Measuring dietary intakes in a multi-ethnic and multicultural setting, such as Malaysia, remains a challenge due to its diversity. This study aims to develop and evaluate the relative validity of an interviewer-administered food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in assessing the habitual dietary exposure of The Malaysian Cohort (TMC) participants. We developed a nutrient database (with 203 items) based on various food consumption tables, and 803 participants were involved in this study. The output of the FFQ was then validated against three-day 24-h dietary recalls (n = 64). We assessed the relative validity and its agreement using various methods, such as Spearman’s correlation, weighed Kappa, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland–Altman analysis. Spearman’s correlation coefficient ranged from 0.24 (vitamin C) to 0.46 (carbohydrate), and almost all nutrients had correlation coefficients above 0.3, except for vitamin C and sodium. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged from −0.01 (calcium) to 0.59 (carbohydrates), and weighted Kappa exceeded 0.4 for 50% of nutrients. In short, TMC’s FFQ appears to have good relative validity for the assessment of nutrient intake among its participants, as compared to the three-day 24-h dietary recalls. However, estimates for iron, vitamin A, and vitamin C should be interpreted with caution.

Objective To investigate the sodium content in sauces sold in Malaysian supermarkets. Methods A cross-sectional market survey was conducted in 2017 of 233 sauces sold in Malaysian supermarkets. Information on the sodium content was collected from the product packaging and nutrient information panels of the sauces sold in the seven top supermarkets in the capital of Malaysia. Results Of the 233 sauces surveyed, 116 did not include sodium content information on the nutrient information panel (49.8%). Soy sauce (particularly sweet soy sauce) and ketchup (particularly chilli sauce) were found to be the highest number of products surveyed in the analysis (N=54 and N=48, respectively). The highest sodium content information was displayed by fish/prawn sauce (budu/cencalok) (5192±3228 mg/100 g) which was followed by the light/thin soy sauce (5116±2084 mg/100 g), and followed by salty soy sauce (4780±988 mg/100 g). The sodium content information of the imported sauces was higher compared with local products produced in Malaysia. However, for sweet soy sauce, the sodium content information of the local products was higher compared with the imported products. Of the 116 sauces which displayed information regarding their sodium content, only 18.2% of the salty soy sauce and 25% of the light/thin soy sauce were found to be below the 2017 Malaysian sodium guidelines. Furthermore, only 21.7% of chilli ketchup and no tomato ketchup were below the 2017 UK salt guidelines. Conclusions Almost half of the sauces surveyed did not include sodium content information on the nutrient information panel. It is recommended that sodium content information is provided on all sauces sold in Malaysia. Also, manufacturers should be urged to reduce the sodium content level of their sauces to a minimum of 5%.

The current review aimed to map the available evidence on the assessments of mindful eating and dietary intake, and the relationship between mindful eating level, food group intake, nutrient intake, and obesity risk. This scoping review is based on Preferred Reporting Items for the Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Extension for the Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) 2020 framework. A literature search was conducted on Web of Science, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases for studies published between 2014 to 2024, identifying eligible primary studies involving adult and elderly participants. Twenty-two studies were chosen for this review. Most studies assessed mindful eating using Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ), Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Mindful eating practice was associated with lower snack consumption, and specific sub-scales showed a favorable correlation (p<0.05) with fruit and vegetable intake. Body Mass Index (BMI) reductions were observed in the intervention group (MD 0.51, p<0.001). This scoping review demonstrates the scientific basis of the mindful eating promote increased consumption of nutritious foods and nutrients, which is likely to lead to a reduction in obesity risk.

This study compares three methods of detecting EI (Energy Intake) underreporting and examines their associations with body composition measures—such as Body Mass Index (BMI), body fat percentage, and muscle mass—as well as blood test results, including fasting blood sugar and lipid profiles among overweight and obese adults in East Coast, Malaysia. A total of 333 secondary school teachers, aged 20 to 60 years, were recruited using multistage sampling for this cross-sectional study. We collected sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, and biochemical parameters using standardized and validated instruments. Dietary intake data were obtained using validated semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ). Underreporting was assessed using the revised-Goldberg method (EI/ Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) ratio of 1.2 and 0.9, based on the Mifflin-St Jeor equation) and the EI sex-specific 97.5th percentile. The majority of participants were Malay (98.8%), with a mean age of 48.85±6.88 years old. On average, they were classified as overweight (BMI: 29.30±3.74 kg/m²) and had a high waist circumference (91.66±10.40 cm). The discrepancy between the Goldberg EI/BMR97.5th percentile method (26.1% vs. 4.8% underreporters) reflects the higher sensitivity but lower specificity of the Goldberg method, which may have led to higher underreporting estimates to the EI sex-specific97.5th percentile approach. There were significant association (p97.5th percentile method shows promising for detecting EI misreporting in overweight and obese adults. However, further research is needed to validate these findings, as the method remains underexplored.