Background: Depression is on the rise and has become a significant concern for public health. Limited research has explored the connection between dietary patterns and depression. This investigation aimed to examine how dietary behaviours relate to depression among adolescents attending school in Malaysia. Methods: The study utilized data from the National School-Based Health Survey 2022, a nationwide survey involving school-going adolescents aged 13–17, with a total of 33,523 participants from 239 schools. To assess depression, the study employed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), considering a score of 10 or higher as indicative of depression. Dietary behaviours were assessed using a validated self-administered questionnaire adapted from the World Health Organization's Global School-based Student Health Survey. Descriptive analysis and complex sample logistic regression were carried out using SPSS version 26.0. Results: The study revealed a 26.9% overall prevalence of depression, with higher risks among female adolescents (AOR 2.71, 95% CI 2.51, 2.92) and those in higher grades. Malays (AOR 1.71, 95% CI 1.41, 2.07), Other Bumiputeras (AOR 1.69, 95% CI 1.32, 2.17), and Others (AOR 1.63, 95% CI 1.16, 2.30) had elevated odds of depression compared to Indians. Healthy dietary habits, like consuming less than two servings of fruits daily, correlated with depression (AOR 1.44 95% CI 1.35, 1.54). Additionally, unhealthy dietary behaviours such as fast food consumption (AOR 1.73 [95% CI 1.55, 1.93]) and carbonated soft drink intake (AOR 1.59 [95% CI 1.48, 1.70]) were positively associated with depression. Conclusions: One out of every four Malaysian adolescents was identified to experience depression. Depression was linked to several factors, such as being female, belonging to higher grade levels, identifying as Malays, Other Bumiputeras, or belonging to other ethnicities, and participating in the consumption of fast food, carbonated soft drinks, and fruits. To address these observations, it is crucial to formulate effective public health programmes that prioritize adolescent mental health and encourage the adoption of healthy eating habits.

Objective: This study aims to determine the prevalence of poor self-rated health (SRH) in Malaysia and its association with sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behavior, chronic diseases, depression, and functional limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs) among older persons. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting, participants, and outcome measures: We used data from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2018, a nationwide community-based study. This study was conducted using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling design. Older persons were defined as persons aged 60 years and above. SRH was assessed using the question “How do you rate your general health?” and the answers were “very good”, “good”, “moderate”, “not good”, and “very bad”. SRH was then grouped into two categories; “Good” (very good and good) and “Poor” (moderate, not good, and very bad). Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 25.0. Results: The prevalence of poor SRH among older persons was 32.6%. Poor SRH was significantly related to physical inactivity, depression, and limitations in activities of daily living (ADLs). Multiple logistic regression revealed that poor SRH was positively associated with those who had depression (aOR 2.92, 95% CI:2.01,4.24), limitations in ADLs (aOR 1.82, 95% CI: 1.31, 2.54), low individual income (aOR 1.66, 95% CI:1.22, 2.26), physical inactivity (aOR 1.40, 95% CI:1.08, 1.82), and hypertension (aOR 1.23, 95% CI:1.02, 1.49). Conclusions: Older persons with depression, limitations in ADLs, low income, physical inactivity, and hypertension were significantly associated with poor SRH. These findings provide information to aid health personnel and policymakers in the development and implementation of health promotion and disease prevention programs, as well as adequate evidence in planning different levels of care for the older population.