Regional study of nutritional status of urban primary schoolchildren. 3. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tee, E-Siong.; Khor, S-Choo.; Ooi, H-Eng.; Young, S-Ing.; Zakiyah, O.; Zulkafli, H.
Food and Nutrition Bulletin 23(1): 41-47
2002
ISSN/ISBN: 0379-5721 PMID: 11975368 DOI: 10.1177/156482650202300106Document Number: 266024
A total of 5995 children (7.8% of all 7- to 10-year-old primary schoolchildren in Kuala Lumpur), randomly selected from 166 schools (97.6% of all schools), were measured for their weight and height. The analyses of all weight and height data, including the cutoffs used for defining stunting, underweight, and wasting and for thinness and overweight, were carried out as recommended by the WHO. The prevalences of stunting (height-for-age Z score <-2 SD), underweight (weight-for-age Z score <-2 SD) and wasting (weight-for-height Z score <-2 SD) among all the children studied were 6.7%, 7.1%, and 4.5%, respectively. Undernutrition among boys was more serious than among girls according to all 3 indicators. Because it was not possible to analyse the weight-for-height data for most of the children above 8.5 years of age, body mass index (BMI)-for-age was used to determine the prevalences of thinness and overweight for all the children. Based on the reference data, the prevalence of overweight (at or above the 95th percentile) was 9.7% and 7.1% for boys and girls, respectively, and 8.4% overall.