Background and Objective: Orphaned children face an increased risk of being malnourished. This study was aimed to explore knowledge and attitudes towards nutrition as well as nutritional practices and Body Mass Index (BMI) of adolescent residents of orphanages. Methodology: Five orphanage institutions in Selangor and Malacca were chosen for this study and 85 adolescents aged 13-18 years old were enrolled. Questionnaires concerning nutritional knowledge were administered in face-to-face interviews to prevent bias and to ensure questionnaire completion. Results: The results showed that out of the 85 subjects, 80% were orphans and 20% non-orphans. The majority of respondents were of normal weight (61.2%), while 2.4 and 4.7% were thin and severely thin, respectively. Meanwhile, 16.5% of subjects were overweight and 15.3% were obese. Fewer than 20% of respondents (14/85) were scored as having a “good” level of nutritional knowledge score but more than half had nutrition attitude and practice scores within the “good” range. Although no significant correlation was found between nutrition knowledge and attitude (rp = -0.043, p = 0.694) or knowledge and practice (rp = -0.222, p = 0.148), there was significant correlation between nutrition attitude and practice (rp=0.295, p = 0.006). Conclusion: Less than half of the total respondents obtained a “good” score for nutritional knowledge but the majority of the participants scored at the “good” level for attitude and practice. Although most respondents scored at the “good” level for nutritional practice, this outcome was not reflective of the situation as a whole, particularly given the “poor” scores for exercise and breakfast practices.

Background: Many studies on biochemical and psychological variables have aimed to elucidate the association between aging and cognitive function. Demographic differences and protein expression have been reported to play a role in determining the cognitive capability of a population. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of age on the protein profile of Malay individuals and its association with cognitive competency. Methods: A total of 160 individuals were recruited and grouped accordingly. Cognitive competency of each subject was assessed with several neuropsychological tests. Plasma samples were collected and analyzed with Q Exactive HF Orbitrap. Proteins were identified and quantitated with MaxQuant and further analyzed with Perseus to determine differentially expressed proteins. PANTHER, Reactome, and STRING were applied for bioinformatics output. Results: Our data showed that the Malay individuals are vulnerable to the deterioration of cognitive function with aging, and most of the proteins were differentially expressed in concordance. Several physiological components and pathways were shown to be involved, giving a hint of a promising interpretation on the induction of aging toward the state of the Malays' cognitive function. Nevertheless, some proteins have shown a considerable interaction with the generated protein network, which provides a direction of focus for further investigation. Conclusion: This study demonstrated notable changes in the expression of several proteins as age increased. These changes provide a promising platform for understanding the biochemical factors affecting cognitive function in the Malay population. The exhibited network of protein-protein interaction suggests the possibility of implementing regulatory intervention in ameliorating Malay cognitive function.

[No abstract available]

Food is a basic physiological need for survival, while nutrition and health are synonymous the sense of well-being. In Malaysia, generally food availability and variety is abundance due to our multicultural nature. Nonetheless, it is essential for consumers to make conscious decision on food choices and consumption in order to contribute to good health. Goat milk is one among the healthy natural products although its functional and nutritional value is less disseminated across the consumers. A cross sectional study was conducted to analyze the relationship between consumer attitude, social influence and self-efficacy on their intention to consume goat milk with the mediation effect of nutritional value. The study followed the application of PLS SEM to analyze the data. The findings clearly show the association between consumer attitude, social influence and self-efficacy on consumer's goat milk consumption. The partial mediation effect of nutritional health consciousness also indicates that consumers to a certain extend consider the benefits and nutritional value of the goat milk in their readiness to consume goat milk. The study extends better insight on goat milk consumption with support of theory of planned behaviour and with due consideration to benefits and nutritional value of the goat milk. � Serials Publications.

