Latest news with #FSSK
Daily Express
03-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Express
UMS study on student lifestyle habits
Published on: Saturday, May 03, 2025 Published on: Sat, May 03, 2025 Text Size: Dr Kasim (third from left in the Wellness on Wheels vehicle) joins students for the launch of the FSSK x ANMS Healthy Lifestyle campaign. – Photo courtesy of the Sabah Health Promotion Branch. Kota Kinabalu: The Universiti Malaysia Sabah's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK) healthy lifestyle campaign aimed at encouraging positive health behaviour among undergraduates is underway. Over the next six months, students will take part in activities aimed at encouraging them to do moderate exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, take five servings of vegetables and fruits a day, and eat a balanced meal based on the Malaysian Healthy Plate recommendation. A preliminary study in March revealed that students lack sufficient exercise, and a majority don't follow healthy living and eating recommendations. UMS Vice-Chancellor, Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansur who launched the campaign said a healthy lifestyle is important in reducing absenteeism among staff and students, and in keeping productivity levels up. He commended the Sabah Health Department through the Health Promotion Branch for the collaboration, which he described as strategic in improving health outcomes and which could later be extended to the whole campus, and to UMS branches in Labuan and Sandakan. 'The Higher Education Ministry also promotes walking 10,000 steps a day. At UMS, we have the walk and talk programme on Wednesday evenings which provides an opportunity for lecturers, staff and students to discuss matters while walking and I hope we can continue with this. 'UMS offers trails for walks, and we just opened one more recently. UMS is a safe space for physical activities,' he said, adding that he walks up six floors to his office at the Chancellory Building to stay fit. Kasim said to bring down the escalating medical costs at UMS, staff and students need to practice a healthy lifestyle and should do recreational activities for at least an hour a day. The campaign which is championing the Ministry of Health's Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS), is a collaboration between the UMS-UNICEF Communication for Development (C4D) Research Unit which is based at the faculty, and the Health Promotion Branch of the Sabah Health Department. The campaign was mooted by the Health Promotion Branch which approached the UMS-UNICEF C4D Research Unit. The Research Unit focuses on the use of evidence-based research and communication interventions to change behaviours. The campaign officially known as FSSK x ANMS, with FSSK referring to acronym for the faculty, has adopted #MoveMunchBalance as its tagline for all communication messages and materials. UMS-UNICEF C4D Research Unit head Dr Latif Lai explained 'Move' refers to the need to have at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, 'Munch' to eating five servings of vegetables and fruits a day and to make this a lifelong habit, and 'Balance' refers to following the Malaysian Healthy Plate recommendation that promotes half a portion of vegetables and fruits and a quarter portion each of carbohydrates and protein. Some 200 students took part in the launch at the faculty today, which also saw the Vice Chancellor joining them in an exercise routine, before flagging them off for a 10,000 steps walk. Also present were Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Dean, Professor Dr. Asmady Idris, Health Promotion Branch head Nor Saadah Omar, Sabah Health Department Nutrition Branch head Shahrulnaz Norhazli Nazri and student leader Mohamad Hafiezan Fiezal Haron. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
30-04-2025
- Health
- Borneo Post
UMS launches healthy lifestyle campaign to boost student wellness
UMS Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor (third from left in the Wellness On Wheels vehicle) joins students for the launch of the FSSK x ANMS Healthy Lifestyle campaign. – Photo courtesy of the Sabah Health Promotion Branch. KOTA KINABALU (April 30): A healthy lifestyle campaign took off on Wednesday at Universiti Malaysia Sabah's Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK) to encourage positive health related behaviours among undergraduates. Over the next six months, students will take part in activities aimed at encouraging them to do moderate exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, take five servings of vegetables and fruits a day, and eat a balanced meal based on the Malaysian Healthy Plate recommendation. A preliminary study in March revealed that students lack sufficient exercise, and they know the importance of a balanced meal and the need to include vegetables and fruit in their diet, but a majority do not follow these recommendations. UMS Vice Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor who launched the campaign said a healthy lifestyle is important in reducing absenteeism among staff and students, and in keeping productivity levels up. He commended the Sabah Health Department through the Health Promotion Branch for the collaboration, which he described as strategic in improving health outcomes and which could later be extended to the whole campus, and to UMS branches in Labuan and Sandakan. 