Pusat Pengajian Sains Kesihatan - Monograf
Browse
Recent Submissions
Now showing 1 - 5 of 731
- PublicationThe nutritional, texture profile and sensory evaluation of cupcake using pumpkin puree as a fat replacer(2025)Khalib, Siti Asma’Cupcakes are renowned for their delicious flavours and visually appealing embellishments, making them one of the most popular treats in the world. Nevertheless, these little cakes frequently contain a lot of calories. To address this issue, the study proposes the use of pumpkin puree as a fat replacer in order to reduce the fat content of the cupcake. Pumpkins are praised for their high nutritious content and health advantages. Since they contain a lot of water, they are low in calories and a great source of dietary fiber. Particularly abundant in pumpkins is beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A that promotes immunity, skin health and vision. Therefore, this study aims to compare the proximate analysis, texture profile and sensory acceptability of cupcake prepared using pumpkin puree as a fat replacer. In this study, four types of samples were prepared which are control cupcake and cupcake with 20%, 30% and 40% of pumpkin puree. The analysis encompasses evaluations of moisture, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate, calorific value, colour and texture profile analysis (TPA). Additionally, sensory evaluation by panelists is conducted to determine appearance, colour, aroma, texture, taste and overall acceptability. The result from the sample prepared by using 40% pumpkin puree as a fat replacer had the highest result for moisture, ash and protein, while the control sample had the lowest in moisture, ash and protein. The fat content of sample with 40% of pumpkin puree has been reduced with a mean of 10.99 as compared to control sample with a mean of 18.25. The results from TPA show that samples prepared using 40% pumpkin puree as a fat replacer had the lowest score for firmness but highest in springiness. The results of samples prepared with 30% of pumpkin puree had the highest score for firmness. Control cupcake had the highest value for L* (colour) while cupcake with 40% of pumpkin puree had the highest value for a* and b*. The result from sensory evaluation shows that samples prepared with 40% of pumpkin puree had the highest score for appearance, aroma and texture, while the control samples had the highest value for taste and overall acceptability. The result of samples prepared with 30% of pumpkin puree had the highest score for colour by panelists. Eventually, out of various samples, 40% of pumpkin puree substantially lower the calorie content of bakery products.
- PublicationComparative analysis of sodium, fat, and protein content in nuggets and sausages across diverse brands in the Malaysian market(2025-01)Mogan, Shalinie A/PThis study investigates the nutritional content of chicken nuggets and sausages from diverse brands in the Malaysian market, focusing on three important nutrients: sodium, fat, and protein. It addresses the lack of comparative data essential for informed consumer choices and public health strategies in light of Malaysia's growing consumption of ultra-processed foods. Nutritional information was obtained from product labels, and statistical analysis, including the Kruskal-Wallis test, was used to identify differences. The assessment showed consistency of nutrient compositions in all chicken nuggets where there is no significant difference between nutrients in nuggets. However, the study found significant differences in the sodium, fat, and protein content of sausages, depending on the brand and flavor. Notably, the original flavor has the lowest sodium and fat content. Regarding protein content, cheese flavors have the highest protein level. The study emphasizes the usage of price-effectiveness to ensure nutrient intake efficiency and highlights the importance of standardized portion sizes and clear, accurate labeling. These findings offer valuable guidance for consumers, policymakers, and food manufacturers, supporting efforts to promote healthier dietary choices and implement regulatory measures to improve the nutritional quality of processed meat products in Malaysia.
