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- PublicationAssociation between food management behaviours and household food waste among working adults in health campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Malaysia(2025-01)Tahir, Nurain MohdRecent research has begun to demonstrate the vital role of daily food provision practices in influencing household food waste. Food waste occurs throughout the food chain, yet homes are the primary contributor. The purpose of this research, is to investigate the association between food management behaviours and household food waste among working adults at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian, Malaysia. In this study, a sample size of 215 working adults from the School of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, and School of Dentistry was recruited using stratified random sampling based on inclusion criteria. However, only 180 responses were gathered and analyzed with SPSS version 29.0. Among the five investigated factors, Food Storage Behaviour (FSB) (p=0.876) and Leftover Consumption Behavior (LCB) (p=0.764) were not significantly associated with household food waste (p > 0.05). However, Food Purchase Planning Behaviour (FPB) (p < .001), Food Purchase Behaviour in Store (FPBI-S) (p < .001), and Food Planning Preparation Behaviour (FPPB) (p=.039), demonstrated significant associations. The findings of this study, as well as previous studies by other researchers, can be utilized to drive effective interventions that focus on specific food waste situations and interactions in greater depth. The intervention could particularly help to shift the focus from analysis to solutions.
- PublicationEvaluation of nutritional properties and sensory acceptance of commercially available orange juices in Kota Bharu, Kelantan(2025-01)Johari, Nor WahidahOrange juice is well-known for its nutritional benefits and has been a popular fruit juice choice worldwide. However, information on the nutritional content and sensory acceptance of commercial orange juices in the Malaysian context is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the sugar, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sensory acceptance of five different brands of orange juice (samples A, B, C, D and E) available in Kota Bharu. Five orange juice samples were analysed for their nutritional properties using enzymatic method for sugars, indophenol titration method for vitamin C and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) for minerals. Results of nutritional properties obtained showed the following range of values for total sugars (7.94 – 11.00 mg/100 mL), glucose (2.24 – 5.93 mg/100 mL), fructose (2.35 – 3.67 g/100 mL), sucrose (1.86 – 6.40 g/100 mL), vitamin C (0.16 – 1.41 mg/100 mL), calcium (0.30 – 0.68 mg/100 mL), magnesium (1.10 – 2.20 mg/100 mL) and potassium (11.65 – 19.70 mg/100 mL). The sugars, vitamin C and mineral contents varied among the different orange juice samples. Sample A had the highest magnesium (2.20 mg/100 mL) and potassium (19.70 mg/100 mL) content while sample C had the highest total sugar content (11.00 mg/100 mL). Next, sample D had the highest calcium content (0.68 mg/100 mL) while sample E had the highest vitamin C (1.41 mg/100 mL). For sensory acceptance, five samples were subjected to sensory evaluation, in which the samples were rated using a 7-point hedonic scale. Sample B had the most overall acceptability (6.18) while sample E had the least (3.12). In general, commercial orange juice is a fair source of natural sugars, vitamins and minerals and should be supplemented in the diet for its health benefits.
- PublicationEvaluating the association between dietary intake, sunlight exposure and serum vitamin d level with maternal comorbidities in Hospital Pengajar Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM)(2025-01)Rajkumar, NiranjanaaMaternal Comorbidities is defined as the combination of one or more diseases among pregnant women. This study focuses on hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM). Based on a population-based study, the incidence of hypertensive disorders during pregnancy increased from 16.30 million to 18.08 million globally, with a total increase of 10.92 % from 1990 to 2019. More than 50% of women with GDM are expected to develop T2DM within 5 years of the index pregnancy. Several studies reported increased risk of preeclampsia when Vitamin D levels are low and plays a role in glucose homeostasis. However, limited research has explored the interaction between dietary intake, sunlight exposure, and serum Vitamin D levels in predicting maternal health outcomes in Malaysia. Current comparative cross-sectional study aimed to compare dietary Vitamin D intake, sunlight exposure, and serum Vitamin D levels of healthy pregnant women and women with maternal comorbidities. A total of 207 pregnant women who attended antenatal care in HPUSM were recruited in the study, with 152 of them in healthy group and 55 of them in maternal comorbidities group. Study subjects who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected through purposive sampling technique. Semi structured questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic, obstetric history and sun exposure log meanwhile dietary data of each study subject was assessed through semi-quantitative, vitamin D specific food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Blood withdrawal was done to analyse serum vitamin D levels. A significant association is present between maternal age and gestational age across groups However, no significant associations were reported between serum vitamin D levels, sunlight exposure and dietary vitamin D intake with healthy and maternal comorbidities groups. Conclusively, current study found that there is no association between vitamin D and maternal comorbidities.
