Faculty of Health Sciences

Introduction: Loneliness has long been known to have strong association with depression. The relationship between loneliness and depression, however, has been associated with other risk factors including social support. The aim of this paper is to describe the role of social support in the association between loneliness and depression.
Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the mediating effects of social support among 161 community-based elderly in agricultural settle- ment of a rural area in Sungai Tengi, Malaysia. Subjects were investigated with De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale and Medical Outcome Survey Social Support Survey. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, linear and hierarchical regression.
Results: Results indicated that social support partially mediated the rela- tionship between loneliness and depression.
Discussion: This suggests that social support affects the linear association between loneliness and depression in the elderly.

Adoption of optimal dietary habits during adolescence is associated with better health outcomes later in life. However, the associations between a pattern of healthy dietary habits encapsulated in an index and sociodemographic and nutrient intake have not been examined among adolescents. This study aimed to develop a behavior-based diet index and examine its validity in relation to sociodemographic factors, nutrient intakes, and biomarkers in a representative sample of New Zealand (NZ) adolescents aged 15-18 y (n = 694). A 17-item Healthy Dietary Habits Score for Adolescents (HDHS-A) was developed based on dietary habits information from the 2008/2009 NZ Adult Nutrition Survey. Post hoc trend analyses were used to identify the associations between HDHS-A score and nutrient intakes estimated by single 24-h diet recalls and selected nutritional biomarkers. Being female, not of Maori or Pacific ethnicity, and living in the least-deprived socioeconomic quintile were associated with a higher HDHS-A score (all P < 0.001). HDHS-A tertile was associated positively with intake of protein, dietary fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and lactose and negatively with sucrose. Associations in the expected directions were also found with most micronutrients (P < 0.05), urinary sodium (P < 0.001), whole blood (P < 0.05), serum (P < 0.01), and RBC folate (P < 0.05) concentrations. This suggests that the HDHS-A is a valid indicator of diet quality among NZ adolescents.

OBJECTIVE:
To examine the potential associations between diet quality and multiple measures of body composition in a sample of New Zealand adolescents aged 14-18 years.
DESIGN:
Cross-sectional survey of eleven high schools in Otago, New Zealand. Each participant completed an online FFQ and a New Zealand Diet Quality Index for Adolescents (NZDQI-A) score was calculated based on variety and adequacy of intake for five major food groups. Besides height and waist circumference measurements, body composition was assessed using segmental bio-impedance analysis. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine associations between diet quality and body composition in models adjusted for sex, age, ethnicity and socio-economic status.
SETTING:
High schools in Otago, New Zealand.
SUBJECTS:
High-school students (n 681, 56 % male, mean age 16·1 (sd 1·5) years) participating in the Otago School Students Lifestyle Survey Two.
RESULTS:
Higher NZDQI-A scores were significantly associated with lower body fat percentage (β=-0·19; 95 % CI -0·35, -0·04; P=0·014), fat-to-lean mass ratio (β=-0·26; 95 % CI -0·46, -0·05; P=0·016) and lower fat mass index (β=-0·23; 95 % CI -0·45, -0·004; P=0·046) after multivariate adjustment. No association was found between NZDQI-A and BMI, waist circumference or waist-to-height ratio.
CONCLUSIONS:
Diet quality, as measured by NZDQI-A, was associated only with measures of body fat, not measures of overall body size. Measures specific to body fat should be used for more accurate ascertainment of body composition in examining the diet-body composition associations in this age group.

Using a sample of adolescents from schools in Otago, New Zealand, associations between food outlets around schools and dietary quality were investigated. Food outlet environment data were derived using GIS data. Multivariate regression analysis results showed that outlet density, in an 800m buffer around schools, of cafes and restaurants, supermarkets and takeaways was associated with higher Diet Quality Index scores in boys, and distance to nearest outlet for convenience stores, cafes and restaurants and supermarkets with lower scores for girls. Effect sizes were small, suggesting that the food environment around schools plays a minor role in adolescent diet quality.