- PublicationThe association between eating behaviour, perceived stress level and nutritional status among undergraduate students at the health campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia(2025-01)Roslan, RafeezaIntroduction: The prevalence of stress among university students is increasing, impacting their eating behaviors and overall nutritional status, including metrics such as Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist-to-Hip Ratio, and body fat percentage. This study aims to explore the relationship between stress and eating behavior, as well as its association with nutritional status among undergraduates at the School of Health Sciences in Universiti Sains Malaysia. Method: A total of 156 participants were recruited through a convenience sampling method. They completed questionnaires that included sociodemographic information, anthropometric measurements, items from Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R21). Results: The analysis revealed that over half of the participants reported moderate levels of stress (78.2%). When examining the relationship between stress and various aspects of eating behavior such as cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating, and only cognitive restraint demonstrated a weak positive correlation. Most participants had a normal BMI (41.7%) and a majority recorded a normal body fat percentage (58.2%), with 22.1% showing a high body fat percentage. Both female (77.9%) and male (91.2%) participants exhibited low health risks concerning Waist-to-Hip Ratio. Notably, cognitive restraint was significantly associated with body fat percentage (p= 0.014). Conclusion: The findings from this study can inform future research aimed at developing multi-domain strategies to manage eating behavior and stress among students.
- PublicationAssociation between food security status, negative emotional states and academic performance among undergraduate students at School of Health Sciences in Universiti Sains Malaysia(2025-01)Shun, Ong JingFood security status needed to get more concerned by university students. Food security status could influence students’ emotional well-being and academic performance. Thus, this study aimed to determine the association between food security status, negative emotional states and academic performance. A total of 136 undergraduate health sciences students from USM were recruited in this study using the convenience sampling method. An online and self-administered questionnaire was distributed to obtain sociodemographic characteristics, food security status (US AFSSM), negative emotional states (DASS-21) and academic performance (CGPA). SPSS version 29 was used to perform data analysis. The results indicated that nearly half of the respondents experienced food insecurity with 27.9% of low food security and 20.6% were identified as very low food security. Among food secure respondents, there were 16.2% of high food security and 35.3% of marginal food security which was the highest among four of the food security degrees. Meanwhile, normal depression, anxiety and stress were the highest percentages within their categories at 63.2%, 36.1%, and 58.9% respectively. In terms of academic performance, 61.8% of respondents obtained excellent CGPA followed by 38.2% with good CGPA. It revealed a significant association between food security status and negative emotional states including depression (χ2 = 9.582; p-value = 0.048), anxiety (χ2 = 14.266; p-value = 0.006) and stress (χ2 = 13.784; p-value = 0.005). Additionally, food-insecure students were less likely to report excellent CGPA than food-secure students (χ2 = 4.275; p-value= 0.039). While depression (χ2 = 18.579; p-value < 0.001), anxiety (χ2 = 14.825; p-value = 0.005), and stress (χ2 = 12.188; p-value = 0.009) were negatively associated with academic performance. These findings highlighted the need to address food security status. Targeted intervention programs should have been carried out to improve students’ food security status which further supported their emotional health and excel in academics.
- PublicationEvaluation of salt content in meals available at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Health Campus cafeteria(2025-01)Jaafar, Nurul HudaMeals sold in campus cafeteria are source of food for students, staff and lecturers, particularly during lunch hour. People tend to have lunch on campus during lunch hour to save time and energy compared to dining off-campus. The addition of table salt and sauces to food is very common in Malaysian practices and has been identified as a major contributor to sodium intake. Despite its essential role in nerve and muscle function, consuming excessive sodium can have detrimental health effects. This study aimed to analyse the salt content of meals available in campus cafeterias, categorised into two groups, namely main meals and snack foods to encourage consumers to make informed food choices. Main meals (0.975 g/100 g) were found to have higher average salt content compared to snacks (0.562 g/100 g). Food items were categorised into three levels of sodium, low (<120 mg/100 g), medium (120-599 mg/100 g) and high (>600 mg/100 g). 60% of the selected food items in this study fell within the medium sodium level. In the low sodium level category, snacks were the main contributors with cek mek molek containing the least sodium. In contrast, main meals dominated the high sodium category. This may be due to the use of various seasonings and sauces during cooking, which often serve as preservatives, flavour and colour enhancers and stabilizers. The highest sodium content was observed in gulai ikan masin (1584.3 mg/100 g). These findings can raise awareness among consumers and food providers, encouraging collaborative efforts in salt reduction strategy therefore potentially reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Malaysia.