Malnutrition can be associated as one of the factors which affect health status. The term is used to describe imbalance of nutrients either over- or under-nourished, resulting in measurable adverse effects on body composition, function and clinical outcome. The National Health And Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2011 assessed 4304 individuals aged 10-17 years old through a household survey of Malaysian population. Thinness and obesity are the malnutrition indicators based on Centre for Disease Control (CDC) 2000 classification as recommended by WHO (2007). The findings of the survey showed that the national prevalence of thinness (BMI for age <-2SD), was 9.7% (95% Confidence Interval: 8.4-11.2). The state of Sabah/Labuan had the highest thinness of prevalence, 17.0% (11.1-25.2) and lowest in Penang at 5.3% (2.7-10.0). The prevalence of thinness was higher in urban areas than in rural areas at 10.3% (8.5-12.3). Meanwhile; national prevalence of obesity (BMI for age ≥+2SD) was only 5.7% (4.9-6.7). The state of Perak had the highest obesity prevalence 10.0% (6.2-15.8) and lowest in Sabah/Labuan at 2.4% (1.4-4.1). The obesity prevalence was higher among adolescents in urban areas at 6.3% (5.2-7.6) than in rural areas. Thinness as a form of malnutrition is more prevalent than obesity. Even though the prevalence of obesity is low, the impact affects not only the adolescents, but also the family, the society and the nation in the future. The increasing prevalence of obesity will have significant public health implication related to non-communicable diseases.
Obesity ; Thinness ; Adolescent ; Malaysia ; Malnutrition

Introduction: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and factors influencing malnutrition among children aged five years and below in Serian District of Sarawak, a district where the majority of people are indigenous. Methods: Using a cross-sectional method, a total of 177 children were randomly selected and assessed, and their mothers or caregivers were interviewed. Data were collected using a pretested questionnaire; anthropometric measurements were also taken. Data were analysed using SPSS version 17.0. Results: The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting in children aged five years and below was 20.9%, 11.9% and 10.2% respectively. The results suggest that the significant factors contributing to underweight are birth weight, frequency of child visit to the clinic, and individual insecurity. Only age, when complementary diet was introduced, was found to be significantly associated with stunting. For wasting, individual insecurity, duration of family planning and met recommended protein intake per day were found to be significant factors. Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition in children 5 years and below in Serian District of Sarawak is high compared to state figures. The major contributing factors were found to be manifested at the individual and family level. There is a need for appropriate public health promotion and socioeconomic improvement interventions towards improving the nutritional status and health of children in Serian District.
Child Nutrition Disorders, Malnutrition ; Thinness

A cross-sectional study was carried out on 1,500 subjects at 30 communes collected randomly (investigated 50 children and 50 mothers per commune) about nutrition status of children under 5 years old and some influenced factors in Kontum province, in 2001. The results: the percentage of malnutrition was high level according to WHO criteria, underweight was 36.9%, stunting was 46.3%, and wasting was 8.3%. The malnutrition rates of boys and girls were significant difference (P>0.05). The children of ethnic minorities were higher about the malnutrition rates than children of Kinh people. The malnutrition rates in the child of illiterate mothers was the highest
Nutritional Status ; child ; Malnutrition ; standards ; Thinness ; epidemiology

The high prevalence of underweight among children is a serious health concern in Bangladesh. Nutritional status influences students' academic performance directly or indirectly. This study aimed to determine factors that affect the academic performance of students in primary schools. Methods: Data were collected from several schools and madrasahs in Chapainawabganj district, Bangladesh using multistage stratified sampling with proportional allocation technique. Results: The prevalence of underweight children was 32.3%, with 43.0% of them being girls and 21.4% boys. Multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that normal weight children were more likely (p<0.05) to obtain good results (GPA >3.50) than underweight children. Children with gestational age of 39 to 41 weeks were more likely to obtain good results than those whose gestational age was 37 and 38 weeks. Children who were breastfed for <24 months were less likely (p<0.01) to perform well academically (GPA>3.50) compared to their counterparts. Children whose parents had a higher income or higher education had a significantly better chance of obtaining good results compared to their counterparts. Conclusion: These results suggest that childhood nutritional status, parents' education and economic level are significant common factors which affect children's academic performance. Consequently, under-nutrition and poverty can be considered as the major problems for good academic performance of Bangladeshi children and requires attention
Thinness ; Nutritional Status ; Schools ; Child ; Bangladesh

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nutrition and diet related knowledge, attitude, and behavior of elementary school children in Seoul. The subjects included were 439 (male 236, female 203) elementary school children in the 4th to the 6th grades. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 12.0 program. The average obesity index (OI) was 104.98 and 99.82 for male and female subjects, respectively. The average percentage of underweight, normal, overweight and obese of subjects was 33.7%, 32.8%, 12.3%, and 19.4%, respectively. The percentage of the underweight group of female subjects was higher than that of the male subjects. The percentage of the obese group of male subjects was higher than that of the female subjects. The average score of nutrition knowledge, nutrition attitude and dietary behavior was 6.8, 7.44, and 7.34, respectively. Dietary behavior of male subjects was positively correlated with parents' education levels, monthly household income and nutrition attitude. Dietary behavior of female subjects was positively correlated with monthly household income, nutrition knowledge and nutrition attitude. Dietary behavior of female subjects was positively correlated with obesity index (OI). Proper nutrition education and intervention are required for the improvement of elementary school children's nutrition knowledge, nutrition attitudes and dietary behaviors.
Child ; Diet ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Obesity ; Overweight ; Thinness

