Are Malaysian Children Achieving Dietary Guideline Recommendations?
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.
Source: Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health - Category: Global & Universal Authors: Koo, H. C., Poh, B. K., Lee, S. T., Chong, K. H., Bragt, M. C. E., Abd Talib, R., on behalf of the SEANUTS Malaysia Study Group Tags: SEANUTS Source Type: research
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