Dietary intake, obesity, and metabolic risk factors among children and adolescents in the SEACO-CH20 cross-sectional study.

We investigated the association between dietary intake and metabolic risk factors in children and adolescents within a semi-rural Malaysian community. Using an interviewer-led questionnaire, we surveyed 623 participants aged 7-18 from the South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO). Anthropometric and blood pressure data were collected from all participants, while a subset (n = 162) provided blood samples for biomarker analysis, including fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).

TVET programme and health-related quality of life among low-income populations during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.

Introduction: Education improves the economy and quality of life. The availability of skilled education in Malaysia is not restricted to the younger generation but is available to people of all ages, including those with low incomes.

Methods: This study used the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ- 5D-5L) tool during the COVID-19 pandemic to examine relationships between socio-demographics, knowledge, and attitudes towards education and outcomes of health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Accelerometer-measured 24-hour movement behaviours over 7 days in Malaysian children and adolescents: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Quantifying movement behaviours over 24-hours enables the combined effects of and inter-relations between sleep, sedentary time and physical activity (PA) to be understood. This is the first study describing 24-hour movement behaviours in school-aged children and adolescents in South-East Asia. Further aims were to investigate between-participant differences in movement behaviours by demographic characteristics and timing of data collection during Ramadan and COVID-19 restrictions.

Effects of a Multicomponent Exercise and Therapeutic Lifestyle (CERgAS) Intervention on Gait Function in Lower-Income Urban-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

This study aims to determine the effectiveness of a multicomponent exercise and therapeutic lifestyle (CERgAS) intervention at improving gait speed among older people in an urban poor setting in Malaysia. A total of 249 participants were divided into the intervention (n = 163) and control (n = 86) groups. The mean (SD) age of participants was 67.

Exploring the Relationships of Financial Literacy and Financial Behaviour with Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) among the Low-Income Working Population in Malaysia during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This cross-sectional study examined the relationships of financial literacy (FL) and financial behaviour (FB) with health-related quality of life (HRQOL) during the COVID-19 pandemic among low-income working population (20-60 years old) in Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire survey was used with HRQOL data were gathered using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) tool. A generalised linear model was employed to examine the hypothesised relationships between the constructs.

Active Ageing Awareness and Quality of Life among Pre-Elder Malaysian Public Employees.

Increasing life expectancy has led to a global rise in late-life diseases. Quality of Life (QOL) is important for healthy life expectancy. The active ageing framework serves as a guide for policymakers to design policies that enhance the QOL of older people.

Income Disparity and Mental Wellbeing among Adults in Semi-Urban and Rural Areas in Malaysia: The Mediating Role of Social Capital.

Mental illness is rising worldwide and is more prevalent among the older population. Among others, socioeconomic status, particularly income, has a bearing on the prevalence of mental health. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism that explains the association between income and mental health.

Health-related quality of life of younger and older lower-income households in Malaysia.

Background: Globally, a lower income is associated with poorer health status and reduced quality of life (QOL). However, more research is needed on how being older may influence QOL in lower-income households, particularly as older age is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases and care needs. To this end, the current study attempts to determine the health-related QOL (HRQOL) among individuals from lower-income households aged 60 years and over compared to lower-income adults aged less than 60 years.

Development of the Active Ageing Awareness Questionnaire in Malaysia.

The world's ageing population is associated with increased morbidity, disability, and social and financial insecurity, which may affect quality of life (QoL). Therefore, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the Active Ageing Framework (AAF) in 2002 to enhance QoL as people age. However, little is known about the status of awareness of active ageing among the population, and there is no appropriate tool for assessment.

The Effect of Brain Breaks on Physical Activity Behaviour among Primary School Children: A Transtheoretical Perspective.

Brain Breaks Physical Activity Solutions (BBPAS) is a web-based structured physical activity (PA) video that is specifically designed for school settings and can stimulate a student's health and learning. The purpose of this study is to measure the effect of BBPAS on the stages of change, decisional balance, processes of change, self-efficacy and leisure-time exercise among Malay ethnic primary school children. A validated Malay version of three of the five constructs was derived with sound validity and was used in the present study.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the Malay-Language Transtheoretical Model of Physical Activity among Malaysian Primary School Children.

Introduction: The transtheoretical model (TTM) is an integrative model of intentional change consisting of stages of change, processes of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy. This study aimed at validating the TTM questionnaires on physical activity for Malaysian children using confirmatory factor analysis.

Methods: The participants were 381 Malay students (188 male; 193 female), aged 10-12 years old, with a mean age of 10.

The Effects of Brain Breaks on Motives of Participation in Physical Activity among Primary School Children in Malaysia.

Brain breaks is a physical activity (PA) video designed for school settings that is used to stimulate student's health and learning. The purpose of this study is to measure the effects of brain breaks on motives of participation in PA among primary school children in Malaysia. Purposive sampling was used to divide 159 male and 176 female students aged 10 to 11 years old, mean (standard deviation (SD)) = 10.