Nutritional Status among Chinese Preschoolers in Subang Jaya, Selangor

Norimah Abdul Karim¹ and Lau Kah Kheng¹

¹ Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

ABSTRACT

A nutritional status study was carried out among Chinese preschoolers (4— 6 years old) residing in Subang Jaya, Selangor. 91 preschoolers (48 boys and 43 girls) of Chinese descent participated in the study. Anthropometric measurements such as weight and height were taken and compared with the NCHS reference. Food habits and demographic background were also evaluated. The results indicated that the prevalence of underweight, wasting and stunting was 2% respectively, while the prevalence of overweight was 3%. Food habits data showed that most preschoolers consumed the daily main meals and snack once a day. Fruits were consumed between three to four times per week. Food items preferred by these preschoolers were milk, fish and fruits. In general, preschoolers in this study favoured foods, which were deep fried rather than steamed or roasted. Correlation analysis showed that there was no significant relationship between income, education of parents and anthropometric index (weight for age, height for age and weight for height). The nutritional status of these preschool children in Subang Jaya was satisfactory.

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