'The Higher Education Ministry also promotes walking 10,000 steps a day. At UMS, we have the walk and talk programme on Wednesday evenings which provides an opportunity for lecturers, staff and students to discuss matters while walking and I hope we can continue with this. 'UMS offers trails for walks, and we just opened one more recently. UMS is a safe space for physical activities,' he said, adding that he walks up six floors to his office at the Chancellory Building to stay fit. Kasim said to bring down the escalating medical costs at UMS, staff and students need to practice a healthy lifestyle and should do recreational activities for at least an hour a day. The campaign which is championing the Ministry of Health's Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS), is a collaboration between the UMS-UNICEF Communication for Development (C4D) Research Unit which is based at the faculty, and the Health Promotion Branch of the Sabah Health Department. The campaign was mooted by the Health Promotion Branch which approached the UMS-UNICEF C4D Research Unit. The Research Unit focuses on the use of evidence-based research and communication interventions to change behaviours. The campaign officially known as FSSK x ANMS, with FSSK referring to acronym for the faculty, has adopted #MoveMunchBalance as its tagline for all communication messages and materials. UMS-UNICEF C4D Research Unit head Dr Latif Lai explained 'Move' refers to the need to have at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, 'Munch' to eating five servings of vegetables and fruits a day and to make this a lifelong habit, and 'Balance' refers to following the Malaysian Healthy Plate recommendation that promotes half a portion of vegetables and fruits and a quarter portion each of carbohydrates and protein. Some 200 students took part in the launch at the faculty on Wednesday, which also saw the Vice Chancellor joining them in an exercise routine, before flagging them off for a 10,000 steps walk. Present were Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Dean, Professor Dr Asmady Idris, Health Promotion Branch head Nor Saadah Omar, Sabah Health Department Nutrition Branch head Shahrulnaz Norhazli Nazri and student leader Mohamad Hafiezan Fiezal Haron.
Daily Express
22-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Express
UMS students to lead youth health drive
Published on: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 Published on: Tue, Apr 22, 2025 Text Size: Dr Asmady (third from left) after unveiling the FSSK x ANMS campaign logo with Dr Latif Lai (second from left) and Dr Elaine. Kota Kinabalu: Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) students are set to become ambassadors of youth health through a six-month campaign aimed at reshaping attitudes and behaviours linked to physical activity, nutrition and healthy living. The initiative is led by the UMS-Unicef Communication for Development (C4D) Research Unit, in collaboration with the State Health Department. It will feature peer-led activities and social media interventions across the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSK). Students will actively promote key health messages and model healthy practices. UMS-Unicef C4D Research Unit head Dr Latif Lai said the campaign, called FSSK x ANMS, aligns with the Ministry of Health's Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS). It aims to improve student well-being and empower undergraduates to become advocates of positive change among their peers. 'This campaign is a great opportunity for students to lead by example. They can be the voice of a healthier youth generation,' he said. The campaign was inspired by a preliminary study involving 360 undergraduates, which revealed significant gaps in knowledge and practices related to exercise and nutrition. While many students were aware of the Malaysian Healthy Plate concept, most admitted to not following it in their daily meals. The study found that 77pc of students failed to meet the recommended weekly minutes of moderate exercise. Additionally, 90pc lacked accurate knowledge of the daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables, and 77pc consumed only one to two servings per day. The Malaysian Healthy Plate recommends each main meal consist of half a plate of fruits and vegetables, one-quarter protein and one-quarter carbohydrates. 'This shows that awareness alone is not enough. We need our students to help drive real behavioural change among their peers,' said Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities Dean Professor Dr Asmady Idris during a recent campaign briefing. He added that insights gained from this campaign could lead to its expansion across the university or even statewide in collaboration with the Sabah Health Department. Student leaders who attended the briefing shared feedback that will shape the campaign's upcoming activities. These include on-campus engagement sessions, student-led discussions and awareness campaigns through digital platforms. Also present at the briefing were Health Education Division Senior Assistant Director Razmin Ramli, Sabah Health Promotion Branch head Nor Saadah Omar, Nutrition Branch head Shahrulnaz Norhazli Nazri and Unicef's Programme Specialist for Sabah, Dr Elaine Kong, alongside faculty staff, research fellows and student representatives. The FSSK x ANMS campaign is scheduled to begin at the end of April and will run for six months.