This study aimed to measure the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of elite athletes and develop a gender specific predictive equation to estimate their energy requirements. 92 men and 33 women (aged 18-31 years) from 15 sports, who had been training six hours daily for at least one year, were included in the study. Body composition was measured using the bioimpedance technique, and BMR by indirect calorimetry. The differences between measured and estimated BMR using various predictive equations were calculated. The novel equation derived from stepwise multiple regression was evaluated using Bland and Altman analysis. The predictive equations of Cunningham and the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/United Nations University either over- or underestimated the measured BMR by up to ± 6%, while the equations of Ismail et al, developed from the local non-athletic population, underestimated the measured BMR by 14%. The novel predictive equation for the BMR of athletes wa...

Introduction: Accurate yet inexpensive methods for measuring free-living energy expenditure (EE) are much needed. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of heart-rate monitoring method (HRM) in measuring EE as compared to the established activity diary (AD) method. Methodology: Minute-by-minute HRM and an activity diary (AD) were used simultaneously in 34 young adults (18 females, 16 males; mean age 21.5 ± 1.5 years). Estimates of the EE from HRM were based on individual calibration using the Flex-HR procedure while EE from AD were calculated using both individually measured and published energy cost of various activities. Total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and its components (EE during sleep, during rest and during physical activity) were compared using Student paired-t tests. Results: TDEE from HRM method averaged 8.17 ± 2.00 MJ/day compared to 8.50 ± 1.28 MJ/day from AD method. Although large intra-individual differences were found (ranging from -36.9% to 47.4%...

To examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and dietary patterns in adolescents. Food choice was assessed using the validated New Zealand Adolescent FFQ. Principal components analysis was used to determine dietary patterns. Trained research assistants measured participants&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; height and body mass. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed in a subset of participants using the multistage 20 m shuttle run. The level and stage were recorded, and the corresponding VO2max was calculated. Differences in mean VO2max according to sex and BMI were assessed using t tests, while associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and dietary patterns were examined using linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, school attended, socio-economic deprivation and BMI. Secondary schools in Otago, New Zealand. Students (n 279) aged 14-18 years who completed an online lifestyle survey during a class period. Principal components analysis produced three dietary patterns: &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;Treat Foods&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;, &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;Fruits and Vegetables&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; and &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;Basic Foods&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;. The 279 participants who provided questionnaire data and completed cardiorespiratory fitness testing had a mean age of 15·7 (sd 0·9) years. Mean VO2max was 45·8 (sd 6·9) ml/kg per min. The &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;Fruits and Vegetables&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39; pattern was positively associated with VO2max in the total sample (β=0·04; 95 %CI 0·02, 0·07), girls (β=0·06; 95 % CI 0·03, 0·10) and boys (β=0·03; 95 % CI 0·01, 0·05). These results indicate that increase in cardiorespiratory fitness was associated with a healthier dietary pattern, suggesting both should be targeted as part of a global lifestyle approach. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm this association in relation to health outcomes in New Zealand adolescents.

To examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and dietary patterns in adolescents. Food choice was assessed using the validated New Zealand Adolescent FFQ. Principal components analysis was used to determine dietary patterns. Trained research assistants measured participants&#39; height and body mass. Cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed in a subset of participants using the multistage 20 m shuttle run. The level and stage were recorded, and the corresponding VO2max was calculated. Differences in mean VO2max according to sex and BMI were assessed using t tests, while associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and dietary patterns were examined using linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, school attended, socio-economic deprivation and BMI. Secondary schools in Otago, New Zealand. Students (n 279) aged 14-18 years who completed an online lifestyle survey during a class period. Principal components analysis produced three dietary patterns: &#39;Treat Fo...

Health and nutritional information for many countries in the South-East Asian region is either lacking or no longer up to date. The present study aimed to calculate length/height percentile values for the South-East Asian Nutrition Survey (SEANUTS) populations aged 0·5-12 years, examine the appropriateness of pooling SEANUTS data for calculating common length/height percentile values for all SEANUTS countries and whether these values differ from the WHO growth references. Data on length/height-for-age percentile values were collected. The LMS method was used for calculating smoothened percentile values. Standardized site effects (SSE) were used for identifying large or unacceptable differences (i.e. $\mid\! \rm SSE \!\mid$ &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;0·5) between the pooled SEANUTS sample (including all countries) and the remaining pooled SEANUTS samples (including three countries) after weighting sample sizes and excluding one single country each time, as well as with WHO growth references. Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Data from 14202 eligible children were used. From pair-wise comparisons of percentile values between the pooled SEANUTS sample and the remaining pooled SEANUTS samples, the vast majority of differences were acceptable (i.e. $\mid\! \rm SSE \!\mid$ ≤0·5). In contrast, pair-wise comparisons of percentile values between the pooled SEANUTS sample and WHO revealed large differences. The current study calculated length/height percentile values for South East Asian children aged 0·5-12 years and supported the appropriateness of using pooled SEANUTS length/height percentile values for assessing children&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;#39;s growth instead of country-specific ones. Pooled SEANUTS percentile values were found to differ from the WHO growth references and therefore this should be kept in mind when using WHO growth curves to assess length/height in these populations.

