Dietary Practices among Overweight and Obese Chinese Children in Kota Bharu, Kelantan
- Author:
Soo
;
KL
;
Wan Abdul Manan WM
;
Abdul Manaf H
;
Lee
;
YY
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Chinese, obesity, school children
- From:
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition
2011;17(1):87-95
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Intrduction: Obesity and chronic diseases have been increasing since the last few
decades alongside rapid economic development in developed and developing
countries. The alarming increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity had
been shown by many epidemiological studies worldwide. The aims of this study
were to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese
school children in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, and to map the association between
dietary practices and their nutritional status. Methods: A cross-sectional study
was conducted on 278 school children aged 10 to 12 years old (144 boys and 134
girls) studying in a Chinese primary school in Kota Bharu. Results: The survey
revealed that while only 1.4% (n=4) were overweight, 23.4% (n=65) of the children
were obese. A total of 67.7% (n=44) of the obese children were boys. The
overweight and obese children (n=70) were compared with a randomly selected
group of normal weight children (n=70). Dietary assessment showed that protein,
fat and total calorie intake were significantly higher among the overweight
group (p<0.05). A significantly higher proportion of the normal weight children
(85.7%) took breakfast daily or at least 4 days per week compared to the
overweight groups (59.4%) (p<0.05). Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity among
school children in the study is a matter of concern. These findings may be useful
in targeting programmes and strategies for prevention and intervention of
childhood obesity.
- Full text:W020150714377243938046.pdf
