Cervical Cancer The No.2 Killer Among Malaysian Women

In August 2014, the respected Medical Journal of Malaysia published a paper on “A Review of Cervical Cancer Research in Malaysia”. Its author, Dr Zaridah Shaffie, Consultant Gynecologist at Tuanku Fauziah Hospital, Perlis, had pored over 57 research papers on various cervical cancer outlooks in Malaysia. 

In particular, she paid attention to the persistent infection of cervical cancer-causing human papillomavirus (HPV), protection from HPV through vaccination, Pap smear screening struggles, and the attitude and knowledge of Malaysian women that contributed to the failure to reduce the number of cervical cancer cases as well as its mortality rate.

The second most widespread cancer among Malaysian women. 

Despite being preventable, cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer – number one being breast cancer – among women in Malaysia. It is also a top killer – ranked number four – of Malaysian women aged between 15 and 44. The occurrence of cervical cancer in Malaysia beats other Asian and Western countries, and the resulting deaths are over two times higher than the Netherlands, UK and Finland. 

Dr Zaridah’s literature review concluded that these unwelcome national cervical cancer statistics are due to the poor knowledge and attitude of Malaysian women, as well as an overall deficiency of nationwide awareness, especially when it comes to cervical cancer screening and prevention.

Lack of knowledge and limited awareness. 

Many studies revealed that Malaysian females – both teenagers and adults – lack understanding on HPV infection and cervical cancer, and this translates into their position on HPV vaccination.

Teenage girls. 

A study revealed that teenagers from rural Sarawak were deprived of cervical cancer knowledge and its prevention, and many did not accept the HPV vaccination. On the other hand, teenage girls living in big cities such as Kuala Lumpur also exhibited low knowledge of cervical cancer and its prevention. However, their attitude toward HPV vaccinations was encouraging.

Women. 

In another survey conducted, rural women in Malaysia had extremely poor knowledge toward cervical cancer and HPV. And their acceptance of the HPV inoculation had significant correlation with their knowledge of cervical screening and cervical cancer risk factors. These women didn’t agree to be vaccinated because they doubted the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, or were just mortified to be receiving a vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease. 

In metropolitan Kuala Lumpur, women there also showed little knowledge of HPV and HPV vaccine. However, many agreed to immunize for their daughters against HPV if the vaccination was made routine and free.

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4 Steps to Check If Your Child Is Obese

Did you know that you there is a way to check if your child is obese or not? It is through the Body Mass Index or BMI and it only takes 4 steps to calculate it:

• Step 1: check your child’s weight in kilograms (kg)

• Step 2: measure your child’s height in meters (m)

• Step 3: divide the weight (kg) by the square of the height (m²)

• Step 4: plot the result in the correct BMI-for-age percentile chart for boys and girls

• If the BMI is falls less than the 5th percentile, your child is underweight.
• If it falls between the 5th and 85th percentile, he has normal weight.
• If the BMI is between the 85th and 95th percentile, then he is overweight.
• A BMI that is more than the 95th percentile means that your child is obese.

By knowing your child’s BMI, you as a parent can work with your healthcare provider to prevent unwanted health outcomes such as obesity in adulthood, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, kidney problems, psychiatric disease, and even low quality of life.

To achieve good body weight, allow your child to engage in regular exercise 30 minutes every day. Reduce sedentary time watching TV or playing video games.

Balanced Diet is Everything

Equally important is to encourage your child to eat a balanced diet. Avoid giving high-calorie and oily food. Keep in mind that feeding choices can greatly affect your child’s weight and increase his risk for obesity when he gets older. This has been proven by many studies that too much protein during the first years of life may cause rapid weight gain and obesity. Therefore, make sure that your child receives the right amount of protein as well as carbohydrates, fats and other nutrients during his meals.

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3 Growth Nutrients That You Need To Know

Your child needs different nutrients for growth and development. While each one is important, there are three major nutrients that you need to know right now - proteins, carbohydrates and fat.

Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of energy. 

When broken down, they become simple sugars. You can get carbohydrates from rice, bread, cereals, beans and starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn. Fruits and milk are good sources of natural sugars.

Fats also provide energy. 

In addition, the body needs them to absorb vitamins A, D, E and K. Examples of fat sources are red meat, butter, shortening and margarine. Many snacks, creamers and whipped cream also contain fats.

