Background In keeping with nation-wide efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19, Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) transformed fully its pedagogical delivery to online mode, where we investigated teaching and learning experiences, physical and mental health of undergraduate students and lecturers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study on undergraduate students and lecturers in a health science faculty using a self-developed pretested questionnaire through anonymous online data collection method. Results Fifty-six lecturers (100% response rate) and 279 students (93.3% response rate) participated. The positive experiences reported by students include becoming independent (72.8%) and adapting to online learning (67.4%), while lecturers learned new teaching techniques (50.0%) and became more innovative (50.0%) by learning new tools (48.2%). However, studying at home caused students to feel more distracted (72.0%) with a feeling of uncertainty towards examinations (66.7%), while lecturers felt that students’ laboratory skills were compromised (44.6%). Even though online delivery of assessments enabled lecturers to explore all options (50.0%), they found it difficult to maintain appropriate questions (41.1%) and fair assessments (37.5%). Majority of students missed eating out (68.8%) and felt a lack of participation in extracurricular activities (64.9%), while lecturers reported more time for exercise (51.8%), despite having more screen time (50.0%) and computer-related physical stress (44.6%). In terms of mental health, increased stress in students was reported (64.9%), though they had more time for self-reflection (54.8%). Although lecturers reported a closer relationship with family (44.6%), they also felt more stressed due to deadlines, unexpected disruptions and higher workloads (44.6%) as well as concerns related to work, family and self (39.3%). Conclusion In this abrupt shift to online teaching, students and lecturers in our study identified both positive and negative experiences including the impact on their physical and mental health. Our findings are important to provide the evidence for online pedagogical benefits and can serve to promote the enhancement and adaptation of digital technology in education. Our findings also aim to promote the importance of addressing physical and mental health issues of the university community’s well-being through provision of emotional and mental health support and appropriate programs.
Background: Young adults are at risk of developing obesity, especially when transitioning into university life as they become responsible for their daily eating and lifestyles. This study estimates the prevalence of overweight/obesity and explores the eating patterns and lifestyle practices of university students.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD). A total of 303 students participated. Data was collected from January to April 2016. Self-designed questionnaires comprised questions pertaining to current weight, self-reported height data, information on eating habits, exercise and knowledge of the food pyramid. The collected data were used to compare and contrast eating habits and lifestyle practices among overweight/obese students with those of non-overweight/obese students.Results: The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 28.8% (95% CI: 24.0%, 34.0%). The majority ate regular daily meals, but more than half skipped breakfast. Frequent snacking, fried food consumption at least three times per week and low intake of daily fruits and vegetables were common. The frequency of visits to fast food restaurants was significantly higher in the overweight/obese. 25.4% of the students exercised at least three times per week. Almost all students are aware of balanced nutrition and the food pyramid.Conclusions: Most university students had poor eating habits, although the majority had good nutrition knowledge. By way of recommendation, the university is encouraged to provide a multi-disciplinary team specialising in health promotion that includes nutrition and physical activity programmes to increase the awareness among the university students.
Traditionally, there are some medicinal plants believed to treat diabetes, as they have been proven in research studies to possess antidiabetic properties, such as improved insulin sensitivity and hypoglycemic activities, due to their high level of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, and glycosides. We conducted a systematic review to identify potential medicinal plants used during human clinical trials in the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries on prediabetic or type 2 diabetic individuals and to potentially identify any bioactive compounds involved in effectively treating symptoms of diabetes such as lowering of blood glucose. A total of 1209 reference titles were retrieved from four selected databases (Science Direct, Scopus, Springer Link, and PubMed) and only three met the inclusion criteria. Upon evaluation of the selected articles, four medicinal plants were identified: turmeric (Curcuma longa), garlic (Allium sativum L.), bitter melon (Momordica charantia), and Rosella flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.). Of these, only the bitter melon study did not show any significant change in the blood glucose of participants after intervention. This review demonstrates the limitations in published articles of human clinical trials for medicinal plants’ intervention for diabetes. Upon further investigations on the four identified medicinal plants included in the animal studies, the findings showed positive effects in the management of diabetes, such as hyperglycemia. Hence, further testing and standardization of the methods in the studies can be suggested for human clinical trials for reliable data collections such as methods of extract preparation, duration of intervention, and conditions set for the study design.
Introduction: Childhood obesity is increasing in the Southeast Asian region, including in the nation of Brunei Darussalam. Within the public health focus on obesity prevention, specific settings, including primary schools, have been singled out as suitable sites for action. Recognizing that stakeholders are, in their various roles, producers of policy or implementers of practice, the purpose of this study in Brunei was to establish a baseline for interventions as well as to establish strengths and limitations in the current practice. Methods: Semi-structured interview with government and school community stakeholders was conducted, and transcriptions were thematically analyzed. Results: Three themes emerged from the data. The first theme was “children’s eating habits today = healthy adult population tomorrow;” many of the stakeholders believed that, if healthy eating is not practiced from an early stage, this can lead to the development of harmful diet-related diseases in the future. The second theme was “barriers to effectively addressing the issue of childhood obesity;” all were able to identify barriers such as workforce issues to address obesity prevention and health promotion activities. The third theme was “parental responsibility for children’s diet and physical activity habits.” The majority of respondents believed that parents are responsible for the rise in childhood obesity in Brunei. Conclusions: The widespread ethos of personal responsibility for health behaviors has resulted in policies having a heavy emphasis on individual health behavior management and blame for the problem being directed primarily at parents. This individualization of the problem of childhood obesity is a barrier to the planning and implementation of ecological interventions.
Obesity rates continue to rise, resulting in a global epidemic that shows no sign of slowing down. Our understanding of this complex disease is also constantly evolving, requiring healthcare providers to stay up to date with best practices. The application of plant-based diets (PBDs) may hold the key to a successful weight-control strategy. PBD refers to any dietary pattern that emphasizes the consumption of plant foods while excluding the consumption of most or all animal products. The purpose of this mini-review is to report on the application of PBDs as a potential treatment for obesity. PBDs have also been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of other non-communicable diseases, such as the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Many of the reported RCTs were of short duration. Longer-term studies, as well as studies focusing on strict adherence to the PBD regime, are needed. PBD is a beneficial approach to improving health, particularly in obese patients. Benefits include weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, lower blood pressure, and improved glucose metabolism.
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