Introduction: Head and neck cancer (HNC) patients are often malnourished during diagnosis and before treatment. This study determined the prevalence of malnutrition and factors associated with malnutrition among HNC patients. Methods: A crosssectional study among HNC in-patients before radiotherapy was conducted. Malnutrition status of the patients was determined using scored Patient GeneratedSubjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA). Nutritional parameters of muscle mass, fat mass, albumin, energy and protein intakes were collected. Nutrition impact symptoms (NIS) of the patients were assessed using a validated Head and Neck Symptoms Checklist© (HNSC©). Results: Fifty HNC patients were recruited in this study and the age range of patients was 21 to 78 years old, with gender distribution of 78% males and 22% females. More than half of the patients were malnourished, with 20% severely malnourished before radiotherapy. The lack of dietitian referral before treatment was found to significantly affect nutritional status (p=0.027). There was a significant negative relationship between energy intake (r=0.342, p=0.015) and protein intake (r=0.386, p=0.006) with PG-SGA, indicating lower energy and protein intakes related with poor nutritional status. The result showed a significant positive relationship between NIS score (r=0.731, p<0.001) and PG-SGA, indicating the lower the NIS, the better the nutritional status among HNC patients. More than half of the HNC patients had difficulty chewing. Conclusion: A strong association between nutritional status and NIS showed the importance of dietary management in HNC patients. Early identification of the nutritional status of HNC patients can ensure optimal nutritional status to improve treatment outcomes.

Introduction: A compromised quality of life (QOL) as a result of haemodialysis (HD) is a rising global issue. Elderly HD patients face more challenges than younger counterparts. This study determined the association of socio-demographic characteristics, nutritional status, risk of malnutrition and depression with QOL, among elderly HD patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 112 HD elderly patients in selected dialysis centres in Selangor, Malaysia. The patients completed interview-based questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics, risk of malnutrition (Dialysis Malnutrition Score, DMS), depression (Patient Health Questionaire-9, PHQ-9) and QOL (KDQOL-36). Anthropometric measurements, 24-hour dietary recall and food intake information were obtained from them and biochemical data from their medical records. Results: Just over half (50.9%) of the patients had a normal body mass index while 85.7% had optimal albumin levels. The proportion of patients who met the recommended energy and protein intakes were 19.0% and 3.4%, respectively. Patients were at moderate risk of malnutrition, had minimal depression level and perceived better QOL in terms of effects and symptoms of kidney disease. There was a significant positive correlation between protein intake and the physical domain of QOL (p=0.02) and negative correlation between risk of malnutrition with physical and mental composites of QOL (p<0.001). There was significant negative correlation between depression and physical composite, mental composite, burden, effects and the symptoms of kidney disease (p<0.001). Conclusion: The present findings provide better insight on QOL for future screening, preventive measures and intervention. Further investigation regarding factors associated with QOL among elderly patients is recommended.