Association between household food insecurity and nutritional outcomes among children in Northeastern of Peninsular Malaysia.

Background/objectives: The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between household food insecurity and nutritional status of children in low-income households. A cross sectional study involved a survey of households (n = 223) receiving the financial assistance.

Subjects/methods: Eligible mothers that fulfilled the inclusion criteria such as non-pregnant, non-lactating mothers, aged 18 to 55 years with their youngest children aged 2 to 12 years, were purposively selected.

Body mass index and body fat status of men involved in sports, exercise, and sedentary activites.

A cross-sectional study was carried out in Kota Bharu on three groups of men with ages ranging from 18 to 44 years. The study groups included 83 athletes representing various types of sports and levels of participation (athlete group), 80 active men who exercised a minimum of 30 minutes per day at least 3 times per week (exercise group), and 80 inactive men (sedentary group). The objectives of the study were to compare the body mass indices (BMIs) and body fat statuses among the three groups with different physical activity levels.

A pilot study on percent free prostate specific antigen as an additional tool in prostate cancer screening.

A cross sectional pilot study was carried out to look into the usefulness of percent free prostate specific antigen (fPSA) in the diagnosis of prostatic cancer in HUSM patients. All patients who attended surgical clinic and admitted to surgical wards with signs and symptoms of prostate problems during the study period were taken as the study subjects. Total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) was estimated by immunoassay technique and those values of 4 ng/mL or more were proceeded for estimation of fPSA.

National response to neurological diseases in Malaysia: planning for the future.

The number of cases of neurological disease is expected to rise in the next 10 years, making this the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality after heart disease in Malaysia. The lack of human resources in the neurological field currently serving the Malaysian population may cause a deficiency in specialized care, especially in rural areas where neurological and neurosurgical care may be lacking. Thus, a resolve was made to increase the numbers of specialists by the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) with the help of the Ministry of Health of Malaysia.

Stroke patterns in Northeast Malaysia: a hospital-based prospective study.

All patients with a first-ever stroke admitted to the HUSM (Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia) from 1997 to 1998 were included in this study. All risk factors were determined and analysed prospectively. There were 158 cases of stroke admitted during the study period.