Affiliations 

  • 1 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Management and Science University, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 2 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 3 FrieslandCampina Development Centre AMEA, The Rutherford, Singapore
  • 4 Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia rzt@ukm.edu.my
Asia Pac J Public Health, 2016 07;28(5 Suppl):8S-20S.
PMID: 27073200 DOI: 10.1177/1010539516641504

Abstract

A large body of epidemiological data has demonstrated that diet quality follows a sociodemographic gradient. Little is known, however, about food group intake patterns among Malaysian children. This study aimed to assess consumption pattern of 7 food groups, including cereals/grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, fish, meat/poultry, and milk/dairy products, among children 7 to 12 years of age. A total of 1773 children who participated in SEANUTS Malaysia and who completed the Food Frequency Questionnaire were included in this study. A greater proportion of children aged 10 to 12 years have an inadequate intake of cereals/grains, meat/poultry, legumes, and milk/dairy products compared with children 7 to 9 years old. With the exception of meat/poultry, food consumption of Malaysian children did not meet Malaysian Dietary Guidelines recommendations for the other 6 food groups, irrespective of sociodemographic backgrounds. Efforts are needed to promote healthy and balanced dietary habits, particularly for foods that fall short of recommended intake level.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.