After the WHO Growth Standards (WHOGS) was published in 2006, many countries in the world endorsed and adopted the new growth references as a standard measure for the growth of infants and young children. Certainly, the WHOGS has an impact on the global policy about obesity and underweight in children. Such WHOGS innovation has influenced many regional health authorities and academies, which have managed their own growth charts for a long time, in changing their strategies to develop and use regional growth charts. In Korea, along with the tradition to create a national growth chart every decade, we now face a new era of advancing with the WHOGS.
Academies and Institutes ; Child ; Growth Charts ; Humans ; Infant ; Korea ; Obesity ; Thinness

This study was to investigate the trial status of weight control with internet. A survey was carried out by self-questionnaires with 500 female university students in Seoul. The average height, weight, and PIBW(Percentage of Ideal Body Weight) of subjects were 162.2+/-4.8cm, 51.9+/-6.1kg and 93.7+/-11.0%. It appeared that 50.6% of subjects were abnormal range of body weight : in particular 43.4% of the subjects were underweight. While 80.7% of subjects have deeply interested in weight control, 63.4% of them have attempted diet. It showed that 92.9% of subjects used internet, 54.3 % of them knew internet diet site, however only 39 of subjects used internet diet program. Most subjects used internet diet program in order to acquire diet information. According to PIBW, the overweight group is higher frequency of joining internet diet program than the others group. Therefore, education of weight control was needed with internet in abnormal weight group.
Body Weight ; Diet* ; Education ; Female* ; Humans ; Internet* ; Overweight ; Seoul ; Thinness

We have observed that the companion shadow of the upper rib may be misinterpreted as a small pnemothorax or pleural plaque associated with asbestosis. To observe the radiographic characteristics of the normal companion shadow, we analyzed, on the posteroanterior(PA) chest radiographs, the companion shadow of 50 normal cases. Factors such as occurrence on each rib, the sharpness of the margin, the relative position to the rib, the shape and the thickness were observed. Also, we analyzed the displaced pleura of 4 pneumothorax cases to differentiate their frndings from the findings of normal companion shadows. On 50 normal chest radiographs, 192 compaion shadows were observed on the first to fourth ribs. In 173 of those shadows, the visceral margin of the companion shadow on the second rib simulated pneumothorax more closely than those on any othe rivs due to its apical location and thinness. In six of 50 normal cases, the companion shadow on the first or second rib showed an inw rdly convex lower margin, mimicking pleural plaque. The compaion shadow was suggested on the plain chest radiograph by the following characteristics imultiplicity(47/50), thicker than normal pleura(3/4), persistent on serial filma with the same shape and specific location(4/4).
Asbestosis ; Friends* ; Humans ; Pleura ; Pneumothorax ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Ribs* ; Thinness

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine if the body shape of women with small breasts differed from that of women with large breasts. METHODS: Between January 2002 and June 2006, 461 patients with hypomastia and 104 patients with macromastia, who had visited the M.D. Clinic, Seoul, Korea, were evaluated. These two groups were further divided into three groups (Group 1; underweight BMI<18.5, Group 2; normal BMI 18.5-22.9, Group 3; overweight BMI> or =23) according to Body mass index (BMI). RESULTS: The average age of women with hypomastia and macromastia was 32 and 34.5 respectively. The average BMI was 18.88 in the hypomastia group and 22.19 in the macromastia group (p<0.001). In the hypomastia group, the distribution of BMI was as follows: group 1, 44.5% (n=205); group 2, 53.8% (n=248); group 3, 1.7% (n=8). However, in the macromastia group, a higher proportion of overweight individuals were observed, as shown by the following distribution pattern: group 1, 7.7% (n=8); group 2, 71.1% (n=32); group 3, 27.3% (n=3). In the hypomastia group, the proportion of group 3 were 0% in their 20s, 0.9% (n=2) in their 30s, 6% (n=3) in their 40s and 27.3% (n=3) in their 50s, but in the macromastia group, the proportion of group 3 were 17.8% (n=8) in 20s, 32% (n=8) in 30s, 50% (n=12) in 40s and 100% (n=10) in 50s. CONCLUSION: The BMI of women with macromastia was significantly higher than that of women with hypomastia. In addition, although BMI was found to increase as age advanced for both groups, women with macromastia appear to have a strong tendency to become overweight with age.
Body Mass Index ; Breast ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Korea ; Overweight ; Thinness

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of stress, depression, binge eating and food behavior of high school girls with their degree of BMI. One hundred twenty high school girls from the Seoul metropolitan area participated in this study. Self-administrated questionnaires to search for degree of stress, depression, binge eating, and food behavior were distributed. Anthropometric assessment was carried out to calculate the body mass index (BMI). The results are as follows: The mean of age and BMI of the subjects were 17.6 +/- 0.6 years and 21.0 +/- 2.9 kg/m2 (ranged from 15.4 to 31.7 kg/m2), respectively. 16.7%, 65.8% and 17.5% of the subjects were classified as under weight, normal weight and overweight, respectively. The average scores of stress, depression and binge eating were 124.9 +/- 31.4, 15.2 +/- 9.8, 29.5 +/- 7.8 points, respectively. The food behavior score was 11.5 +/- 2.4 points. Their degree of stress, depression, binge eating was significantly higher in overweight high school girls compared to underweight or normal weight high school girls. There were significant correlations of BMI with stress (P < 0.05), depression (P < 0.001), and binge eating (P < 0.01). Also there were significant correlations of food behavior with stress (P < 0.05), depression (P < 0.05) and binge eating (P < 0.001). These results indicate that the high school girls who have higher BMI seem to have more stress, depression, and binge eating habits. Also the high school girls who have more stress, depression and binge eating habits have poor food behaviors. Therefore proper control of emotions is required to maintain desirable food behaviors in high school girls.
Body Mass Index ; Bulimia ; Depression ; Humans ; Overweight ; Thinness