- PublicationHydration knowledge, attitude, physical activity level and fluid consumption pattern among undergraduate students in School Of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia (Usm) Health Campus(2025-02)Joe, Jojo Ting SingAdequate fluid consumption is essential for maintaining bodily functions and promoting good health. However, factors influencing plain water intake among Malaysian university students remains understudied. Hence, this cross-sectional study aimed to access factors such as sociodemographic, physical activity level (PAL), body mass index (BMI), hydration knowledge and attitude as well as its relationship with the fluid consumption pattern specifically plain water among undergraduate students in Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Health Campus. Cluster sampling method was used to randomly select 3 study programmes for each year. A total of 243 undergraduate PPSK students (190 females, 53 males), aged between 18-33 years were recruited. A set of questionnaires with five sections were distributed. Analyses were performed using SPSS version 27.0. Results indicated that average plain water intake was 1474.28 ± 530.19 mL/day, with male consuming slightly more (1551.89 ± 526.60 mL/day) than female (1452.63 ± 530.54 mL/day). Notably, 46.9% of participants did not meet the Malaysia Dietary Guidelines (MDG) 2020 recommendation for plain water. A significant association was found between BMI and plain water intake (p = 0.004), with overweight and obese students consuming more water than their counterparts. “Lack of effort barrier” was the only predictor of plain water intake, which negatively predicting the consumption as shown in multiple linear regression model (β = −47.403, p = 0.001, R2 = 0.168). This variable contributed 14.6% of the variance in daily plain water intake (Adjusted R2= 0.146). The results highlight the relationship between hydration barrier and plain water intake among students. Comprehensive education and interventions are crucial to increase its intake and improve their hydration habits as part of healthy lifestyle.
- PublicationNutritive and physical quality analysis of black pepper dried with optimized-hybrid solar drying systems(2025-01)Ying, Gan ZhiBlack pepper holds significant commercial importance in Malaysia. Consumer preference is driven by its nutritional and physical properties. While open sun drying (OSD) is widely used in tropical countries by virtue of its cost effectiveness, it presents several limitations, including labour intensive, time consuming, weather dependency and contamination risks. Hybrid Solar Drying System (HSDS) have emerged as an alternative to address these limitations. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the efficiency of HSDS compared to OSD and assess the nutritional composition and physical quality of HSDS-dried black pepper relative to commercial black pepper. The efficiency of HSDS drying the black pepper was evaluated by plotting a moisture removal graph to analyse the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) in the curve. Nutritional composition (moisture, ash, protein, oil, crude fiber and carbohydrate (CHO)) of HSDS-dried and commercial samples were determined using standard methods. Physical properties including colour, density, geometric mean diameter, and sphericity, were also analyzed. Drying kinetics demonstrated that HSDS was more efficient than OSD in removing moisture from black pepper. Proximate analysis revealed significantly higher oil content (6.23%) and lower ash content (3.08%) in HSDS-dried pepper compared to commercial pepper (4.71% and 3.70% respectively, p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in moisture, protein, crude fiber, carbohydrate, density, geometric mean diameter, sphericity and a* value between HSDS-dried and commercial black pepper. Significant differences were observed in L* and b* values, indicating that HSDS-dried pepper exhibited a darker colour and a bluish hue compared to commercial black pepper which increase the market value. dE*ab value of 4.50 represented significant colour difference between HSDS-dried black pepper and commercial black pepper. In conclusion, these outcomes highlight the effectiveness of Black pepper holds significant commercial importance in Malaysia. Consumer preference is driven by its nutritional and physical properties. While open sun drying (OSD) is widely used in tropical countries by virtue of its cost effectiveness, it presents several limitations, including labour intensive, time consuming, weather dependency and contamination risks. Hybrid Solar Drying System (HSDS) have emerged as an alternative to address these limitations. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the efficiency of HSDS compared to OSD and assess the nutritional composition and physical quality of HSDS-dried black pepper relative to commercial black pepper. The efficiency of HSDS drying the black pepper was evaluated by plotting a moisture removal graph to analyse the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) in the curve. Nutritional composition (moisture, ash, protein, oil, crude fiber and carbohydrate (CHO)) of HSDS-dried and commercial samples were determined using standard methods. Physical properties including colour, density, geometric mean diameter, and sphericity, were also analyzed. Drying kinetics demonstrated that HSDS was more efficient than OSD in removing moisture from black pepper. Proximate analysis revealed significantly higher oil content (6.23%) and lower ash content (3.08%) in HSDS-dried pepper compared to commercial pepper (4.71% and 3.70% respectively, p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in moisture, protein, crude fiber, carbohydrate, density, geometric mean diameter, sphericity and a* value between HSDS-dried and commercial black pepper. Significant differences were observed in L* and b* values, indicating that HSDS-dried pepper exhibited a darker colour and a bluish hue compared to commercial black pepper which increase the market value. dE*ab value of 4.50 represented significant colour difference between HSDS-dried black pepper and commercial black pepper. In conclusion, these outcomes highlight the effectiveness of HSDS in maintaining quality through controlled drying conditions, minimizing colour degradation and ensuring better preservation of key characteristics.