Protein is the basic building blocks of the body. 

It is probably the most important nutrient when it comes to the body’s development. Proteins are needed for repairing cells and for making new ones. Good sources of protein are fish, meat, milk, cheese, yogurt, and eggs. You can also get them from plant sources like legumes, beans and soy.

All these major nutrients are needed by the body. However, a child should only receive what’s enough to support his growth rate and development. Otherwise, giving too much can cause health problems.

Too Much of Nutrients

Think about it. In the past years, the number of overweight children has been increasing. One reason for this is feeding them with fast food that is loaded with fat, carbohydrates and calories. Many children also drink highly-sugared juices and sodas that can make them overweight. There are also recent studies showing that giving high amounts of protein during early childhood can cause an increase in body fat, faster weight gain and obesity.

Since we don’t want our kids to become obese, good eating habits must be started early. Feed them with nutritious food containing the recommended daily amount of protein, carbohydrates and fat. In addition, children should be encouraged to increase their physical activity and decrease sedentary lifestyle.

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WHAT CAN I EAT? – GESTATIONAL DIABETES

From the moment you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes you are likely to be faced with what seems like an endless list of new tasks: more clinic appointments, more blood tests, taking medications, being more active and eating a healthy, balanced diet. No wonder it can all seem so daunting and overwhelming.

One of your first questions is likely to be “what can I eat?” But, with so much to take in, you could still come away from appointments feeling unsure about the answer. And then, there are lots of myths about diabetes and food that you will need to navigate, too.

If you’ve just been diagnosed and aren’t sure about what you can and can’t eat, here’s what you need to know.

I've just been diagnosed with gestational diabetes ­– what can I eat ?

This may come as a surprise, but you don’t have to go on a special diet when have gestational diabetes. Depending on your current diet, you may have to eat less of some foods and more of others. In the past, people were sent away after their diagnosis with a list of foods they weren't allowed to eat, or often told to simply cut out sugar. Nowadays, you may need to make some changes to your diet, but it’s not a case of cutting things out. Rather, you’ll need to follow the same healthy, balanced diet that’s recommended to everyone.

Its all about Control

The main aim for managing gestational diabetes is ensuring that your blood glucose levels are under control, so your healthcare team will discuss targets that are right for you. Achieving the targets will increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy and your food choices play a vital role in this. It is important to enjoy your meals while making changes to your food choices that are realistic and achievable. This will help control your blood glucose levels, and help prevent excessive weight gain during your pregnancy.

All carbohydrates will have an impact on your blood glucose levels so be aware of how much you eat. Try to choose nutritious carbohydrate-containing foods such as wholegrain starchy foods, pulses, fruit and vegetables as well as some dairy foods. Your healthcare team will help you understand how carbohydrates affect your blood glucose levels. You may be advised to:

• eat less carbohydrate
• choose better sources of carbohydrates
• spread your carbohydrates throughout the day

Ask to be referred to a dietitian who can support you to come up with a specific eating plan that is tailored to your needs.

Is there anything I should avoid?

Avoid foods labelled ‘diabetic’ or ‘suitable for diabetics’. These foods contain similar amounts of calories and fat, and they can affect your blood glucose levels. They are usually more expensive and can have a laxative effect. Stick to your usual foods. If you want to have an occasional treat, go for your normal treats and keep an eye on your portions.

Fish is good for your health and the development of your baby, so it’s good to eat it regularly. The general recommendation is to eat at least two portions (one portion is about 140g) per week, including one or two portions of oily fish, e.g. mackerel, sardines, salmon, herrings, trout, pilchards. Oily fish is particularly beneficial to heart health but limit the intake to not more than two portions a week. 

Avoid fish which tend to have higher levels of mercury e.g. swordfish, shark and marlin and limit the amount of tuna, which can have relatively high amounts of mercury compared to other fish we eat, to up to four medium-sized cans of tuna or two tuna steaks a week. It is also advisable to avoid raw shellfish to reduce the risk of food poisoning, which can be particularly unpleasant during pregnancy.

It is also important to avoid certain types of cheese, raw or uncooked eggs and meat, liver and unpasteurised milk. Always wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove any soil and dirt.

Your healthcare professional can discuss, in more details, the foods to avoid.

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