Biomedical subjects

E-Siong Tee

Publications and source records attributed to E-Siong Tee.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Determinants of iron status in Malaysian adolescents from a rural community.

Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common micronutrient deficiency worldwide. The prevalence of anaemia in the developing countries is three to four times higher than that in the developed countries. The iron status was assessed in 199 apparently healthy male and female adolescents aged 12-19 years living in a fishing community in Sabah, Malaysia. Data on socio-economic characteristics, lifestyles, anthropometry measurements, iron status, and dietary intake were gathered. Dietary intake of energy, iron, and most nutrients (with the exception of protein and vitamin C) were below the recommended levels for Malaysian adolescents. Three-quarters of the iron was derived from plant foods. The mean haemoglobin value for the male was 13.9 +/- 1.3 g/dl with 9.5% having less than 12 g/dl, while the respective figures for the female were 12.4 +/- 1.6 g/dl and 28.6%. The mean serum ferritin concentrations for male and female adolescents were 21.5 and 15.4 microg/l, respectively; with 25.7% of the males and 49.5% of the females having deficient levels of ferritin. Dietary intake of total energy and iron, and gender were found to be independent determinants of serum ferritin and haemoglobin levels, accounting for over 40% of the variations for each of these iron indicators. In males, but not in females, the intake of dietary protein and iron, and physical activity were also found to be significant determinants of serum ferritin. The age of subjects and household size were significant determinants of haemoglobin levels for male subjects, but not for female subjects. The findings indicate the importance of adequate intake of energy and dietary iron for improving the iron status of adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Proceedings of the workshop on food-consumption surveys in developing countries: future challenges.

The workshop "Food-consumption surveys in developing countries: Future challenges," held in Chiang Rai, Thailand, January 25--26, 2003, brought together 30 nutritionists and food safety experts from 10 Southeast Asian countries as well as from countries outside the region. It provided a forum for sharing information and experiences relating to food-consumption survey methodology. It enabled detailed discussions of the gathering of food-consumption data in developing countries for purposes of nutrition assessment, exposure assessment, and studies of diet-disease relationships. The workshop participants emphasized the need to obtain the support of policy and decision makers to establish a mechanism for conducting regular coordinated food-consumption surveys to meet these needs. The participants emphasized the importance of identifying all relevant stakeholders and involving them in the planning and conduct of these surveys. A number of technical issues related to food-con.sumption surveys were discussed, including food-intake methodologies. It was felt that surveys on individuals are preferred, and a combination of 24-hour recall and food-frequency questionnaire would most likely provide the required data. The workshop emphasized the need to develop, maintain, and update databases at the national and regional levels for nutrients and non-nutrients as well as contaminants and food additives. To ensure that surveys are conducted regularly and professionally, the importance of having qualified and trained personnel was emphasized. Several issues related to reports of food-consumption data were discussed, including timely reporting, effective dissemination, and appropriate usage. The participants unanimously recommended the organization of further technical meetings or workshops to follow up on recommended activities and enable continuing regional collaboration on food-consumption surveys.

Data Collection↗

PubMed2004

Iron status and dietary iron intake of adolescents from a rural community in Sabah, Malaysia.

Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency in the world affecting the general health and wellbeing of millions. In Malaysia, moderately high prevalences of anaemia have been reported amongst infants, young children and women of childbearing age. Data is scant for the adolescents. This study was undertaken to assess the iron status and dietary intake of 165 adolescents, comprising 74 male and 91 female subjects, aged 12 to 19 years, from the rural communities in Tuaran District of Sabah, Malaysia. Convenience sampling was used for the selection of study subjects. Multiple iron status indicators namely, serum ferritin (SF), transferrin saturation (TS), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and haemoglobin (Hb) were determined for the study. The mean age of the subjects was 15.2 +/-2.1 years. While the majority of the subjects (77.6%) had normal body mass index (BMI) values, 17.6% were underweight and 4.8% overweight. About 35% to 40% of the subjects showed deficient values for haematocrit, serum ferritin, serum iron, mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and transferrin saturation (TS), and 20% were anaemic (Hb <12 g/L). Using the multiple criteria of iron status indicators, the prevalence of iron depletion, iron deficiency and IDA in the male and female adolescents were 5.4% vs. 6.6%, 18.9% vs. 26.4% and 5.4% vs. 26.4%, respectively. Iron deficiency anaemia (85.0%) contributed largely to the prevalence of anaemia. The dietary iron intake of the adolescents was unsatisfactory, with approximately 98% of subjects failing to meet the Malaysian RDA level. Almost all the female subjects (91%) had dietary iron intake below two-thirds of the RDA level compared with a much smaller proportion for the male adolescents (68%). The prevalence of IDA in the present study population, especially in the female adolescents, appears to be a significant public health problem. Priority should therefore be given to the eradication of iron deficiency in adolescents from low-income areas by dietary modification and micronutrient supplementation amongst female adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Current status of nutrition labelling and claims in the South-East Asian region: are we in harmony?

