dietary intake, physical activity level, sedentarybehaviour and biochemical profile. Outcome measures will be assessed at three intervals: baseline, post-intervention 1(3-month follow-up), and post-intervention 2 (6-month follow-up). The Juara Sihat™ programme represents a promisingapproach to examining the effectiveness of a school-based childhood obesity intervention with strong empowerment ofParents’ and Teachers’ Association (PTA). We anticipate that this study may provide insights towards the development ofmore effective strategies in formulating childhood obesity interventions.

Individual dietary patterns may be influenced by diet-related behaviours, which may eventually play a significant role in contributing to colorectal cancer risk. As nearly half of colorectal cancer cases can be prevented through diet and lifestyle modification, in this study, we aimed to present an overview of the literature on diet-related behaviour and its effect on colorectal cancer risk among adults. Articles published from 2011 until July 2021 were selected. Out of the 1,198 articles retrieved, 25 were analyzed. There were 16 case-control studies, and nine of them were cohort studies. As a finding, the instruments used in this review were food frequency questionnaires (n = 23), followed by a semi-structured interview (n = 1), and diet records (n = 1). We demonstrated that unhealthy diet-related behaviours are linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer in adults and those food frequency questionnaires or food records are common instruments used to collect diet-related behaviours. This article imparts the research trends and directions of colorectal cancer risk factors and shows that diet-related behaviour varies and changes over time.

Panic disorder (PD) being one of the most intensively investigated anxiety disorders is considered a heterogeneous psychiatric disease which has difficulties with early diagnosis. The disorder is recurrent and usually associated with low remission rates and high rates of relapse which may exacerbated social and quality of life, causes unnecessary cost and increased risk for complication and suicide. Current pharmacotherapy for PD are available but these drugs have slow therapeutic onset, several side effects and most patients do not fully respond to these standard pharmacological treatments. Ongoing investigations indicate the need for new and promising agents for the treatment of PD. This article will cover the importance of immediate and proper treatment, the gap in the current management of PD with special emphasis on pharmacotherapy, and evidence regarding the novel anti-panic drugs including the drugs in developments such as metabotropic glutamate (mGlu 2/3) agonist and levetiracetam. Preliminary results suggest the anti-panic properties and the efficacy of duloxetine, reboxetine, mirtazapine, nefazodone, risperidone and inositol as a monotherapy drug. Apart for their effectiveness, the aforementioned compounds were generally well tolerated compared to the standard available pharmacotherapy drugs, indicating their potential therapeutic usefulness for ambivalent and hypervigilance patient. Further strong clinical trials will provide an ample support to these novel compounds as an alternative monotherapy for PD treatment-resistant patient.
Antidepressive Agents ; Antipsychotic Agents ; Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders ; Drug Therapy ; Duloxetine Hydrochloride ; Early Diagnosis ; Glutamic Acid ; Humans ; Inositol ; Panic Disorder ; Panic ; Quality of Life ; Recurrence ; Risperidone ; Suicide

Introduction: Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality globally. Processed and ultra-processed foods are reported to be high in energy, sugar, and unhealthy fats, while low in fibre, vitamins and minerals, that can increase the risk of cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional study involving adults aged 18-59 years was conducted in Peninsular Malaysia (n=122). Sociodemographic data were obtained through a questionnaire and lifestyle habits score for cancer prevention was assessed using MyGenomSihat©. The food frequency questionnaire used had four groups (i.e., unprocessed or minimally processed foods, processed culinary ingredients, processed foods, and ultra-processed foods) containing 53 food items to evaluate the frequency of food consumption. All data obtained were self-reported by the participants. Results: Mean age was 27.6±8.1 years with a majority (76.2%) having household income of less than