A new health campaign will be rolled out at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) at the end of April following a study that found 70% of students lack accurate knowledge about how much exercise they need each week.

The campaign—part of a collaboration between UMS, UNICEF and the Ministry of Health—is aimed at correcting critical lifestyle misconceptions among undergraduates and encouraging healthier habits through structured interventions over a six-month period.

The findings, based on a preliminary survey of 360 students, revealed that 77% do not meet the recommended weekly exercise targets, and most students also fall short in their understanding and practice of basic nutrition guidelines.

“We found that while awareness of the Malaysian Healthy Plate is relatively high, six in 10 students do not actually follow it,” said Dr Latif Lai, head of the UMS-UNICEF Communication for Development (C4D) Research Unit. 

“Another alarming figure is that 90% of respondents have incorrect knowledge of the daily recommended intake of fruits and vegetables, with the majority consuming only one to two servings a day,” Latif said. 

The campaign, branded FSSK x ANMS, will be driven by the UMS Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities in support of the Ministry of Health’s Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat (ANMS). 

It will focus on physical activity, balanced eating, hydration, sleep, and risky behaviours such as smoking, vaping, and alcohol use.

Faculty Dean Professor Dr Asmady Idris said the university supports the “whole-of-nation” approach to tackling non-communicable diseases, and believes the UMS initiative could be expanded across Sabah.

“We have a crisis with non-communicable diseases in Malaysia. The issue of Malaysians being overweight is something we need to look at seriously,” he said at the campaign briefing recently. 

Also present were representatives from the Health Ministry, Sabah Health Department, and UNICEF Sabah, along with student leaders and faculty researchers. – April 18, 2025