This review includes the situation of nutrition labelling and claims in six countries in South-East Asia: Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. With the exception of Malaysia, there is no mandatory nutrition labelling requirements for foods in these countries except for special categories of foods and when nutritional claims are made for fortified or enriched foods. Nevertheless, several food manufacturers, especially multinationals, do voluntarily label the nutritional content of a number of food products. There is, therefore, increasing interest among authorities in countries in the region to start formulating regulations for nutrition labelling for a wider variety of foods. Malaysia has proposed new regulations to make it mandatory to label a number of foodstuffs with the four core nutrients, protein, carbohydrate, fat and energy. Other countries have preferred to start with voluntary labelling by the manufacturers, but have spelt out the requirements for this voluntary labelling. The format and requirements for nutrition labelling differ widely for countries in the region. Some countries, such as Malaysia, closely follow the Codex guidelines on nutrition labelling in terms of format, components to be included and mode of expression. Other countries, such as the Philippines and Thailand, have drafted nutrition labelling regulations very similar to those of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of the United States. Nutrition and health claims are also not specifically permitted under food regulations that were enacted before 1998. However, various food products on the market have been carrying a variety of nutrition and health claims. There is concern that without proper regulations, the food industry may not be certain as to what claims can be made. Excessive and misleading claims made by irresponsible manufacturers would only serve to confuse and mislead the consumer. In recent years, there has been efforts in countries in the region to enact regulations on nutrition claims. Recently enacted regulations or amendments to existing regulations of almost all the countries reviewed have included provisions for nutrition claims. Malaysia is in the process of gazetting regulations to clearly stipulate the permitted nutrition claims and the conditions required to make these claims along the guidelines of Codex Alimentarius Commission. Only two countries in the region permit health claims to be made - Indonesia and Philippines. Other countries in the region are following developments in Codex and examining the need for allowing these claims. There are more differences than similarities in the regulations on nutrition labelling and claims among countries in the South-East Asian region as no previous efforts have been made to address these. Hopefully, through this first regional meeting, countries can initiate closer interaction, with a view to working towards greater harmonization of nutrition labelling and health claims in the region.

Asia, Southeastern↗

PubMed2002

Regional study of nutritional status of urban primary schoolchildren. 3. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A total of 5,995 (7.8% of all 7- to 10-year-old primary schoolchildren in Kuala Lumpur), randomly selected from 166 schools (97.6% of all schools), were measured for their weight and height. The analyses of all weight and height data, including the cutoffs used for defining stunting, underweight, and wasting and for thinness and overweight, were carried out as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The prevalances of stunting (height-for-age Z score < -2 SD), underweight (weight-for-age Z score < -2 SD) and wasting (weight-for-height Z score < -2 SD) among all the children studies were 6.7%, 7.1%, and 4.5%, respectively. Undernutrition among boys was more serious than among girls according to all three indicators. Because it was not possible to analyze the weight-for-height data for most of the children above 8.5 years of age, body mass index (BMI)-for-age was used to determine the prevalences of thinness and overweight for all the children. Based on the reference data, the prevalence of overweight (at or above the 95th percentile) was 9.7% and 7.1% for boys and girls, respectively, and 8.4% overall.

Body Height↗

PubMed2002

Priority nutritional concerns in Asia.

The sustained economic growth and increasing economic stability in the Asian region over the last three decades have been accompanied by changing lifestyles leading to significant changes in the food and nutrition issues facing Asian countries. The chronic diseases associated with excessive consumption of nutrients, especially fat, are becoming increasingly apparent. At the same time, Asia has a disproportionate share of the malnutrition problem. Underweight and stunting remain significant problems in many Asian communities, and micronutrient deficiencies of iron, iodine, and vitamin A continue to afflict large population groups. Effective data collection and analysis are essential to formulate and implement intervention programs to address both sides of the changing nutrition scenario in Asia.

Adolescent↗