Peer-reviewed article
Socioeconomic disparities and its association with food security, diet quality, and growth among Malaysian children aged 6 months to 12.9 years.
Lum PT, Chia JSM, Yeo GS, Lim SM, Sameeha MJ et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined how socioeconomic factors affect food security, diet quality, and growth among 2,973 Malaysian children aged 6 months to 12.9 years. Over half the children were from low-income households, and nearly 42% experienced food insecurity. The research found that children from poorer households, rural areas, and families with less educated mothers had worse food security, lower diet quality, and signs of stunting and underweight. The findings show that socioeconomic inequality is a key driver of nutritional problems and poor growth in Malaysian children.
Key points
- 59.8% of children studied were from low-income households
- 41.7% of children were food insecure; 47.8% had low food expenditure
- Child hunger was significantly more common in rural areas and households with lower parental education, unemployed mothers, and lower income
- Children from low-income households had lower height-for-age and weight-for-age z-scores, indicating stunting and underweight
- Diet quality (measured by Mean Adequacy Ratio) was better among urban children, boys, those from households with higher maternal education, and children with fewer siblings
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study, so it cannot establish causation or determine whether socioeconomic factors directly cause poor nutrition and growth, or whether other factors mediate these relationships. The study does not evaluate any intervention or measure change over time.
Abstract
Introduction Malnutrition and poor growth among children remain a public health challenge, largely driven by socioeconomic disparities that limit access to nutritious food. This study examines association of socioeconomic characteristics with food security, diet quality, and growth among Malaysian children. Methods Cross-sectional data from South East Asian Nutrition Surveys (SEANUTS II) Malaysia, involving 2,973 children aged 0.5-12.9 years, were analysed. Socioeconomic characteristics, including information on children and households, were collected via questionnaires. Food insecurity was assessed using the 10-item Radimer/Cornell instrument. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-h recall, with diet quality determined by Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR), derived from average Nutrient Adequacy Ratio for 15 nutrients based on Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Growth outcomes were examined using body mass index-for-age (BAZ), height-for-age (HAZ), and weight-for-age (WAZ) z-scores. Complex samples ANOVA compared food security, diet quality, and growth indicators with socioeconomic characteristics. Results Over half of the children (59.8%) were from low-income households. Although 47.8% had low food expenditure and 41.7% were food insecure, overall diet quality was reflected in MAR scores of 0.84 (maximum = 1.00). Child hunger was more common in rural areas, in households with lower parental education, unemployed mothers, lower income, lower food expenditure, and more siblings (p < 0.01). Younger, urban children, boys, Chinese or other ethnicities, from households with higher maternal education, and fewer siblings had better diet quality (p < 0.05). Lower HAZ and WAZ were more common among younger children, Malays, households with non-working mothers, lower incomes, lower food expenditures, and more siblings (p < 0.05). Children from rural areas had lower HAZ (p < 0.01). Younger children, girls, lower household income, and lower food expenditure had lower BAZ (p < 0.05). Conclusion Socioeconomic disparities are significantly associated with compromised food security, poorer diet quality, and suboptimal growth among Malaysian children. Findings highlight the importance of addressing socioeconomic inequalities through targeted policies and evidence-based interventions ensuring equitable nutritional health and growth among vulnerable children.