The prevalence of stunting, thinness, overweight, and obesity among children differs by ethnicity. It is not known whether differences in body build across the ethnic groups influence the interpretation of nutritional parameters. To explore the differences in body build across the 5 main ethnic groups in Malaysia and to determine whether differences in body build have an impact on the interpretation of nutrition indicators. A total of 3227 children aged 2.0 to 12.9 years who participated in the South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS) in Malaysia were included in this analysis. Body weight, height, sitting height, wrist and knee breadths, and biceps and subscapular skinfolds were measured, and relative leg length, slenderness index, and sum of skinfolds were calculated. Z scores for height-for-age (HAZ) and body mass index-for-age (BAZ) were calculated using the World Health Organization (WHO) 2007 growth standards. Differences in relative leg length and slenderness across the e...

In the era of modern multidisciplinary clinical management, very little is known about the prevalence and presentation of malnutrition in children with gastrointestinal disorders (GastroD) particularly employing composite, global measures of nutritional status. Anthropometry, body composition, dietary intake, eating habits and grip strength were assessed with bedside methods in 168 patients from outpatient gastroenterology clinics (n, median (IQR) years; Crohn&amp;#39;s disease (CD): n=53, 14.2 (11.6:15.4); ulcerative colitis (UC): n=27, 12.2 (10.7:14.2); coeliac disease: n=31, 9.3 (7.5:13.6); other GastroD: n=57, 9.8 (7.2:13.8)) and compared with 62 contemporary healthy controls (n, median (IQR): 9.8 (6.9:13.8)) and the results of the recent UK, National Diet and Nutritional Survey (NDNS). Children with CD had lower BMI z-scores than controls (median (IQR): -0.3 (-0.9:0.4) vs 0.3 (-0.6:1.4); P=0.02) but only 2% were classified as thin (BMI z-score &amp;lt;-2 s.d.). The prevalence of obesity in children with UC was 19%, 6% in CD, 11% in children with other GastroD and 15% in controls. No difference was found in grip strength measurement between groups. Except for CD children, the proportion of patients with suboptimal micronutrient intake was similar to that of controls and the cohort of children from the latest NDNS. A higher proportion of children with CD had suboptimal intake for riboflavin, vitamin B6 and calcium and consumed significantly more meat products, juices (including carbonated drinks), spreads/jams and crisps and savoury snacks and significantly fewer portions of dairy, fish, fruits and vegetables compared with healthy controls. GastroD affect children&amp;#39;s body composition, growth, strength, dietary intake and eating habits, particularly CD, but to a lesser extent than expected.

The purpose of this study was to describe the somatotype of 95 young track and field athletes (58 males, 37 females) aged 17.71.7 years competing at the 2006 Malaysian Games. Each athlete completed an anthropometric battery of tests (7 skinfolds, 2 girths and 2 breadths) undertaken by trained anthropometrists using standard protocols (ISAK). Somatotype was derived using the Heath-Carter somatotype scale. The male athletes were mesomorphs (2.7-5.2-2.8), while the female athletes were endomorph-mesomorph (3.9-4.4-2.7). Somatotypes for male throw, jump, sprint, distance and hurdle athletes were 5.9-7.5-0.7, 2.0-4.5-3.4, 2.1-5.1-2.9, 2.2-4.2-3.7, respectively. For female athletes, mean somatotype for throw, jump, sprint, distance and hurdle athletes were 6.6-7.2-0.6, 3.3-3.0-3.6, 3.0-3.7-3.2, 2.7-2.9-4.4, and 3.2-4.2-2.9, respectively. Significant differences in mean somatotypes for male (P = 0.001, _2 = 0.33) and female (P &lt; 0.001, _2 = 0.44) athletes and their three components (P &...