Disturbance in brain oscillations is observed in many neuropsychiatric disorders. Any tool that has the potential to restore abnormal brain oscillations is therefore beneficial to patients with neuropsychiatric illnesses. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is one such tool. It is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique, which is able to alter brain oscillations depending on its parameters of stimulation and is used in clinical setting because of its potential therapeutic effects on the brain. However, the optimum stimulation parameters to induce the therapeutic effect of rTMS remains elusive. Therefore, it is important to investigate the differential effects between high versus low frequency of magnetic stimulation on the mechanism of brain oscillations in human subjects. Here we show, using combined rTMS and surface electroencephalography (EEG) that low and high frequencies of magnetic stimulation would induce dichotomy effects in EEG brain oscillatory activity. In particular, high-frequency rTMS 10Hz induces a synchronised oscillations for theta brain rhythm. In contrast, low-frequency rTMS 1Hz desynchronises neural oscillations on the same brain rhythm. Taken together, our results show that the desynchronisation effect of low-frequency rTMS 1Hz may potentially reverse the interference of altered neural oscillations. More extensive basic and clinical research using combined rTMS and EEG are needed to determine the optimum parameters of rTMS stimulation to restore adequate neural oscillations. � 2016 Penerbit UTM Press. All rights reserved.

Goat’s milk can be considered as one type of natural functional food due to its variety of nutritional benefits. Nowadays, the dairy milk production in Malaysia is highly focusing on cow’s milk compared to goat’s milk. However, the demand for goat’s milk is increasing especially among Muslims as it is considered as one of the foods which consumed by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 221 residents in Pulau Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia. This study showed that the practice of drinking goat’s milk among the local residents was still low; only 11.8% of the residents consumed goat’s milk daily and 40% chose goat’s milk in its powdered form. The main barriers to goat’s milk consumption included: not interested to consume goat’s milk (54%), unpleasant taste (51.3%) and non-staple food (50.8%). This study also found that knowledge (r2= 0.200, p = 0.003) and attitude (r2= 0.174, p<0.001) are positively correlated with goat’s milk consumption. In conclusion, further health intervention need to be done to promote the practice of drinking goat’s milk. With proper knowledge and positive attitude, the consumption of goat’s milk may improve the quality of life and sustain an optimal wellness and health throughout life.

Introduction: Children in pre-schools are at high risk of getting infections due to overcrowding, minimal awareness of basic hygiene and lack of immunity against microorganisms. Hand hygiene practice should be started at home where parents set good example, followed by formal education in pre- schools, primary and secondary school. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive program on hand hygiene practice in pre-schools. This paper presents the developmental aspects of the program material and the results of its evaluation process in a selected pre-school. Methods: Stage of development involved preparation of song, lyric, video clip, infographic and tablet application. The module was introduced during an intervention day called �Healthy Hands� day. The acceptance of the module was evaluated before and after the intervention day. Evaluation was done by assessing pre-school children by face-to-face interview about knowledge on hand hygiene techniques and routine, such as before or after certain activities. Results: We managed to compose a song in three languages (Malay, English & Arabic), produced a video clip, an infographic and tablet application. A total of 227 children participated. Post intervention evaluation showed significant (p<0.001) increase of knowledge for eight out of eleven handwashing steps. The knowledge on hand hygiene routine i.e. after toilet, after playing outdoor, after sneezing and after playing with pet was also increased significantly. Conclusion: This comprehensive knowledge transfer program significantly improved the children�s hand hygiene techniques and routine and is recommended to be integrated into pre-school curriculum. � 2019 UPM Press. All rights reserved.

