(1) Background: One of the most main dietary assessments is through a posteriori application. Although extensive research has incorporated dietary assessment of a population through a posteriori application, this study is the first to examine the Malaysian population and use an a posteriori method and principal component analysis (PCA) to assess the dietary patterns of the Malaysian population. The correlation between all dietary patterns derived via PCA and selected nutrient intake were determined in this sample of study; (2) Methods: A total of 3063 respondents (18 to 59 years old) covering Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak, participated in this study. PCA was applied on the food frequency questionnaire collected from the respondents, and descriptive statistics and PCA were performed using SPSS version 21; (3) Results: Six patterns were identified: “traditional”, “ prudent”, “ modern”, “western”, “Chinese”, and “combination” diets. All together, these six patterns were able to explain 45.9% of the total variability. Few components derived from the factor loadings showed positive association with several nutrient markers. The traditional dietary pattern showed a moderate, positive correlation with total protein and total sugar intake, there was a significant moderate correlation between the prudent dietary pattern and dietary fibre, and there was a moderate positive association between the Chinese dietary pattern and total energy; and (4) Conclusions: The exploration of the PCA approach above may provide justification for assessment of dietary patterns rather than reliance on single nutrients or foods to identify potential connections to overall nutritional wellbeing as well as to explore the diet–disease relationship. However, study of pattern analysis must be conducted among the Malaysian population to produce validity and reproducibility for this dietary approach in light of the numerous methodological issues that arise when performing PCA.

Background and Objectives: Cognitive performance is essential for children, given this is a critical stage of brain growth and development. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to ascertain if physical activity or micronutrients impact cognitive performance in children. Materials and Methods: Electronic databases (PubMed and Scopus^®) were searched for relevant articles published between 2012 and 2021. We emphasized randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the effect of physical activity and micronutrients on cognitive performance. Data from eligible studies were gathered and evaluated using random-, fixed- or pooled-effects models with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: Physical activity appeared to improve both Mathematics (d = 1.12, 95% CI: 0.56, 1.67) and attention (d = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.15, 1.14) performances. The micronutrient vitamin B12 had a positive effect on Mathematics (d = 2.39, 95% CI: 0.79, 3.98), English (d = 5.29, 95% CI: 2.76, 7.83), Geography (d = 5.29, 95% CI: 2.76, 7.83), Science (d = 3.39, 95% CI: 2.62, 4.16) and Arts (d = 3.32, 95% CI: 1.84, 4.79). Zinc was found to positively affect English (d = 3.78, 95% CI: 0.44, 7.13), Geography (d = 4.77, 95% CI: 0.56, 8.98) and Arts (d = 2.39, CI: 0.33, 4.45). Iron positively affected Mathematics (d = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.54, 2.06), English (d = 1.29, 95% CI: 0.44, 7.13), Geography (d = 4.77, 95% CI: 0.56, 8.98) and Arts (d = 2.39, 95% CI: 0.33, 4.45). Conclusions: A more comprehensive intervention with a specific dose/level of physical activity, an increased range of cognitive performance, and a well-designed study design that accounts for dietary intake and other health outcomes are required for future studies.

Fast-food is the fastest-growing food category in the world, offering young adults a quick, affordable, and readily available alternative to home-cooked meals. The objective of this study was to determine the socio-demographic determinants of the most frequent fast-food consumption among young adults in Malaysia. This cross-sectional study involved 405 Malaysian young adults aged 18 to 29 who participated in an online survey. This self-administered online questionnaire of habitual fast-food consumption was evaluated using a modified Fast-food Frequency Questionnaire comprised of 30 food items, while the socio-demographic profile was determined by age, gender, ethnicity, monthly household income, marital status, residence, and educational level. IBM SPSS Statistics version 25 (SPSS IBM, New York, USA) was used to analyse the data. The results indicated that the most frequently consumed fast-foods were fried chicken (77.6% of habitual consumption), ice cream (41.3%), and burgers (40%). A chi-square independence test revealed a statistically significant association between urban and rural residence and high fast-food consumption (i.e., fried chicken): X2(2, N = 405) = 22.924, p = 0.001. However, there is no association between consumption of fast-food and gender (X2(2, N = 405) = 0.044, p = 0.834), fast-food and age (p = 0.403), or fast-food and educational level (p > 0.05). Taken together, these findings have provided more information on the habitual consumption of fast-food by young adults. The Malaysian government and other health authorities may be able to develop an action plan to reduce obesity rates and other diseases associated with fast-food consumption among young adults.

There is increased interest in the novel approach of classifying food based on the nature of its processing and its contribution towards diet-related diseases. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to determine the relationship between this novel food classification system and nutritional status of adults in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu. This cross-sectional study involved 200 respondents aged 18 years and above. A self- and researcher-administered questionnaire consisting of three different parts, namely a sociodemographic profile, nutritional status assessment, and food classification system (via two days 24 hours dietary recall) was used to collect data. SPSS version 20.0 was used for data analysis. Results showed that energy contributions of respondents were dominated by foods from group 1 and group 2 i.e. unprocessed food, minimally processed food and processed culinary ingredients. The energy contribution from ultra-processed food consumption was 24% of the average total daily energy consumption at 1818 kcal. The average nutritional status of respondents showed both BMI (M = 25.33, IQR = 6.79) and body fat percentage (M = 28.01, SD = 9.08) were overweight. Further data, including waist circumferences (M = 84.57 cm, SD = 11.7); fasting blood glucose level (M = 5.3 mmol/L, IQR = 0.80); total cholesterol (M = 4.60 mmol/L, IQR = 1.6); triglycerides (M = 1.00 mmol/L, IQR = 0.44); and LDL level (M = 2.74 mmol/L, IQR = 1.35) were normal. Systolic blood pressure (M = 112.50 mmHg, IQR = 20) and diastolic blood pressure (M = 78.84mmHg, SD = 11.73) were optimal, and the HDL levels of the respondents were borderline (M = 1.42mmol/L, IQR = 0.47). Pearson and Spearman correlations were performed to determine the relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and nutritional status and found no significant relationship between both variables. All in all, the findings can be used in the development of evidence-based interventions aimed at encouraging the consumption of minimally processed foods and reducing ultra-processed food consumption among the general public.