Purpose: To investigate the incidence, characteristics and risk factors of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in hospitalized children in a Malaysian hospital. Methods: Patients admitted to the Paediatric Department of Hospital Ampang in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were monitored for occurrence of ADRs by spontaneous reporting or daily review of their case notes. Characteristics of ADRs were categorised and ADRs were analysed for causality, severity and preventability. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine associations between certain selected risk factors and ADR occurrence. Results: In 423 paediatric patients admitted in Hospital Ampang (436 admissions), the ADR incidence rate was 8.0% (95% CI, 5 - 11%). The most commonly involved medications were systemic antibacterial drugs (77.4%). About 61.3% of the ADRs were of probable causality and 12.9% were definitely preventable. No severe ADRs were detected, with 41.9% being moderate and 58.1% being mild, based on a severity scale. Younger children (OR = 3.387, 95% CI, 1.377, 8.334) and the number of systemic antibacterial drugs given (OR = 1.469, 95% CI 1.201, 1.798) were potential risk factors associated with ADRs. Conclusion: ADRs occur at a significant rate in the Malaysian children admitted to the hospital studied. Further studies are needed to provide drug safety data for the paediatric population in Malaysia. � 2018 Ithnin M, Rani MDM, Latif ZA, Kani P, Syaiful A, Mohd TAMT, Aripin KNN.

Salat is the essential way of connecting Muslims with Allah, the Creator. Salat is also an important way of coping especially for those who are facing hardships and difficulties such as having chronic or acute illnesses. This study determines the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice among patients admitted to the Hospital Langkawi, Kedah. From January to December 2015, a cross sectional study on a sample of 166 respondents was conducted. The sample was selected using simple random sampling and the information was elicited through face-to-face interviews using a validated, self-constructed questionnaire. Data were then analyzed using IBM SPSS version 21.0. The results showed that 78.9% (n = 131) of the respondents did not perform salat while in the ward due to their illnesses mainly because they do not know how to perform rukhsah salat (77.7%, n = 129). Overall, 48.2% (n = 80) of the respondents claimed that nobody guided them on how to perform salat and how to take ablution (wudhu�) (47.6%, n = 79) while in the ward. The most important person who teaches the respondents on how to perform Salat in the ward is the religious officer (27.7%, n = 46) and nurses (13.3%, n = 22). Generally, more than half of the respondents still have a low knowledge (53.6%, n = 89) and a low attitude (61.4%, n = 102) on performing rukhsah salat while being admitted. As a conclusion, healthcare providers need to have knowledge regarding rukhsah salat and hold a responsibility to educate patients especially those admitted and more importantly debilitated due to their illnesses while in the ward. � 2017 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved.

Studies assessing the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among the general population are still insufficient in literature. This study aimed to assess the baseline levels of knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) of the adult population in Malaysian urban area towards NCDs. A thoroughly designed and validated KAP questionnaire was administered, and the responses were coded and analysed. The survey involved 207 respondents from the urban area of Ampangan, Negeri Sembilan with an average age of respondents is 53.52 ± 17.86 years. Seventy-six (36.7%) were male and 131 (63.3%) were female. Majority of the respondents had good knowledge (81.2%) and attitude (53.1%) towards NCDs. However, only 8.7% of the respondents possess good practice while the majority had moderate (56.5%) practice score towards NCDs. Older age category of more than 40 years old had better knowledge scores compared to those below 40 years [median=25 (IqR=4) vs 23 (5), p=0.001]. Female respondents had higher attitude [25(7) vs 56 (6), p=0.025] and practice [5(2) vs 5(3), p=0.007] scores compared to male. Respondents with hypertension [25(4) vs 24(5), p=0.002] and diabetes mellitus [25(4) vs 24(4), p=0.014] had higher knowledge scores compared to non-disease respondents. The findings of this study depicted that respondents in the studied urban area had good knowledge and attitude towards NCDs. However, the practice was moderate. To overcome this problem, repeated reinforcement with health education will bring about a positive change in urban general population knowledge towards NCDs, especially in younger and non-disease population. 2018 Pharmascope Publications. All rights reserved.

Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) is known to be effective as an anti-osteoporotic treatment for postmenopausal women but exerted many adverse effects. Ficus carica (FC) or fig is a fruit rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory sources that are believed to contribute to its potential as ERT alternative. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of FC supplementation on the trabecular microarchitecture of postmenopausal osteoporotic rat models. Fifty-six adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into groups of Sham-operated (Sham), ovariectomized control (OVX), ovariectomized with 64.5 ?g/kg estrogen Premarin (ERT), ovariectomized with 50 mg/kg aqueous extract of FC (FC50), ovariectomized with 100 mg/kg aqueous extract of FC (FC100), ovariectomized with 50 mg/kg raw extract of FC (RAW50) and ovariectomized with 100 mg/kg raw extract of FC (RAW100). The treatments were given daily via oral gavage for eight weeks. After the treatment, rats were euthanized and femora were dissected out for micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis. Trabecular structure of OVX femur showed significant osteoporotic deterioration in bone volume, trabecular separation, structural model index and connectivity density. ERT significantly reversed the osteoporotic-induced bone changes comparable to Sham level. RAW50 showed the best FC treatment in preserving bone microarchitecture. In conclusion, raw extraction of FC has high potential as an alternative against osteoporosis due to its high mineral contents and bioactive compounds.

Higher level of education is associated with better cognitive performance and lower risk of developing dementia. However, the effect of education on cognitive performance varies across different cognitive domains and in different populations. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between education and performance of different cognitive domains among healthy Malay adults. A total of 53 individuals aged 29 to 77 years participated in a battery of neurophysiological tests consisting of Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, digit span, visual reproduction and digit symbol speed test (DSST). Blood test was performed for each participant to obtain their biochemical profile. Educational level was divided into level 1 (PMR), level 2 (SPM), level 3 (STPM), level 4 (Diploma) and level 5 (Degree). Simple linear regression indicated that years of education was positively associated with scores of delayed visual reproduction (b=1.348, p=0.002) and DSST (b=3.257, p=0.012). However, scores of all the tests were not significantly different among different levels of education after controlling for age, gender and blood test profile by ANCOVA. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that MMSE score was associated with red cell distribution width (b=-0.628, p=0.005), age (b=-0.119, p<0.001) and there was interaction between high density lipoprotein (HDL) with age (b=0.047, p<001). MoCA score was associated with age (b=-0.121, p<0.001), gender (male compared to female, b=1.870, p=0.020) and HDL (b=1.681, p=0.047). Age was associated with backward digit span (b=-0098, p<0.001) and immediate visual reproduction (b=-0.348, p<0.001), resp. Delayed visual reproduction was associated with age (b=-0.323, p<0.001) and potassium level (b=-4.471, p=0.016). DSST was associated with age (b=-0.911, p<0.001) and alanine aminotransferase (b=-0.754, p=0.002). The lack of association between educational level and cognitive performance after adjusting for confounders in this study maybe due to multiple factors influencing cognitive performance and further studies with a larger sample size are needed to further identify the factors involved.

Solat ranked the second among the five pillars of Islam. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had taught us about Solat during sickness. As narrated by ‘lmran bin Husain had piles so I asked the Prophet about the prayer. He said “Pray while standing and if you can’t pray while sitting and if you cannot do even that then pray lying on your side.” Having the knowledge of performing Solat during sickness is crucial in allowing Muslim patients to perform Solat despite being hospitalized. This study aims to assess the level of knowledge, attitude and practice of Solat and ablution among hospitalized Muslim patients and its association with the demographic data. This is a cross sectional study among hospitalized Muslim patients at selected hospitals in Malaysia caring for medical, surgical, orthopedic and otorhinolaryngology patients. Patients are required to answer a set of questions carry out by face-to-face interview. The response rate for the study sample was 95.8%. Out of total 385 respondents, 255 (66.2%) were male and 130 (33.8%) females. Mean age of the respondents was 46.89±16.77 years. 45% respondents have at least completed secondary education. 21% (n = 81) respondents know about rukhsah solat. Only 8% respondents received guidance of rukhsah solat that are mostly from the family members. From all the respondents only 67% perform daily five times solat at home and 48% did not perform solat during hospitalization. The mean knowledge score is 17 (max 22), mean attitude score is 41 (max 55) and mean attitude score is 9 (max 12). Knowledge, attitude and practice score are moderate among patients.